M. K. Lobb: On Working Through Lingering Teenage Rage

M.K. Lobb is a fantasy writer with a love of all things dark—whether literature, humor, or general aesthetic. She is the author of Seven Faceless Saints and Disciples of Chaos. She lives in Ontario with her partner and cats, and invites you to visit her online at MKLobb.com, and follow her on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

M. K. Lobb

Photo by Rob Boyce

In this post, M. K. discusses how selling one book turned into a duology with her new YA fantasy novel, Disciples of Chaos, her advice for other writers, and more!

Name: M. K. Lobb
Literary agent: Claire Friedman (InkWell Management)
Book title: Disciples of Chaos
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release date: February 20, 2023
Genre/category: YA Fantasy
Previous titles: Seven Faceless Saints
Elevator pitch: In this sequel to Seven Faceless Saints, Roz and Damian must face their destiny as the world crumbles around them–perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco.

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What prompted you to write this book?

By the time I started writing Roz and Damian’s story, I had tried (and failed) to get several other YA novels traditionally published. I decided the next book I wrote would be full of everything I loved: angst, romance, magic, mystery, and a little darkness. I plugged those elements into a world I had been dreaming up—one inspired by Florence’s medieval guild system—and the Seven Faceless Saints duology was born. When I was given the opportunity to write a follow-up that would eventually become Disciples of Chaos, I knew I had to take it. There was so much more I wanted to delve into when it came to the world and characters.

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

All my ideas have taken wildly different lengths of time to come to fruition. When it came to Disciples of Chaos, I had to write the book on deadline, which was a first for me. The initial draft took about five months, where Seven Faceless Saints went from concept to manuscript in just under three months. Disciples also required considerable revisions to simplify the plot and conclude it in a way I felt positive about. Then there’s the editing and publication process, which often takes another year and a half or so!

The general concept of the duology didn’t change a whole lot over the years, but I definitely did a lot of simplifying, and the earliest versions were more historical fantasy than second-world fantasy.

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

Here’s one: Seven Faceless Saints was actually sold as a standalone! I was already well into editing it when my editor came back with the contract for Disciples of Chaos. This was a very good surprise, as I’d always seen the story as requiring more than one book, but for a time I’d been prepared to accept that it wasn’t meant to be. Of course, as I mentioned, selling Disciples suddenly meant drafting on deadline for the first time—plus I had to teach myself how to write a sequel. That was definitely a learning experience (and a very stressful one!)

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

I’m mainly surprised by how cathartic the experience was. Roz and Damian are such vastly different points of view, but both are intensely relatable to me. I think I worked through a lot of lingering teenage rage and angst in writing this duology. It’s not always pretty—in fact, the characters are pretty messy—but the things that make them messy are important to me. Ironically, the way I concluded Disciples was also a bit of a surprise because my initial plan for the ending didn’t feel right to me. It took three or four complete rewrites of the final chapters for me to be satisfied.

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

I know people won’t have the same takeaway, and that’s OK. But for those who connect to the story and its characters, I hope they come away with some understanding that it’s OK to reevaluate the things you’ve been taught to believe. And even more importantly, that it’s OK to struggle with doing so. There’s a reason Roz remains angry over the course of the two books. There’s a reason Damian remains sad. That doesn’t just go away, no matter how you might otherwise grow as a person.

Ultimately, though, I’m content if most readers simply have a good-old-fashioned fun time.

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

Know that it’s OK not to produce. As creatives in a creative space, many of us are constantly confronting the successes of others. Which can be inspiring—but can also feel like you’re racing to reach that next goal or announce that next deal. Sometimes it seems like everyone else is being more productive or achieving greater things. But you also need time to rest and just think, and often my best ideas come when I’m not looking for them. A painter is still a painter when they’re not in front of the canvas. You’re still a writer even when you’re not actively putting pen to paper. Now, if I could only get myself to remember that …

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