Allison Gunn

Allison Gunn is a professional researcher, writer, and podcaster with a penchant for all things whimsical and strange. An alum of the University of Maryland, she has extensively studied marginalized communities as well as Appalachian folklore and the occult. She currently resides in the wonderfully weird land of West Virginia with her twin daughters, a precocious pup, and one seriously troubled tabby.

Nowhere is Gunn's first novel.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

Nowhere was the title from the start, and I never received any suggestions otherwise. Beyond all else, the book is about Nowhere both literally and metaphorically. Without giving too many spoilers, it is the place of no return for our characters—a living, breathing reality just on the other side of ours. Yet, it’s also a space many of us know well. The Kennans may literally reside in the middle of nowhere, however, their isolation via stigma places them even further into this lonely place in every human’s heart.

That being said, there are international markets where the title has to be altered, either for translation or for the sake of the target audience. For example, my Italian publisher had to decide how to translate the concept of Nowhere into a title that could be easily understood in Italian. Other international publishers are currently doing the same, and I’m okay with that as long as the title they land on resonates.

I’m not an author who digs their heels into the mud and refuses to budge when my team raises an issue such as the marketability of a book based on its title. I would have struggled a bit had Atria (my North American publisher) insisted on a different title, but I have also carefully surrounded myself with people I trust. Because of that, I’m willing to entertain even changes to the manuscript that initially seem immovable. That is the key to successfully publishing via a traditional route—collaboration. No one in the process is entirely correct. Once you accept that as an author, I think your ability to come to the table and bounce ideas off one another results in a much stronger novel.

What's in a name?

More often than not, my characters ‘tell’ me their names which sounds a bit wild, I realize. Typically, when I’m starting a story the first thing that becomes clear is dialogue. From there, everything is built upon the characters’ experiences.

In Nowhere’s case, every single character seemed to have a name before I even started writing them. I was actually shocked when I first allowed beta readers to take a glance that Finn and Rachel were also the names of characters from the TV show Glee because I had absolutely no idea. I didn’t watch Glee. Those were simply the names that popped into my head as they were ‘speaking,’ but because those names were so clear in my mind, I refused to change them whenever someone pointed out the Glee-connection.

Similarly, Charlie and Lucy’s names and personalities were firm before I began pursuing publishing. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the personalities of those two characters mirrored that of my daughters even then, with even their names beginning with ‘C’ and ‘L’ respectively. Even stranger, though they are twins and were quite young when I began writing Nowhere, the daughter who served as the basis for Charlie has continued to grow in a trajectory that is very much consistent with that character. It’s spooky and delightful and certainly more proof that I should trust the names my characters give me.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self would be surprised, terrified (potentially even horrified) by Nowhere, but not because of the genre. I write about it in the Author’s Note in the beginning of the book, but I grew up a fundamentalist pastor’s kid. In our little slice of Christianity, being queer was a one-way ticket straight to hell, and I took that very seriously at the time. It caused quite a lot of damage throughout my life, especially as a teen when I was trying my best to shove it down both for myself and the community in which I was surrounded. However, that experience made its way into Nowhere quite prominently.

I’d like to think Younger Allison would also be a little impressed that I ever grew courageous enough to talk about being queer and trapped in a society that condemned it. Overall, though, she’d be shaking in her boots that the entire world would now know what secrets were hiding in her closet.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Neither. The middle is the most difficult for me. I typically start with a beginning and end in mind with a few scenes connecting the two sketched out in my brain. It’s connecting the two that’s the most challenging aspect.

As far as whether I change the ending or the beginning more, it truly depends on the story and the feedback I receive. The current manuscript I’m working on is a very unconventional one, and the ending continues to evolve quite radically, though not conceptually. Regarding Nowhere, very few things changed in the beginning and the end with the exception of the Prologue which was added just before the book went to my editor. I view that as an extension of the ending, however, and it was very natural to pen. Otherwise, almost nothing changed in the opening and ending from the first draft.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

There are aspects of myself in nearly every prominent character in Nowhere, but especially in both Rachel and Finn. Combined, they represent some of the darkest pieces of me—past flaws; present biases; character flaws that I have worked to iron out. Obviously, they are not a mirror-image of me, but there are many shared elements.

For example, I see myself in Finn’s all-consuming grief and inability to see beyond his immediate pain. When it comes to Rachel, there are multiple former partners out there who will attest, I absolutely can become insulated and cold when I’m in “defense mode.” There are quite a few reviews which have mentioned this aspect of Rachel as a major detractor from her overall likability. Perhaps that’s fair and true, but she is a survivor of multiple tragedies. Her way of coping is to focus on how to pull her loved ones to safety no matter what it takes, but that also means shutting down excessive emotions in crises when others are relying on her. For better or worse, that is something which very much reflects how I personally operate under extreme duress.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Film and television have always been major influences in my creative work. In fact, I initially planned to go to college for acting, then did a stint in film school as an aspiring director. Specific screen works that have influenced my writing include Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (which I consider a work almost entirely independent from Stephen King’s incredible book); Christopher Nolan’s Inception; and most recently, Stephen Cognetti’s Hell House, LLC. Director-screenwriters like James Gunn and Mike Flanagan routinely inform my work as well.

Additionally, independent artists such as Stephen Willey and Brian Serway continue to influence my manuscripts. While Willey’s phenomenal art resonates with much of my ongoing writing, Serway’s work very much reflects the tone and atmosphere of Nowhere. These artists’ work literally cover my walls at home. Similarly, I’m continually inspired by artwork found in many tarot decks.

Finally—and this should come as no surprise to anyone who has read Nowhere—I’m obsessed with legends, lore, the occult, and the supernatural. Therefore, researchers dabbling in these areas with sincerity inspire much of my work. I have to give credit to the crew behind the documentary Hellier: Greg and Dana Newkirk, Connor Randall, Karl Pfeiffer, and Tyler Stand. They opened the door to a wealth of research grounded in reason amidst a field riddled with charlatans. Perhaps most influential in this area, however, is researcher, lecturer, and professional ‘weirdo’ (in the fondest sense), John E.L. Tenney. I highly recommend a deep dive into these individuals’ work, even for the most jaded skeptic, especially since their analyses are usually based in psychology, history, and sociology.

Visit Allison Gunn's website.

--Marshal Zeringue