A. J. Hackwith: On the Fortitude of Little Dogs

A. J. Hackwith (she/they) is a queer writer of fantasy and science fiction living in the woods of the Pacific Northwest with her partner and various pet cryptids. A.J. is the author of a number of fantasy novels, including the acclaimed Novels from Hell’s Library trilogy. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise writers’ workshop and her work appears in Uncanny magazine and assorted anthologies. Summon A.J. at your own peril with an arcane circle of fountain pens, weird collections of rusted keys, and home-brew D&D accessories. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

In this interview, A. J. discusses the challenges of paying homage to one of America’s first modern fairy tales in her new fantasy novel, Toto, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: A. J. Hackwith
Literary agent: Caitlin McDonald of Donald Maass Literary Agency
Book title: Toto
Publisher: Ace Books Fantasy
Release date: November 12, 2024
Genre/category: Fantasy
Previous titles: The Library of the Unwritten, The Archive of the Forgotten, The God of Lost Words
Elevator pitch: The true hero of the story, Dorothy’s little dog Toto, tells readers what really happened in Oz, in an updated twist on the classic for modern readers. Good dogs stay in Kansas, bad dogs go to Oz.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

The Wizard of Oz is arguably the first modern American fairy tale, and Dorothy one of the first prototypes for the army of empowered, female YA protagonists we have today. And growing up as a rural girl in Nebraska—one hop north of Dorothy’s Kansas—it’s no surprise then that I was desperately obsessed with the story. I always wanted to find the rainbow, yellow brick road, or magic slippers that would take me somewhere else.

I always wanted to pay homage to Oz, and as a lifelong dog lover, it felt natural that Toto’s perspective was the way into a whole new view of the classic story.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I had the luck of very strong hook coupled with a well-known tale. It was easy to get people intrigued with “Wizard of Oz but from sarcastic, skeptical Toto POV.” The real challenge was taking that pitch and building a story that threaded the needle of being both unique and refreshing, and also staying true to the emotional heart of the characters.

The places the book changed the most was in finding the places where Toto was doing something other than following Dorothy—giving him an agency that drives the adventure in ways that are unexpected but would still make sense with the plot. I took advantage of some big moments (Dorothy’s imprisonment by the witch) and also created some new ones to allow Toto to do his thing.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

This was my first retelling or twist on a well-known tale. It’s been a fun and challenging experience researching all the various tellings of the Oz stories over time. Of course, we could only directly borrow from those currently in the public domain, but I strove to pay emotional homage to all the visions of Oz that readers might hold dear.

And there are so many! There’s something about the Wizard of Oz series that invites every generation to make it their own. Everyone has “their” Oz story. Whether it’s the classic book, the musical, the animated series, or the 70’s The Wiz, I wanted my twist to allow everyone to have that familiarity of coming home.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

The surprises that I discover organically while writing a book almost always deal with character relationships. You can plan out a plot, but in my experience, it’s not until you are putting words on a page that you slowly slip into a character’s heart and learn what they really feel and do.

I knew from the outset that Toto’s evolving relationship with Dorothy, his person, would be important. At the beginning of the book, Toto is smarting from being “sold out” by the Gales when he almost gets taken away. He’s lost his trust in people. He tries to be a “bad dog,” a lone wolf. But it’s his bond with Dorothy that keeps him anchored, and resists any of his efforts to distance himself.

That conflict took surprising depths as I wrote it, and it really became a love letter to the thousands of years of emotional bond and dedication humans and dogs have.

There was one more twist: While I was drafting this book, I learned that my own little dog, a chihuahua named Mochi, was diagnosed with a rather severe form of cancer. I was agonized at the idea of writing this book about the spirit of little dogs while losing my own. I have lost my share of dogs over the years, and I know the heartache of wishing I could have loved them longer. In the resolution of the book, there’s a moment between Dorothy and Toto that reflects what I always wished could have been communicated between a dog and their human before those ends.

Toto, of course, survives the book. And in a happy twist: Mochi the chihuahua is still here too. I suppose the real lesson is never underestimate the fortitude of little dogs.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

Authors always have so many hopes for their books! I hope new readers will discover the joy and wonder of Oz in a way that speaks to them, if previous retellings didn’t feel welcoming to them. I hope Oz fans will thrill at the alchemy of old and new and recognize the love I have for the source. I hope animal lovers will appreciate Toto’s voice as the narrator. I hope fantasy lovers will enjoy the escape into a world that is both familiar and vividly surprising.

Mostly I hope that it does what good books have always done for me: transport you to a different place for a while, and stay with you long after, lingering in characters and feelings that you can return to in dark times.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Your story is new because you are telling it. New writers often get discouraged because they stumble across some book or media that “beat them” to a particular trope, theme, or idea. They get discouraged that they shouldn’t keep pursuing their idea because it’s “taken” or already been done. As if there is a creative quota on the number of “X” stories allowed in the world. I hope retellings like Toto can tell you that this is nonsense.

Every story is old, and every story is new again. Your story is unique because you are telling it the way only you can. Comparison is the death of any writer, so don’t shy away from where others have tread instead: Write the most ridiculous, most you story that you can. The things you notice, the things you love, the story you wanted to read, the feelings you thought only you felt. No one else can write that story for you.

It’s always worth it.