Joy Norstrom with a copy of her novel ‘Out of Play’
Joy Norstrom is the author of the lovely Canadian novel Out of Play, which questions whether a marriage can survive Live Action Role-Play (a.k.a. LARP). When main character Gillian believes her marriage is doomed thanks to her husband’s new obsession, her therapist encourages Gillian to give it a go and see what happens. I enjoyed reading Out of Play this summer and was delighted when the writer agreed to do a Q&A with me. Check out my interview with Joy Norstrom below:
Q: What inspired you to write a novel with LARP as a central theme?
Joy: Great question! It was one of those situations where I was in the right place at the right time. One evening I met some writing friends for dinner. I happened to notice that one of the regulars was limping when he walked into the restaurant. My friend said he’d spent the weekend in Kananaskis (a natural area on the way to Banff) and he’d been chased by a group of banshees. Well…um. I hadn’t expected that. He proceeded to tell me it had been dark, no flashlight, and he’d stepped hard into some kind of gopher hole and twisted his ankle.
I’d never heard of adults participating in this type of game before. I peppered him with questions and was stunned to find out how large the live-action roleplay community was. People are LARPing on a regular basis, all over the world, and I’d never heard of it! The idea of a married couple who didn’t share the same enthusiasm for LARPing just sort of popped into my head. It seemed LARP was fascinating and unusual and might be a great balance for some heavier relationship topics I wanted to cover.
Q: Did you participate in any LARP activities as research for this novel?
Joy: I am not a LARPer… yet! While writing the first draft of Out of Play I discussed the storyline with my friend, who first told me about LARP. He agreed to beta read the LARPing sections for me. I was thrilled when my contact also invited me out to a LARP meet-up. The meet-up involved beers (and cider, yay!) and discussing LARP with real, live LARPers (I remember feeling very nervous in the parking lot ahead of the meet-up). The group was very gracious. They answered my questions, occasionally switched in-and-out of character (yes!) and told me about things I wouldn’t have thought to ask about.
As part of my research I observed a few Viking re-enactments with my mother. Re-enactments are different from LARP as there is no game-play going on. The participants dress up in character and spend several days in costume participating in activities that would have occurred in a real Viking village (minus the rape and pillage, I suppose!) The participants made fishing nets and cooked over fires and made footwear from leather. They did ‘battle’ with rubber tipped arrows and blunted swords and spears. Fun fact: a fairly rugged looking Viking hit on me (yes, he did, even with my mom present). This situation became the inspiration for my Ivan the Wanderer character.
Q: Grief is another topic covered in this novel and it’s something that deeply affects the characters Gillian and Jas. Do you believe grief is something that bonds these two friends?
Joy: Do you know how there are certain friends who stick around after the casseroles stop showing up at the door? Gillian and Jas are the friends that stuck around for each other.
Q: How does being a social worker inspire your writing?
Joy: I see my social work experience as a huge advantage in understanding character motivation. Writing relationship conflict and incorporating social themes has come naturally to me, and I’m unsure I could write a story that didn’t involve some social elements. I get excited about the potential for storytelling to be used as a tool for fostering empathy and understanding.
Q: Are you working on another novel? If so, can you give us some hints on what it’s about?
Joy: I am happy to report that I am knee-deep in the next novel! I’m sweating and swearing and struggling along but the damn thing is starting to take shape.
My current project is about a single mom who lives in a western Canadian sawmill town. Her son doesn’t fit into the fairly rigid gender norms in their community. With little income (and few choices) she crosses paths with a group of older women who want her to teach them about dating in the twenty-first century.
I’m currently interviewing parents with children who identify outside mainstream gender norms as a way to better understand my character. If you’re reading this and are interested in sharing your experience with me, I would love to hear from you.
Q: What book – besides your own – do you recommend?
Joy: Just one book? Crap, I’m going to break the rules and give you two of my fave Canadian reads:
Thank you for hosting me! I had lots of fun with your questions.
Thank you, Joy!
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