Andrea Stewart considers her next big project.
Andrea Stewart is a writer based in California. Stewart is the daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. Her parents always emphasized science and education, so she spent her childhood immersed in Star Trek and odd-smelling library books. Her debut epic fantasy novel, The Bone Shard Daughter, was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel, the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy and Debut Novel, and the BookNest Award for Best Traditionally Published Novel. Andrea Stewart joins Forbes to talk about her path through publishing.
Goldie Chan: Hello Andrea, thank you for joining us. What has your career path been?
Andrea Stewart: It’s been a really long road to get here! My parents emphasized having a back-up plan, so I studied economics in school and got a day job while I kept writing on the side. I had my first professional story sale when I was thirty, signed with my agent shortly after, and after a couple of books that went out on submission to publishers and didn’t sell, I finally sold The Drowning Empire trilogy when I was thirty-seven. The first book in that trilogy, The Bone Shard Daughter, was the seventh manuscript I’d written. It came out when I was thirty-eight. So these things can take time!
Chan: What has been your favorite project that you’ve worked on?
Stewart: I feel like it’s always the most recent thing I’ve written! But it holds true in this case for a few different reasons. I just finished up the final book in my trilogy, and I really do feel like it’s my best work. I love writing endings, and I know it’s truly where my strengths show. I’ve spent three books setting things up, moving the pieces into place, and getting to write the conclusion to all of that, to have everything come full circle—it’s just a lovely feeling! The characters have changed so much over the course of the series and at the end I get to leave them at the mercy of the readers’ imaginations.
Chan: Who are some of your favorite storytellers and why?
Stewart: There are an interminable number of them. Ted Chiang is definitely one of those storytellers whose work I press on everyone close to me. His exploration of ideas is mind-expanding, engaging, and far beyond anything I could ever accomplish. Shannon Chakraborty has an excellent grasp of character, and her themes continue to resonate with me. Melissa Caruso’s books are simply a joy to sink into, and her sense of camaraderie and world building are top notch. Octavia Butler writes humanity with a deft hand; her Parable Series is startlingly prescient. There are so many more I could list!
Chan: What is the most important element of a story?
Stewart: I don’t feel like there is any definitive answer to this, but I can give the answer that rings most true to me. For me, the most important element is the characters. As the reader, I see the world and the plot through their eyes; they are my anchor in this fresh new landscape. You can give me the most interesting plot and world, but I find it difficult to connect to the story if the characters aren’t well-drawn and if I’m not grasping their understanding of the world and events around them.
Chan: How do you connect with your audience or community?
Stewart: I love to connect with people through social media! I’m active on Twitter and on Instagram, though I feel like I’m still figuring out how Instagram works. There was a brief moment in time during the pandemic where I was able to get out to a convention and meet some readers in person. I’m hoping to do more traveling in the spring when my kids are a little older and the pandemic is (hopefully) under more control!
Chan: What books are you currently working on?
Stewart: I’m very excited to be working with Orbit again on a new epic fantasy trilogy, The Gods Below. I’ve described it as both deeply romantic and deeply unsettling, with themes of displacement, corruption, and misinformation. The world is hollow, and there are layers of magical air which are toxic to mortals, toxicity and magic increasing the farther into the earth you go (I sometimes scuba dive and am SO FASCINATED by nitrogen narcosis and the bends, so I wanted to play with something similar). Some people have the ability to draw this air up and others to use it, and they must work in magically bonded teams of two. The story itself centers around two sisters who are separated by a cataclysmic event and end up on opposite sides of a war.
Chan: Any last branding or career advice for this year?
Stewart: I’d say that it’s okay to dream big. People say to keep expectations low, but I’ve felt that advice is sometimes confining. Even when things don’t work out, half the fun of it is dreaming of an outcome in which they do—and shouldn’t life be a bit fun? I’ve always found big dreams to be worth the disappointment. In terms of branding—be kind and don’t be afraid to boost the voices of others. People respond to enthusiasm and authenticity, and those that run in the same circles as you are your community and not your competition.
