Salve’s Michelle Barry ’07 expands sci-fi universe with new book
Author Michelle Barry ’07, an English communications major, just released “Ashgarden,” the third book in her YA science fiction series, “Plotting the Stars.” Described as a mix between Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden,” and Jeanne DuPrau’s “City of Ember,” the series follows Myra Hodger, a young heroine at a lunar academy in a future where Earth’s plants have turned toxic, and humanity now lives in space.
In the interview below, Barry shares with us her inspirations and her path to literary success.
Q&A with Michelle Barry ’07
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about the Plotting the Stars series?
A: It was a long journey from the first draft of the first book to its publication, and now with the third book going out into the world, it’s really surreal.
The story takes place hundreds of years in the future at a Lunar boarding school for those gifted with STEM-fueled magic. The reason humanity lives on the Moon (and other settlements throughout the solar system) is because the plants on the Old World (Earth) became toxic due to pollution, and humanity had to evacuate. In her first year at her magical school, the main character, Myra, discovers she has powers related to plants, which are forbidden.
Q: Who is it geared for and what kind of world and challenges does it present to readers?
A: The books are middle grade and geared to middle school readers, however, I think they could be a fit for anyone in elementary school or older! The main themes of the trilogy orbit around climate change, corporate greed and the importance of the STEM fields. However – to me – the books have always been ones of friendship, and how relationships can evolve as we get older.
Q: How and when did you get the idea for this series? What were you doing in your life when you got inspired to write it?
The idea for the first book, “Moongarden,” began as a retelling of “The Secret Garden,” one of my all-time favorite novels. However, the inspiration to create this story actually occurred while I was visiting Salve! My family and I return to Newport often and love walking the school grounds, around town and along the Cliff Walk. I don’t remember exactly where we were, but during one visit, we walked past a beautiful home with a huge wall enclosing the yard. Vines and flowers were growing over the wall, and it struck me as so reminiscent of the imagery of “The Secret Garden.”
In that moment, it reminded me of the feeling of magic the garden holds in that book, and it made me want to capture that in my own story. From there, the idea for “Moongarden” began to grow. As the plot developed, I decided to weave many of my favorite tropes into the story – magic, magical boarding schools and found family.
Q: You have been working in the insurance industry as a marketing and business development communications pro for the past 10 years, and you have two children. How do you balance the day-to-day work that entails with not only writing books, but managing to raise a family as well?
A: Lots of coffee! I think that no matter what you’ve got going on in your day-to-day life, there are always plenty of excuses to not find the time to write. It can be really daunting to start writing. But if you’ve got a story you are passionate about telling, you just really have to be disciplined and make the time. That process might look a little different for everyone, but for me, setting a routine is critically important. In the early years, I would get up really, really early (like 4 a.m. early) to write several days a week before work, or before the kids woke up. More recently, my writing time has migrated to late nights, usually somewhere post 10 p.m. until around midnight, especially if I’m on deadline. So again, lots and lots of coffee!
Q: How did Salve inspire or influence the direction you took with your writing or your life?
A: I always knew during my time at Salve that I would pursue a career that had to do with books and/or writing. Eventually, I landed on an English communications major, and it was a natural fit. I loved learning about the different ways to tell a story – from a newspaper article to a press release to a marketing brief. I’ve always loved books, but it honestly never occurred to me until much, much later that I could be an author. I think a lot of the publishing process is very mysterious – when I do my book talks at schools and bookstores, a large part of my presentation is usually explaining how a book becomes a book. Understanding the process I think makes it less daunting and feel more possible.
So while the idea of writing my own book didn’t occur to me until years after graduation, the things I learned at Salve very much prepared me to be able to do so once I realized I could.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are here at Salve?
A: Start writing! And never doubt that it’s possible to be published. Imposter Syndrome is a real thing no matter if it’s your first ever draft or you’re a New York Times bestselling author. It’s normal to be nervous when starting to tell a story but just keep putting one word in front of the other, and don’t get bogged down trying to make the plot or the writing perfect from the start – that’s what revisions are for! But you can’t edit a blank page. Just keep going and before you know it, you’ll have a finished book!
Q: Who are your favorite authors?
A: Oh I have so many! Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab, Taylor Jenkins Reid – to name a few, and I know I am missing many. Science fiction and fantasy have always been my favorite to read, but I’ll dabble in almost any genre.
Q: Can we expect to see a fourth book in the Plotting the Stars series? Or maybe another story universe altogether?
A: I would love to tell more of Myra’s story. I also think it would be fun to do a “Plotting the Stars” prequel – the parents of the main characters of the story definitely had their own adventures in their day! But there are no immediate plans at the moment. I do have a couple projects in the works, both middle grade novels, and hope one or both will end up on a bookshelf one day!
