Get ready to learn more about the book How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) in this discussion with sapphic author Marie Cardno.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Marie Cardno about How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster), writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Fish Out of Water category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster)?
What can I say – I’m a big fan of the monster getting the girl! The idea of an impersonal, monstrous force finding individuality – and building for herself what that meant, bit by bit – turned into Trillin, the sweetly curious and innocent (though historically murderous and terrifying) monster heroine of How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster), while her human crush Sian grew from the idea of staring too long into the void, and realizing it was flirting back at you.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favourite character is Sian. She’s closer to being a viewpoint character in many ways – the ‘non-monster’ pair in the monster romance pairing – but as she learns more about her own world and herself, she faces up to some home truths about how monstrous she’s willing to be to protect those she loves.
Sian is far cooler than I am, in a dorky way I find very endearing (and so does Trillin).
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
The book is set in my hometown of Dunedin – and it was surprisingly hard to write about it in fiction! You think you know a place, and then you try to pin it down in words – I hope I’ve done a good job.
What part of How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) was the most fun to write?
I loved writing all the sections with Trillin trying out new shapes and forms for her new body, and being surprised by its instinctual reactions.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
The sequel is already out – How to Get a Date with the Evil Queen – and the final book in the trilogy will publish later in 2024.
What is your favorite line from your book?
The human had a skeleton underneath, didn’t she? She thought about adjusting her eyes to see through the human’s surrounding flesh to the bones beneath, to see how they worked, but that seemed rude. They hardly knew each other. She didn’t know much about human customs, but skeletons had to be private, or else why would they be so carefully wrapped up?
What is your writing process like?
I plot, carefully, cautiously, in what feels like great detail – then start drafting and realize it isn’t going to work at all. This is not what you would call an efficient process. I’m hoping to come to a happy medium between discovery writing and knowing where the heck I’m going. Still working on it!
Where do you usually write, and what do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I work in my home office, or in local cafes, depending on how much interruption I think my brain can handle.
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
I have two cats – Jam and Toast. Jam is a very polite co-writer, and generally waits until I wander into the kitchen to complain about the housekeeping. Toast will jump directly onto my hands, claws extended, with no notice given. It adds an element of danger to an otherwise calm, sedentary workday.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing, and by whom?
Look after your body! I can’t remember who first gave me this advice, but it’s followed me through uni (where I ignored it) to my thirties (where things are starting to fucking hurt). Don’t push through rock-solid knotted shoulders. Don’t ignore those twinges in your arms and wrists. Because our stories may come from our minds, but we need our bodies to tell them.
Do you feel bad putting your characters through the wringer?
I feel bad… but I write romance! They’re going to turn out okay! So it’s fine if things suck for a bit, right? (I want to say I experience an evil glee at this, but usually I’m sniffling sympathetically as I ruin my poor characters’ lives).
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
I grew up reading fantasy and it’s still my default genre. This is a very shallow answer. I love magic! I love dragons! More dragons, please, yes excellent. A new take on an old trope or cliche? An old trope or cliche played straight when I was expecting subversion? I love it.
What books have you read more than once in your life?
I have always been a chronic re-reader, and the stories I chose to re-read were those where the setting and characters were as interesting if not MORE interesting than the actual plot and how things turn out. For me, re-reading is all about sinking back into a familiar place – like a beloved vacation spot.
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