Let’s Get Lit: Kass Morgan discusses her new book, LIGHT YEARS

Welcome to “Let’s Get Lit!” on PureFandom.com. Here we will chat with an author about their work and their
favorite things in fandom! This edition of LGL will feature The 100 author, Kass Morgan! Kass gave us the deets on her newest space-tastic novel, her thoughts on Bellarke and Clexa, and her very relatable writing ritual.

Meg Bonney: What can you tell us about your latest novel, Light Years?

Kass Morgan: Light Years takes place at a military academy in space and follows four teens from four VERY different planets as they learn to work together to defeat a mysterious enemy. They’re pretty busy learning to fly fighter jets and crack enemy codes, but since it’s a Kass Morgan book, the characters still manage to find time for romance. Because, really, what’s the point of writing a book set at a space school if you don’t have characters making out in zero gravity?!

MB: YES! Okay, fans of The 100 often look to you for your thoughts on ships and things in the TV adaptation, but as your readers know – the show and the book are very different. What has been your favorite change or deviation to see unfold?    

KM: I LOVE that Clarke is bi on the show! It’s rare to see that kind of representation on TV and I know the “Clexa” storyline meant a great deal to a huge number of people. But, beyond that, I think her romance with Lexa was a vehicle for wonderful writing and storytelling.

MB: In The 100 books, Bellamy and Clarke are electric! What is your favorite thing about their relationship?

KM: I’m glad you think so! I like how much Bellamy appreciates and values Clarke’s strength, intelligence, and drive. He’s not intimidated or competitive with her.

MB: Light Years is sci-fi but really leans into the romance. What are some of your favorite literary and TV romances?   

KM: SO. MANY! Some of my favorites include Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables), Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars (Sense and Sensibility), Bridget Jones and Marc Darcy (Bridge Jones’s Diary), and Peggy and Stan (Mad Men)

MB: What is your favorite science-fiction movie, book or TV show?

KM: Definitely can’t pick a favorite, but I think the show that’s most on my mind right now is Black Mirror. I love speculative storytelling set in our world but with a futuristic twist.

MB: I am obsessed with the relationships in Light Years! What can you tease about the romances brewing within the core four in this book?

KM: We have Vesper, the high-achieving, ambitious pilot who falls for rebellious, charming Cormak, the boy from the wrong side of the asteroid belt. We have Arran, whose humble background makes him cautious about falling too hard for handsome, wealthy Dash. And then there’s Orelia, a girl with a deadly secret, who develops feelings for the most dangerous person at the academy.

MB: We all get way too into our fandoms here at PureFandom.com. What fandom makes you geek out the most? (A book, movie or TV show) 

KM: Definitely Harry Potter. I’ve read a lot of fanfiction over the years and even tried my hand at some . . .

MB: Um, I need to read that like NOW. What is your writing process like?   

KM:

• Go to coffee shop
• Find table
• Realize there’s no outlet for my computer
• Switch tables
• Buy a snack
• Tweet about being “hard at work on my new book!”
• Buy more coffee
• Create writing playlist
• Write about three sentences
• Ask someone to watch my laptop while I use the bathroom
• Consider second snack
• Write another three sentences
• Check twitter
• Repeat

MB: Tell us more about the Quatra Fleet Academy

KM: I had so much fun imagining the Academy—I sort of envisioned it as “Oxford in Space” which is why the cadets have to get all dressed up for dinner, and why they have decadent parties and snooty robot butlers.

MB: What is currently in your “to be read” pile?

KM:  Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, Transcription by Kate Atkison, and the sequel to Maura Milan’s Ignite the Stars.

MB: Lastly, any advice for writers out there who are still working on getting published? 

KM: Don’t compare your work-in-progress to published books! The version you pick up in a bookstore or library is probably draft eight, nine, or even fourteen! Allow yourself to write a full, messy, hugely flawed first draft before you even think about re-writing. It’s a big time commitment, but in my opinion, it’s the only way to really get to know your characters and their world.

MB: Great advice! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat!  

KM: It was my pleasure!

Need more Let’s Get Lit! in your life? Check out my interview with Grace Draven, author of PHOENIX UNBOUND And don’t forget to hit me up on twitter if you’d like to be featured on Let’s Get Lit! 

Thanks for reading!

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