Literary in the City

About a week ago, I wrote a review for TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. Afterwards, I was thinking about how much I loved this book, and I decided to reach out to him and request a virtual interview (go big or go home, right?). When he responded agreeing to said virtual interview, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

A celebrated author, TJ Klune has written novels such as The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, and In the Lives of Puppets, as well as series like Tales from Verania and The Extraordinaries. Emphasizing LGBTQ+ representation, his novels teem with joy, friendship, and love. As someone who rarely sees themself represented in literature, it is so meaningful to see an author create space for underrepresented voices. 

It has been a wonderful experience putting this together. Thank you to TJ Klune! Without further ado, here is the interview:

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1. Many of your books involve magic and/or fantasy. Is there something that draws you to using these specific elements when telling a story?

The main reason I love fantasy so much is that I’m not bound by real-world rules. In contemporary fiction, an author typically will make it as realistic as possible, following the rules and laws that we’re all bound by, both man-made and otherwise. 

With fantasy, I can throw all those rules out the window. Do I want to have a waterfall made of stars? I can do that. Do I want to have people who can fly? I can do that too. Much of science fiction and fantasy is a take on the real world, but without the constraints. I love being able to make up whole worlds from nothing.

2. How has your own identity shaped and impacted the stories you choose to tell?

It absolutely informs much of what I do. Though I write for anyone who wants to read my books, I always have the queer community in mind first and foremost. For so long, we never got to see ourselves in media. And if we did, they were either over-the-top offensive stereotypes, or we were there to teach straight people A Very Valuable Lesson. Or, even worse, we got sick or killed.

I want to show that queer people can be the heroes, the villains, the sidekicks, but all with depth and purpose. The kid-version of me wouldn’t be able to believe that Adult TJ gets to tell whatever stories come into his head as his job. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and here I am now. It’s wonderful the opportunities I’ve been given.

3. The House in the Cerulean Sea is a novel widely-loved by the book community. Who’s your favorite character from the novel, and why?

Chauncey will always be my favorite character. There is just something about him that I adore. He’s a big reason the sequel exists as he wouldn’t stop talking in my head. He is a perpetual ball of sunshine that is too good for this world, and I love every second I get to spend with him.

4. If you had to describe your writing style in one word, what word would you choose?

Accessible.

5. What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

My favorite thing about being an author is that I get to use my imagination in ways that I didn’t know were possible. It feels like as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found more and more stories I want to tell. It boggles my mind that I have a billion stories in my head, and only so much time left to tell them. It’s my hope that I’ll be doing this whole writing thing as long as I’m alive.

6. You’ve written several series, such as the Tales From Verania and The Extraordinaries. What is the writing process for a series like?

Funnily enough, I don’t really like writing sequels—which is hysterical given how many I’ve written. When writing the first book in a series, I can make up whatever I want. However, in sequels, I’m bound by the rules I created in the first book. Something that happens all the time is me having a really cool idea for a sequel, only to discover that it wouldn’t make sense, given something I did in the previous book. It can be a little frustrating to realize something interesting can’t fit because of how I wrote the first book.

7. Is there anything you’re looking forward to in the future? Anything that readers should stay tuned for?

The sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea comes out this fall. Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a response to the rising anti-queer and anti-trans movement across the United States. The idea that people can question the minds and bodies of trans people infuriates me to no end. I wrote this sequel for the trans community to remind them that there are so many more people who love and support them than there are people who don’t. Hate is loud, but we are louder. It’s time people realized that.

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I hope that you enjoyed reading this interview! The responses to these questions were so eloquent, thoughtful, and powerful. 

I want to extend one final thank you to TJ Klune for partaking in this interview. It truly means a lot; as a huge fan of his work, this was a dream come true!

Please consider checking out TJ’s other works on this website!

As always, please let me know what you think in the comments below ❤

Waiting for the eclipse,

H.