Holly Black
Holly Black
Holly Black née Riggenbachis an American writer and editor best known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, a series of children's fantasy books she created with writer and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, and a trilogy of Young Adult novels officially called the Modern Faerie Tales trilogy. Her 2013 novel Doll Bones was named a Newbery Medal honor book...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth10 November 1971
CityWest Long Branch, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
I really love the idea of the poetically mad - the character that is imbued with the romantic madness. Like River from 'Firefly' or Drusilla from 'Buffy.' Someone dangerously unhinged, where you're really not sure they're going to be reliable minute-to-minute.
I really love being a weirdo who writes a lot of different things for a lot of different ages. I have been considering doing a guide on my website so that a reader who liked one of my books could find the other books that he or she might like, because I know some of the books are really different from the rest.
I read 'Sabella or The Blood Stone' by Tanith Lee, which was hugely influential to me. I love Tanith's writing. She's just really lyrical, beautiful use of language.
I loved Anne Rice's 'Interview with a Vampire' and 'The Vampire Lestat'. I found a copy of 'Interview' when I was in seventh grade at a garage sale for 25 cents. It had a crazy cover.
Growing up, my mom was a painter, my best friend was a painter, my husband is a painter. For a long time I knew artists, and I didn't know any writers.
Writers usually don't get to pick our own covers. I know it's surprising to hear that.
Vampires aren't made - they're just born that way, and no one knows why. They're sort of a race unto themselves.
The problem with faerie gifts is that they always come with a price, which is why they are made by the desperate and the foolish.
Inspiration comes from everywhere. From life, observing people, etc. From movies and books you love. From research.
I've loved vampires for a very long time. In eighth grade, I guess, my research paper was on vampires.
I don't feel prolific. I feel like I'm plodding along. Each day you sit down, and you hope that you get your work done.
I am not very good at sticking to outlines, and I double back all the time to revisit scenes and change things.
Faeries are associated with wild untamed nature, with art, and with death - so the folklore is rich with different stories to explore.
Everything scares me. I'm very easily frightened. But the thing that scares me most is zombies. I really, really don't like zombies.