"Thornyrose writes: “Questions for Ms. Kress. The very idea behind “Dogs” seems to have creeped out quite a few people. What inspired you to develop the idea? What genres would you like to write in that you’ve not already attempted? In “Dogs”, did the characters come out of the needs of the plot, or did the characters help direct the direction of the story? Thank you for your time and participaton in Mr. Mallozzi’s blog.”
Nancy Kress : For me, the characters always come first – although they usually come attached to a situation that then generates the plot. In DOGS, I knew I wanted to write a book about a plague spread by dogs, and that I wanted a female law-enforcement character. As I thought about Tessa, deciding that she was the widow of an Arab and how that had interfered with her promotion at the FBI, I saw why she would be in Tyler, MD and how the plot might begin."
