[GDN] There are rumors of a secret project over at Marvel. Any time we hear the word Secret, we think Secret Wars. When you hear the word Secret, in relation to Marvel, what do you think of (aside from non-disclosure agreement)?

I think "tell-all!" (then she stopped talking so we moved on. -Ed.)

[GDN] Some, not us of course as we’ll all enlightened, modern people here at GDN, would say that a woman cannot possibly know the mind of Batman, and yet, here you are. What was it like working on that title as well as one of his long-time nemeses, Catwoman?

[DG] I would argue that the people who think that [a woman can’t write Batman] are usually not terribly prolific readers. Fiction isn’t actually divided into male and female zones; no one would call Anna Karenina or Madame Bovary "chick lit" (nor raise an eye that they were written by men), and neither would an ardent student of literature question Frankenstein’s essential masculinity. Fiction writers work in the realm of imagination, and know that all of us have masculine and feminine aspects. I think I did a good job of crafting compelling characters of both genders, and of representing women in the industry with artistic and professional grace. I know that I loved, analyzed, and delved obsessively into every character I ever wrote. I would also point out that I have way more in common with Batman than with Wonder Woman, who everyone in the industry press seemed to think I should be channeling.

As to what it was like working on the Gotham characters, well—it was fantastic! The first time I wrote the word “Batmobile” and realized I was getting paid to do so, I literally fell  out of my chair laughing with hysterical glee. Once the laughing fit passed, though, I was left with intensely interesting work to do. Both Batman and Catwoman are incredibly rich archetypal characters with psychology-soaked backgrounds and breathtaking contemporary perseverance. My work in Gotham was some of the most personally rewarding writing I’ve ever had the pleasure to attempt. 

[GDN] Alright, back to the MMO’s, what will Perfect World, let you tell us about your work on Kung Foo? Please tell us there won’t be a Keanu moment where someone says "Whoa, I know Kung Fu."

No Keanu dialog, I promise! What I’m cleared to tell you is that KUNG FOO! is a humorous spoof on the classic hero’s journey, in all its myriad of forms. There’s a central quest that gives players the opportunity to perform classic heroic deeds, such as searching for a missing princess, reuniting a war-torn realm, and introducing adorable woodland creatures to the kiss of their deadly blade, but there is also a ton of additional content meant to help the player find and define their inner Foo.

[GDN] Since you’re a fan of the MMO genre, what’s your favorite? What do you think of grinding? Where do you see the MMO heading into in the future?

I loved SWG [Star Wars Galaxies] before the accursed NGE [New Game Enhancement] --I’m not sure I fought anything in that game, ever, but I managed to introduce the concept of brand names into the clothes crafting and had a fabulous fashion designer PC who also worked as a go-go boy in the clubs at night. My gamer buds and I have just started in on Fallen Earth, which radiates "labor of love," and I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for EQ, which taught me all about the level grind and also presented me with my first opportunity to hear a grown man sobbing over Team Speak after losing six levels in one night. And as a writer, I also have to give a shout out to KoL [We’re guessing she means Kingdom of Loathing], which so brilliantly proves that stick figures will do nicely, thank you, as long as the script kicks butt.

As for the future, I’m holding out for holograms and SQUID recordings via Strange Days (1995 film), but in the interim predict burgeoning characterization options via microtransactions and increasingly familiar-looking RL applications of avatar and server zones tech.

{GDN] Finally, did you ever once think, when you were a young lass back on the farm in Smallville (or New Haven/Berkeley/Oakland), that you would one day not only pen Batman and his grown-up sidekick and a host of other heroes, but then take on an entire virtual world and fill it with your thoughts on how characters interact?

Not. Even. Once.

But I have absolutely no complaints.

GDN would like to thank Ms. Grayson (we’re still not sure about her not being Nightwing) for her time and willingness to pontificate on a wide range of topics with us. We look forward to her writing breathing life into Perfect World’s Kung Foo and wish them all success. Thanks to Jason at Perfect World for also doing the legwork and getting this all set up for us.

Perfect World’s Kung Foo -