Set in a small town where one influential family owns just about every business in town (and freedom of the press is a thing of the past), in Kristen Bird’s latest novel, Watch it Burn, three women must work together to solve the murder of the wife of the most influential man in town.
In this Q&A with Kristen Bird, she shares about what was the most difficult part about writing a book where a cult was taking over a small Texas town, what inspired her to write the novel, which character arc she enjoyed writing the most, and a peek at what she’s writing next.
When did you first come up with the storyline for Watch It Burn?
I like to start all of my books with a sense of setting, and the Texas Hill Country has always felt like both a place of great beauty and brutal history. I began researching events that happened in and around this part of the state in the recent past, and I found out about the flash-flood tragedy in Comfort, Texas in 1987 that killed ten children. The story was devastating to the community and the state, and I began thinking about how nature can both affect and be affected by humans. I’d also been watching recent political and social events unfold and began musing on the concept of power, asking questions like…Who gets power? Why? What do they do with this power? What happens when they mishandle it?
The storyline is told from the point of view of three women. Best friends, Jenny (a reporter) Nichole (a school teacher), and Beverly (the deceased and wife to the founder of Genetive). Whose storyline was the most difficult to write?
Jenny’s story was the most challenging to write because she is ultimately the force pushing the story forward to solve the mystery, but she’s also dealing with so many concerns common to women: reviving her marriage, raising kids, maintaining friendships, restarting her career. I went back and forth between first person and third person and between how much and how little of her personal story to share. Ultimately, I was pleased with Jenny’s character arc, but it took some time and effort to get there.
Is the town of Edenberg based on a real Texas town?
Yes, kind of. Gruene, Texas is approximately the size of Edenberg, and it has the same tourist vibe (Gruene also features the oldest dance hall in Texas and some fabulous restaurants), but it hasn’t been taken over by a cultish organization…at least not yet. 😉
Was it hard writing the scenes centered around Genetive and the cultish doctrine they believe in?
The hard part of writing Genetive’s ideology was finding the balance between believability and extremism. Finding the intangible something that would draw people into an organization in which they will slowly lose agency is not an easy feat. Ultimately, I looked at real-life cults and movements that have garnered significant followings, and I used those to help me navigate these tumultuous waters.
As far as writing the disturbing and disconcerting ideas of the organization, I found it most difficult to look at real-life examples of these concepts, but placing them on paper felt important even though it wasn’t comfortable.
When you first started writing the book did you already know the answer to who killed Beverly and which of the three women started the fire?
I knew how Beverly died, but I didn’t know who started the fire. The latter came about as I fleshed out the women’s characters and discovered their personalities, fears, and behavior through writing.
Watch It Burn was recently featured in the Houston Chronicle. What’s the most exciting part about seeing your upcoming release in the press?
I love talking about the inspiration behind the book, and it’s so rewarding to see the book cover in a local and important publication. I was a bit nervous during the interview because some themes in the book—book banning, gender roles, powerful men—are hot-button topics right now, but the reporter did an excellent job asking questions and getting to the heart of the novel: women working together to right wrongs.
You’re teaching a writing class about writing from multiple POVs in February. What do you look forward to the most when leading an online class?
I love connecting with writers in any venue, but I’m especially excited about this class because we’ll dive into a topic that isn’t often addressed: how to write in the voices of fully-formed characters. The most common feedback that I receive from readers is that my characters feel real, and I love talking about how to make this kind of magic happen. Being in an online setting will allow me to ‘meet’ writers from all over the country—and possibly the world.
Are you currently working on your next book, and if so can we get a sneak peek?
I’ve been working on a couple of different projects, one a lighter mystery and the other probably my darkest yet—the yin and yang, if you will. Both of them continue to feature strong Southern women taking care of things. You can follow me on Instagram at @kristenbirdwrites or sign up for my newsletter at www.kristenbird.com for future updates.
Kristen Bird // Photo credit Bess Garison
Pre-order your copy of Watch It Burn.
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