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Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte - Buffy and Angel authors
Buffy, books and ballet
How did you both become professional writers, ultimately working on the Buffy and Angel ranges?
Jeff: I've been writing stories almost literally for as long as I can remember. My first published work was some journalism in college, and my first professional fiction sale was a science fiction short story in the first volume of the acclaimed anthology Full Spectrum. This happened while I was managing a bookstore in La Jolla, California.
After that bookstore closed I went to work in the comic book business, which is what my day job still is. Through this gig I started writing the occasional comic, and also met Christopher Golden. When Chris was offered the chance to write a novel about Gen13, comic book characters that we had both written comics about, he asked me to join him on the book. I did so. After that he passed my name on to Lisa Clancy, the Buffy/Angel editor at Simon and Schuster, and I've been doing books ever since.
Nancy: I started studying ballet before I could tell my left foot from my right - the teacher had to tie a red scarf around my left ankle so I could keep them straight. I was so tiny that rather than ask me to move somewhere on the floor, she would just pick me up and carry me to my assigned place.
Ballet sustained me through a difficult childhood and the loss of my mother when I was still quite young. I dropped out of high school and moved to Germany, where it seemed more likely that I would be able to support myself as a dancer - there are lots of companies in Europe, and they hire a wider variety of "looks" than in America.
I eventually decided to come home and go to college. Though I had started writing stories in the second grade, and even completed an entire novel in the sixth grade, it didn't occur to me that I could study to become a writer.
I figured I had to take classes that led to some kind of "official" job. I changed majors a number of times, eventually settling in the Communications program at UC San Diego because I could take as many writing classes as I wanted... for credit!
It finally dawned on me that I wanted to be a writer, but I resisted that impulse mightily, thinking that I needed something safe and steadying... like accounting. (I guess the joke's on all my CPA friends!) But during the pursuit of an MBA and wearing a ridiculous little beanie hat while working at Sea World, I decided to write a novel. It didn't sell. I wrote another. It didn't sell, either. Neither did the third one. But the fourth one did.
Writing together
Describe your working relationship - who does what, and is it all done by email?
Jeff: When Nancy and I are in the early stages of working on a book, we usually sit down together and hash out at least the broad strokes of the plot. Then one of us puts it down on paper - well, virtual paper - and passes it to the other.
We go back and forth via email on this until it's in a shape we're both happy with, then send it off to our editor for approval. Once it's approved, we start writing, again passing the chapters via email. Generally we divide up the outline by chapters, and each do our ration of chapters, ideally keeping up with the other so when we write chapter five, for example, we know how chapter four ended.
Once it's all done we both go back over it all and smooth out the rough spots.
Nancy: Jeff summed up our working relationship pretty well. One thing you should know about their house is that it is like a movie set. It's warm and fun and there are lots of people running in and out - their daughter and her friends trying on Goth makeup; their son regaling you with endless details about some TV show or game.
Jeff's wife, the author Maryelizabeth Hart, collects action figures and toys - Xena, Ariel, Poison Ivy, all the redheads - and Jeff loves the West. He has more Playmobile Western figures than a toy store. It's fun to go over there to work.
My house, on the other hand, tends to be quieter (except for the incessantly barking dog from hell, Miss Dot). I go out into the world and then cocoon. I don't watch TV and I forget to listen to music. But I go out into the world a lot; I need a haven to return to.
As Jeff mentioned, once we've got the basics worked out, we work alone and email each other.
Dark Secrets
As writers of The Watcher's Guide and Angel Case files, was it hard to prise all those dark secrets from the cast and crew?
Jeff: Not at all. Really you just need one dark secret, and then the rest can be blackmailed out of them quite easily (laughs)
The actors and crew know that when we're there, we're doing an officially licensed book. We have the permission of the production company to be there, and anyone we talk to is going to have a chance to look at their interview and remove anything that they would rather not have show up in print. So they're mostly very open with us. They're all hard-working and dedicated professionals who really put a lot of thought and effort into whatever their craft is, so for the most part they're happy to share with us.
Nancy: The first time we went up to the set, the cast and crew were a little uncertain of who we were. As the show's fame has grown, they're used to seeing reporters and photographers coming by. But there's a difference between someone looking for a story and someone who has a professional interest in presenting the show to the rest of Buffydom.
That's where we come in. We're not looking for dirt (not to share, anyway!) We're looking for interesting tidbits and bits of detail we can tell the fans, but not at the expense of the people we are observing.
The trouble with trilogies
Are the trilogy books you have co-written something that you found enjoyable, or is it difficult to sustain that kind of plot with a tie-in?
Jeff: I think a trilogy is always a challenge, because by its nature it can't be paced out the same as a single novel. With the Unseen trilogy we tried our best to keep the action moving, to make sure that Book Two was a crucial book and not just filler to get from the beginning to the climax of Book Three. And of course, we had some limitations because we had such a huge cast, all of whom needed to be included in some substantial way.
Nancy: A trilogy is a blessing and a curse; it's like having a huge arc in a season. But one of the problems that may arise is that during the time it takes to write a trilogy, the actual season on TV may go in a different way. With Buffy and Angel, there are always surprises! A lot of people think there are built-in limitations to writing tie-ins, but the opposite tends to be true - lots and lots of ripe and juicy choices. Joss and Marti keep us hopping, that's for sure!
Gotta have Faith
Your last novel, Endangered Species, featured a spectacular return for Faith. Was her return something you wanted, or a suggestion by the publishers?
Jeff: Faith's return was, if I remember correctly, our idea. But I could be wrong. Age, you know...
What do you think is Faith's enduring appeal and could/should she carry Buffy should Sarah leave this year?
Jeff: I've never tried to analyse Faith's appeal, but I suppose it boils down to a few simple roots (boy, what a sadly mixed metaphor that is!):
I am not sure she could sustain a series in the way that Sarah does, because part of the appeal is that Sarah plays against type - she's a tiny blonde cheerleader who can destroy powerful vampires. Looking at Faith, you have almost no doubt that she could destroy vamps, even without the Slayer powers. But at the same time, if Joss decides to go that way, I'm certain he can pull it off.
Nancy: We wanted to bust Faith out. I also wanted to write about a dark Slayer in The Evil That Men Do, but The Powers That Be told me that Faith was going to be coming, so I had to change a few things. I'm sure Faith could hold her own as the protag/antagonist of the show. Eliza Dushku is electrifying, gorgeous, and a fantastic actor.
What about that scene with Angel in the rain when she surrenders? She pulls off the real emotions, just like Sarah. As Jeff points out, they're the two sides of the same consciousness - dark and light, champion and berserker.
Buffy or Angel?
What are the pros and cons of writing Buffy as opposed to Angel? Which of the two formats/character combinations is of the most interest to you as writers?
Jeff: I'm more interested in writing Angel, because the series plays more to my strengths. It's a little darker, more plot-oriented, and the private investigator angle works with my long-standing love of P.I. fiction. The Angel cast has grown to the point that it's just about as unwieldy as the Buffy cast lately, but originally that was another point in Angel's favour - I like having fewer main characters to keep up with.
Nancy: I'm the Buffy girl. I like all the messy emotions. Leave the plot-driven PI stuff to Mr. Mariotte and I'll go for the cry jags every time.
Do you find the more recent darker tone of Buffy on TV more suited to the style of your other horror work?
Nancy: For me, it's just Buffy, Buffy, Buffy. If it's Buffy, dark and horrific, fine. If it's Buffy light and humorous, fine. It's still Buffy first and everything else second. I've had a varied writing career. I started out doing romances and I've even done science fiction. For me the focal point is the Buffyness of the show, which I try to capture whether they're all singing or sobbing.
The Longest Night
This month, you tackle short stories in the Angel anthology The Longest Night. Tell us what we can expect from the book, and your stories in particular.
Jeff: The book tells stories of Angel and friends on the night of the Winter Solstice. It's nearly Christmas, but it's also a night fraught with magickal significance, so anything can happen.
Each story is set during a different hour of the night. I haven't read any of the other stories yet, but the line-up of writers is great. My story, "A Joyful Noise," is set early in the evening, and features many guest stars I think fans will enjoy seeing.
Nancy: The stories rock. I did two, one of which I think is more successful than the other. One of the really fun things was finding out what Jeff was gonna do. We didn't talk about our submissions until after we got to work. They were so different!
Immortal
Do you think Buffy and Angel will live on through the books long after the shows end?
Jeff: It probably depends on how the shows end. If Buffy dies at the end of the series, then I don't really see a line of Buffy novels continuing beyond that. But if she's left alive with the promise of more adventures, then I think books would be a great way to continue her story, much like Star Trek has done.
Nancy: I hope Buffy and Angel live on, but we'll have to see. Some shows take on a larger life than others post-prime time.
Zombie Cowboys
Have you ever had Buffy proposals turned down since you became established writers for the ranges?
Jeff: Yes. Zombie cowboys. Go figure.
Nancy: Zombie cowboys. They're a natural - the Gorches are right there.
Actually I didn't propose zombie cowboys, Jeff did, and as you can see, he's a genius. I did propose a dark Slayer pre-Faith, and there's been some other stuff. But I can't remember what it was. Oh, yeah, a flipped universe where Buffy was a vampire and she killed humans. No go.
Slaying Games
Authors Chris Golden and Tom Sniegoski recently scripted the Buffy computer game. Would working in that kind of interactive medium appeal to you?
Jeff: I don't really play computer games much, but was offered work in that medium earlier this year (a deal that, unfortunately, didn't come to pass). I'd like to try it at some point, though.
Nancy: I used to be the fiction editor of a computer game company, so I have worked in that field. Writing's writing; I'd love to have another gig. I was in the running for a game done by a French company, and they flew the writer to Bordeaux. He told me working on the game was a nightmare but the food was great.
Other Works
For people looking to explore your other work, what would you recommend to them?
Jeff: If they're interested in comics, then I'd steer them toward Desperadoes, my horror/Western series. It was nominated this year for both the International Horror Guild Award and the Bram Stoker Award, so I guess it has some credibility. The various issues are now all collected in three volumes, A Moment's Sunlight, Epidemic! and Quiet of the Grave. Beautiful art, spooky stories. What more could you want?
Nancy: I'm proud of my Buffy and Angel books. They can keep reading those! But I also have a series of Witch books out with another collaborator named Debbie Viguie. First one is Wicked: Witch, and it's out now. They're two witch dynasties, beginning in medieval France and coming up to the present. We like 'em.
The Future
We hear a third volume of The Watcher's guide is planned for late next year. Will you and Maryelizabeth be involved with that, or another volume of the Angel Case files perhaps?
Jeff: I don't know for sure what's going on with either of these projects, but I think it's time some fresh eyes were turned on the goings-on at Mutant Enemy, so probably not.
Nancy: What Jeff said about WG3 and other projects. We show up on the set these days [and] they try to put us to work!
What next for you both in terms of Buffy and/or Angel?
Jeff: My next Angel novel is Sanctuary, which is on sale in April. It's a Lorne-centric book, at long last - Lorne and Fred, I should say, though of course the whole gang is in on the action.
Nancy: I'm finishing a book right now with Buffy and Spike and the gang called Blood and Fog. It's about Jack the Ripper, sort of. Also, leprechauns.