The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio
(Smoke and Mirrors, #1)
Publication date: July 19th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.
Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.
Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir? What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?
Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?
Melissa talks to us about her writing process, elaborating on the setting for the book, people involved, and more!
The Fading Dusk takes place entirely in the city of Dusk. As that was always my intention when outlining the book, I created a self-sufficient city where most of the residents never step foot outside the city walls. The city is split into three sectors. Rise, the northern part of the city, is home to the rich. The residents live in their glittering mansions and pay very little attention to the comings and goings of the rest of the city. It’s very rare for them to step into Way, the middle class section of Dusk; instead they’ll send their servants there for shopping. They have a very comfortable life and are quick to grow angry if something or someone dares disturb their cushy lifestyles. Rise is also home to the mysterious president of Dusk. He issues all of his decrees from his carefully guarded mansion. No one ever runs against him, so he’s automatically reelected every six years. Little is known about the president, but the rumor is he was horribly disfigured as a boy and is ashamed to step foot outside.
Way is the biggest section of Dusk. It’s home to the middle class and all of the businesses (shops, farms etc.). This is where most of the scenes in The Fading Dusk take place. Irina lives in Way and the prison she’s sent to is also there. It’s crowded but not to the point where it’s unbearable. Even though Way is so large, the streets are too narrow and crowded for carriages, so everyone walks to their destinations. Way was heavily influenced by parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, especially the attached brownstones. I’m a native New Yorker and have lived here all of my life, so the city always end up sneaking its way into my books.
A narrow river runs through Dusk, separating Way from the slums. The slums are the original, oldest parts of Dusk and every available space has been built up. The buildings aren’t as tall in the slums as they are in Way, and they’re also crowded and in poor shape. Irina is originally from the slums, but she’s one of the rare few who actually crossed the river and survived in Way (largely thanks to the kindness of Bantheir, the magician who more or less adopted her). The people of the slums are struggling and the little support that comes from the president and the people of Way (the majority of the people of Rise want nothing to do with the slums) unfortunately does not make much of a difference. This is something that’s always bothered Irina and she wishes there was something she could do to help them. But she and Bantheir barely manage as is. It’s sad, but in Dusk the general rule is you need to take care of yourself before you can care for others.
To get a better idea of my vision of Dusk, check out my Pinterest page! https://www.pinterest.com/melissagiorgio8/the-fading-dusk/ There’s also a map of Dusk designed by my friend Merritt Sloan in the interior of the book that’s absolutely fantastic.
– The ins and outs of characters: How they’re selected, developed, how the author picks names, back stories, where does the author draw inspiration for the characters, etc.” – rec 350+ words
I love creating characters! I don’t have a set process when it comes to doing so, however. Either I’ll stumble across the perfect name and develop a character to go along with it, or I’ll create the character and search high and low for the right name. (Baby name websites are invaluable!) I write down their bios (hair and eye color, characteristics, etc.) in a notebook before I start drafting the story. These bios are not set in stone and I always enjoy going back after a book is finished and seeing how much the characters have changed. I have a copy of all of my characters’ bios on my computer; this is the version I refer to when drafting sequels. Sometimes I forget a character’s eye color and need to consult this list!
I try to have a general idea of the characters before I start writing the first draft. I need to know if they’re bossy or passive, loud or quiet. It’s not fun to start writing a manuscript and realize halfway through that you’ve gotten your character all wrong. I’ve found that the best way to get to know your character is to write a short story about him or her (usually a prequel). You learn how they talk, act and think, along with little quirks that you might not even know they have when you’re writing the actual manuscript. Unfortunately due to time constraints I don’t sit down and write a story each and every time, but I do try to think about the characters a lot. I imagine them in different scenarios, or maybe key scenes from the story, and how they’d handle what I throw at them. I get the best feel for them when I have them interacting with the other characters in the book. For example, I knew Captain Leonid was going to be a serious character, but I never imagined him to be quite as grumpy as he turned out to be. But once I put him in the same room as Irina, who didn’t like being told what to do by the captain, his true colors emerged. The two end up butting heads throughout the entire book and it amuses me to no end as I’m writing the scenes where they’re together.
The more I write, the more I get to know my characters. I love getting inside their heads and learning what makes them tick. This is absolutely my favorite part of the whole writing process, and I always hope I’ve managed to create characters who seem real for my readers. If my readers feel for the characters and cry, laugh, and cheer them on, then I know I’ve done something right.
Thanks for having me! It’s been a blast!
