MFB chats to Cristy Burne, author of Takeshita Demons and The Filth Licker

I fell for Cristy Burne in a big way when I was sent Takeshita Demons to review last year. I loved that it made use of a mythology I knew so little about, apart from the anime Hellboy movie: Sword of Storms, I had not heard or read much about Japanese folklore and mythology, which, considering that folklore and mythology is totally my "thing" is actually embarrassing.

I received Cristy's second book: The Filth Licker to review too (review here from yesterday) and I have to say, the stories are going from strength to strength.  But, before I ramble on too much like the fan-girl I am, here is the blogpost Cristy did for us about writing and research for Miku's world.


Cristy and her friend, The Head


1) Can you tell us your route to publishing?

I don’t have an agent and I have never been plucked from a slush pile, but I have always entered writing competitions, even when I was at school. Although I’ve long-forgotten the competitions in which I got nowhere, I will never forget the buzz of being short-listed or winning other competitions. Getting feedback on my writing in this way was really important: just hearing someone who wasn’t my Mum tell me that my writing had promise was invaluable. It gave me courage to keep writing through the times when I’d think, ‘this is rubbish, why do I bother?” And then one day, in 2008, I spotted the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Childrens Book Award (http://cristyburne.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/the-frances-lincoln-diverse-voices-childrens-book-award/). I knuckled down to write Takeshita Demons and entered it into the award and voila! I was short-listed and won. Part of the prize was publication, and that was my foot in the door. Since then I’ve pitched six books to Frances Lincoln Publishing and they’ve signed three of those books so far.

2) What kind of research did you do for the various creatures?

The creatures featured in the Takeshita Demons series are mythological Japanese monsters, called yokai. I began researching yokai while living in Japan, nearly ten years ago, but I didn’t ever plan to put them in a book. I was just asking questions about some of the weird and wonderful ghost stories and traditions in Japan’s history. When I decided to write Takeshita Demons, I began my research in more earnest, using websites and texts in Japanese and English, as well as traditional art, stories and general chat with Japanese friends.

3) How did you make sure the demons fit into your story?

I am a plotter, not a pantser, which means I drafted the plots of each Takeshita Demons book before I started writing them (while sitting pregnant in a Starbucks at Angel station, to be precise!). In each case, the plot is driven by the needs of the human characters – Miku Takeshita and her pals – and the yokai they meet along the way also influence what happens. I find that if I don’t draft the plots, I write myself into boring spots or dead ends and end up very stressed and unhappy. Pre-plotting means I love the book right from the start.



Cristy at a signing with some fans!

4) What was it like bringing this "exotic" culture to British readers?

It has been fabulous! Many British kids already know some of the Japanese yokai, from manga and movies, and they’ve loved the books, which is great. It’s really fun to find other yokai fans out there. Some yokai are so quirky that even Japanese people haven’t heard of them, and that’s been fun too. But I think the best bit is that Miku Takeshita is seen as just like any other kid. She speaks Japanese at home and eats Japanese food in her school lunch, but she still freaks out when her supply teacher turns out to be a cut-throat demon. I think there’s something of Miku in every kid. We can all relate to her adventures.

5) What is the best advice you were given as an aspiring writer?

“Read, read, read”. I think it’s useful to read great books at any time, but if you want to be a writer, you need to read, read, read from a young age, so the love of words and stories is a solid, breathing part of you.

6) What is your advice now to aspiring writers?

Enter writing competitions! Pick and choose the competitions you enter (I would only enter if they interested me, seemed reputable, and had a low or zero entry fee) and then forget all about your entry. Just move on with your next writing project. That way, if you get no news or bad news, you’re already engrossed in a new, more exciting project anyway. And if you get good news, well…that’s just a wonderful surprise! Good luck!

And, because Cristy is cool and she knows what big fans we are, we get to show a sneak preview of the cover for Takeshita Demons: Monster Matsuri, released in June 2012:

Isn't it fabulous?

Takeshita Demons: The Filth Licker by Cristy Burne

Miku is going to School Camp in the forest, with her friend Cait and the rest of her class. It should be fun. But Miku has premonitions of danger, and when Oscar goes down with a festering rash, and a rushing wind blows out the bonfire she's sure something bad is going on. Then Alex finds the frog-like Filth-Licker in the boys' toilets, and all at once Miku, Cait and Alex are on a secret mission to overcome the vengeful Shape-Shifters or Super Demons before it's too late… Later that night, with Alex kidnapped by a pyromaniac fox, and Cait possessed by some angry sickle weasels, it's up to Miku and the Filth-Licker to save them all from disaster.

This is the second instalment of Cristy Burne's series about a young Japanese girl called Miku who has moved to London with her parents.

In the previous book - Takeshita Demons - Miku and her best friend Cait discover that the legends Miku's grandmother told her about demons and creatures from mythical Japanese lore does in fact exist. And that they are only too happy to cause chaos in young Miku's life.

In this, the second book, Miku and Cait are off to Summer Camp. They are good friends but it is odd as Cait seems to not quite remember what's happened to them not so very long ago. Added to this is the peculiar goings on, on their way to the camp, and also, at the camp. Is someone playing a rubbish trick on Miku or is what they are experiencing another attack by supernatural creatures?

The artowrk by Siku is wonderful - it's dotted throughout the novel and enhances Ms. Burne's text, showing us what these creatures Miku and Cait and their newly made friend, Alex has to face. And, as previously in Takeshita Demons, the creatures they face may not always wear a demonic or critter-like face, so once you become used to this, you can't help but wonder who are the bad guys.

The book is slender - giving younger readers the sense that they have read quite a bit - but do not let its slenderness put you off. The story is twisty and turny and told in a great voice and pacey way. I really liked it and think that Ms. Burne's has created a wonderfully feisty character in Miku and that I am happy to read Miku adventures till the cows come home.

The folklore is superbly researched and given a modern twist. I love that we are, without realising it, taught some great bits of mythology and Japanese culture. It never gets preachy and reads very natural. It really is one of my favourite series for younger, confident readers.

As full disclosure, I was asked by Amazon Vine to review this book and as a geeky fan girl, I of course said yes!  The review above appeared on Amazon's site several weeks ago now, but I knew I wanted to feature Cristy on the site for #u14so, so I thought I'd re-post my initial review back on the blog and urge you to give it a try.  The artwork really is so great and it does compliment the story wonderfully.  Do visit back tomorrow as we chat to Cristy Burne about writing the two Takeshita Demon books and Japanese mythology

Takeshita Demons by Cristy Burne

Synopsis:

Miku Takeshita and her family have moved from Japan to live in the UK, but unfortunately the family's enemy demons have followed them…Miku knows she's in trouble when her new supply teacher turns out to be a Nukekubi - a bloodthirsty demon who can turn into a flying head and whose favourite snack is children. That night, in a raging snowstorm, Miku's little brother Kazu is kidnapped by the demons, and then it's up to Miku and her friend Cait to get him back. The girls break into their snow-locked school, confronting the dragon-like Woman of the Wet, and outwitting the faceless Nopera-bo. At last they come face to face with the Nukekubi itself - but will they be in time to save Kazu?

The winner of the first Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Award, this is the first of a new trilogy, Takeshita Demons, with the second, Takeshita Demons: The Filth-Licker due to be published in 2011 and Takeshita Demons: Monster Matsuri in 2012.

I read Takeshita Demons in a few gulps. My first impressions were: "wow, this is pretty damn good" and then "holy smokes, this is actually quite scary" and then "I love kick ass girls!".

Can I leave my review as this? Surely these soundbites work for you? No, well, okay then.

Takeshita Demons is a slender offering that packs a punch that's full of action and cameraderie. It's a lot of different things to me as a reader: a buddy story / a quest story / an overcoming the monster story / a journey story.

Miku's voice throughout the novel is positive and true - I loved her descriptions of her grandmother and their life in Japan, how their small superstitions were important to them and how she now frets that neither of her parents are overly concerned about continuing them now that they live in London.

The story takes place over a few hours only and although it's a lot of action, Miku's storytelling is measured and thoughtful. She brings us up to speed with the family, where they used to live in Japan, with her grandmother's passing and teachings. Then we have her crazymad adventure with Cait as they outwit a variety of nasties to succeed at the end of the day, by accomplishing the tast they set themselves.

I liked the fact that the girls were always moving forward in the book - they never took a step back. They were tough and clever and were capable of standing against the Nukekubi, the Woman of the Wet as well as the very scary Nopera-bo.

Out of the three, the draconic / reptillian Woman of the Wet really scared me and it amused me no end that the author decided to twist my fear on itself and to give me a truly scary character that was maybe not as bad as I thought but it's done really well.

I think Takeshita Demons works so well because we are fully immersed in Miku's life. She uses Japanese words with little of few explanation and yet we actually know what they mean because of the context it's used in. I think this is a very valuable way of introducing younger (and older) readers to a new culture or a culture we only know of as people who do sushi really well. Miku also has to explain the superstitions and the demons to Cait, which is handy to us. I adored Cait and would love to have her as a friend - tough and sweet and most of all, very brave, she comes through in the end and saves Miku's day. Also, Cait has freckles (I have freckles) so there is an immediate connection right there. I'd like to think I'm also brave but probably not brave enough to face down some scary critters.

Cristy Burne has this magical way of writing where with the slightest bit of explanation you completely suspend your disbelief and can totally believe that these monsters are hunting the Takeshita kids. In modern day America. She's a very talented writer and as I said on twitter earlier to day, I really can't wait to read her other books in this sequence. I need to know what's going to happen to my two new friends!

Takeshita Demons is a spooky story, mild on horror with no gore, for those readers who like to be thrilled but not be mindlessly scared. It also asks to be read out loud to a class or at bed time, if your young folk is tough enough!

Find Cristy's very cool website here and this is Frances Lincoln, her publishers' site.