| Scott Reintgen is the author of several books for young adults and kids. His middle-grade Talespinners series (Saving Fable, Escaping Ordinary, and Breaking Badlands) tells the tale of Indira Story, an aspiring character who, despite being relegated to the role of Side Character, may still have it in her to become a hero. We loved the series' quirky humor, clever plot twists, and detailed world, so we were thrilled to interview Scott Reintgen for this month's feature! Rapunzel Reads: What inspired Saving Fable? Scott Reintgen: I really just wanted to explore what it would look like for someone to prepare for a role in a story. What kind of training would they need? And who would their teachers be? But maybe the main inspiration was this: I wanted to have fun writing. I'd been reading darker stories and writing darker stories--and this world let me enjoy the whimsical and fun of writing. RR: Saving Fable's world is full of quirkiness and writing references in a way which makes it awesome to read. Do you have a favorite part about it? SR: My personal favorite might be Detective Malaprop. I just have a soft spot for the bumbling detective type character? I also love the Sepulcher. I truly have | 
Author photo credit: York Wilson |
added a few books to those haunting hallways, so it felt personal to create that space in a book that I've since gotten published.
RR: Who is your favorite character in Saving Fable, and why?
SR: It's hard not to go with Indira. You spend so much time with your main character. And you put them through so much. As they shoulder on through the plot--the obstacles you're creating for them--it's hard not to start to admire them, really.
RR: The Talespinners series is full of references to famous stories--what books did you love when you were growing up?
SR: Honestly, I wasn't a huge reader growing up. I had a hard time finding books I loved--and it took finding the right book to break that for me. I guess that's why I wrote this story too. Finding the right book? It's like opening a magical portal to another world. I wanted that feeling in this entire story. Like you were somewhere familiar--but foreign--all at the same time.
RR: What was your favorite part of writing Saving Fable?
SR: I'll echo an earlier answer and say "whimsy." This idea that writing can and should be fun. It's a joy. It's this rare magical thing we get to take part in. I redisovered the joy of writing when I wrote this story.
RR: Do you have any tips for an aspiring writer?
SR: My tips are always the same: 1. Just write. You can't get better at anything without making time for it. 2. Start reading like a writer. Occasionally put that writing cap on and say, "How did this author do this? How'd they pull off the plot twist? How'd they make me like this character so much?" If you do that, you'll always come away with tools to apply to your own writing. And 3. If you can, find your own people. Your writer friends. The creators who will spur you on. I've been in a writing group for about 9 years now, and they're 100% a part of why I'm published today.
RR: What are you planning on writing next?
SR: My very next story is out in May. It's called The Problem with Prophecies. In the story, a girl named Celia Cleary has her first prophetic vision--and unfortunately, it's of her neighbor, Jeffrey Johnson, dying. So she saves him.. only to get another vision and another vision. Pretty soon, her 7th grade year is homework and making friends... and saving Jeffrey's life over and over again. That's next for me, but I also have a young adult book coming out in 2023 called A Door in the Dark. It follows a group of six wizards who are taking the group portal home from school, when it malfunctions. All of them are teleported to the middle of nowhere--and one of them is dead. They'll have to survive the journey home with limited magic, a lot of secrets, and something trailing them through the forest... hope those sound fun!
RR: Awesome books sometimes fall flat in the sequels, but Talespinners never does. What inspired and was fun about writing Escaping Ordinary and Breaking Badlands? What was tricky about them?
SR: Escaping Ordinary digs a bit into my love for video games, and I knew I could write a story like that well because I love video games so much. It also breaks down the Hero's Journey, which is something a lot of writers know. As for Breaking Badlands, well, it's hard not to have fun at Antagonist Academy. I had so much to work with. I also just love later books in series. You know the characters so well. Everything is second nature. It gives authors a chance to experiment and have fun. Some of my best work is in the final books of my series, and I think that makes sense.
RR: Who is your favorite character in Saving Fable, and why?
SR: It's hard not to go with Indira. You spend so much time with your main character. And you put them through so much. As they shoulder on through the plot--the obstacles you're creating for them--it's hard not to start to admire them, really.
RR: The Talespinners series is full of references to famous stories--what books did you love when you were growing up?
SR: Honestly, I wasn't a huge reader growing up. I had a hard time finding books I loved--and it took finding the right book to break that for me. I guess that's why I wrote this story too. Finding the right book? It's like opening a magical portal to another world. I wanted that feeling in this entire story. Like you were somewhere familiar--but foreign--all at the same time.
RR: What was your favorite part of writing Saving Fable?
SR: I'll echo an earlier answer and say "whimsy." This idea that writing can and should be fun. It's a joy. It's this rare magical thing we get to take part in. I redisovered the joy of writing when I wrote this story.
RR: Do you have any tips for an aspiring writer?
SR: My tips are always the same: 1. Just write. You can't get better at anything without making time for it. 2. Start reading like a writer. Occasionally put that writing cap on and say, "How did this author do this? How'd they pull off the plot twist? How'd they make me like this character so much?" If you do that, you'll always come away with tools to apply to your own writing. And 3. If you can, find your own people. Your writer friends. The creators who will spur you on. I've been in a writing group for about 9 years now, and they're 100% a part of why I'm published today.
RR: What are you planning on writing next?
SR: My very next story is out in May. It's called The Problem with Prophecies. In the story, a girl named Celia Cleary has her first prophetic vision--and unfortunately, it's of her neighbor, Jeffrey Johnson, dying. So she saves him.. only to get another vision and another vision. Pretty soon, her 7th grade year is homework and making friends... and saving Jeffrey's life over and over again. That's next for me, but I also have a young adult book coming out in 2023 called A Door in the Dark. It follows a group of six wizards who are taking the group portal home from school, when it malfunctions. All of them are teleported to the middle of nowhere--and one of them is dead. They'll have to survive the journey home with limited magic, a lot of secrets, and something trailing them through the forest... hope those sound fun!
RR: Awesome books sometimes fall flat in the sequels, but Talespinners never does. What inspired and was fun about writing Escaping Ordinary and Breaking Badlands? What was tricky about them?
SR: Escaping Ordinary digs a bit into my love for video games, and I knew I could write a story like that well because I love video games so much. It also breaks down the Hero's Journey, which is something a lot of writers know. As for Breaking Badlands, well, it's hard not to have fun at Antagonist Academy. I had so much to work with. I also just love later books in series. You know the characters so well. Everything is second nature. It gives authors a chance to experiment and have fun. Some of my best work is in the final books of my series, and I think that makes sense.
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