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GAMES WIZARDS PLAY is the latest novel in the Young Wizards series, and we're thrilled to have Diane Duane with us to chat about writing.
Diane, what's your writing ritual like? Do you listen to music? Work at home or at a coffee shop or the library, etc?I do love to work away from home when I can, and some of my favorite books have been written that way. I’ve written a Spider-Man novel in a Bavarian country beer hall and an X-Men book in a medieval townhouse in Bruges, and I’ve outlined a Star Trek novel in a flat buried inside the walls of a Scottish castle. My all-time record daily word count (13,000 words and a bit) happened when I was writing in a chocolatier/cafe in the Swiss capital city of Bern, while I was working on the fantasy novel
A Wind from the South. …But I also get good results at home, which is probably just as well, as that way I get to see my husband a lot more. (Of course he has his own writing to do too, so when we're not working at home, sometimes we wind up in the same city but different cafes…)
Generally speaking I don’t listen to music when I’m writing, these days, because I find it interferes with me clearly hearing character voices when creating dialogue. I do listen to it, though, when writing action scenes or when I need to get myself into the mood to do a particular kind of emotionally loaded scene.
In terms of ritual, the only one I’ve got is that I do my best to write
something every day, whether it’s contracted work or one of the too-many-other-projects presently choking my to-do list. A good day’s writing for me varies widely in terms of word count: it might be as few as a thousand words or as many as ten, but about four thousand would be average — a couple thousand in the morning, a couple thousand in the afternoon/evening. For screen work, since for me that's much harder work than prose, ten pages of screenplay would be a good day. Either way, I alternate between composing at the computer via keyboard, or dictating using Dragon Naturally Speaking (sometimes I do this while out walking).
What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?
Never be afraid that you won’t be original enough. At one level, it’s simply impossible for you not to be original. You occupy a unique position in spacetime. By definition, no one else can be right where you are, right when you are, with your unique worldview, your outlook, your developmental history, your “tone of mind”, your reading and writing history. But more to the point, our craft is such that you could give two writers exactly the same idea for a novel and turn them loose to write, and their works would still be significantly different and unique. (In fact I’m betting that you could give two writers the same outline for a novel and each work would still be radically different.) …If you’ve honestly done your homework—if you’re clear about what you want to be writing and what effect you mean to produce—your voice, and your writing’s uniqueness, will inevitably show through. Just concentrate on telling your story.
What are you working on now?
The sequel to GWP (still untitled), the fourth and final book in my first fantasy series (The Door Into Starlight), a third book that unfortunately I can’t talk about, and a miniseries screenplay (ditto).
ABOUT THE BOOK
Games Wizards Playby Diane DuaneHardcoverHMH Books for Young ReadersReleased 2/2/2016Every eleven years, Earth's senior wizards hold the Invitational: an intensive three-week event where the planet's newest, sharpest young wizards show off their best and hottest spells. Wizardly partners Kit Rodriguez and Nita Callahan, and Nita's sister, former wizard-prodigy Dairine Callahan, are drafted in to mentor two brilliant and difficult cases: for Nita and Kit, there’s Penn Shao-Feng, a would-be sun technician with a dangerous new take on managing solar weather; and for Dairine, there's shy young Mehrnaz Farrahi, an Iranian wizard-girl trying to specialize in defusing earthquakes while struggling with a toxic extended wizardly family that demands she perform to their expectations.
Together they're plunged into a whirlwind of cutthroat competition and ruthless judging. Penn's egotistical attitude toward his mentors complicates matters as the pair tries to negotiate their burgeoning romance. Meanwhile, Dairine struggles to stabilize her hero-worshipping, insecure protégée against the interference of powerful relatives using her to further their own tangled agendas. When both candidates make it through to the finals stage on the dark side of the Moon, they and their mentors are flung into a final conflict that could change the solar system for the better . . . or damage Earth beyond even wizardly repair.
Purchase Games Wizards Play at AmazonPurchase Games Wizards Play at IndieBoundView Games Wizards Play on Goodreads ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than thirty years.
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of twenty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
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Have you had a chance to read GAMES WIZARDS PLAY yet? How fun does it sound to write in all these exotic places? Do you make sure to tell your story in your voice? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sarah, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa
We're honored to have Hugo-Award-winning Will McIntosh here to talk about his first YA novel BURNING MIDNIGHT.
Will, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?For me, the hardest scenes to write tend to be the quiet ones, the ones where characters are talking, planning, getting to know each other. They’re essential to the story, but you always risk boring readers. One of the hard scenes to write in
Burning Midnight involved an argument between the two main characters, Sully and Hunter. Sully accuses Hunter of being closed off and secretive, and Hunter, furious, reveals the secret that drives her to keep to herself. I had to rewrite it a few times to bring out each character’s emotions in what I hope is a realistic and emotionally powerful manner.
The scene I love, the one I tend to read when I’m doing a public reading, is where Sully and Hunter find a very, very rare sphere in the middle of winter in a very unlikely place. It made me very happy to give my poverty-stricken characters that moment.
What was your inspiration for writing BURNING MIDNIGHT?
When I was twelve, my sister, a cousin, and I stumbled on a 60 year-old dump in the woods. We spent a summer hunting for antique bottles, and built a collection of something like 200 that we displayed on the porch. Those great memories led me to want to create a story about hunting and discovering incredibly valuable things in the wild.
How long did you work on BURNING MIDNIGHT?Five months. I write Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a one hour break for lunch and exercise, so I write relatively fast. I resigned a tenured university position when my family moved to Williamsburg, and now writing is my profession, so I take it very seriously. Fortunately, there are few things I love more than writing. I never get tired of it, so having all those hours each day to write makes me very happy.
How long or hard was your road to publication? How many books did you write before this one, and how many never got published?
This is my first Young Adult book, but I’ve published four adult SF books, and this was by far the easiest road to publication one of my books has experienced! I delivered it to my agent, he emailed to say he was sending it out to editors, and we should hear back in four to eight weeks. Two days later, he called to say the editor at Delacorte Press had made a two-book preempt offer. I was thrilled, and we made a deal that same day!
What are you working on now?
My next Young Adult novel. It’s about the lies and deception that are such a big part of modern society. I want to title it The Future Will Be Bull**** Free, but I’m guessing that would stifle sales a bit. For now, that’s all I can say.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Burning Midnightby Will McIntoshHardcover
Delacorte Press
Released 2/2/2016
Sully is a sphere dealer at a flea market. It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make the rent. No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the greater the improvement—and the more expensive the sphere.
When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen. And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them.
There’s no question the Gold is priceless, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Will McIntosh’s debut novel, Soft Apocalypse, was a finalist for both a Locus award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He is a frequent contributor to Asimov’s, where his story “Bridesicle” won the 2010 Reader’s Award, as well as the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. His third novel, Love Minus Eighty (based on “Bridesicle”) was published by Orbit books in June, 2013, and was named best Science Fiction novel of the year by the American Library Association. His upcoming novel, Defenders has been optioned by Warner Brothers for a feature film. Will recently moved to Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife Alison and twins Hannah and Miles. He left his position as a psychology professor in Southeast Georgia to write full time, and still teaches as an adjunct, at the College of William and Mary. Will is represented by Seth Fishman at The Gernert Company. Follow him on Twitter @WillMcIntoshSF
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Have you had a chance to read BURNING MIDNIGHT yet? How do you keep the quiet scenes interesting? Do you incorporate childhood memories into your stories? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sarah, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa
BANISHED is the second book in the Forbidden series, and we're delighted to have Kimberley Griffiths Little here to chat about it.
Kimberley, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?Chapter 20 ended up being added after I already had a complete draft of BANISHED. I’d foreshadowed treason with two other characters and hadn’t carried it through to its climax. I still needed to write the BIG confrontation. Somebody had to die, but who, and how?
I quickly drafted the chapter in a frenzy since my editor’s deadline was looming within days. It stunned me when all the plot pieces came together. The chapter didn’t suffer too many revisions either, which is always a bit astonishing.
I particularly love the emotional scene between Jayden and Kadesh at the end of Chapter 20. Kadesh is tearing himself into pieces over the fact that he had to carry out capital punishment on the traitor and the king’s son, his unwitting accomplice. It’s the first time the burdens and weight of responsibility as heir to the throne comes into full force and it almost does him in emotionally because he had to punish men he’d known his entire life. The tender scene between Kadesh and Jayden made me cry for him. It was also a great opportunity to show a new side to their deepening relationship.
What's your writing ritual like? Do you listen to music? Work at home or at a coffee shop or the library, etc?
I’ve always worked at home—in dead silence—except for three yelling, wrestling boys in the background. Somehow I manage to tune them out unless someone is bleeding. Then I began drafting Banished and immediately became overwhelmed by so many characters and plot threads.
I kind of freaked out. Stared at my screen for hours. Ate way too many cookies—including cookie dough by the heaping spoonful. My daughter told me about Pandora so I checked it out. The Downton Abbey “station” is surprisingly a good one, a great mix of instrumental from dozens of artists. I adore the Secret Garden, an Irish/Norwegian duo, they are soooo good! and piano solos. I’m a pianist and listening to piano music just *does* something for me.
I found out for the first time in my life that I liked listening to music while I wrote. It took me into the mood of my story. After a few weeks struggling to start each new writing session I’d turn on Pandora on my Ipad—and the music turned a switch on in my brain. I was like Pavlov’s dog. I found myself writing when the music began. A few weeks later I’d written 80,000 words and finally typed The End. It was a miracle.
Now I flounder around until the music goes on and voila(!) my fingers and brain finally get going. It was the only thing that got me through the drafting of Book 3, too.
What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?
Finish the book! I know SO many writers who get bogged down in the middle—and honestly, we ALL get bogged down. Too many aspiring writers have files full of half-done manuscripts, first chapters, bits and pieces of great ideas, but no completed manuscript.
True Story: I have a friend who was convinced that she had to get an MFA degree in writing (which she did) in order to learn how to become a better writer and get published—and yet, she has yet to finish a full, complete manuscript so that she can even begin querying agents and editor.
Sadly, she is remarkably talented and every time she attends a writer’s conferences her first pages are read by an editor who loves it and wants to see the book when it was done. But she’s never submitted the book because she hasn’t finished it.
Striving for perfection or not disciplining yourself to stay in the chair and get through to the end can be your doom. Twenty years after I first met this friend, she has yet to finish her YA novel. My heart bleeds for her.
It doesn’t take enormous talent to write a book, it takes a bigger dose of determination and perseverance. Yes, it’s hard. Every single book I write is hard in its own way, but it’s possible. There are writers across the country, sitting in their solitary rooms, pounding away at their keyboards (and sometimes pounding their heads), and finishing. When you have a complete manuscript you have a chance at publication, it’s that simple.
The other half of this advice is that after you finish the first manuscript, begin your next book within months or at least a year. The writer who keeps writing new stories (as opposed to revising the same one ad nauseam) will automatically become a better writer. I promise you that is true. I wish someone had told me this twenty years ago.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Banishedby Kimberley Griffiths LittleHardcoverHarperCollinsReleased 2/2/2016She thought she’d lost everything . . .
After spending months traveling the harsh, unforgiving Mesopotamian desert, Jayden reunites with a broken, injured Kadesh. Although everyone was convinced the violent and unpredictable Horeb, Jayden’s betrothed, killed the handsome prince, Jayden knew in her heart that her love was alive and safe. But their reunion is short-lived, as they learn Horeb is on their trail and determined to take back the girl he has claimed. Soon, the two star-crossed lovers are on the run toward Sariba, Kadesh’s homeland, where, as heir to the Kingdom, he plans to make Jayden his princess.
But the trek to Sariba is fraught with heartache and danger. After narrowly escaping being stoned to death for a crime she didn’t commit, and learning that her sister has disappeared, Jayden’s only solace is her love for Kadesh. But even he is keeping secrets from her . . . secrets that will change everything. This gorgeous and enchanting sequel to Forbidden, is full of love, danger, and heated passion that will leave readers breathless.
Purchase Banished at AmazonPurchase Banished at IndieBoundView Banished on Goodreads ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and three sons in a solar adobe home on the banks of the Rio Grande. Her award-winning writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings."
Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing.
She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; held baby gators in the bayous/swamps of Louisiana, sailed the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.
Kimberley's Awards include: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.
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Have you had a chance to read BANISHED yet? Does music help you write or does it distract you? Do you continue to write new stories to become a better writer? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sarah, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa
We're thrilled to have C.C. Hunter stop by to tell us about ALMOST MIDNIGHT, her collection of novellas.
C.C. , what was your inspiration for writing ALMOST MIDNIGHT?My Shadow Fall fans were the real inspiration and reason this book came to be. Since
Turned at Dark, an e-story about Della Tsang becoming a vampire, was released in e-print I’ve been getting emails from readers wanting it to come out in paperback. The story wasn’t long enough to put in hard print. Then, St. Martins published
Saved at Sunrise, another e-novella about Della,
Unbreakable, an e-novella about Chase Tallman, and
Spellbinder, an e-novella about Miranda Kane. Finally, due to many more requests from fans, my editor decided to put these stories in a paperback anthology. Then we decided to add a bonus novella in the mix. But who was this novella going to spotlight? There had been a character knocking on my mind and asking for her story to be written. I tried to ignore her because frankly, she wasn’t exactly a likely candidate. She wasn’t even likable for most of the series. She was Kylie’s archenemy in the first four books. But Fredericka Lakota wouldn’t give up, so I gave in. As I started brainstorming Fredericka’s story,
Fierce, the inspiration for this piece quickly became overcoming obstacles in our lives.
What did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?While I’ve always been a writer who fleshes out my secondary characters, writing the short novellas about secondary characters has taught me to dig deeper. You never know when a secondary character isn’t just auditioning for a lead part. For example, I always knew Fredericka had a story to tell, but I had created her to be Kylie’s nemesis and hadn’t planned on delving deeper into her point of view or showing her growth. But in
Whispers at Moonrise, the fourth book in the Shadow Falls series, Fredericka started evolving. Her character just set out to redeem herself. I gave her some page space to do it, but then gently shut the door on her.
That was a mistake. That girl just kept knocking. Writing
Fierce really showed me that no time is wasted when developing those secondary characters. I never guessed that Fredericka would end up with her own story or wind up being one of those characters who I cared so deeply about.
What do you hope readers will take away from ALMOST MIDNIGHT?
I think every story in Almost Midnight carries a message of friendship, of picking yourself up by your bootstraps, and overcoming hurdles.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on Miranda’s book. It’s so fun getting into that witch’s head.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Almost Midnightby C.C. HunterPaperbackSt. Martin's GriffinReleased 2/2/2016Nestled deep in the woods, Shadow Falls is a secret camp where teens with supernatural powers learn to harness their abilities and live in the normal world.
Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang did not believe in vampires...until she became one. Chase Tallman is the newest member of Shadow Falls, but what made him into the sexy, mysterious vampire he is today? And what led him to Della Tsang? And for Miranda Kane, magic has always been something she's struggled with, but when an opportunity to test her powers takes her to Paris, she'll have to prove that she's a witch to be reckoned with and belongs at Shadow Falls.
Fans won't want to miss these four remarkable stories of love, magic and friendship.
Purchase Almost Midnight at AmazonPurchase Almost Midnight at IndieBound View Almost Midnight on Goodreads ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.C. Hunter grew up in Alabama, where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and regularly rescued potential princes, in the form of Alabama bullfrogs, from her brothers. Today, she's still fascinated with lightning bugs, mostly wears shoes, but has turned her focus to rescuing mammals. She now lives in Texas with her four rescued cats, one dog, and a prince of a husband, who for the record, is so not a frog. When she's not writing, she's reading, spending time with her family, or is shooting things-with a camera, not a gun.
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Have you had a chance to read ALMOST MIDNIGHT yet? Do you write novellas starring your secondary characters? How do you know when a secondary character deserves their own novel? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sarah, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa
We're excited to have Lisa Maxwell join us to talk about her latest novel UNHOOKED.
Lisa, how long did you work on UNHOOKED?UNHOOKED was a long time coming. The book started as my 2011 NaNoWriMo project, but when I was done, it was a hot mess. I revised it for almost a year before I queried it, and then it went through a round of revisions and two agents before it went on submission. After the first round of submissions didn’t pan out (no pun intended), I revised the book again, changing it from past tense to present tense. That was back in 2012. So I’ve been working on one version of this or another for over four years, and I’ve gone through two agents and countless revisions for this book, so I’m so excited my characters finally are making their way out into the world.
What is your favorite thing about UNHOOKED?My favorite thing about UNHOOKED is the way I’ve gone back to the source text and revived the darker aspects of it. When I was re-reading Peter and Wendy, there was one line that really struck me, that Peter would “thin” the lost boys out when they got too old or too plentiful and that “I never remember them after I kill them.” Those lines certainly didn’t speak to any Disneyfied version of Neverland, and I wanted to bring that sense of danger back to the story. In my Neverland, Pan doesn’t remember those he’s killed, because memory isn’t something that lasts in Neverland. The erosion of memory is one of the most dangerous parts of my story, and it’s something I took from the original story itself. In Barrie’s original tale, it made Neverland a fantastical adventure, but also a dangerous place, and I hope it does the same for mine as well.
Oh, and my pirate… I can have two favorite things, right? ;O)
What are you working on now?I’m currently working on my 2017 book, which is untitled at this point. I’ve pitched it as Gangs of New York with Magic. But there’s some time travel involved too, and I’m really excited about how it’s coming together.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Unhookedby Lisa MaxwellHardcoverSimon PulseReleased 2/2/2016For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.
But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.
The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.
With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?
Purchase Unhooked at AmazonPurchase Unhooked at IndieBoundView Unhooked on GoodreadsABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Maxwell is the author of Sweet Unrest, Gathering Deep, and Unhooked (Simon Pulse, 2-2-16). When she's not writing books, she's an English professor at a local college. She lives near DC with her very patient husband and two not-so patient boys.
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Have you had a chance to read UNHOOKED yet? Have you stuck with a novel through years of revision? Are you surprised by the darker tones of some of the original pre-Disney stories? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sarah, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa
We're pleased to have Melissa Gorzelanczyk swing by to tell us more about her debut novel ARROWS.
Melissa, how long did you work on ARROWS?I started the first draft of ARROWS in October 2012. I finished in January and started the revision process—a few passes on my own, then sending it to beta readers for critique. By September 2013, I had started to query agents. I found mine, Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson, via the #PitMad pitch contest at the end of September 2013, and in January 2014, she sold my book to Delacorte Press.
Read more »
We're honored to have Rebecca Podos join us to talk about her debut novel THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES.
Rebecca, what was your inspiration for writing THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES?My inspiration for HOLLOW PLACES actually began with my day job as a YA and MG literary agent, where I was on the hunt for a mystery. I’ve always adored the genre, in part because, as Imogene says in the book, you know that whatever burning questions you have, they’ll be answered if you just hang in there till the last page. That’s such a satisfying narrative, when you think about it! So then, I was looking for something more specific in this book: a detective who truly believes in that comforting narrative structure, to the point where she uses it as a guide to navigate her own story. But as she goes along, real life intrudes, challenging what she thinks she knows about mysteries and about herself as well.
And because I’d fallen in love with this pretty particular idea, in the end, I thought I’d write the book myself. So that’s what I tried to do.
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THE POSSIBILITY OF NOW is the latest novel by Kim Culbertson, and we're delighted to have her stop by to chat about writing.
Kim, what did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?I’ve been a high school teacher for 18 years. When I started out to write this book, I knew I wanted to explore our current educational culture and the pressure I see on young people right now to be constantly busy and perfect and forward-thinking. However, my first draft fell flat. My editor, agent and I brainstormed and they both showed me that, honestly, I was trying too hard to make the book “important” or “serious” in that first draft. Because of this, I was missing my voice, my sense of humor and, in many ways, the hopefulness I had in my earlier novels. Once they encouraged me to go back and explore the same subject matter but also employ all of my strengths as a writer that were missing, I truly found the heart of the novel.
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We're excited to have Kali Wallace with us to share more about her debut novel SHALLOW GRAVES.
Kali, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?I don't want to spoil the specifics, but there is an extended sequence toward the end of the book that's the build-up to and final confrontation with the main monster at the center of the story. All along as I was writing, through many different versions and drafts, I always knew at the back of my mind that this sequence of scenes (it's a few chapters long in total) had to be really powerful. You can't spend an entire novel building up to a confrontation and have it fall flat.
But that's exactly what it did the first 3454354 times I tried to write it. It wasn't as scary as it needed to be. It felt too small, too fast. The build-up was great, because that kind of dread-inducing, tension-increasing build-up is 99% atmosphere, and atmosphere is one aspect of writing that comes easily to me. (The only aspect. Hey, we all get one freebie.) But the confrontation itself--it was awful. I rewrote it, and it was still awful. Rewrote it again. Still awful. I couldn't get the dialogue right. I couldn’t picture the physicality of the characters, how they were moving relative to each other in a very particular kind of space. I couldn't figure out which details were important.
But I kept trying. I kept rewriting it. When my editors came back on the first edit letter and said exactly what I was expecting--that scene needed to be
better--I did it again. There was no trick. There was no moment of realization, no flash of inspiration. It was just a whole lot of brute force trial and error, but I think it worked in the end. I am damn proud of that scene now, and I am proud of myself for poking it with every writerly stick I had at my disposal until it came out as scary and unsettling and weird as I had always imagined it could be.
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RISE OF THE WOLF is the second book in the Mark of the Thief series, and we're thrilled to have Jennifer A. Nielsen here to tell us more about it.
Jennifer, what was your inspiration for writing RISE OF THE WOLF?RISE OF THE WOLF was the natural extension of the story of Mark of the Thief, the first book of the series. However, since Nic experienced the amphitheater (Colosseum), I really wanted to take readers to a different part of Rome, and the chariot races seemed like the best possibility. In Rome, the chariot races were on the scale of the Superbowl. Nearly 1 in 4 Romans in the city attended, and most had a favorite faction (charioteers raced as one of four team colors). The fandom was so intense that sometimes Romans would hammer curses into lead tablets and then bury them beneath the chariot track, hoping that if for some reason their God didn’t grant the curse, at least the tablet might trip another rider’s horses. With so much excellent material, how could I not love writing this book?
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We're thrilled to have Jennifer Longo with us to chat about her latest novel UP TO THIS POINTE.
Jennifer, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?There is a scene where Harper admits to another person the most severe, kind of violent thing she has done to her body in her life-long attempt to secure her dream. And in this moment she understands it made no difference, that is was for nothing. Then the person she’s giving this information to responds, essentially, “Okay. Well, so what now?” It’s confusing and heartbreaking for Harper, both the admission and the reaction, and she can’t pretend anymore. It was so hard to write – I love that moment.
What do you hope readers will take away from UP TO THIS POINTE?The Shackleton family motto:
Fortitudine vincimus: By Endurance we conquer.
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We're delighted to have Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz join us to share more about their latest novel SANCTUARY BAY.
Laura and Melinda, what was your inspiration for writing SANCTUARY BAY?Too many to name! Shutter Island, The Secret History, every boarding school book we ever read as teenagers…
What do you hope readers will take away from SANCTUARY BAY?We just hope readers will think this is a fun, surprising book. It plays with several different genres, and we want to keep people guessing about what exactly is going on. We talk about Sanctuary Bay being like an onion—every time you peel back one layer, you find another one beneath it.
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THE ISLE is a sequel to THE WARD, and we're excited to have Jordana Frankel here to share more about it.
Jordana, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?I think the hardest scene also happened to be the easiest one, once I jumped "the hurdle." (The hurdle being letting go of what I thought *would* happen, so I could write what needed to happen.) I'm talking about one of the final chapters, where Ren dies. I realized after sitting with that scene for a good long while that what I wanted and what the story wanted were not the same thing. And so I had to adjust. Once I did that the words flowed and I wrote both those two chapters in a few hours. And I am quite proud of those pages!
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We're honored Shaun David Hutchinson stopped by to tell us more about his latest novel WE ARE THE ANTS.
Shaun, what was your inspiration for writing WE ARE THE ANTS?There wasn’t any single inspiration for WE ARE THE ANTS. Like with most books, different parts came from different places. I was definitely inspired by Kurt Vonnegut and by Andrew Smith’s GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, but I wear my inspirations on my sleeve, so those are pretty obvious in the book. I even gave a shout out to Andrew’s book in one of the end-of-the-world scenarios in WE ARE THE ANTS. The less obvious inspirations came from my partner forcing me to watch Big Brother, stories my mom told me about her own mother, some of my own experiences in high school. But I think the biggest inspiration that isn’t readily apparent was my own attempted suicide. For the longest time, I only really considered how my suicide attempt had affected me personally. But I eventually began to think about how it had affected my loved ones. My parents, my best friend. That’s how Jesse’s story was born. I wanted to explore the ripples his suicide caused in Henry’s life and in Audrey’s life. How those ripples could become tidal waves that threatened to drown the people in their path, and how they learned to swim.
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TRAVELER is the second book in the Seeker series, and we're excited to have Arwen Elys Dayton here to chat about it.
Arwen, what did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?Writing TRAVELER, I discovered that your characters really do have an existence outside of yourself, and the more story you write for them, the more strong-willed and individual they become. When I wrote SEEKER, the first book in the series, it felt like Quin Kincaid listened to me at least some of the time. By the time I wrote TRAVELER, Quin and Shinobu and John (and even Maud) told me how things were going to be. As punishment, I really put them through the wringer in this book. We have to see what they’re made of, right?
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ZERO DAY is the debut novel from Jan Gangsei, and we're thrilled she's here to tell us more about it.
Jan, what was your inspiration for writing ZERO DAY?This is a tough question, because actually, I've had a lifetime of inspiration! I've always been addicted to thrillers, stories about spies and intrigue, and characters who may or may not be what they seem. As a kid, I even formed a "spy club" with a couple of my best friends. I don't think we really successfully spied on too much (but we did perfect our communication in Pig Latin). And as an adult, I had the thrill of attending the DIA's attache training program for spouses, where we learned the ins and outs of the international intel business (including everything from diplomatic protocol to how to detect--and behave--when being surveilled). Also, DC is literally in my back yard, and I studied political science in college and covered politics as a newspaper reporter. So yeah, I guess my whole life has basically been leading to writing a spy thriller :).
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We're delighted to have Jennifer Bosworth join us to chat about her latest novel THE KILLING JAR.
Jennifer, what was your inspiration for writing THE KILLING JAR?
Kenna Marsden, the main character in THE KILLING JAR, has the power to absorb energy from nature, which has a psychedelic effect on her. I got the idea after watching a video on YouTube of a proper, ladylike 50’s housewife trying LSD under the supervision of researchers. She went from uptight and shy to euphoric as she described the effects of the drug. She said she had never seen such infinite beauty in her life, and that she felt sorry for the scientist interviewing her because he could never understand the beauty she was seeing.
I was fascinated by the video, and began to imagine a group of people with the power to enter this kind of state through supernatural means. People have written about so many different kinds of supernatural powers (invisibility, flying, strength, shape-shifting, telepathy, telekenisis), but I couldn’t think of anyone who’d written about the power to enter a psychedelic state of euphoria and beauty. Considering how many people in the world seek out such experiences, it seemed like an untapped realm of supernatural possibilities.
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We're excited to have Chandler Baker stop by to tell us more about her latest novel TEEN FRANKENSTEIN.
Chandler, what was your inspiration for writing TEEN FRANKENSTEIN?I think it goes without saying that
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was the spark of inspiration behind Teen Frankenstein without which it wouldn't exist. But if it was just that, I still wouldn't have had a story to tell at all. Or at least not a fresh one. The angle that drew me into the story and held me there during the months and months I toiled over this book was the notion of exploring female ambition in a modern setting. It was something I was--am--still struggling with. We're used to seeing the tortured male artist, suffering for his heart, sometimes becoming a recluse. In him, it's often revered, though I'm not sure it should be. Meanwhile in real life, I think women are often still supposed to nurture art while they themselves are expected to be nurturing. Single-minded ambition is often viewed as shrill, bossy, overly demanding. I grapple with how much ambition for my art is too much ambition and at what cost. That was my emotional access point into the story, which then, of course, took on a life of its own.
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We're thrilled to have C. Desir join us to share more about her latest novel OTHER BROKEN THINGS.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?Sex scenes are always tricky for me to write because I have a tendency to push too far as a result of my day job (romance editor). I’ve worked really hard to cultivate an honest YA voice when it comes to sex scenes without falling back on romance language. But at the same time, I love these scenes and am always the most proud of them because I’m deeply invested in authenticity and truth when it comes to sexually developing teenagers. I even do a podcast on sex and YA books (www.theoralhistorypodcast.com).
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We're honored to have Brenda Drake join us to share more about her latest novel THIEF OF LIES.
Brenda, what was your inspiration for writing THIEF OF LIES?It was a coffee table book of world libraries. I came across it in a bookstore and fell in love with the photographs of libraries in the book. The pictures moved within my imagination and I envisioned a battle happening in one of the libraries. I bought the book and started drafting the story that day.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?One of the battle scenes in the book was difficult to write. There was so much going on and I worried I would overwrite it. I pared it down, then added to it, and then whittled it down some more. I spent days and days agonizing over it. After so many attempts, I skipped over it and went back to it after I’d finished. It wasn’t bad, but something was missing. I couldn’t get it right. Until my editor’s notes. It lacked emotion and after adding some in, I finally felt it was where I wanted it. I am proud of it, but I’m most proud of a romantic scene between Gia and Arik, it involves mud and pastries.
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ONCE UPON A KISS is the latest novel from Robin Palmer, and we're delighted to have her with us to chat about writing.
Robin, what did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?This is my 12th book to be published, so I like to think I have the writing process down somewhat; however, this was the first book I wrote after moving in with my now-husband. Before that I lived alone and had very few distractions while writing other than perhaps a meowing cat or two. But learning to write while there was another person in the house was a whole new process. I also got pregnant while writing the book, so I was dealing with morning sickness and exhaustion.
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We're excited to have Marieke Nijkamp here to share more about her debut novel THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS.
Marieke, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?Honestly, the entire book was really hard to write, but I knew that going in, and I am so proud of how it turned out. But for me, the hardest scenes to write (beyond the ones where characters died, because I may have cried my way through those) were the tender moments. The sister trying to get through to her brother. The student putting friendship above common sense. The support. The love. The jokes. The possibilities of future.
(For the favorite scene – see my Monday answer!)
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We're thrilled to have Laurie Elizabeth Flynn stop by to tell us more about her debut novel FIRSTS.
Laurie, what was your inspiration for writing FIRSTS?To be honest, Mercedes and the hook for FIRSTS just kind of adhered to my brain one day and pressed against it until I started writing the story. As I wrote, I realized exactly what I wanted to say, and I was inspired by every single teenage girl who has ever been judged or shamed or called names for having sex or acting a certain way or wearing an article of clothing someone else may not like. Those girls deserve better, and I wanted to write a story that would make them feel like they’re worthy and not alone.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?That’s such a great question! There’s a confrontation between Mercedes and another character partway through the book and without giving too much away, I’ll say that it was really difficult to write. Mercedes struggles to find her voice and stand up for herself because the conflict reminds her of something that happened in her past, and as a writer, I could feel everything she was feeling—hurt, scared, haunted, vulnerable, panicked.
My favorite scene comes closer to the end and it’s just as emotional, but in a much different way. I don’t want to say much more, but there may be a reference to a certain comfort food that I love!
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ENDURE is the final book in the Defy series, and we're delighted to have Sara B. Larson here to tell us more about it.
What was your inspiration for writing ENDURE? I’ve known how this story would end since I wrote the first book in the DEFY series. But it’s always different actually
writing it as opposed to dreaming about it and plotting it. As I worked on this final book, I definitely was inspired by the many events that originally led to me write DEFY, which fostered the continuing themes of love, loyalty, overcoming grief, and pain to find hope and joy again. These themes span the entire series, but especially in ENDURE.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love? There is a scene about halfway through the book that went differently than I’d anticipated. I don’t want to be spoilery, but let’s just say it wasn’t something I wanted to do, or had planned on doing, but it is where the story went and I realized that it was how it
had to go, even though I bawled my way through it. I have a few different scenes I love, but I can’t really say specifically what they are without spoiling things (again!)…I will say the final scenes in ENDURE are my absolute favorite. I feel like they are powerful and hold a lot of deeper meaning for those who seek it and it was just so wonderful to finally write the finale to Alexa’s story.
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We're thrilled to have Estelle Laure with us to share more about her debut novel THIS RAGING LIGHT.
Estelle, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?I love the scenes between Lucille and Eden at the river. The setting has a magic to it with the trees and the moon, and the conversations remind me of an intimacy that is particular to female relationships at that age. Delicious.
What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book--or visa versa?I’m told I’m in the Jandy Nelson/ Rainbow Rowell universe, although I bow down to them, as well I should.
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