Best part of writing Y.A.
The readers, no doubt! I didn’t intentionally start writing YA, I just had a burning story I wanted to tell that ultimately became my debut novel, FAKING 19. I didn’t even think about genre until my then agent was preparing it for sale! But I absolutely love writing for and about teens—the correspondence they send me never fails to make my day!
What's your writing schedule like:
I write every day, spending the first part of the day sipping green tea, answering e-mails, blog hoping and basically procrastinating until I finally get to it. Usually re-reading whatever I wrote the day before and doing a little light editing before delving into the new stuff and going from there. Then sometime around seven or eight, I answer more e-mails before joining my husband for dinner and TV. This is pretty much my schedule 7 days a week. I don’t get out much!
What's your writing process like?
I start with the premise, build the cast, determine the character arc, craft a generalized outline, make a playlist (this can take all day if you know how to procrastinate!), then I finally get to it, researching and editing as I go.
Do you have any writing rituals?
When I’m writing at home, I always light a vanilla scented candle before I begin and then blow it out once I’m finished. It feels kind of ceremonial!
I love your story! How did you come up with the premise?
Well, the premise was actually born out of grief. A few years ago I’d lost three people I loved in five months, and shortly after that I nearly lost my husband to leukemia (he’s in full remission now!), and it felt like my entire world was crashing down. Experiencing that sort of intense grief and fear got me thinking a lot about life and death, mortality and immortality, what separates us, if anything, from those who are gone, and how our youth loving culture sort of seeks physical immortality by trying to remain youthful looking for as long as we can—and yet, what would happen if we really could live forever? What would it mean for us, our loved ones, society in general? And since I’ve been interested in all things paranormal since I was a kid, Ever and Damen’s story seemed like the perfect vehicle to explore all those themes.
Which character is most like you or most unlike you?
I can really identify with Ever’s feeling of not belonging because that’s exactly how I felt as a teen—like I never quite fit. Though a lot of Riley’s jokiness also comes from me!
Which character gave you the toughest time to write in the book?
Sabine, because she’s a responsible adult!
Do you have any sequels planned?
Yes! There will be five books in the series, the second, BLUE MOON, will be in stores on July 7th, and I’m currently finishing up the third, SHADOWLAND, which will be out early 2010.
Who would your ideal cast be if a movie was made?
Well, the dramatic rights were recently sold to Spring Creek Productions and Warner Horizon who want to make it into a TV series . . . but speaking purely hypothetical here—Ben Barnes would make one very dreamy Damen!!
What's next for you?
Books four and five in the IMMORTALS series! After that, we’ll see . . .
Interview by Kim
March 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment