An Interview with Mary Flint

Mary Flint, encouraged to try writing by a family member, discovered her love of writing from her life-long love of stories. Inspired by the books and success of teenage author Christopher Paolini, she began writing her first book, Red Star: The Hunter Trials, at the age of fifteen and published it two years later. Water Bird’s Shadow is the second book of the thrilling Red Star trilogy, and Mary hopes that readers will enjoy exploring the characters and their worlds as much as she does. She also enjoys interacting with Red Star fans at conventions, book signings, and online. Mary currently writes from her home in South Texas, USA.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

Eragon by Christopher Paolini was one of the first books that showed me how magical books could be. Also, the fact that he started writing and published as a teenager gave me the confidence to try and write my own books as a teen.

On a more personal level, one of my older brothers started writing, and I loved his stories. He showed me that I didn’t have to take a class or acquire a list of skills before I could start trying to learn something new. I have a hard time trying new things that I feel like I can’t do “perfectly” the first time and he made that process look like it could be something fun instead of intimidating.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

I felt invisible as a teenager—invisible and that no one listened to me. I was lucky that I had a good childhood, supportive parents, a few good friends, and was regarded as a pretty good kid, but there was and still is this barrier of what “kids these days” are supposedly like. That wall felt impossible to break through. People didn’t take me seriously or made assumptions about my character solely because of my age. Words have a lot of power, especially when they’re said about a person instead of to them. There are certainly a lot of words said about teenagers, but only the negative ones seem to stick.

But people listened to authors. That thought is what drove fifteen-year-old me, armed only with my small laptop and the desire for a voice, to take this story I had been building in my head and seriously try and put it on paper.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The series name, Red Star, came very quickly. Years before I even considered trying to write the book, I knew that the “Red Star” symbol was a central part of that story. The book title, The Hunter Trials, took a bit longer. I didn’t consider it as a title until I had almost completed the book, but the Hunter Trials, a deadly competition the main characters find themselves thrown into to try and save their people and planet, is the main event of the book. Once I figured that out, that title fit the book perfectly.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

“Underground” and the orchestral version of “Elements” by Lindsey Stirling would be on there for sure. Taylor Swift’s “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” would also fit a soundtrack perfectly.

Describe your dream book cover.

Honestly, I think I have it. A white background with a blackbird in flight, barbed wire, and red text with the Red Star symbol. While I initially didn’t consider having a bird as the focal point of the design, when I got that cover option back from my artist, I fell in love with it immediately and it fit the story so well.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’ve been a musician for eighteen years and am a music teacher. I am a classically trained pianist and received my Associate’s degree in music. I also picked up the violin in high school and continued through college. I received classical violin training, but I also enjoy playing Irish fiddle music.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I read books from authors I admired to learn from them while I wrote: Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games trilogy, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl books, and Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series to name just a few. One of my favorite comfort reads is Edenbrook by Julianne Donaldson. It’s much different from the genre I write in, sci-fi and fantasy, but it’s easily one of my favorite novels that I reread regularly.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

All of us are capable of great things no matter how invisible we might feel, but perhaps even more so, that young people are not humanity’s downfall, but our greatest hope.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.