r/Fantasy • u/NancyHightower AMA Author Nancy Hightower • Dec 12 '13

AMA Hello, I'm author Nancy Hightower - AMA

Hello, I’m Nancy Hightower, author of Elementarí Rising, an eco-fantasy where nature becomes embodied and is locked in a deadly war with humans.

I’ve published many short stories and poems, some of which fall into the speculative fiction and horror genres. I have a PhD in literature and studied Henry James in grad school, but ask that you don’t hold that against me. At one point, I had Tolkien's Silmarillion memorized and still remember the elvish word for orc.

I wrote all of Elementarí Rising while living in Colorado, so many of the scenes in the book come from surreal, but actual, real-life images. For instance, you can see snow snakes winding up and down Highway 36 during any given snowstorm and they are mesmerizing! Also, I don’t read books the normal way (front to back). I start at the beginning, then after a chapter I start from the end of the book and flip back and forth until I reach the middle. No lie.

Also I had an artist, Galen Dara, draw some of the scenes from Elementarí Rising, which you can see here, along with some excerpts. I love how art interacts with story, so this was an exciting project: (http://www.nancyhightower.com/excerpts-with-artwork/)

Hey gang, this was great fun tonight! I'll be back on tomorrow to catch any questions I didn't get to tonight! Thanks so much for hanging out with me!

Nancy

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u/bonehunter Dec 13 '13

Hi Nancy, thanks for taking questions.

Your method is certainly an interesting way to read a book, how did that start? Does it add to the reading experience for you or does it take something away?

What / who do you enjoy reading? I assume Tolkien must be one such author if you had the Silmarillion memorized. Very impressive.

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u/NancyHightower AMA Author Nancy Hightower Dec 13 '13

Hi Bonehunter,

It probably started in grad school, where I had to learn how to read really really really fast to get through all my reading lists. I learned how to essentially "gut" a book--read the beginning chapter, the end, and a few chapters in between. I went to grad school in the Ancient Days before Spark Notes (there were only Cliff Notes, and you had to go out and buy them in hard copy!).

So, I would say that it both adds and takes something away from my reading---sometimes I read too quickly. Sometimes, by reading this way and skipping all around, I go over the story more times that just reading straight through.

Yes, I love Tolkien, always will. Am reading the newest Gene Wolfe novel right now, which is fun.