Hannah Kaner: Resilience Is What Makes Us Writers
Hannah Kaner is the #1 internationally bestselling author of Godkiller. A Northumbian writer living in Scotland, she is inspired by world mythologies, angry women, speculative fiction, and the stories we tell ourselves about being human. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
In this post, Hannah discusses the importance of resilience for writers, why her novel was written from a place of anger (and of love), and more.
Hannah Kaner (photo credit: Magdalena Kaminska)
Name: Hannah Kaner
Literary agent: Juliet Mushens (Mushens Entertainment), Ginger Clark (Ginger Clark Literary)
Book title: Godkiller
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release date: September 12, 2023
Genre/category: Epic Fantasy/Fantasy Adventure
Elevator pitch for the book: For fans of The Witcher and American Gods, this story is about a woman who kills gods for a living and enjoys it until she finds a god she cannot kill: a god of white lies who is bound to a little girl. They go on a quest to a lost city, where the last of the wild gods resides, to beg a favor and separate them. On the way, they meet a knight errant, hiding secrets of his own…
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What prompted you to write this book?
I was writing and editing over the last few years, where increasingly women, the LGBTQIA+ community, disabled communities, and ethnic minorities are under attack, so much of it comes from a place of anger, and a place of love. I wanted to play with the classic fantasy quest, the hero’s journey, and make it new, while still paying homage to all the books I grew up loving.
I also hoped to depart as well from the traditional western lens which can tend to lean on misogyny, homophobia, racism, and ableism for dubious historical accuracy.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I had the idea for the Godkiller, the main character, Kissen, around 2016, but I didn’t put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) until 2019. By mid-2020, amid working on essential services in the pandemic, I had a full draft which I edited until 2021, when I sent to my agent, who sent me more edits, and then sold it in the UK. Four rounds of edits—structural, line, authenticity, copy—and we had a final version.
So from beginning to publication, we have about 3 years. The core structure of the story kept to its quest inspiration; There and Back Again, Gawain and the Green Knight, The Odyssey. It was the characters who changed, and grew, and deepened as I progressed through publication.
Themes I hadn’t noticed, I brought out more intensely. Motivations I hadn’t thought through thoroughly were challenged.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Many, and too many to list them all. But a great learning moment from me was the chance to work with authenticity editors on my story. Fully supported by my publisher, I wanted to ensure I did not make any faults through ignorance or negligence in my characters from other lived experiences. It was so lovely to work with these editors who could add depth and color to the world, and see it through different eyes.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This is far from my first book, it is the seventh I have written, and the fourth that went on submission to publishers, it’s the first that saw print. However, I am constantly surprised by the process of writing. I’m always exploring, creating, and challenging myself, so I always find something new.
One thing I delightfully discovered while researching faith and philosophy was how many classic Greek philosophical texts we have access to through Islamic study, augmentation, and preservation. Our universities and the western ‘enlightenment’ were only possible through Arabic scholarship. I was never taught this in school, and I’m so delighted at how much bigger the world is than I ever understood.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope readers find themselves in this book, and find some hope too. It’s a world where I wanted people to feel welcome, that here people won’t be persecuted for who they are. It’s what they do that makes a difference, for better or worse.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Resilience is what makes us writers. The ability to face the blank page, to forge words from air, despite so many reasons not to. But resilience doesn’t mean holding fast to one goal, one story, one end. It means learning to develop with your work, to acknowledge your fears, accept your defeats, and keep moving forward. To grow, and persevere.
My advice? Keep going.