Kate Wrath asked Jane Dougherty:

I'm not that far in, yet, Jane, but I am absolutely loving The Dark Citadel! I'm just wondering where you got the inspiration for this wonderfully dark world, and how all those details came together for you.

Jane Dougherty I'm glad you're enjoying the book, Kate! Like a lot of my stories this one began as a single scene—I imagined a classroom full of girls, all dressed in grey with their heads covered. They all had their heads down, bored to death and miserable except one girl who was staring out of the window. My vision followed hers and I saw the swirls of sand and dust across a crystal dome, and beyond, a desert of chaotic rocks and a single beam of light. I knew that I wanted to write about that girl, get her out of her miserable existence, and find out what was beyond the crystal dome. The more I write about this world the more complex and layered it becomes, hence the short story spin offs. I wonder sometimes if I'll ever be finished with it :)

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