Interview: September 2009
The bestselling interactive series The 39 Clues is a collaborative effort among seven acclaimed YA authors --- including Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman and Jude Watson --- that chronicles the adventures of Dan and Amy Cahill, who travel the world in search of clues said to reveal secrets about their family's history. Patrick Carman --- the author of the series' newly released fifth book, THE BLACK CIRCLE --- recently spoke with Kidsreads.com's Chris Shanley-Dillman about how he became involved in the project and how he prepared for contributing to an already-established story arc. He also names his favorite character, hints at what future installments might hold for the Cahill kids, and shares details about some of his own projects in the works.
Kidsreads.com: How did you become involved with the 39 Clues series?
Patrick Carman: My editor, David Levithan, sent me an early note about the project while I was working on Skeleton Creek. He didn’t ask if I wanted to write one of the 10 books, but I wasn’t about to wait for an invitation. About six seconds after I got his email, I fired one back that said something along the lines of: Can I do one? Oh please, oh please, oh please! It was a rash move and some shameless begging, but I got the project, and I’m so glad I did.
KRC: How is writing for an already established series different from writing your own books?
PC: Oddly enough, the actual writing wasn’t that different from writing an original novel. I mean, Scholastic gave me a lot of freedom to write what I wanted. It was like, “we’re here in the story and we need to get over there. And your story has to take place in Russia. Good luck.”
The 39 Clues has a brilliant editor in Rachel Griffiths, and that really makes all the difference. She’s very good at letting an author off the leash while still maintaining a consistent voice throughout.
Probably the one big thing that was different about writing THE BLACK CIRCLE was the research. Most of my books don’t contain history or historical figures (unless I make them up). THE BLACK CIRCLE made me dig into Russia’s past and stretched me as a researcher.
KRC: Is there a book with background on the series so you had reference points on what was going on thus far?
PC: Not so much a book, but lots of what I would describe as back matter. Family history, connections between characters, world history, character overviews, story arc --- all that is documented. And of course, I had the first four books to read (twice) to get into the Cahill mindset.
KRC: Dan loves to gorge on junk food. What is your favorite junk food?
PC: There are so many, though I have to say my wife is a serious health nut so I don’t indulge as much as this is going to sound like. This a partial list of my favorites, many of which I only get to enjoy on rare occasions (like when I’m on tour or my wife is out of town!).
Whoppers, frosting, chocolate-covered salty things (pretzels, peanuts, popcorn), gummy stuff (not the sour kind, those are gross), chocolate peanut butter ice cream, a shot of espresso with a dollop of vanilla gelato (okay that, right there, is amazing), Junior Mints, Kettle Corn (fresh, at the fair), and speaking of the fair, elephant ears and those blocks of French fries bigger than a brick. Oh, and chocolate-chip cookies. And pecan pie. Maple bars are pretty good, but it’s a crime to eat one without coffee. I’m hungry.
KRC: Amy gets nervous and stutters. Did you have this problem growing up? If so, how did you deal with it? If not, would you share something that you did struggle with while growing up and how you dealt with it?
PC: I didn’t stutter, but I did get nervous a lot as a kid. And I was a terrible speller. I remember once in the fourth grade spelling the word grate and my friend saying, “Dude, it’s great, not grate.“ I was so sure he was wrong --- I mean, come on, great? That can’t be right. I bet him the candy bar in my lunch it was grate. I think you can guess how this story ends. For a long time after that I focused my writing efforts on words with four letters or less. I think this was a grate creative exercise. So for example, I could say: Wonderful weather outside today. But why go to all that trouble when I could simply write: Sun make day hot!
KRC: Hamilton Holt has a much bigger part in book five than in the previous installments. He actually seems like a nice fellow. Should Dan and Amy trust him?
PC: I think there’s a line in my contract that says, “if you reveal something from a 39 Clues book that’s not out yet, we don’t have to pay you.” That is some serious motivation to keep quiet, so I can’t help you here. What I can say is that I always thought the Holts could be funny, and I like funny. Hamilton Holt has a lot going for him in the dialogue department.
KRC: Nellie, the au pair, and Saladin, the cat, have very small parts in THE BLACK CIRCLE. Why did you decide to go this route?
PC: I wanted to get Amy and Dan off on their own with no adults around, and I also liked the idea of casting doubt on Nellie. I’m not saying anything about her character, only that I thought there needed to be some mystery around her motivations. As far as the cat is concerned, it’s practically impossible to get one into Russia and it didn’t seem realistic to haul it around anymore. I think we’ll be seeing both the cat and the au pair soon enough. They’re tough to ditch.
KRC: Of all the characters introduced so far in The 39 Clues, do you have a favorite?
PC: Dan. He’s the king of the one-liner, and the kind of kid I would have hung out with when I was in school.
KRC: Tell us more about the book’s title.
PC: THE BLACK CIRCLE refers to a Lucian-controlled area in the story. Plus, it’s an intriguing title, which is important to a series of this kind.
KRC: The Cahill family has four different branches. Which do you belong to?
PC: I’m a Lucian! Go figure.
KRC: You have a gift for writing, one that creates excitement and propels readers through the pages. How did you go about developing this talent?
PC: I think of myself as a storyteller first, a writer second. I was one of those kids who couldn’t keep quiet in school, and I was always telling stories. Back in those days, my parents were more likely to call them whoppers, like when I tried to pin the blame on someone else for having thrown a baseball through a window (it wasn’t me, it was my brother. It was always my brother). I try to visit 100 schools a year, and I’m constantly reminding kids: the big difference between writing and telling a story is a pencil. Tell your parents about your day when you get home. Include some details. Make it interesting. That kind of practice makes you put experiences into words, a critical skill for any good writer.
KRC:You could write books for any age group. Why do you choose to write for kids, the most challenging and special of audiences?
PC: I think writing for a young audience is a natural extension of my personality, and I also enjoy the freedom I’ve had as a youth-fiction writer. I love challenging myself by switching genres and formats, and children’s publishing offers me that advantage. So far I’ve tackled fantasy (The Land of Elyon series), sci-fi (Atherton), horror (Skeleton Creek), first chapter books (Elliot’s Park), and adventure (THE BLACK CIRCLE). And I’ve been able to explore emerging formats like books that are also video games (The 39 Clues) and books that are also movies (Skeleton Creek). I couldn’t be happier with how publishers have embraced the stories I want to tell and the ways in which I like to tell them.
KRC: Can you give us any hints about upcoming books for The 39 Clues? What other projects are you working on?
PC: I expect the remaining 39 Clues books to be world-class adventures from some of the best writers in the game. Anything less would really surprise me. I’ve got Skeleton Creek II out in the fall of 2009, then my first YA novel in the spring, followed by what I’m calling a cross between The 39 Clues and Skeleton Creek --- it’s a big one. Stay tuned!
Thank you for a wonderful list of questions and for advocating on behalf of kids everywhere! I’m off to find some junk food…this interview made me hungry.
