I got to ask the author of Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress, G.G Silverman a few questions. Here’s how it turned out.
Your book sounds very unusual, how did you come up with the theme and idea for it?
It’s a pretty weird back story, admittedly. It started this way: whenever we used to take our old dog Bananas out for a walk, she would sometimes growl at people that walked with a limp or a shuffle. So we used to joke that she was a zombie huntress, because she is so good at spotting shamblers. But I hadn’t had the idea for the story at that point. Then one day, on another dog walk, this strong voice popped into my head, the voice of a teenage girl who was vegan and feminist and had lots to say about prom night and what she thinks it does to girls. I rushed home and wrote that monologue down, and that basically became the first page of the book.
How cool is that? I love that the dog is named Bananas! What has been your journey as an author so far?
It has been long a long, winding, but fun journey. I had wanted to be a writer since I was thirteen, but I also wanted to be some kind of working art professional, so my first career choice ended up being in the graphic arts. Then I dabbled a little in writing here and there, but as my life progressed, I realized I wasn’t satisfied just dabbling in a notebook, that I wanted to really give my ideas more shape. I started taking tons of workshops, and even went back to night school a few years back and got a certificate in writing fiction for children at the University of Washington. That experience is probably what helped me the most. After that I went from a dabbler to someone who kept her butt planted in a chair and finish stories. I had my first short story published after that (it even won an award), and I’ve been writing furiously ever since.
Something tells me that you were good as a graphic artist too. What is your writing process?
I tend to have a strong idea of what I want to do before I sit down to actually write. I’m very conceptual. Plus, without a concept or a direction, I could waste time, and I hate wasting time. So I’m fairly hung up on knowing exactly where I want to go with an idea. That’s not to say that I don’t experiment, I do. Sometimes, on the way to a destination, I wander and find an interesting path, but I typically know where I want to go.
As far as the mechanics of writing, I used to write long-hand, then transcribe, but I’ve gotten more comfortable writing directly on the computer. But don’t be surprised if you see me in an airport scribbling like crazy in a college-ruled notebook while I wait for a flight. I’ll write anywhere, any way I can. If my last and only piece of paper is a gum wrapper, and I have to write in my own blood, I might just do it.
And here I thought I was the only person who cannot leave home without a notebook and pen of some kind in my bag. How do you get into the minds of your characters?
Like I mentioned before, sometimes it’s long walks and imaging myself in their shoes. Empathy is a writer’s best friend, and a well-honefdempathy response can help you imagine what someone who isn’t you might be feeling.
I’m guessing you are vegan. Why chose that lifestyle and how long have you been?
I have huge admiration for vegans and their dedication to animal welfare. I tried being vegan quite sincerely for about a month, but because I have so many food allergies, my diet became even more limited as a vegan, and I started feeling unwell. So I wasn’t able to continue as vegan. I still eat vegan meals on occasion, but right now I work very hard to eat two vegetarian meals a day, and when my husband comes home, if we eat meat, we try to make it smaller animals. I’m trying to limit how many big animals we eat. It’s better for the planet (greenhouse gas from cattle farming is directly related to global warming), and it’s better for animals.
And though I’m not currently vegan, the experience has changed me in bigger ways. I now look for cruelty-free products for my home and for personal care. I try to think about the larger picture when I buy things.
Yeah I just stick to fish and eggs. How long did it take you to write Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress
Three years and seven drafts—seven VERY NECESSARY drafts. The first draft was terrible, and I have enough self-awareness to admit it. (Plus, my crit group told me so.) So I threw away two-thirds of it and started mostly fresh. It was tough, but I learned a ton about writing and plotting a full novel from beginning to end. Everyone has a starter novel and this was definitely mine. Thanks to that process though, I’m a much faster writer these days.
Yeah writing is a rhythm once you get into it it flows, at least for me anyway. What keeps you motivated?
I don’t want to go to my grave not having done the things I want to do. Plus, I hate it when friends ask, “Hey, whatever happened to that project you started?” There’s nothing worse, in my eyes, than someone who’s all talk and doesn’t put skin in the game. I’m a closer. Always be closing. 🙂 And now my fans are eager for more. Gotta satisfy my peeps.
Amen to that, yes it pisses me off not finishing as well. Favorite tv show or movie?
Too many to list here, though Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress is a mash-up of geeky pop culture faves like Daria, Mean Girls, and Shaun of the Dead.
Otherwise, I’ll admit I may have seen The Matrix and Zombieland a million times.
Favorite author and why?
Too many to list here, but if I could be like Cormac McCarthy or Margaret Atwood when I grow up, that would be amazing. I also recently discovered Charles Yu. His book How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe damn near slayed me. It was sooooo good. Sigh.
Damn what a great title by Charles Yu. What genres do you read?
I read omnivorously. One day I could be reading poetry, the next day sci-fi, the next day literary fiction. If it’s good and makes me think, I don’t l care about how it’s labeled.
Thanks G.G for stopping by!
Author: G.G. Silverman
Genre: Teen Humor, Fiction, Literature
Synopsis
Clarissa Hargrove thinks prom sucks. She’s been protesting it for weeks, but the conformist sheep that go to Redvale High could care less. Not one single girl has ditched her prom gown in the name of feminism, except for Clarissa’s loyal, underappreciated BFF Cokie. But Clarissa is still on a mission to save more souls–she’ll be at prom, with her bullhorn and picket signs, telling girls they have one last chance to ditch their hooker heels and claim their independence before high school is over. That night, Clarissa drags Cokie to school to protest, but almost everyone at prom has turned into flesh-eating monsters. Trapped in a high-school zombie hellhole, the girls realize they’ve never taken a chance on love, and set out on dangerous quest to save their crushes.
But there’s one teensy little problem.
Clarissa is vegan and hates violence of any kind. Will Cokie and Clarissa survive?
A mashup of pop culture hits like Daria, Mean Girls, and Shaun of the Dead, Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Purchase Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress on Amazon
About G.G. Silverman 
G.G. Silverman lives north of Seattle with her husband and dog, both of whom are ridiculously adorable. When she isn’t writing, she loves to explore the mossy woods and wind-swept coast of the Pacific Northwest, which provide moody inspiration for all her stories. She also enjoys bouts of inappropriate laughter, and hates wind chimes because they remind her of horror movies.
Ms. Silverman has won three short story awards, you can read about them here. She is a member of SCBWI and PNWA, and has also served as a judge for the 2013 PNWA Literary Contest, for the short story category.
Connect with G.G. on Website | Twitter | Facebook
Read an Excerpt
Mom breezed into the kitchen, looking super sharp in her navy blue power suit. She kissed Dad on the forehead, and did the same to me. Then she looked over my shoulder, and sniffed.
“Whatcha eatin’?”
“Sprouted wheatgrass soup. Want some?”
“Eh, no. Looks like…pond scum. Sorry, love.”
“Want some burger?” Dad offered. A speck of mayo lingered in the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, hon, I’m kind of tired of burgers. Got anything else? What about salad?”
Like he would ever know what that was.
“Yup, there’s some bagged lettuce in the back of the fridge. Have at it.”
I stood corrected.
Mom rescued the forlorn package of lettuce and tore it open with delicate fingers, dropping some into a small wooden bowl. She splashed it with fat-free dressing, sat beside me at our cozy, round kitchen table, and smiled her best CEO-of-the-Year/Mom-trying-really-hard smile. Uh oh. The interrogation would begin any moment now.
“So, I heard it’s prom night. Still boycotting?” She lifted a forkful of lettuce to her mouth and chewed slowly, watching me sideways with the eyes of a suspicious woman.
“I’m definitely not going.”
Mom raised one of her signature bushy eyebrows.
“Well, I am going, but not to dance, only to stand outside…”
More skeptical looks from Mom. “Only to stand outside and…protest?”
Dad let out a low whistle. He and Mom gave each other THE LOOK, a knowing glance that meant, uh oh, all hands on deck, we’ve got a live one here.
Mom grabbed my hand. “Look, honey, despite your father’s frighteningly average IQ, we are fortunate to have raised a smart young woman. And we are so grateful that you have strong convictions and are willing to stand up for them. But…”
“But what?” I asked, completely exasperated. I thought that my mother, of all people, would understand my feminist leanings.
Dad chimed in. “But we’re worried that you’re missing out on a critical moment of teenage life, a major American rite of passage. Feminist or not, girls all over the world would kill to have the life you have, and they’d kill to go to prom.” Dad was using the word “kill” an awful lot, which made me nervous. “Look,” he continued. “We’re just worried that you’ll look back on this night and regret it.”
Mom nodded her head in somber agreement and squeezed my hand even tighter. “Are you sure you won’t regret it, my little nonconformist bunny rabbit?”
“Mom, I’m absolutely, one hundred percent sure.”
I had no idea how prescient those words would become.
