Interview with Lorie Langdon and Carey Corp, authors of Doon!

I have had the honor of being able to interview Lorie Langdon and Carey Corp, authors of Doon! Here it is:

1. Doon is a retelling, or based on Brigadoon, the musical by Alan Jay Lerner, why did you choose to write this story retelling?

Lorie: When I was sixteen I saw the musical Brigadoon and fell in love with the romantic tale of the village that only appears to the modern world once every one hundred years. But one thing always bothered me about the original – during the hundred years that the portal to the kingdom is closed, the people in Brigadoon sleep. Really? They sleep! I couldn’t stop thinking about what I could do with that hundred years…

Carey: We met at a local writers meeting and became friends almost instantly! We’d just finished editing our respective solo projects and were discussing what we each wanted to write next, when I mentioned my idea of doing a retelling of Brigadoon. Coincidentally, Carey had just completed her second young adult novel, so I was picking her brain on voice and technique when somewhere along the way our conversation took a detour. Our ideas for the mythical kingdom of Doon sparked an explosion of evil witches, magic spells, daring adventures, two unique best friends, and heroic princes in kilts … soon it became clear that this story was bigger than the both of us, but that together we could make it amazing. So we jumped in with both feet and DOON was born!

2. Are there any scenes that were cut from the final edit of Doon, that you wish had made it into the book?

Carey: Yes, several. One of the earlier drafts of Doon was split 50/50 between Vee and Kenna. When we revised to make it 65/35, lots of Kenna stuff had to be cut. Although it didn’t make the book, most of that material was relevant so we released it last summer as bonus content. You can go deeper into the story of Doon, get other perspectives, and even whole chapters…like Kenna’s last day of high school and the besties driving to Alloway. (go towww.DoonSeries.com/doon-series/ to discover bonus material)

3. Are there any songs/artists that helped you or that you listened to while writing Doon?

Carey: Quite a few. Lorie and I always make youtube playlists when we’re writing. Then we compile our lists when the book comes out. We generally have a couple of songs that overlap, but for the most part our tastes in music are somewhat different. Vee’s playlists always have dance music on them. Kenna’s always have a few Broadway tunes. Always a couple of traditional Scottish tunes as well. (go towww.DoonSeries.com/doon-series/ to discover links to our playlists)

4. Do you have a favorite character from Doon? What about you one true pair (otp)?

Carey: That’s an easy one. I write Kenna’s chapters, so Dunkenna is my OTP; Lorie writes Vee so Jeronica is hers. The great thing about two couples is we can root for both…no irritating triangles.

5. What has been the most challenging part of writing Doon and its sequels?

Carey: I think it’s balancing out writing with all the other things going on in life. Lorie and I have faced some unexpected challenges with health and family that have threatened to take us off course. Luckily, we have eachother for accountabily, encouragement, problem solving, and to keep the other on track.

6. If there was going to be a television show or movie based off of Doon, who would your dream cast be?Carey: Neither Lorie nor I can find actors that fit our visions perfectly. We’re much more interested in hearing who our readers would choose. There’s a great Doon movie thread on the IF list: (http://www.iflist.com/stories/doon)

7. I know you co-wrote the Doon series with Lorie Langdon. Are there any difficulties/challenges that come with being a co-author?

Lorie: As you can imagine, one of the challenges of co-authoring is not having complete creative control, but this can also be an advantage because you have two brains instead of one!

 

Carey and I, much like our characters, are opposite in a way that makes for a perfect balance. As writers, we each bring different technical strengths to the table.

The actual process of writing with a co-author is fun and dynamic. Splitting responsibilities such as blogging, promotions, and social networking is a great blessing. But the biggest advantage is that you have someone who is equally invested. Someone you can call or text at midnight with a brilliant plot idea, who won’t curse you out and block your phone number. (Carey: Ha! Lorie is trying to teach me boundaries, but I’m not a very good student.)

 

Carey: What Lorie said—especially the part about opposites. Lorie LOVES to write bad boys, like her character Jamie. I have a soft spot for the boy-next-door good guys, like my character Duncan. I love what Stephen Sondheim has to say about collaboration: “One of the advantages of having a collaborator is—you’re never slammed in the face alone.”

8. Have you always wanted to be an author?

Carey: Yes. I didn’t realize for a long time. But I’ve been writing stories since I was seven years old. My first book was a total plagiarism of Star Wars. LOL (You can see it here.)

9. Have there any authors that have influenced you and/or your writing style?

Carey: As writers, you try to not let anyone else’s style influence your own. Your voice makes you unique. But there are writers that challenge us and even give us imposter syndrome. Cassandra Clare is one. J

10. Have you ever been hit with the feared writer's block? Any tips for getting through it?

Carey: Like any other job, there are days when you don’t feel like writing, but part of being successful is developing discipline. If you’re a writer, you need to put words on paper. Even rough or clumsy thoughts are better than none at all. First drafts usually suck anyway. You can revise anything other than a blank page.

11. Whoa re your literary crushes?

Lorie: My first literary crush was Dallas Winston from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. My current literary crush is Will Herondale from Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series. (Guess I’ve always had a thing for tortured, complex heroes.)

12. Do you have a favorite quote, movie, book, or play/musical?

Carey: I’m a Broadway nerd. So I love Wicked, Into the Woods, Spring Awakening, and RENT! My current favorite books are: Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series, The Fault in Our Stars (or anything else by John Green), andEleanor & Park.

 Lorie: I really like the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas or Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo or any fantasy story with a strong female lead!

13. If you could have 7 famous people over for dinner who would have? What about 7 fictional characters?

Carey: The cast of Supernatural and the characters of Supernatural…except the bad demons...and not at the same time because of the French Mistake episode. LOL!

14. Have you written anything else, besides Doon? Lorie: I just sold a stand-alone YA to my publisher Blink. It’s called Gilt Hollow and is scheduled to come out in fall 2016.

Carey: I have a couple other novels out. The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian, and Shades of Neverland. You can find them on Amazon and B&N.com

15. How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Carey & Lorie: There’s all kinds of stuff on our website, The Dooniverse.www.DoonSeries.com