This interview has been read 4351 times

por Melisa Sol Ripetta (Tyrna)

The first time I decided to write an e-mail to Louise Cooper I did it without many expectations; deep inside me, I was waiting for an answer, but another part was telling me not to dream with a response. And so things happened one day, when I came back from buying some of her books, I found her e-mail . I thought first: "Probably a public mail for all the ones who answer her personal page’s questions". Imagine my surprise when I saw that not only my name was heading, but also she wrote back on a humble and pleasant way (even apologizing for the delay of response) that didn’t match on the typical arrogant attitude of a famous character.

After that, when I talk to the page’s administrators about the Cooper’s whish of visit Cyberdark.net ad the Cyber ask to me if I wanted to make an interview for the page, my skepticism were bigger: I couldn’t believed. But with all that confusion over myself I accept his propose and together we start a long and arduous work that finally has in this interview its compensation.

During the brief messages that we both swept until this interview, I discover that Louise Cooper besides an excellent writer is an extremely kind and understanding person.

For those who doesn’t know her, she wrote more than 50 novels, The Time Master trilogy, Indigo series, The Chaos Gate trilogy, The Sleep of Stone, among them, all of the radical works that brings its author particularity, provoking since fascination until reject on many readers around the world, along with infinite ideas still not written that still flowing as strongly as ever, as she says.

Next to, I give you our interview. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy doing it and, why not, even translating it.

Melisa Sol Ripetta (Tyrna)
 

Louise Cooper

Based on what your work reflect we can say that fantasy is your element. Which place took fantasy in your childhood and what or who fed your imagination?

When I was very young, I loved old legends and fairy tales –Hans Andersen, the Brothers Grimm and so on–. I used to make up fairy tales of my own and act them out in my mind. (At that age, of course, I was always the Princess!) I always hoped that something magic would happen to me, so I used to look for magic everywhere, and I think that is what fed my imagination more than anything else.

In each one of the worlds you have created it seems you put all the magic and illusion that a lot of us have inside. Was there an especially magic place for you that gave life to your worlds?

My "magic place" is Cornwall, at the south-western tip of Britain. It is an old Celtic land, with dramatic sea-coasts and scenery, and it is full of History, myth and legend. Cornwall is the greatest inspiration to me, and many of my fantasy worlds are strongly influenced by it.

We know that as a little girl you liked writing and telling stories. When have you decided that you wanted to be a writer?

Like most little girls at that time, I first wanted to be a ballerina –but I wasn’t very good at it!– Then when I was about ten years old, I entered a writing competition and wrote a whole book, by hand, with illustrations. I didn’t win the competition, but it made me realise that writing was the thing for me.

For those who read your stories and for those who didn’t. Which is your way of writing? Do the stories evolve with the time or you always know how are they going to end?

In the past, I used to get an idea and start writing immediately, without worrying about how the story would end or what would happen in between. Now, though, I usually prepare an outline of the plot before I begin to write. However, even with this outline to work from, the stories don’t always turn out as I expect –sometimes they take over and change, almost without my realising it–. When that happens, I find that the best thing to do is let the story lead me where it wants to go.

How was your first publication like? What have you felt when you saw your name in a cover?

It was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me! I could hardly believe that it was true; I thought that I might wake up and find I had been dreaming! I also thought I was going to be rich, which of course didn’t happen! But it gave me the confidence and determination to keep to my resolve and never give up.

For a long time, the fantastic gender has respected a certain structure: the perfect, brave, always right on his decisions and never hesitating hero; the beautiful and dazzling, fearful and helpless maid; the bad always bad, the good always good... Nevertheless many of your books have broken those barriers by changing that tradition. What is that rebelliousness due to?

I don’t think it’s rebelliousness. It’s more a feeling that the perfect, brave and always right hero doesn’t exist in human nature. Real people are much more complicated than that, and when I read stories with characters who are "all good" or "all bad" I find them unconvincing and disappointing. I like to explore the hidden depths in my characters and get to know them in the same way that I might get to know new friends. And I think that to have complex characters makes a story much more interesting

El iniciado

The Time Master trilogy was your first big success. How was born the idea for the trilogy?

The first fantasy book I ever wrote was called Lord of No Time. I don’t know where the idea came from –it just kind of happened– but it was Tarod’s story. It was published a few years later, but was not a success. However, after another few years, a literary agent read it and suggested that I should expand it into a trilogy. I was a little unsure about doing this at first, but once I began to write I became very passionate about it.

Time Master is deeper and more complex than Lord of No Time, and there are some major changes in the story –there were no Lords of Order in the original, Sashka was an unimportant figure who only appeared for a few pages, and Keridil had a very different fate–. But, in essence, it is the same tale.

Tarod, the Time Master´s main character, has a rebellious and enigmatic personality. Indigo and Cyllan are as him, decided women, capable of everything for keep what they love. Are them a reflect of the Louise behind the novel?

That’s a difficult question! I would like to think that they are a reflection of me, but, realistically, I don’t think I could ever be as courageous as they are! Though I hope that I do uphold some of their principles, such as loyalty and honesty. But that’s for other people to judge... ;-)

Love is always present in your works and generally is the main character’s incentive to keep going and never give up to his faith. Do you think that every good book needs a love story?

Yes. Even if it is disguised and hidden, I think there should be a love story there somewhere. As the saying goes, "Love makes the world go round". For me, love gives hope and optimism to a story, and without it the characters can have no true goal. I’m a romantic at heart!

Índigo

The music is other of your greatest loves and, in fact, it had an important paper on the Indigo saga; the same thing happen with the cats in the Time Master´s trilogy. Do you include your own passions often in your books?

I believe that every writer includes their own passions in their stories, simply because those passions are what interests them and so makes them write with enthusiasm. For instance, since I came to live by the sea and discovered how much I love it, I have started to include the sea more and more in my tales. The only passion that I haven’t yet found a story to write about is gardening. Hmm… a gardening fantasy? I’m not so sure!

Many time we meet people that remind us known characters or inspire us to create one of our own. Did your characters exist in our world or only in Cooper’s worlds?

Most of them exist only in my world… though there are some who are based on people I have known. But I don’t think I should say who they are…;-)

Many says that the fantastic gender is naive and, as it, it must only belong to the children. What did you think about this?

I would say, tell that to Philip Pullman! The Dark Materials trilogy is a great example; it was written for children but is eagerly read by adults, too. Some adults are prejudiced against fantasy, I know, and I think this is a great shame, as they are missing out on some wonderful reading. Anyway, much of the great literature of the past could be described as fantasy, couldn’t it? What is Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, if not a fairy tale?

What are you working on at this moment? What relation has with your past work?

Typically for me, I’m working on three different books! One is a supernatural thriller for teenage readers, the second is another book of short stories for children, to follow one I wrote called Short and Scary, and the third is an adult novel set in the real, modern world but with a supernatural theme. I haven’t sold that one yet –it’s a bit of a change for me to write this kind of book– but I’m enjoying exploring this new horizon.

I’m also developing ideas for a new fantasy world; a kind of "alternative reality" to our real world, in which I could write stories for both adults and children. This will probably take a while, but I hope that it will help to give a new dimension to my writing.

La puerta del caos

Which authors had more influence in your literature?

Probably the most influential of all was Michael Moorcock. I first discovered Stormbringer when I was 17 years old, and I still think it’s one of the most magnificent fantasy books I’ve ever read. Before I found it, I didn’t realise that the fantasy genre even existed, and that book inspired me to start writing fantasy of my own. Other favourites are Rudyard Kipling (who had a wonderful insight into human nature), C. S. Lewis (I still re-read all the Narnia books) and M. R. James, whose ghost stories have more power to frighten me than any other author’s. Even at my age, I won’t read them alone after dark!

Which one, of the last books you read, will you recommend to our readers?

I have to admit that in recent years I haven’t read much at all, other than my favourite authors as mentioned above. I know I should read more, and explore new writing, but when I finish my day’s work I feel that I want to get away from words and involve myself in something different, like music or walking or going to the beach. So I’m afraid that I haven’t really got anything to recommend!

Finally, in your biography you tell us that a lot of your dreams became true. Is there anyone to accomplish?

I would love to see a movie made from one of my books! That would be such a thrill for me, as I’m sure it is for any writer. And with new technology making movie production cheaper and more accessible, who knows?. One day, it might happen!

Links:

Bibliografía de Louise Cooper en Cyberdark.net

El Orden y el Caos – grupo dedicado a los libros de Louise Cooper en Cyberdark.net

Página oficial de Louise Cooper