On Plotting and Worldbuilding for a Multi-Genre Story: Author Lish McBride Interview and Red In Tooth and Claw Giveaway and IWSG Post

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Lish McBride here to share about her new YA Red In Tooth and Claw, which blends western, historical, and fantasy genres. I enjoy books that include more than one genre, and I’m looking forward to reading Lish’s new book.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

Faolan Kelly’s grandfather is dead. She’s alone in the world and suddenly homeless, all because the local powers that be don’t think a young man of sixteen is mature enough to take over his grandfather’s homestead…and that’s with them thinking Faolan is a young man. If she revealed that her grandfather had been disguising her for years, they would marry her off at the first opportunity.

The mayor finds a solution that serves everyone but Faolan. He hires a gunslinger to ship her off to the Settlement, a remote fort where social outcasts live under the leadership of His Benevolence Gideon Dillard. It's a place rife with mystery, kept afloat by suspicious wealth. Dillard's absolute command over his staff just doesn't seem right. And neither do the strange noises that keep Faolan up at night.

When Faolan finds the body of a Settlement boarder, mangled by something that can’t possibly be human, it’s clear something vicious is stalking the palisades. And as Settlement boarders continue to drop like flies, Faolan knows she must escape to evade the creature’s wrath.

Before I get to Lish’s interview, I have my IWSG post.

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts this month are: Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!

Optional Question: Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader?

I’ve only written the first book in two series. I think cliffhangers have a place in the series, especially when the genre is dystopian, paranormal, or fantasy. I left questions to be answered in the next book in each series, but I created an ending for the stories to allow them to be a standalone. I think that’s the best strategy for the first book in a series. Readers want and expect a satisfying ending to the story.

I believe it’s more acceptable and common to have a cliffhanger in the second book in a series, especially in the genres I mentioned, though I know some people are annoyed by them. Some series, such as cozy mysteries, generally end without a cliffhanger. I’ve read a few mysteries, like The Grey Wolf, Louise Penny’s most recent book in the series, that ended in a cliffhanger, and I wasn’t bothered by it.

Interview With Lish McBride

Hi Lish! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

I honestly don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer. I started reading fairly young, around three, and as soon as I figured out someone had to write those books, that was it. As for about me, I never really know how to answer that question. Beyond the stereotypical writer things (I read a lot, drink a lot of coffee, write a lot), I like watching movies, I love animals, and I should really find some sort of hobby. Until then, it’s books.

2. Where did you get the idea for Red in Tooth and Claw?

From watching a movie, actually. I’m a sucker for multiple genre stuff and both my husband and I like westerns and horror and found a movie that was both. It was a good film, but I didn’t like the ending (it wasn’t a bad ending, it just wasn’t the direction I would have gone) and after the movie was over, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Like, it was honestly waking me up at night. And I kept thinking that a creature horror western mash up would make a really fun YA book. I was under deadline on something else at the time, so I tried to set it aside, but I woke up one morning with a few lines of the book in my mind in Faolan’s voice, so I wrote them down and that was it. I had no idea what the story was going to be about or any of the other characters, but her voice was very strong, so I just let her talk. She told me about losing her grandfather and how it was the worst day of her life, and we just went from there.

I know this sounds odd to a lot of people, but this is kind of how it works for me and to me it’s when writing works best—when you step back and let the characters go and it’s almost more like channeling than writing.

Your Writing Process: On Plotting and Worldbuilding for a Multi-Genre Story

3. Your story combines western, fantasy, and horror genres. Talk about your worldbuilding process and how it was impacted by writing in three genres.

My worldbuilding is chaos, always. I build as I go, so I generally don’t go in with a plan. I often mix

genres, so that’s not really new for me. I love seeing what those mixes create. For Red in Tooth and Claw, it’s sort of like our history, but not at the same time, so I knew it wasn’t going to be one hundred percent accurate, but I wanted it to feel like it was. So it was a lot of me reading about the frontier era in the US and how people lived and watching videos on the internet of historical reenactments in between writing scenes.

For some of the fantastical elements, I relied heavily on nature. Not to get too spoiler-y or anything, but I read a lot about different squids who can camouflage so well against many different backdrops that they can seem basically invisible. I also read about how some butterflies have multilayered structures in their wings that manipulate light helping them camouflage and signal other butterflies. I know, you probably wouldn’t guess either of those things contributed to this book, but they did. Nature is so varied and inspiring, but much like the historical research, I wanted to create something that felt real even if it might not be perfectly accurate.

I will say that lots of times for horror if I need inspiration, I read about deep sea creatures. Nothing really taps into deep seated human fears like the horrors from the deep. Just pure nightmare fodder at the bottom of the ocean.

4. It’s awesome to see what research you did for this story. How did you plot out Red In Tooth and Claw? Was it different than other stories you’ve written that didn’t combine so many different genres?

I don’t plot. I’ve tried and I’m bad at it. I honestly went in not really knowing much beyond the set up and who Faolan was. While Red is a little more blatant about it, most of my books are genre blending because that seems to be how my brain works. My first book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, was sort of a contemporary fantasy comedic horror…thing. Curses was a historical fairytale romp where the history was based on the time period where the gilded age was hitting places like New York at the same time the Wild West was going on elsewhere. So you had very different lifestyles depending on geography and I found that fascinating. I did just turn in a book that was more of a straightforward romcom, so no genre blending, and my process didn’t seem very different beyond the depth and amount of research. That might have been more because it was contemporary than anything else, though.

5. We all have our writing processes that works for us. There are a lot of characters in Red in Tooth and Claw. Some reviewers commented that they really enjoyed all your wonderful characters. How did you make them all unique and keep track of them all? What are your three favorite characters?

I actually tried really hard to keep the cast down in Red in Tooth and Claw because I know I have a tendency to put a lot of characters in things. But I realized toward the end that I needed a few more characters for the plot, so I threw them in at the three-quarter mark acting as if they’d always been there and then when I revised, I added them in, which was a new experience for me. So I wasn’t very successful in keeping the cast minimal.

Keeping track isn’t really a problem for me because I visualize them in my head, but sometimes I have to look up what I named a character because I will forget. (Especially since characters sometimes go through name changes.) I also sort of discover them not only during the writing process, but during revisions. Like the gunslinger character, William Speed, showed up at the beginning and I wasn’t planning on having him stay throughout the book, but he did and then on revisions I had to figure out why he was staying at the Settlement, and I realized it wasn’t what I originally thought his motivation would be. You would think writers would know these things from the start, but we often don’t. However, I really enjoy character building/discovery, and I think that comes across.

As for favorites…that’s a hard one. I liked Faolan, obviously, but I think for this book it was less about who was my favorite on their own and more about who were my favorite when they interacted with each other. I love the dynamic between Faolan and Tallis. Faolan has had a rough life and Tallis brings a mixture of playfulness and care that she’s been missing, and it makes her uncomfortable, which is funny. I love the dynamic between Jesse and Dai Lo—the breakfast scene where they’re sharing a book is one of my favorite moments. I also really liked writing Faolan and William Speed. In Faolan’s world, most adults are sources of danger and he ends up being a steady and safe influence.

Your Journey to Publication

6. Cheyenne Faircloth is your agent. How did she become your agent, and what was it like getting your first publishing contract for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, which was published in 2010?

My first publishing contract involved some luck and timing, which I guess is always the case. I wrote Hold Me Closer, Necromancer as my thesis to graduate from my MFA program. My thesis adviser, who is a great writer, but loves literary fiction and was despairing of my decision to write genre fiction, complained to her agent about me. (Good naturedly, I promise.) She asked him if he knew anyone who handled the kind of thing I was writing. He said yes, they had someone in their agency who handled more of the pop culture stuff and told her that I should send in my manuscript. I will be clear here that the book wasn’t ready to send out. It was a really rough manuscript. I’d barely revised it and it wasn’t query ready, but I sent it anyway because it was a good agency, and I figured I had a shot so why not take it?

I got a call two days later. My agent, Jason Anthony, had burned through it really fast and the first thing he asked me was, “you know this needs a lot of work, right?” When I explained that I knew it was a hot mess and I wouldn’t have normally sent it out, he told me it would have been a very short phone call if I’d argued. Instead we spent two hours discussing revisions. He had a great instinct for story. That was in May of 2008. We revised it over the summer as I moved back to Seattle from New Orleans. He sold it in a two-book deal in October. I worked really hard to get there, but these things always take a little bit of luck and timing as well, and I ended up getting both. The whole thing honestly felt very surreal.

Jason and I worked really well together, but he retired a few years ago, which left me needing a new agent. And it meant for the first time ever I had to properly query an agent. I’d always been grateful that I got to skip that part, because it’s a daunting prospect. I was also in a weird position where I was trying to sell a partial of a book to my current editor and a lot of agents won’t take on clients without a full manuscript.

But again, luck and timing. I was talking to another author friend, and she said that she would love to recommend me to her agency, but she wasn’t sure they were taking horror yet. She checked the website, and they’d basically just started taking horror that week. She wrote an email introducing us and Cheyenne happened to already know my work. I sent her everything I had on the new book, talked to her clients and other agency clients, and loved what I heard back. We got on the phone and just clicked. I feel like I’ve been very lucky with agents, honestly. Cheyenne not only seems to get what I’m going for, but her and the agency as a whole are supportive of long-term goals. It’s hard finding an agent and an agency that handles all the kinds of stuff I want to write—multiple genres and different age ranges. Handspun does all of that and I’m so happy to have ended up there.

7. Wow! I think a lot of us would love to get our agents like you have. Since your debut novel was published, you’ve also had nine other YA and adult books published, including Red in Tooth and Claw. What has it been like writing stories with publishing deadlines? What advice do you have for other writers who haven’t written a story on deadline before?

The last two years have been interesting because I’m juggling a lot at once. I usually have overlapping deadlines, like a book in revision while drafting another, but this year I had multiple books in these phases at the same time.  

Like this year I had deadlines for the new YA, Most Likely to Murder, which comes out in Spring 2026. But I was also editing Red in Tooth and Claw. I was also drafting a rom com that will come out in April of 2025…and I have a series I publish myself that’s adult fantasy romance as well as a book I’m drafting on Patreon. So…lots of juggling. I had to finally break down and buy a planner.

Deadlines can be very helpful, honestly, because they provide a push to get going, but they can also be very stressful. My biggest advice is recognizing that things don’t always go as planned. Life often gets in the way and writing a novel is a creative process. You have to take care of yourself or none of it will work.

I’ve had to ask for small (and sometimes not so small) extensions before. It used to really freak me out to do that and I worried that my editor would get mad or I’d lose my contract. I also didn’t want to get the reputation as a writer who didn’t deliver. Because of all of that, I would hesitate to even ask and often leave the problem until almost too late meaning I’d end up asking for more time instead of getting help from my editor or giving my agent a head’s up so they could handle things neatly for me. I also have the experience now to know how long certain stories seem to take, so I try to be really transparent with my team. I give my agent a head’s up as soon as I know I’m having problems and a deadline might need to be moved, and if I get stuck I know to reach out to other writers for help/support or my editor.

So, you know, do your best, but also be gentle with yourself, my friends.

Promoting Your Book

8. How are you planning to promote Red in Tooth and Claw? How has your approach to marketing your books changed over the years?

I try to keep it basic because I’m not an expert on marketing and my personal budget for such things is pretty nonexistent. I had a really good marketing team and publicist for Red in Tooth and Claw, and they’ve all worked really hard to get the book into the hands of booksellers, librarians and book bloggers/reviewers. On my end, I have a newsletter, my Instagram, my website, and Patreon, where I try to let people know what I’m up to. I had some really fun bookmarks and stickers designed but honestly that’s about it. Because I also worked in a local bookstore for years, I’m pretty entrenched in that community, so I’m able to talk to local booksellers and librarians and get some support there.

9. What are the best ways you’ve found to reach readers, librarians, and booksellers? What tips do you have for debut authors trying to connect with them?

I mean, so much of this still remains a mystery for me. I’ve generally just tried to talk to people and have genuine conversations. I love talking about books, so do they, so it seems to work. One big thing I will say is that you should try to create long term connections with your local bookstore if you’re lucky enough to have one. Stop in, introduce yourself, and say hi. Tell them you have a book coming out and would love to know more about how you can support readers getting it from them.

I don’t think a lot of people realize how many books come out in a year and how difficult it can be for booksellers to stay on top of that. They don’t have time to read everything, so a five-minute chat with them about your book can go a long way. My old bookstore, for example, had little signs to let readers know which authors were local, which was great. Be mindful of your approach—if the bookstore is super busy, now might be the right time to chat, you know? I think it’s good to also be mindful of how you present your books on your website and your socials. Do you link to your local bookstore or a favorite brick and mortar? Do you tell readers how they can get your book (or request if they don’t have it) from your local library? Do you mention bookshop.org or Libro.FM as options to support these stores, or do you only link to Amazon? Booksellers pay attention to these things, and they talk to each other. They’re much more likely to go out of their way to support your book if you’re also supporting them.

10. What are you working on now?

A couple of different things. I just turned in revisions of a rom com I can’t talk about but should be announced in the next week or two. I’m doing revisions on Most Likely to Murder (2026!), and drafting Bevy of Trouble, which will be my next self-published book due out in 2025. I’ve also been drafting a book on my Patreon which is a follow up to my book Curses. It’s been a really busy year! I just got the rights back to three of my books, Necromancing the Stone, Firebug, and Pyromantic, so we’re recovering those and adding some fun extras and then we’ll be putting those back out. I’m also in the midst of putting out the audiobook for Rough Around the Hedges (order links should be up soon) and finally getting one made for Pyromantic (next year, I hope). Basically, I could really use a vacation and a nap.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Lish. You can find Lish at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lish-McBride-164438753667937/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lishmcbride/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lishmcbride.bsky.social
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lishmcbride
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lishmcbride?fan_landing=true&view_as=public
Newsletter: https://lishmcbride.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7f90e13f06f5ff7f09874bf9a&id=38f14a78b3
Website: https://lishmcbride.squarespace.com

Giveaway Details

Lish’s publicist is generously offering a hardback of Red in Tooth and Claw for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by December 14th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Lish on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Saturday, December 7th I’m participating in the Let It Snow Giveaway Hop

Monday, December 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Shannon Hassan and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, December 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with Vicky Weber and a query critique giveaway

Monday, December 16th I have a guest post by debut author Vicky Lorencen and a giveaway of her MG The Book of Barf

I hope to see you on Saturday!