In this insightful interview with M. E. Torrey, we dive into the creative world of a talented author whose passionate storytelling captivates readers. As a writer committed to exploring deep themes and rich narratives, she shares her journey, inspirations, and writing process. Join us as we discuss her latest projects, the challenges she faces in the literary landscape, and the meaningful connections she strives to create with her audience through her work.
But first, who is M. E. Torrey?
Torrey holds a B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology and an M.A. in Religion. She currently resides in Washington State and has lived and traveled throughout the world. In addition to her writing and traveling, she is a co-founder of Orphans Africa, a nonprofit charity. Orphans Africa works primarily in Tanzania, building boarding schools for children orphaned by disease and poverty. Her organization has educated thousands of children. (www.orphansafrica.org)
M. E. Torrey, also known as Michele Torrey, is the author of twelve books for children, published by Penguin-Random House and Sterling (Union Square & Co).
M. E. Torrey’s Books
- Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey as a writer? How did you first realize you wanted to write fiction?
I’ve always had a love affair with words, even as a child. I first became a “published” writer in the fifth grade, when a short story of mine ended up in our school newsletter. After that, I always gravitated toward taking writing classes, telling stories, reading, and watching movies—immersing myself in other times, worlds, and people. I think what makes a good writer is someone who observes, not just what is on the surface, but what is underneath, what is unspoken.
- What does your typical writing process look like? Are you more of a planner or do you discover the story as you write?
I am definitely a planner. I usually gravitate toward a particular theme—such as slavery—and then research, gaining ideas as I go, before finally beginning to outline. Once a rough outline is in place and the characters are speaking to me, I begin to write. I allow my characters freedom (within the outline) to act of their own accord. I am often surprised by what my characters do and the tangential subplots that arise. It’s a fun, amazing process.
- What are some books (fiction or nonfiction) that have stayed with you over the years and influenced your work?
When I was a teenager back in the ’70s, I read a trilogy by Mary Stewart about Merlin and King Arthur: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. I must have read those books a dozen times, and her immersive style stuck with me. I love to read books where I lose myself in the story and only come back to reality when the book is finished. I read the series again a few years ago, and only then did I realize how deeply this series has influenced my writing.
I began writing as a career back in the ’90s. I remember writing one of my first books for teens. I got to an action sequence and thought, “Gosh, how on earth do I make this exciting? How do you write action?” At the time, I was reading Twilight Eyes by Dean Koontz—a writer of horror and suspense. So, I ran downstairs, grabbed the book, and opened it to a scary action scene. . . . Okay, okay, the character’s heart is pounding, he can hardly breathe . . . I ran back upstairs, and suddenly my character’s heart is pounding, and she can hardly breathe. It’s funny now, when I look back: the quick tutorial. But I took it from there, and it dovetailed nicely with the immersive style of writing. (It took years of refining, of course.)
- How do you handle writer’s block or creative burnout?
For me, writer’s block usually means the story is trying to tell me something, and I’m just not listening. If I experience writer’s block, I’ll often jump in the shower or try a mindless craft (such as coloring) to relax my brain. It’s pretty amazing how often the ideas flow, and the writer’s block unlocks. Creative burnout, however, is brutal. When I experience creative burnout, it’s important to give myself space in which to heal. This might mean stepping away from writing for weeks, months, or even years.
- What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to aspiring historical fiction writers—or writers tackling emotionally heavy topics?
First of all, know your subject. If you’re writing about the Middle Ages, it’s your job to become an expert on the Middle Ages. Become an expert on your setting—whether it’s WWII France or the deep American South in antebellum times. When you’re an expert, you can write from a place of authenticity. Readers can sense the authenticity and will believe the story.
With regard to heavy emotional topics, I would say less is more. Don’t overwrite pain, sorrow, or any of those heavy emotions. Overwriting those emotions can push your story into maudlin territory. If you approach the emotions with a lighter touch, readers will fill in the gap, drawing on their own lived experiences of those emotions.
- Let’s talk about Fox Creek: What first drew you to this specific time period and setting?
The quick answer: I joined my husband on his business trip to New Orleans. It was my first trip to the South. I felt compelled by the history of the plantations, especially the intersection between the White and the Black narratives. As I explored it, I knew I wanted to write about it.
The long answer: While the above is indeed true, I will say that even as a very small child, I have always felt drawn to the issue of slavery, and to the injustices that I saw in the world. I was in elementary school during the ’60s and vividly recall watching the riots on our small TV—riots about school desegregation, civil rights, and the Vietnam War. I listened intently to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches, especially the “I Have a Dream” speech, where “little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little White boys and White girls.” As a family, we would discuss all these issues around the dinner table, my parents instilling in us the understanding that all people are created equal. I feel in my soul that one of the purposes of my life is to bring injustice to light. One of the tools for doing this is to help us remember the past—not for the purpose of self-flagellation, finding blame, or reliving pain, but as a source of growth and healing in our understanding of ourselves as human beings.
- How did you approach the emotional responsibility of writing about such a difficult chapter of American history?
I absolutely had to know my material. I spent three years researching. I have a 17-page bibliography, much of it composed of memoirs, autobiographies, letters, diaries, and interviews with slaves. Examples include the writings of Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave who became an abolitionist, and Bullwhip Days—a compendium of slave recollections compiled decades later. What arose through all the literature was somewhat surprising to me: slaves, like people everywhere, were very different in their recollections. Some, like Douglass, roiled against their White oppressors and were willing to do anything to escape—even die. Others had “stable” relationships with their White owners, perhaps learning a trade such as blacksmithing or coopering, and may have even been able to earn their own money. Others thought fondly upon their enslavement as compared to post-Civil War, when nothing was secure. And still others lavished praise on their “Massa,” saying they deserved every whipping they ever got.
The same was true of the White masters and mistresses. They were all different people, all making their way in the world, all with their own unique worldviews and understanding.
It was important that I understood this vast spectrum of experience.
- Did any character in Fox Creek surprise you as their story developed?
The character that surprised me the most was Lucy Saffin, a contemporary of Breck’s. I never even knew she existed until I started writing. And while she’s more of a peripheral character, she nonetheless plays a critical role in how things unfold.
- What do you hope modern readers will take away from Fox Creek, especially in today’s conversations about race, history, and memory?
While the events in Fox Creek happen before the Civil War, their effects are still being felt today in every part of American society. So, I would ask readers to be open to seeing those effects. How is this legacy of power and privilege still playing out? Likewise, how is the “legacy” of enslavement and racism still affecting Black Americans?
I would also ask readers to not think of slaveholders as someone completely unlike ourselves—all monsters and psychopaths like Simon Legree in Uncle Tom’s Cabin (although people like Legree certainly existed). Instead, I chose to portray the White slaveholders in Fox Creek as very much like ourselves. I did this for a reason: atrocities and injustices are still occurring and are being mainstreamed in the United States today. These acts are committed and explained away by (mostly) well-meaning people who find themselves compromising their integrity for one reason or another—power, position, family, “religion,” opportunity, security, or simply because everyone else is doing it—the list is long. So, I would ask readers to be cognizant of these injustices and not turn away.
There are many other takeaways from Fox Creek, but I don’t want to leave this question until I make another point, perhaps the most important: both Black and White Americans must find ways to reach across the racial divide and heal. Collectively, we must be willing to listen to one another, to try to understand, and to move toward healing. Healing is not found in guilt, blame, hatred, distrust, or fear. It is only found in love.
- Are you currently working on a new project? If so, can you give us a hint about what’s next?
Books 2 and 3 of Fox Creek have been plotted for many years. I am currently diving headfirst into Book 2 (as yet untitled). I’m pretty excited to see all the surprising ways the book will develop as the characters “have their say.”
Thank you, M. E. Torrey, for your time and for sharing your insights with us. Your passion for storytelling and commitment to addressing deep themes truly inspire us. We look forward to your future projects and the impact they will have on readers.
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