Thank you so much, Kika for the interview! I love Threads that Bind.

Who is Kika Hatzopoulou?

Kika Hatzopoulou writes stories for all ages, filled with lore and whimsy. Her debut YA fantasy novel, Threads That Bind, arrives in May 2023 from Razorbill in the US and Puffin in the UK. She is the author of several short stories, including anthologies such as Game On and Firsts & Lasts.

Interview

What was your inspiration for Threads That Bind?

KH: The first inkling was an image of a girl standing on a rooftop above a flooded
city, holding a silver thread in her hands. I’ve always been fascinated by detective
stories as well as Greek gods that are usually secondary characters in stories, such as
the Fates, the Muses and the Furies – and I thought I’d combine the two! I decided to
fill this story with all the different elements I love in books, such as a noir urban
setting, a world with elements of climate change, the complicated bonds of sisterhood
and, one of my favorite tropes, the soulmate romance.

What drew you to writing YA?

KH: I’ve written in all kinds of genres and age categories in the past and with
Threads That Bind, I always knew the story was somewhere in between YA and
Adult. But ultimately, my agent and I decided to pitch this duology as YA because
Io’s story is very much one of coming of age, of first experiences and first
heartbreaks, of growing up, setting boundaries and claiming your power.

How did you choose which character to focus the story? 

KH: It wasn’t as much a choice as instinct. The first few chapters of the story came
very naturally to me: the prologue where we get a glimpse of the crime the detective
is going to investigate, the first chapter from Io’s POV, her perspective of the world
and inner monologue. She had a very clear voice from the beginning and an active
role in both the mystery of the plot and the general direction I wanted to take this
duology to, so it was a natural choice to continue telling the story through her eyes.

What was your process for writing for Threads That Bind?

KH: I wrote the prologue and first chapter in a burst of inspiration in 2018, then let
the world and characters continue to build in my mind for the next year or so. I sat
down and wrote the first draft in the summer of 2019, then spent a long time editing it
on my own. In March 2020, a week before we were asked to shelter in place, I had a
call with an agent interested in a Revise & Resubmit, which is what the publishing
industry calls it when an agent wants you to make significant changes to your
manuscript before signing you as a client. I love the edits that agent suggested and
went on to implement them, then about a year later, I sent the new manuscript to them
– only they weren’t as active in my genre anymore. They connected me to their
colleague, my agent Michaela Whatnall, which was the happiest matchmaking ever.
My agent sold the book to my publisher in November 2021 and I spent the first half
of 2022 making changes and perfecting the story with my editor. I’ve been very lucky
that I work with brilliant people and have enjoyed the publishing process so much!

Was your process different from writing short stories?

KH: It definitely was. A novel is a big beast, with a plot that needs to keep raising the
stakes and characters that need to grow and change slowly. Short stories—at least in
my experience and in the way that I write them—are snippets: a story in 12-15 pages,
a beginning-middle-and-end narrowed in a few scenes. I love that lack of space,
because it makes everything very intentional and precise: the dialogue and action you
choose to include, the character’s journey, the worldbuilding, the prose.

What is your approach to world and character building?

KH: I really love worldbuilding and I love creating a secondary world that is filled
with magic but also mirrors our own. I usually like to create a clear-cut magic system
first and know its basic rules before sitting down to write. Then, I like to let myself
loose and imagine the setting and social structures that may have arisen from a world
governed by this particular magic – which is usually very, very fun to me!
As far as characters are concerned, I’m more intentional from the very beginning. I
like to start with a feeling or a bit of backstory or an interesting choice and build a character around that. One of my favorite things to create is a powerful character
journey—my absolute favorite thing to write are the ‘self-actualization moment’
towards the climax of the story. A tool I really love to use when brainstorming a
character is Michael Hauge’s Six Stages of Character Development. I strongly
recommend looking that up and watching him talk about it on Youtube.

How would you describe Threads That Bind in five words?

KH: Myth, murder, fate, romance, sisterhood.

Did you have a favourite moment to write?

KH: I did! I really love a scene between Io and Edei because it surprised me. Towards
the middle of the book, they get into a disagreement and my initial plan was to have
Edei walk out of the room and leave Io to deal with the danger herself. But when I sat
down to write the scene, Edei walked out of the room—but then, he ended up staying
and waiting for her outside the door. And I thought, of course Edei would do that, he
is a kind, loyal person who truly values Io’s thoughts and feelings. So what followed
was a very open, honest conversation between the two of them and the different
values that made them disagree, about kindness and trauma and choice, which I think
are the core themes of the book.

What was your favourite book growing up?

KH: I adored the Princess Diaries and all books by Meg Cabot!

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

KH: I read widely, but I think my two favorites right now are dark fantasy and fluffy
romance, both YA and adult! That said, however, I think there’s nothing quite like a
voicey, funny, magical MG adventure and I’ve read some really great ones lately, like
The Swifts by Beth Lincoln and Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi
Hendrix!