Q&A Thursdays #14: Bethany’s Question
For a while now, I’ve been reprising a Daughter of Blood (and by extension The Wall Of Night) Q&A series that featured in 2019.
Today’s question is from Bethany and focuses on a prince who made his first appearance early in Daughter of Blood.
Bethany: The Swarm prince at the beginning of Daughter of Blood has snake hair. If you did it to make him creepy, it worked!
Helen: I wanted Aranraith to stand out, and not in a good way, so the serpent hair was part of achieving that effect. Arguably, snakes get a raw deal in religion and storytelling, but that also means they convey a lot of unspoken messages to readers. The Biblical serpent is a clear manifestation of evil, while Medusa in Greek myth, who has the original serpent hair, is an ambiguous character depending on which story you read—but with a gaze that turns people to stone, unquestionably she’s powerful. Serpents are closely associated with poison, which is clearly dangerous but also often an underhand or secretive way of killing. The phrase “snake pit” conveys a sense of danger, too, but also hostility and competitiveness—and snake pits are a staple of the horror movie genre.
So yes, I did intend it to make Aranraith creepy, but so much more, too. 🙂
Previous Thursday Q&A Refeatures:
2022:
March 31 — #1 Phoebe’s Question on Book Planning
April 21 — #2 Sam’s Question on Deleted Scenes
April 28 — #3 Sandy’s Question on Characters That Take Charge
May 19 — #4 Lindsay’s Question on Research
June 23 — #5 Chris’s Question on Tirael & “What Would Have Happened If…”
June 30 — #6 Rosie’s Question on the Web of Mayanne
September 8 — #7 Jason’s Question on Weapons & Names
October 6 — #8 Robin’s Question on Tuckerization Characters
November 24 — #9 Josh’s Question on Whether I Have A Favourite Moment in Daughter of Blood
December 15 — #10 Shannon’s Question re Sections or Characters that were Hard to Write
2023
March 30 — #11 Jenny’s Question re Inspiration and Keeping Going
May 18 — #12 Tom’s Question re Food and Feasts
June15 — #13 Ashley’s Question on Writing Through the Christchurch Earthquakes