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Sarah Rees Brennan

New York Times Bestselling Author of the Demon's Lexicon Trilogy

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Power of Three, and The Star of the Sea

May 22, 2020 by Sarah Leave a Comment

https://www.sarahreesbrennan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/HuntPossibility_Sabrina_Opt3.mp4

 

This is just a brief update to say that my third Chilling Adventures of Sabrina book, Path of Night, is out now! It’s my third trilogy, which feels a bit special. I started my career with the Demon’s Lexicon trilogy, and then there was the Lynburn Legacy trilogy. There have been cowritten projects (an honor, many talented ladies) and standalones (what’s up, Tell the Wind and Fire, In Other Lands!) but I do love how a series gives one room to luxuriate in the feelings.

 

There was a discussion by Charlie Jane Anders about tie-in novels on twitter the other day and it got me thinking about them—what I grew to love about them, what they are. I was prejudiced about them from a young age because I read a tie-in to a property I really liked, and I was like ‘This is garbanzja.’

 

As many of you know, I was sick for a bit and my ability to write fell off a cliff. I was feeling pretty lost when I was offered the opportunity to write the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina books. I’d never written a tie-in book, and like I said, prejudiced! But I loved the gothic soap mood of Riverdale, and I loved the old Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and I was really excited about the project. So I said yes I wanted to, and that I’d try. And I came to really adore the story of an untraditional magical family against the background of a weird, wild world.

 

Writing tie-in books has been super educational! You have to write them fast—because TV shows or movies or graphic novels come out when they come out–and they have to be snappy because they fit in with fast-moving visual media. (Fast is fine. Snappy… I’m shocking at. I cut twenty thousand words from the third Sabrina book. I’m a menace.) You come to an audience already invested, but they also have different ships, and different thoughts about characters, and it was really interesting for me to try and absorb the many great thoughts but also hew true to the story being told.

 

Fanfiction can break from a story (which is awesome). Tie-ins stay with a story, and illuminate the spaces in it: what a character is thinking and feeling, a deeper dive on people’s backstories that elucidate why they behave the way they do, hinting at what’s to come. Which also seems awesome to me.

 

Not sure if there will be more Sabrina books (though I love the world and the characters, so very open!). Thus I wanted to take this time to say I’m really grateful to Sabrina. And to my fabulous editor at Scholastic for approaching me, and the whole team at Netflix for being so cool. And to those of you who came on the witchy journey with me, I’m really grateful to you too! And I’m excited for upcoming journeys… like the FENCE novel (a tie-in with C.S. Pacat’s awesome FENCE graphic novels) out this autumn. And of course I’m excited for… journeys where I and others can say, safely ‘go outside’ and ‘visit a friend’s home…’

 

I know a lot of people are feeling pretty lost right now, and I keep thinking about what to do about it. (Other than stay indoors, wear my bee-patterned face mask (I LOVE BEES OK), donate where I can, support essential workers, and try to make beautiful things in a world that still needs beautiful things.)

 

Soon to come: I have a second Comfort Book Club pick upcoming, where I parody and give away one of my favourite books which I think will be comforting for readers during lockdown.

 

I was also thinking about writing, as I know many people are cooped up at home and some are working on creative projects, so I thought I’d do up a post on what writing tie-in books taught me about structure. Since it might be helpful for the writers out there.

 

Everyone’s saying: stay safe, be well, which is lovely. A lady on the street said to me: star of the sea, save you. Which I liked a lot, so I’ve been saying it a lot. Star of the Sea, save you.

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sarahreesbrennan

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The rarely seen baths and puffy coats picture! ...

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The rarely seen baths and puffy coats picture! Gellért thermal baths and its Art Nouveau decor, only one of the aquatic delights offered by Budapest. We also saw the Parlament from a trip down the Danube river. My brother & sister put up with me mentioning Jonathan and Mina Harker of #Dracula got married in Budapest, and my insisting on eating chicken paprika like Jonathan. That and soup in a bread bowl comforted me when I was made to walk 300 steps at the Basilika and even more around Buda Castle while protesting I am a potato who sits on the sofa and writes the novels. Budapest was beautiful and so was seeing it with my sibs: I will remember this trip a long time. #draculadaily #budacastle #gellertbaths #danuberiver #ststephensbasilica #hungary🇭🇺

Writing to you live from Budapest! My gorgeous ...

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Writing to you live from Budapest! My gorgeous little sister surprised me with the amazing birthday present of a city break - and our baby bro came too. This is us at Szimpla Kert, the original of Budapest’s ruin bars: repurposed dilapidated buildings, filling old places with plants and art and music. More from Budapest soon… #szimplakert #budapest #ruinbar #bettyandbiddy

With changes over on twitter, I see many people ...

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With changes over on twitter, I see many people stressing over where and how they can talk up their writing and art. It reminded me of the difficulty I’ve had talking about a project dear to me. I’d see other writers talking about their word count or their plans, and be lime green jelly that I couldn’t, because it was so dear that talking about it felt weighted, because I didn’t have any confidence after being sick, because hope and fear pin down the tongue and keys. There are always challenges when talking about art, whether they come from within or without. But I do believe one of the hardest and most necessary things is to make art with faith it will speak to people when the time comes. So I wanted to put this up here as a way to say: be hopeful, fearful and courageous with your voice. When you can. The time will come. #authorsofinstagram #writing #sarahreesbrennan #srbrennan

Well beloved fairy folk and fans, I know you got ...

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Well beloved fairy folk and fans, I know you got sad news last week and I am so sorry! I also know @straffiiginio and Rainbow do have glorious plans for much in the Winx franchise. For now, I offer signed books as a little comfort! @Soraseilyn, @dutchwinxer and @blindchannxl on Insta, and ladygeeke & subtle-skipping on tumblr, please email me sarahreesbrennan at gmail to collect your winnings. My other cat (about whom more soon!) has been guarding them for you. For myself, I feel lucky to have been part of the journey to Alfea, to write fun books with great characters and to get to know you all: you’ve been so welcoming and kind to me. Thank you and I hope we stay friends. Who knows what is to come? 💕🧚#winxclubforever #fatethewinxsaga #abigailcowen #bloompeters #winxstella

For the end of spooky season! Cancer is about ...

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For the end of spooky season! Cancer is about loss: of hair, teeth, friends… and words. For a couple years before I was diagnosed with late stage lymphoma, I watched my writing go off a cliff in terms of quality and speed - sentences turned to nonsense, and I couldn’t finish anything. It was terrifying. So was trying to come back to writing and publishing after having a traumatic time with chemo. ‘Where was she last year?’ ‘Who’s that again?’ ‘Oh, I thought you were…’ My confidence was shattered, and being approached for Sabrina was a life raft to cling to: being remembered, having fun with writing again, falling for a wild strange fantasy world. It opened the door to other worlds I was honored to be invited into, their lovely fandoms, and to courage that I could perhaps write my own books again. Here’s #chillingadventuresofsabrina and #fatethewinxsaga in Feltrinelli in Rome, and me, because fantasy opens all the escape doors. Happy All Hallows’ Day, and hope you had a great #Hallowinx and you find the doors you’re hoping for 👻🖤. #feltrinelli #romeitaly #cancersurvivor #writersofinstagram #writing #fencecomic

I see many photos where the ‘after’ shows ...

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I see many photos where the ‘after’ shows someone thinner than the ‘before.’ Here’s a different version. When I’m feeling vulnerable, I cover it with jokes. ‘Hey, at least I was skinny!’ ‘Dr: Any unexplained weight loss? Me: I wish!’ It’s safer than saying: When people were telling me I looked great, I felt lousy, scared, and sad they thought I looked better when I felt worse. Once I was in recovery people kept telling me how bad I’d looked. That doesn’t help either. We all have uncomfortable relationships with our bodies, because of society, ideas about what health is, and the fact our outside self is all most people can perceive of us! I was diagnosed late: I kept being told it was bronchitis, pneumonia, a kiwi allergy (that one was weird…), I’d be fine, I was clearly healthy. I often think about what my life, relationships and health would be like if I was diagnosed earlier, if people hadn’t assumed I was lying and secretly dieting or exercising a lot. But I get why they did: I get why I didn’t want it to be a warning sign. Weight is a weighted topic. I wish it wasn’t, for all of us. I love and find beautiful (not that my opinion matters) people of a hundred shapes and sizes, but we always have the most tangled relationship to our own bodies. The body is a vessel that carries us through our lives. If we’re happy with however that vessel looks, I think that’s awesome—but sometimes positivity is difficult. Here are 2 full-length pictures of me, during chemo and a couple years after. Honestly, I’m not happy with how I look in either. But in one, I’m trapped at home with medicines around me. In the other, I’m outside with my sister, on her wedding day. In the end, it’s about where the vessel takes you. #twweightloss #cancersurvivor #wedding #twweighttalk #milestonecountdown
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