More Answers from Diana Wynne Jones

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Diana Wynne Jones

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Those burning questions ...

MORE ANSWERS FROM DIANA

This is the second page of Diana's answers to questions which were asked between March and late July 2001. The main topics on this page are: a film of Howl's Moving Castle; Time of the Ghost; multiverses; The Master; men; The True State of Affairs; The Ogre Downstairs. There are more pages of answers: Page 1 covers: writing; fanfiction; Fire and Hemlock; Howl's Moving Castle; Harry Potter; Dark Lord of Derkholm and The Tough Guide. Page 3 has some of the Chrestomanci questions including: Millie; a female Chrestomanci, and Diana's inspiration for the series. Page 4 is more Chrestomanci questions, and Page 5 contains all the wonderful miscellaneous and general questions, such as Diana's favourite of her books.

A Howl Film

From Juliette Moore

I'm not really sure if this is a question or a comment but i'll say it anyway. First of all, I really like your books. They are my favorite along with His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. I think your books are so much better than Harry Potter. Second, I have read some of your previous responses and I have so many ideas for more Chrestomanci and Howl books. I really think you should make them into movies, usually when books come out as movies they are worse than books, but I think it would be different. I think your books really do take people away from reality, but I think that is a very good thing, because not many people can do that. Anyways, pleeeeeeeese right more Chrestomanci and Howl books if you can, I know they don't just come in order, but maybe you could go to Wales or something and that would give you ideas. Or, here in toronto, Canada, where I live, there is a castle called Casaloma, which reminds me a lot of Chrestomanci castle espescially because of the tower where Christopher made his little sanctuary as a child,.

I am 13 years old and because of your encouraging books i get a+ on all my book reports. Thanx!

Diana's Reply

Thank you for your very moving plea. The good news is that there will be an animated film of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE in 2003, done by a superb Japanese animator, and you, in Toronto, will be among the lucky ones, because Disney, who are distributing this film, have so far not agreed to let it be shown in Britain where I live. As for a new book, you are right to think that it would need some sort of spark to set it going, but I have been in Wales quite a lot and that doesn't seem to be it. I am still waiting for the spark.

From Clara C

Hello Mrs. Jones....I am Clara from Malaysia...When your first book came out in the bookstores, I thought the covers were funky and the stroryline were quite interesting so i bought them...I heard that a film based on the Howl's Moving Castle Book is coming out...When is it coming to Malaysia???And I can't wait to buy the Fire and Hemlock book..I heard it is really interesting...How come ur books come out late in Malaysia???Sorry to ask such dumb questions...And why don't you write more books about magic (like Harry Potter)???Anyway, I admire your style of writting so keep it up...Lots of people in Malaysia enjoy your books as much as Harry Potter!Keep writing!!!

errrmmm...i am your BIG fan!!!

Diana's Reply

I'm not sure why books arrive late in Malaysia. Maybe it's because they have to be sent from London or New York. The film of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE is supposed to be on the drawing boards at this moment, but it's still under wraps, so keep this a secret. It won't be on show for at least another year. I have written about thirty books, all about magic.

From Rachel

Are there any plans for a dramatisation of the Dalemark quartet, and if so, in what form?

I'm 22, from Bristol (possibly the high point of my early/mid teens was discovering that a chunk of Fire and Hemlock was set in Bristol!)

Diana's Reply

FIRE AND HEMLOCK was written soon after I moved to Bristol. There are no plans to make any kind of dramatisation of the Dalemark books. Quite odd really, because there have been plans for most of the others and a film is actually being made of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE as I write.

From Lindsay Hill

Are there any movies or television versions of any of your books, or any in the making or planning? If there are any, could you tell me where to find them in Canada, or even the UK? Also, what books would you recommend that have great characters or settings that really make the imagination? I've been reading and re-reading your books for years, and have found few to compare with the full complement of great character, humor, setting that is wonderfully new but somehow familiar . . . I love the way you don't insult the reader by explaining every detail three times or state it too pointedly just to make sure we know we have to notice it for the story to work. The way your books are written is so vivid and evokes so much of the reader's own imagination (is ther something hidden in the average psyche that you know how to refer to that others miss?) that your books are some of my favourite inspirations in my wish to be a writer. Wow, that sounds soppily banal, but I guess you must be used to it, eh?

I'm an 18 year old Canadian, currently spending a year in Bavaria as an exchange student. I've been trotting around for the last few years saying that 'Harry Potter is all very well, but doesn't go very deep, and SURE AS HELL AREN'T THE FIRST ONES LIKE IT!' If more people had listened to me when I started to sing your praises the first time I discovered you by happy chance in the Library ten years back, they'd know it too. Thanks for breaking ground in the area of interesting intelligent younger reader's books. Oh, if you haven't read it, 'The Perilous Gard' by Elizabeth Marie Pope is a beautiful Tam Lin following tale.

Diana's Reply
There is going to be an animated version of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE which should be out next year. Cross your fingers. You are lucky. The Japanese film makers have still not persuaded Disney to let the film be shown in Britain, although there is no problem with Canada or the USA. Have you read Philip Pullman? And try Lois McMaster Bujold.

From Susannah Frigo

I was just wondering if there will be a movie for each book in the series 'The Worlds of Chrestomanci'? If you did, I would make sure I saw them!

I love your books! They are the best books I have ever read! I have the all the books in the Chrestomanci series!

Diana's Reply

Oddly enough, nobody has offered to make movies of any of the Chrestomanci books. There are offers for DOGSBODY and THE OGRE DOWNSTAIRS and THE HOMEWARD BOUNDERS, though, and a real animated movie is being made of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE.

From lyn

Are there any plans to make any of your other books into film or television plays and if so how do you feel about seeing your characters come to life?

Diana's Reply

There is a film being made of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. People have asked for the rights to THE HOMEWARD BOUNDERS, DOGSBODY and THE OGRE DOWNSTAIRS, but these have not so far come to anything. There was a TV version of ARCHER'S GOON and it was a bit strange to see someone else's idea of the characters in that. They didn't do too badly with Howard and Awful, but they got Quentin quite, quite wrong - but he was good all the same. It felt, with the animated film, rather as if I was selling Sophie and Howl into slavery. I wanted to apologise to them.

From Ann Zald

I would like to know who represents the film and television rights for Ms Wynne Jones' books? I work for a company called RightsCenter.com. We have compiled an online database that catalogs books and authors in which film and tv companies might be interested. We'd like to include you in the database. To do so, all we need is a contact name, phone number and email address for either yourself or your literary representatives. If the rights to your works are held by your publishers, then we merely need to know which publishers should be contacted. Note that there is no fee to be included in the Film Rights Directory. If you'd like to speak to me directly about this project so you can better decide whether you'd like to participate, please let me know. Best Regards, Ann K. Zald

Diana's Reply

Please speak to my agent, Laura Cecil, about this. I think she uses the Rod Hall Agency for film matters, but I don't have that adddress.

Time of the Ghost

From Rosalind

At the end of the Time of the Ghost each of the children give up something to Monigan. Although I am sure I understand what most of them gave could you tell me what the flowers symbolised?

Diana's Reply

The flowers stood for love and life. Audrey wasted years of her life by thinking she was in love with Ned, all because they picked flowers together and thoughtlessly gave them to Monigan.

From Melissa Brawn

In Time of the Ghost, what exactly do the things that Audrey and Ned give Monigan mean? Are they symbolism? Also, what is the change Sally sees in Ned after she comes back to the hospital from watching Imogen give her musical career to Monigan?

I just got into your books and I love them! I hope the reprint them in the US because they only have a few out (in paperback) at the moment, and the others are hard to get at the library. My faves of your books are probably the Dalemark Quartet! The ending of Crown of Dalemark left me hanging though. Have you ever considered making another one where Maewin finds Mitt?

Diana's Reply

Ned and Audrey picked flowers together and flowers ALWAYS mean things, mostly about love. Then they made the bad mistake of giving them to Monigan, with the result that they got linked together when Ned would rather have been linked to Sally. When it all comes right, Ned looks delighted and relieved because he and Sally can now get together.

From Marnie Wooderson

Looking through this website has astounded me! I only discovered your books about 3 years ago (and I'm an English teacher, too!) but I was immediately spellbound by the power of your writing, and I now regularly use 'Charmed Life' with year 7 pupils. I have read all the Chrestomanci books (what a marvellous character - I wish I could have made him up) and quite a few others, although this site has made me realise I have many more to go. What bliss! My holiday reading includes 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'The Time of the Ghost'. I found that family particularly fascinating; are they based on people you know? I think fantasy is important, too, and have always read lots of it. However, I think your books are some of the most powerful I have come across. I hope you write lots more.

I am 39 years old and teach in a very modest independent cathedral school in Hereford. My greatest wish is for kids to learn to love reading and I'm always looking for class readers that are going to grab a large number of them and that are not written like Point Horror!

Diana's Reply

Darn publishers never seemed to get my books into shops until recently! I'm glad you discovered them in the end. And I hope you're thoroughly enjoying the ones you have for holiday reading. Howl should make you laugh a lot, but you'll have to join a long queue if you turn out to want to marry him too! THE TIME OF THE GHOST is in fact the only bit of near-autobiography I have ever managed. The family is based on my own. We were strange kids.

From Rosey

I know the next book to be re-published of yours is going to be The Time Of The Ghost, so will you be doing any book sighnings? Infact, will you be doing any talks/sighnings any time soon?

I'm 14 and a very big fan. My favourite books are The Magicians Of Caprona, Fire and Hemlock and Mixed Magics. Also, please answer my questions!!!

Diana's Reply

No one arranged any signings, which is just as well, because I spent the last three months ill with pleurisy. Cross your fingers, I hope to get to the big book festival in Swansea this October.

The Ogre Downstairs

From Tamary S.

I've just finished reading The Ogre Downstairs again, and I'm curious about the Greek motorcycle gang near the end -- is that really what they are? Were they just transplanted from their everyday lives in modern-day Greece, or did they spring into being like warriors from dragons' teeth? (Hence "Dens Drac."?) And what did you picture happening to them afterwards (besides causing headaches for the local police)?

I'm on my fourth or fifth time through all your books I can find at the library. Luckily they have almost all of them. I've loved your writing for nearly twenty years now and I'm very glad to see more people becoming acquainted with your books. Thank you for your consistently wonderful characters and twisty plots!

Diana's Reply

The bikers are the modern version of the Greek warriors who sprang from the dragon's teeth. This is why they seem to speak Greek. The chemistry set produces old magics that are updated. In the Greek story, the warriors all killed one another except for one, who probably survived in this case as one rather bewildered biker. Well Bikers often strike me as seriously out of touch, so this seems about right.

From Dan Higginbottom

I'd just like to say that 'The Ogre Downstairs' was the first book I ever read, at the age of five. Therefore, it is all your fault; I was warped for life. You'll be hearing from my metaphysical solicitors about this. Thank you. Thank you again. Taking a vaguely questioning line...I've spent 23 years trying to work out the damn chemical names. No need to spell it out, just a few hints would do, to see me through the next decade or so. Aw, go on. You still owe me for the nightmares my six year old self had about Wilkin's Tooth.

28 years old, spent many years studying mythology and still never get the references.

Diana's Reply
The age of five is full young. But my defence to your metaphysical solicitor is that it is almost impossible to put ideas into the heads of kids that age - they have them all already. Every single incident in THE OGRE DOWNSTAIRS was backed up in real life. The names of the chemicals. Well, animal spirits is obvious. In the Middle Ages they believed that this was a vapour that was the cause of life. Irid. col. is 'colours of the rainbow' and petr. philos. is 'the Philosophers' Stone' that alchemists believed could turn base metals into gold and were always looking for. Dens drac. is 'dragon's teeth' and vol.pulv. is 'flying powder' - all in abbreviated Latin.

Multiverses

From Christian Nutt

Is Deep Secret set in the same multiverse as Hexwood and Dragon Reserve, Home Eight? The reason I ask is because I just got done rereading Deep Secret and I noticed that there's an "Albion" alluded to, as there was in Hexwood. Right now I'm too muddled to figure out if the books are mutually exclusive so I figured I'd just ask.

23, Fan of DWJ since ~12, started with The Lives of Christopher Chant and never stopped.

Diana's Reply

Yes, it is the same multiverse - which is infinite and therefore contains everything, and then some. But I think there are several Albions. It is that kind of name. Worlds bud off other worlds, in branches, like a family tree, and there will be worlds of the same name on various branches. Some will be true alternates, but some, as in HEXWOOD, will be planets in the same galaxy as the various Earths. I hope this hasn't muddled you even more.

The Master

From Meera

Hi Diana, my question for you is about one of your short stories, The Master. I don't get it! Who is the master, why does he keep wolves, who is the dead woman in the forest, who is the strange man that the Lady meets and why was she called there? This story has puzzled me for years. I absolutely adore your books. I just wish you were more well known here in Canada. Whenever I tell someone that my favourite author is Diana Wynne Jones, they say, "Who?" The first book of yours that I read was The Lives of Christopher Chant, which I picked up for 25 cents at the local library. After that I just devoured all the other books that I could find. I think The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is just hilarious. There are so many bad fantasies out there, as I'm sure you know! I think the Harry Potter books are highly overrated. Sure, they're fun to read, but your books have so many more original plots and characters. Thank you so much for being you!

Diana's Reply

Thank you for liking my books. Keep telling them in Canada! The Master was actually a dream I had and it was even more puzzling as a dream. The story was my attempt to make sense of it - not very satisfactorily, I'm afraid. The master is actually the chief wolf - the alpha male. The dead woman was doing experiments with all the wolves and I think got the idea of making one of them her lover, only she chose the wrong one and Annie tore her throat out. The master was Annie's, you see. I don't know who summoned the unfortunate narrator. That was the queerest bit of the dream - but of course she was dreaming too. My sense is that when she got to the reality it was all much more like an ordinary animal experimentation centre. But I don't know.

Men

From Abigail Moxon

Dear Diana, Everyone says this, but I wanted to tell you aswell, just how much I enjoy your books. I read my first, 'Archer's Goon' when I was about 8, but my favourite has to Be 'Howl's Moving Castle'. I couldn't get hold of your books for years, but my sister got me 'Howl's Moving Castle' for my recent 21st birthday, hurrah! When reading it the first time when I was 8 I simply thought that Howl was a brilliant character, but re-reading it as a much older female made me realise how attractive he is! The same goes for Chrestomanci, resulting in much discussion with my sister over whether it would be more enjoyable to live in the moving castle with Howl or with Chrestomanci in his castle. (I decided Howl, she decided Chrestomanci). I was wondering if you created them as men that you yourself would find attractive or more as characters to appeal to children?

My sister is called Sophie and is the eldest of three girls like Howl's Sophie,and my other sister is called Francesca, the same name 'Castle in the Air' is dedicated to.

Diana's Reply

There does seem to be quite a serious conection between your family and my books, but I'm sorry you had to wait 13 years to get hold of copies. They're ALL available at the moment, so snap them up while they last and before vampires or something swamp the present desire for magic in books. I suppose both Chrestomanci and Howl had to be attractive to me, or they wouldn't be attractive to other people. I like them both a lot. And I've always thought that a strong magician would be highly attractive. Of the two, out in the wide world, Howl seems to pull in young ladies of 17 to 25. A number of these have written saying is Howl real, they want to marry him (and I always think they were in for a difficult life if they did). Chrestomanci seems to appeal to the younger kids and to people around 30. Odd, isn't it?

From Natalie Costa Bir

You have some very imposing and impressive males in your series, I was very taken by Woden's blue eyes, Mr Lynn, Mordian, Howl, Christopher Chant as Chrestomanci, and so on. Where did you get inspiration for these wonderful men? (if anywhere) - All other portrayals of Woden I've seen are rather ugly, and bloody, and include the single bulging eye.

Dear Ms Wynne-Jones, I have been reading your books since I was in year four, and I must say on an aside that I am quite shocked at all these adults who are raving about Harry Potter, because I -know- you were published when they were younger! How they could have missed you I don't understand! I can't even describe my pleasure when I realised you were being republished. (it was along the lines of 'Glory Be! There is a God! And he/she reads books!')My favourite, perhaps because it was the first I read - is "Witch Week", I always laugh hysterically when I come to the scene where Nan is accusing Charles, and vice versa, and she comments on his feet. Your humour has always made me love your books, and the amount of times I have reread them -especially now that I own them instead of borrowing them- are uncountable. Abdullah is especially funny with his prudence, and 'the soldier' in the Panarch's dress or similar...

Diana's Reply

Well, thank you for saying al those nice things. And I am so glad you laugh. I laugh a lot when I am writing (and members of my family look at me anxiously). With the male characters you remark on, I think someone has to be attractive to be interesting, but I don't put it this way to myself when I'm writing. I just get interested in the man. With Woden, I was trying to make the point that a god CAN'T just be ugly and terrifying, or not usually. They probably have that aspect - and Woden was a god of battle - but there seems a modern tendency to think that this is all there was. If you remember there were as many truly reverent people around in pagan days as there are now, you have to realise that they saw something else beside horror in their god. Woden did a pretty amazing thing, getting hung on the worldtree for nine days and sacrificing an eye for wisdom, and this always strikes me as a brave, attractive and peaceful thing to have done. Besides, all those times he turned up in disguise, he must have represented himself as agreeable, if strange, to quite a lot of people.

From Kyra Jucovy

Dear Diana, Okay, I'm finally getting around to asking a question. What I'm currently curious about is which of your characters are your personal favorites. Part of the inspiration for this question is knowing who seem to be fan favorites, and knowing who my favorites are, and wondering how much all of these things correlate. The other part of the inspiration was being very amused by your "jumping the queue for Howl" answer in March - although I don't really mean to ask which of your characters you'd "queue up for," just which you think are the most interesting, likable, or emotionally engaging (and these three are sometimes very different things, to me at least). Feel free to answer as lengthily or briefly as you'd like, and thank you _so_ much in advance!

I'm 19 years old and originally from Long Island, NY. I've been reading your books since I was 8 - you are definitely my longest continuous favorite author. I've also introduced various family members and friends to them, of course. Who wouldn't? I have spent a week of my life being totally obssessed with _Archer's Goon_ - the second time I read it, when I was 12. I couldn't even read anything else, since all I could do was think about AG. I even made up a prequel, although I didn't write it down, so I don't remember it _that_ well. I'm sort of hoping that you don't plan to jump the queue should a real-life analogue of Torquil or Navis ever be spotted, since I would feel an obligation to let the author have first choice. And I really want to say thanks. First of all, for the books, of course - what can I say that hasn't already been said? They're wonderful, and you are truly brilliant. And secondly, for these answers - even though you clearly have a lot to respond to, you still manage to make every single one really, truly engaging and appealing. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to do this for your fans!

Diana's Reply

Yes, I do quite fancy Navis, but on the whole I don't have a preference. This is the beauty of writing about people who appear in your head and demand a book to go into. You can adore them all and not have to choose. So I don't think I'm in the queue. I'm just thinking of other characters to adore. Smug smile. Thanks for saying all those nice things.

True State of Affairs

From miranda smith

I have a question about 'the true state of affairs'. Is the heroine actually mad and in an institution or has she been transported into a different world. I ask this question as when I was at university we studied the play "top girls" - do you know it? Five women talk over dinner and it turns out to be one woman who has gone mad and thinks she is five different people. So I wondered if all the references to going insane were suggestions of the whole thing being a fantasy. I have asked a couple of others who read the story and they think I am reading too much into it. Am I? by the way, I absolutely adore all your books - especially Black Maria.

I am 25, university graduate and now stay at home mother of two little boys.

Diana's Reply

About 'The true state of affairs' - no, it isn't intended that the woman is mad, but if this happened to you, you might spend quite a bit of your time and journal wondering if you _had_ gone mad. I think it might, however, represent the way I was feeling when I wrote it. I was in precisely your position, except that I had three little boys.

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