A Journey Into the Mind of a Master Storyteller
Kimberly Van Sickle discusses her unique writing process, inspiration behind Assassins Are Us, and the importance of character-driven narratives.
Kimberly Van Sickle is a writer whose love for intricate plots and clever dialogue has captured the attention of readers. With a career spanning over 30 years as an educator and library director, her passion for storytelling is deeply rooted in her experiences with young readers, fostering a love for books that are rich in mystery, action, and unexpected twists. In this interview, Kimberly delves into her writing process, discussing how her background has influenced her work, the inspiration behind her latest book Assassins Are Us, and the unique challenges of crafting compelling narratives with memorable characters.
A thrilling interview that reveals the intricate plotting and sharp dialogue behind Kimberly Van Sickle’s captivating stories
How does your extensive experience as an educator and library director influence your writing style and storytelling?
That is a great question! Being a rabid reader myself and promoting a lifetime love for reading my middle-grade students, I interacted with them, asking them what they looked for in their next great read; initially, I hoped to find something on my shelves for them and if not, I’d look to bolter our collection. Regardless of gender, many students loved a good mystery with action and intrigue, so in the tradition of Silverfin by Charles Higson and Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter, Assassins Are Us was borne. I felt there weren’t too many YA novels with high interest in a novella format.
In Assassins Are Us, you introduce Hedy Hinterschott, a 17-year-old assassin-in-training. What motivated you to explore the coming-of-age journey within the context of a family of assassins?
I just loved the juxtaposition of your ordinary next-door neighbors being a cover for international assassins! Additionally, the teenage years are fraught with typical adolescent angst issues (school pressures, cliques, first loves, and hormones). Couple that with being an assassin in training, and the genre “coming-of-age” takes on a new meaning. My intent in creating an unconventional bildungsroman is not to have teens necessarily relate to it (because who could actually relate to a teenage assassin-in-training, right?) but rather to have an understanding that, at this age, everyone has struggles, regardless of their background, homelife, social status, etc.…
Your writing is described as having ‘plot twists, intrigue, and smart dialogue.’ Could you share how you craft these elements to keep readers engaged?
Regarding plot twists:
I enjoy books with witty banter as they build tension, both good and bad; as a result, I attempt to craft characters (likable or not) with some depth who can hold themselves in conversation or back-and-forth dialog. The dialog scenes between Hedy and her brother Gerhardt are taught with bickering and are slightly humorous, as are those between Hedy and Dave, but they border on flirtatious tension.
Smart dialog is genuinely compelling and keeps me engaged. I hope to offer that to my readers through this medium.
Placement delves into themes of honour and personal legacy. How do you approach writing about complex moral dilemmas in your novels?
Wow, these are such well-developed questions! I appreciate the research and effort that went into preparing this interview.
I was raised in a small Midwest community by generations of farmers, clergy, educators, social workers, and other civil servants with strong work ethic values. We helped our neighbors and expected nothing in return, and vice versa. Our family name may not have meant much, but it was all we had; my parents and grandparents impressed upon my cousins and me to carry our family name forward with honor and pride in our actions. Oddly, I look to my adult children’s generation when weaving complex moral dilemmas: I see their more privileged upbringing and mentally throw them back to my grandparents’ era. The creative result is the microwave Gen Z in a Boomer’s restrictive world, and I can build YA characters from this scenario.
As a ‘plot junkie,’ how do you balance intricate plotting with character development to create a compelling narrative?
I appreciate every medium with a “gotcha” moment, whether it’s movies, short stories, TV series, epic poetry, novels…you get the idea. In turn, I strive for those “gotcha” moments in my own writing because who doesn’t like a good twist? Am I right? When people who have read Assassins Are Us go out of their way to tell me they didn’t see the twist and/or the ending in the book, I gush with gratitude because that brings me joy.
My writing is more plot-driven than character-driven, so I build a structure specifically noting those “gotcha” moments and then complete the structure with how the characters fulfill those twists in the plot. I like to have fun with how the characters get to deliver the twists, so I frame circumstances from these moments. From there, developing the narrative comes pretty naturally. It’s like adding layers of decorations on a Christmas tree.
Could you discuss the significance of setting in your works, particularly how the backdrop of Saint Charles, Illinois, influences your stories?
I never really thought about how Saint Charles, Illinois (a relatively affluent Chicago suburb) influences the backdrop of my writing; in fact, Placement takes place on the East Coast and Normandy, France, and the setting for Assassins Are Us is San Francisco. That is an interesting question, but I look outside my geographical location and draw more on my personal experiences unless I am researching for a role.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors aiming to create engaging plots and memorable characters?
First and foremost, read the genre in which you would like to write. I have gained so much insight from Monica Hesse and Elizabeth Wein, both YA historical/mystery writers. Ruta Sepetys is also one of my favorite writers, also a YA historical fiction writer. They all bring such depth of character that is truly breathtaking; I know all their characters as people in my life once I have finished their books. I have a long way to go, but I strive for that kind of character development in my writing. One exercise I am attempting in writing my current novel, The Many Souls of Azazel–a YA horror novel in verse, I am having a conversation (in my mind) with the main characters (there are five). I’m pretending I’m walking home with them and not asking them about home, school, or friends, but instead pretending we are walking home in a rainstorm, me telling the character that my father is ill, among other scenarios (How would the character react?). This has helped me craft a better-developed character; the more engaging the characters, the more memorable they become.
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