Interview with Jennifer Saint: Author of Ariadne
Recently I visited the Swansea Waterfront Museum, it was after venturing into the City, that I picked up a copy of Ariadne. Consequently, I got drawn into the world of ancient Greece, amongst the life and pages of Ariadne: a princess, sister to Phaedra & the Minotaur and voice for forgotten women throughout the generations. Author Jennifer Saint was kind enough to answer some questions about the book, her upcoming new novel Elektra and her writing practices.
The original inspiration came from reading Ovid’s Heroides at university. It’s a collection of letters written in the voices of women in mythology and both Ariadne and Phaedra are included, Ariadne writing to Theseus and Phaedra to Hippolytus. It was such a revelation to me to see these women fleshed out as passionate, defiant and clever women. In Ariadne’s letter, she demands to be heard and to have the chance to tell her side of the story. I remembered this years later when I came to read the story of Theseus and the Minotaur to my sons. In the story, Ariadne appears as a secondary character but actually, the hero couldn’t possibly succeed in his quest without her help. She seemed to me to be a far more compelling character than Theseus and that’s what made me decide to write the novel, so that I could give her a voice.
How did you go about researching and compiling the information you used as reference for the book?
I used Ovid as a starting point to give me inspiration for the kind of personalities the two women would have, and I also used the play Hippolytus by Euripides for Phaedra’s story. My research was ongoing throughout the writing process so I referred to a lot of ancient sources, though as the characters began to take shape in my head and their voices started to emerge, I did take a lot of creative licence to tell the story that I wanted to tell. I wouldn’t say that I treated some sources as more credible than others; as it’s mythology rather than history. I think all versions of the story are valid and it’s interesting to me to see how and where different authors decide to diverge.
I imagine you have read your fair share or Greek Mythology, what is your favourite tale apart from the Minotaur?
I have so many favourites! Atalanta certainly has a special place in my heart. It’s very refreshing to have a mortal woman in myth who has so much agency and independence. She’s exposed as a baby on a hillside when her father is disappointed that she is a daughter rather than a son and rescued by a mother bear. She grows up in the forest, learning to be a skilled huntress and in some myths becomes the only woman on board the Argo.
My favourite part of reading Ariadne is hearing the story from a fresh female perspective - what inspired you to write the story from the viewpoint?
It was really important to me that Ariadne got the credit at last – like Jason, Theseus is a hero whose most famous feat is accomplished thanks to the help of a woman (though Medea really does everything for Jason!) and she’s very side-lined in his story. He’s the legendary hero of Athens, but the way he treats Ariadne exposes the dark side of heroism and how that quest for individual glory causes so much suffering to others. It was also really important to me to intertwine her story with that of her sister, Phaedra. They come from a famous and important mythological family but I had never seen a version of their stories in which they interacted with each other.
How did you develop the character of Ariadne and how emotionally involved did you become with your characters?
Part of developing Ariadne’s character and my own emotional investment in her came from exploring the sisterly relationship, she shared with Phaedra / Minotaur and what that would have meant to her. It made her come more fully into focus as a whole person, rather than just an adjunct to the Minotaur legend.
Producing a book is no easy feat and the writing process can often lead to people feeling frustrated about their own abilities. If you could give one piece of advice to emerging writers' feeling this way, what would it be?
It really is just to write. I always knew that I wanted to be an author, but there was always a reason not to write – I was too busy, it was too unrealistic a dream, I wouldn’t be good enough. In the end, I made it a New Year’s resolution to complete a whole draft of a novel. That was my only goal; I didn’t think about getting an agent or a publishing deal or anything beyond simply finishing a draft. Breaking it down into smaller, achievable goals made it finally something I felt that I could do and I didn’t put any pressure on myself. Giving myself the time to write and making it a priority every week meant that I got a lot of satisfaction watching the word count climb higher and the more I wrote, the more determined I was to finish.
One question that I always like to ask is how people deal with criticism. Have you faced rejections during your writing process? If so, how did you learn not to take these to heart, and did they have an impact on your sense of validation as a writer?
I was extremely lucky and the story of how I got an agent is not very typical. I only sent Ariadne to one agent – my dream literary agent! – and she signed me. So I didn’t have to deal with rejection at that stage. The novel was then pre-empted by my publishers, which made it a very smooth journey. I don’t know if that made it even more nerve-wracking to have the book go out into the world, as I didn’t have much experience of criticism. Although there was a lot of editing to do, I was working with people who loved the book throughout the editing process, so all the feedback I was getting was useful and constructive. Writers are always told not to read reviews and that’s really good advice, but it’s hard to have the discipline not to look. The first very negative review I got kept me awake for a week! It’s extremely difficult not to take it to heart, in my experience, but once those harsh voices get inside your head it is so inhibiting to the writing process. It’s impossible to be creative while second-guessing people’s reactions to your work. I think it’s a learning curve and I can’t say that I have mastered it yet, or even that I ever will. But ultimately, it’s impossible to write a book that will be universally adored and all you can do is to tell the stories you want to write and that you want to read. Taking regular breaks from social media and blocking review sites on your devices definitely helps too.
Your book features examples of strong female characters, in comparison your portrayal of Theseus was interesting; he seemed a master of manipulation until the end. Do you want to tell us more about his character?
I was really interested in exploring how ultimately a hero’s quest for immortality can be an empty pursuit. Theseus casts aside anything that makes life worthwhile – he is entirely driven by glory and the desire to be remembered. He treats people, women in particular, with callous cruelty and he displays enough cunning to get what he wants. But in Euripides’ Hippolytus, he acts impulsively and thoughtlessly, which brings about the tragedy and I wanted to include this aspect of his character as well – that he doesn’t think ahead or care about the consequences of his behaviour. All that matters to him is his reputation.
If you could go back in time, to the point where you started writing, what do you wish you had known then and what advice would you give yourself?
Just to keep going!
How has your life changed since becoming an author?
A lot, as I now write full-time, which is something I always dreamed of being able to do. However, a couple of months after signing my publishing deal, the pandemic hit and we went into repeated lockdowns, so I don’t know what ‘normal life’ as an author will be like!
Are you familiar with any other writers? If so, did they help you develop your own medium of writing?
A wonderful result of the pandemic is that the author of The Stranding (a brilliant novel!), Kate Sawyer, set up a 2021 Debut Authors’ group so that we could all support each other online and that has been a real lifeline throughout the process. It really helps to know that other writers face the same problems, that we can offer support to one another and celebrate each other too. It’s very uplifting and inspiring.
How did you find the publishing process? Was it easy or hard?
There are ups and downs, like any job. I feel incredibly lucky to have my novel published and the thrill of seeing it in bookshops and hearing from readers who have enjoyed it, absolutely never diminishes. It has meant developing other skills though, such as doing events which I have really enjoyed but have pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Through your characters Ariadne and Pasiphae you gave the Minotaur a human dimension - why did you do this? When you started the writing process did you set out to punish Pasiphae as much as she was?
Pasiphae’s story in mythology is a truly horrifying one – she suffers such a degrading and awful punishment as a result of her husband’s crime against the Poseidon. I really wanted to highlight the injustice and the tragedy of her story. Exploring her maternal feelings for the monster was a way to do this.
What made Asterion's beast nature win over his human side?
Ultimately, the Minotaur was inflicted upon the family as a divine punishment. So I felt that the odds were stacked against his humanity from the very beginning and that Ariadne and Pasiphae’s attempts to nurture it would always have been doomed.
Another strong female character was that of Phaedra - can you tell us more about her character development? What made you give her such a tragic end - it was like she lost her mind towards the end of the novel.
I gave Phaedra the ending she has in mythology. Her story really is a tragic one and the aspect of it, that really stood out to me was the irony of her situation, in that she lives the life her sister wanted and it turns out so terribly. In particular, I wanted to examine motherhood from differing perspectives and to contrast what it could have been like for both Ariadne and Phaedra in their different circumstances.
What’s your favourite under-appreciated novel?
This is a really hard question! I’m not sure that I can think of an under-appreciated novel, but I would say that my favourite Bronte novel is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Which I think gets overlooked in favour of Wuthering Heights. I’m Team Anne all the way!
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Yes, I do, but I think the only way to deal with it is to write anyway. I force myself, even if I think what I’m writing is absolutely awful, as it’s much easier to fix things in the edit than stare at the blank page trying to conjure up perfection. Nine times out of ten, I’m happy with what I’ve written, however terrible I think it is while I’m writing it. I think it comes from self-doubt and self-consciousness, most of the time and you have to do your best, to block out the dissenting voices and write as freely as you can without criticising yourself as you go.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I don’t read them now, but I learned this the hard way! Bad reviews really sting and it’s so hard to get them out of your head, that it’s best to never let them in there in the first place. It’s lovely to hear from people who enjoyed the book and getting tagged in positive reviews has really meant the world to me. Books are so important in my life, so it’s incredible to me that my book has been meaningful or emotional or enjoyable to someone else.
How do you balance the demands of writing with other responsibilities?
I have young children, so it was particularly challenging throughout lockdowns to balance writing with home schooling. My husband will always take them out so that I can write in an empty, silent house whenever possible, but that was definitely harder throughout the pandemic. Writing is my job so it’s important to prioritise it and to ensure I have dedicated time to spend on it.
Do you develop your characters as you write, or do you already know them before you start writing?
I know the most important things about them before I start but they absolutely grow and change throughout the writing process as their voices become clearer and more defined.
How did you find a publisher?
I submitted Ariadne to a literary agent and she signed me up. We then worked on editing the novel together and when it was ready, she sent it out on submission to several publishers and it was pre-empted by Wildfire.
What are your plans for the future? Are you planning on writing a series?! Can you tell us more about your new novel Elektra?
I don’t plan to write a series exactly, but there are recurring characters throughout Greek mythology, so my future books are linked by that and all in the same universe. Elektra tells the story of the three women whose lives are shattered in different ways by Agamemnon: his wife, Clytemnestra, the Trojan priestess Cassandra and his daughter, Elektra. It’s a story of fate, revenge and retribution.
Well, I have pre-ordered my copy of Elektra and cannot wait to read it!
Thanks for taking part Jennifer - that's all folks!
Collaborative post with Jennifer Saint - you can pre-order your copy of Elektra here or Ariadne here. Be sure to keep up with the latest news from Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you liked this, be sure to check back for more. Thanks for reading!
