Writer Matilda Starr: “Love stories are best left vivid on the pages of books”

Frankly, it’s better for brilliant love stories to stay on the pages of books. They are brilliant because there are a lot of emotions, constant conflicts, insurmountable obstacles, suffering, the pleasure of rare encounters… In real life, all this is useless. The ideal formula is to have a stable relationship without all these emotional swings, and to get the adrenaline pumping in the pages of the novels.

I think romance novels are a good thing. And yet, I would not entrust them with the functions of family psychologist. Furthermore, reading remains an intimate process. At the very least, let each of the partners have their own copy of the book, so that instead of strengthening the relationship, there is no quarrel over who removed the bookmark and crumpled the page! And family issues can be discussed while opening a bottle of wine and ordering pizza. Well, or with a psychologist, I believe in it.

You don’t need to look for plot ideas in a particular way or get them from somewhere. There are many, and most often the problem is having time to write them all. As for inspiration, it seems to me that for it to come more often, you just need to get into the habit of writing. Don’t wait for any particular inspiration, but sit down and write. You know, so that inspiration knows where to come. And when he appears, he finds you at work. But there is another side to the question. It’s important to rest. Don’t get into a dead end thinking you have to write, you have to do it, you have to do it, no matter how you feel. Sometimes for words to begin to form beautifully and easily into sentences, you just need to rest.

The stories are, of course, pure fiction. Werewolf dragons have not yet been introduced to our world. But characters sometimes slip through the cracks. Not exactly, of course. I don’t think it’s generally possible to “drag” a living person into a book – the functions of living people and book characters are too different. But sometimes familiar, recognizable features appear.

I will respond with the words of the most popular comment on most film adaptations: “The book is better!”

Of course I would! This is probably one of the important steps in a writing career. When your stories interest not only readers, but also those who want to rethink them and show them in another form. I’m really interested in how some of my books look on screen. So I’m always open to suggestions.

Can I see everyone? (Laughs.) To be honest, I am not a big connoisseur of modern Russian cinema, so my favorite Russian artists are unlikely to be suitable for the role of a hero’s lover. Many are no longer alive. I usually look at handsome men in Hollywood. Let Bradley Cooper play the lead role – he’s handsome. And let’s find a place for Edward Norton and Gary Oldman – they’re very cool. Oh, and Tom Hardy too. Robert Sheehan is incomparable. I can list for a very long time. (Laughs.) But for women, it’s Anne Hathaway.

Like all other ideas, it came out of nowhere. Just a show I would love to watch, but unfortunately no one has bothered to make it. So I had to take matters into my own hands. The Drama Queen reality show is a new format in which I am looking for a heroine for my next book. Any girl aged 20 to 35 can participate. To do this, you just need to apply for a casting – shoot a short video in which you need to explain why she should become the heroine of the book and post it on your social networks with the hashtags #matildastarr and #dramaqueen. All details can be found in my VKontakte group. Next, we will select 20 participants who will complete tasks in the same format – in reel format. The three finalists will accompany me to film the final challenge, which will take place in Istanbul in a luxurious five-star hotel. The winner will receive half a million rubles and I will write a book about her.

She is an interesting and active girl who has her own hobbies, a passion for certain affairs. She has a sense of humor and a positive outlook on life itself and its challenges. She does not sit at the window waiting for the prince, but is ready to build her own destiny. I’m looking for an interesting person who I won’t get bored writing about.

“School of Warlocks” is my most popular series on Liters. The main character discovers that she has a magical gift and goes to study at the same Warlock school. There, of course, adventures await her, sworn friends, treacherous teachers and troubles that she must fight as best she can. Well, the stern and mysterious rector – where would we be without him…