From Fire and Thorns to the Bitter End - An Interview with Young Adult Author Rae Carson

Aug 26, 2026

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The article presents an interview with young adult author Rae Carson, tracing her path from early writing shaped by fanfiction and childhood experiences to completing her debut novel The Girl of Fire and Thorns. It explores how her academic background in social science and education supported world-building, and how critique groups and sustained practice refined her craft. Readers also learn about the publication journey, including agent and editor collaboration, market timing, award recognition, and the fantasy elements behind the Godstone and her trilogy’s kingdoms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Interview Overview

Origins of Rae Carson’s Writing

Building the Fantasy Universe

Advice for Aspiring Writers

Publication to Recognition

Karen S. Hildebrand From Fire and Thorns to the Bitter End: An Interview with Young Adult Author Rae Carson Like many emerging authors, Rae Carson entered the writing world by way of various other life experiences. Moving around a great deal as a child gave her an insight into life and how to handle herself in various school and, later, social situations. So from cheerleading to actually playing flag football, from college to a variety of adult jobs, Rae emerged from adolescence into adulthood with a takecharge attitude. of her work. Hearing her tell so much of the story behind the story, I felt it needed to be shared. The result is this ALAN Review article. Each member of the ALAN fantasy panel writes about strong female characters that are plunged into complex worlds of high fantasy, so that was our starting point as we met that day. Rae talked about giving her lead character a Godstone—a precious jewel bestowed only every one hundred years Although some of these attributes appear in Elisa, her main character from The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Greenwillow, 2011), Rae stated in this interview that she is actually more like the character of Elisa’s confident older sister, Alodia. The journey from adolescence to published author of a successful trilogy—beginning with The Girl of Fire and Thorns (September, 2011), continuing with The Crown of Embers (Fall, 2012), and ending with The Bitter Kingdom (August, 2013)—has launched her career asa young adult writer. Creating the fantasy kingdoms of Orovalle and Joya d’Arena has drawn teen readers immediately into the fantasy adventure of battling royal families. Rae was invited to the 2012 ALAN Workshop in Las Vegas as a participant in the opening panel on Fantasy with Maggie Stiefvater, Shannon Hale, and Kristin Cashore. As the Moderator/Chair of this panel, I first met Rae through the communications necessary to organize the panel. I learned that she lived close tome, so we met for lunch to begin a further exploration to one child born into this conflicted and warring world. The as yet unleashed power of the Godstone begins in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. This was Rae’s debut into young adult fiction, and it was quickly recognized, earning nominations for the William Morris Award as well as the Cybils, the Andre Norton Awards, the Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start, and ALA’s Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults. KSH: Let’s begin with your background and preparation to become a writer. You have told me writing has always been part of your life. What choicesand decisions did you make to prepare yourself to become a writer? RC: I’ve been writing my whole life. At first it was all thinly disguised Star Wars fanfiction. It evolved into stories about little girls whose parents make them wash dishes, who then rebel against this egregious oppression and run away to have adventures and find their real parents, because they were 56 secretly adopted. Now, of course, all my writing is high literature. (Sword fights! Magic! Kissing!) My most profound growth as a writer came when I joined an online critique group. What a harrowing, terrifying, wonderful experience that was. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is the first book I ever finished, but it came after years and years of honing my craft on throwaway projects. I was a Social Science major in college, with an emphasis in secondary education. I took as many courses on the American colonial era and westward expansion as I could. This turned out to be wonderful preparation for writing fantasy novels. Studying the prime movers of history—economics, religion, sociology, etc.—and how they both shape a nation and place that nation in an international context helped me build the Fire & Thorns universe. In fact, when teens ask for writing advice, I tell them not to hesitate to major in something besides English or Literature if their passion lies elsewhere. The craft of writing can be honed without formal education through dedi

FAQs

How did Rae Carson prepare to become a writer before publishing?

She wrote for most of her life, beginning with fanfiction and later refining her craft through years of smaller projects. A major growth step came when she joined an online critique group.

What academic experience influenced her fantasy writing?

She studied social science in college with an emphasis on secondary education, focusing on topics like economics, religion, and sociology, which helped her build the Fire & Thorns universe.

What was the journey to publication for The Girl of Fire and Thorns?

The book was written in 2005, rejected in the adult market, and languished until the young adult market expanded. After switching agents, it received multiple offers and sold quickly, with editorial support from Greenwillow Books.

Aug 26, 2026

Upload by Patrick