Monsters in Bhutan: Evan Purcell

Bhutan based author Evan Purcell is out with a new book on monsters. Published by Duckbill, this  middle grade book is a part of a series.Evan shared a few thoughts on his new creation, Karma Fights a Monster.

You have been writing romances and horror for adults in the past. This is your first middle grade book. Why did you choose to write for a young audience instead of adults?

First of all, writing for grown-ups is a lot of fun. There are fewer rules, and there’s no limit to the content or tone. It’s really freeing. For me, though, I prefer writing YA and middle grade. Deep down, maybe I’m still a twelve-year-old. I find it easier to write about monsters and creatures than about more grown-up problems. Plus, I’m a teacher. I spend time with kids every day. I see the issues they face and the choices they make. I want them to have literature that they can learn from and relate to, literature that’s scary and funny, but always relatable. (Plus, I really like monsters.)

What have you been doing in Bhutan? How did this book idea occur to you?

I’ve been teaching high school students in Bumthang, right in the center of Bhutan. I first came here through Bhutan-Canada Foundation (BCF), and they’ve been so supportive and helpful. Any teacher who is interested in working in the happiest country in the world should contact them right away.

The idea for this book came to me in two separate moments. First, I noticed that my students were rereading the same American middle grade books over and over. I got a bit sad, because there were so few books that reflected their own experiences. Bhutan is a really special place, and I wanted my students to have stories that captured a bit of that. The second moment came when I was walking along the river near my house. I thought I saw a shark. (That’s it. Not a very interesting story.) From there, my brain went in a thousand different directions and the result was Karma Fights a Monster.

How many books are part of the Karma series? Have you already plotted /outlined all of them?

I’ve outlined the first four and written the first two. It’s an ongoing series, so I’m not sure how many stories we can do. I keep thinking of new monsters every day!

Why did you choose Duckbill to publish Karma's book? Was it difficult pitching the idea to other publishers abroad?

My original plan was to reach out to publishers here in Bhutan, but the publishing industry here is still growing. Last year, I published two books of short stories (written by my students) and we sold them at local festivals. It was a blast. For the Karma series, though, I wanted to be a bit more ambitious and partner with an Indian publisher. I found Duckbill at just the right time, and they’ve been so great to work with.

The final confrontation between Ms Charmy and Karma is pretty mild (no dramatic action scenes or violence). Do you think things would have been much different if the antagonist was a male?

Ooh. That’s an interesting question. I think there’s a long history of really fierce, really well-developed female villains. (Just think of all the classic Disney films. Maleficent is way scarier than Captain Hook.) More specifically, with all the books in this series, I want the climax to be based on Karma’s quick thinking and ingenuity rather than some big action spectacle.

Not much is revealed about Karma's dad (his present/past status). Would he be making an appearance in the future books?

Yes. But I won’t tell you if it’ll be him, his ghost, a hallucination, or a demon pretending to be him. (Or all of the above.) What I can say, though, is that his father is a major influence on Karma’s life, and we’ll be learning a lot more about him in the future.

The chapter lengths in this book are unusually short for a middle grade book. Your comments.

As a child of the ’90s, I grew up with the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine. That series is the reason I became a writer. I particularly love Stine’s use of wild cliffhangers at the end of each short chapter. When you read a Goosebumps book, you keep telling yourself, “Just one more chapter. Just one more chapter,” until you’ve suddenly finished the whole thing. I wanted to capture a little bit of that with Karma’s adventures.

Karma's mom appears to be unusually cool. Is your mom as cool as Karma's?

Totally. She’s also a school librarian, just like Miss Charmy. Thankfully, she’s not a shark monster, though.

Will Ms Charmy be back in the next book?

She won’t be back in the next book, but in a future book… Maybe. Like they said in Jaws 2: “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…”

There is no elaborate backstory about Karma's entry into the world of monster hunting. Is it intentional? Will there be more in the sequel?

Oh yes. A lot more. Prepare for some big surprises. (I’ll give you two hints: Prophecy. Brothers.)

How integral are monsters to Bhutan's folklore?

My students have told me a few monster stories, but most of the really cool stories in Bhutan revolve around demons and hungry ghosts. Sometimes, when I’m walking through the dark forest on my way home from work, I get really spooked.

Did you research a lot on the settings and Bhutanese way of life? Or did it come automatically as you are living in Bhutan?

I’ve lived here for a couple years, so I tried to use as much of my own experience as possible. One thing I really love about Bhutan, though, is the constant stream of festivals. Everyone dresses up and dances. It’s so much fun. I wanted to include one of those festivals in the first book, but it just didn’t fit. I promise I’ll include that in a future one. I’ll also add a bit of archery, khuru, weaving, and all the other awesome stuff that only happens in Bhutan.

To buy a copy of Karma Fights a Monster click here.