Writing is a passion. Publishing is a business.

SETH CASTEEL


Interview with SETH CASTEEL

Seth Casteel is an award-winning photographer and the author of the New York Times best selling books UNDERWATER DOGS and UNDERWATER PUPPIES. Seth lives in Venice, CA. He loves 80's music and is a fan of the DeLorean automobile. He plans to one day go back in time, and change nothing. His rescue dog, Baby Nala, has accepted the fact that she will be photographed every single day. People often say that Seth and Nala have similar hairstyles.

What first sparked your interest in photography?

CATS!

What do you love the most about photography?

To tell a story and to create awareness through a single picture.

What are your passions?

ANIMALS!

What inspires you?

DOGS!

How was UNDERWATER DOGS born?


Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers?

Take chances and pursue a subject that you are passionate about!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

I have a secret obsession with dragonflies!

J.M. SIDOROVA

Interview with J.M. SIDOROVA

J.M. Sidorova is the author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and a novel THE AGE OF ICE (Scribner/Simon & Schuster, 2013), which blends history and magic realism. The novel was featured in Locus Magazine's recommended reading list and among Tor’s best books of 2013. J.M.’s short stories appeared in Clarkesworld, Asimov's, Abyss and Apex, and other venues. She is a 2009 Clarion West workshop graduate. She holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and does biomedical research at the University of Washington, Seattle.

What are you reading right now?

First of all, thank you for reaching out to me; I appreciate it. So, to begin: MAGIC PRAGUE by Angelo Maria Ripellino. As it often happens, it’s part of my research for the novel that I’m writing. The book is in a genre of its own — a city’s biography written by a hyperverbal, hyperbolic, gushing, excitable Italian literati who lived there in the nineteen sixties. Part history, part literary criticism, part a flight of fancy. Very useful. 
 
What first sparked your interest in writing?

I am one of those people who have been writing (or telling, anyway) stories for as long as they remember, so it is hard to pinpoint exactly how it happened or why. The usual “triggers” were in place, of course, like growing up with a lot of books.   

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

There are public and private, personal and professional aspects to writing that have good and bad facets. Let’s say we talk about writing as a private preoccupation. Love the most: isn’t it total fun? An introvert’s guilty pleasure. To go roaming in your head and make stuff up and put it into nicely arranged sentences. Love the least: I am terribly slow. I second-guess and self-doubt. I get in my own way. I can’t get out of my own head!   

Tell us a little about your writing process.

A pain in the gluteus maximus. I start out with an irrational need to write about a particular thing. I outline it in general strokes. As I actually write it, it changes, of course. My understanding of it grows. Characters grow. Sometimes there are whole paragraphs that I build one word at a time. In some ways it becomes a piece of installation art made of found objects. Those found objects are historical facts, or trivia, or memories, or images, or coincidences. It can become too cluttered of course, and then I need to clean it up.   

What are your passions?

A side note: I typically have difficulty answering the simplest questions (like this one pretends to be) — because I have a compulsion to complicate things. Let’s see…I guess I still, after twenty years of doing it, have a passion for science. I wish I could do more to promote it (Neil deGrasse Tyson is such an inspiration!). In general, learning stuff about the world and telling it in stories. I suppose I feel pretty passionate about that.

What inspires you?

Ah, another one of those deceptively simple questions. I am just going to rattle off one long example. A kid running in the field with his/her arms outstretched, imagining s/he is an airplane — that’s inspiring. That same kid, now a pilot, bombing the heck out of something — that’s not so inspiring, but it is complicated, so I won’t judge. The story of Charlie Brown, an American, and Franz Stigler, a German, two WW2 pilots, is inspiring: one is in a seriously wounded and barely limping bomber and in swoops another in a fighter, with orders to shoot, but instead of dispatching Brown Stigler escorts him out of harm’s way; and then decades later they connect and become friends, and then some more years later a man writes a book about them, and another man lovingly paints a painting for the book’s cover, and then a whole bunch of people read this book and keep writing heartfelt comments online — that whole thread is inspiring, I think.

Why speculative fiction? (If you consider THE AGE OF ICE as such. If not, why not?)

I do consider it speculative fiction. Though not fantasy. Magic realism. As to why — my latest explanation is that infusion of reality with magic is an almost inevitable byproduct of our minds. Our minds just kind of… sweat magic all the time. What we do with it —now that depends on us. It can help us parse reality, process and accept it, but it can also mislead us. In THE AGE OF ICE I was processing reality with the help of magic. The rest is realism.

How was THE AGE OF ICE born?

Five years of labor… then a C-section… just joking. I can tell you exactly how it was conceived: I read an article in The New Yorker called Ice Renaissance by Elif Batuman (who is inspiring, by the way). That’s how I learned about the Ice Palace built in the 18th century Russia and the wedding night that took place in it. And that was it: I wanted to write about the children conceived that night.

Did the story require a lot of research?

Oh, yes. Fortunately, I did not realize at the beginning how much research it would take. And when the realization hit me, it was too late.

What drew you to write about Russia in particular?

If the Ice Palace had been built in— I don’t know— New Zealand, I would have had to write about New Zealand. But it was like: hooray, I actually know a thing or two about the subject. I am of Russian extraction.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

The other day I stumbled across something William Vollmann wrote in 1990 for the Conjunction magazine. In his article titled happily, American Writing today: a diagnosis of the disease, he says among other things, “We should never write without feeling.” I totally agree. It is, of course, a pledge rather than advice. But it does seem to me that an aspiring author’s first novel has a better chance (all other things being equal) of winning a publisher’s heart if it is written from the author’s heart.  

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

Hmm. I can’t think of much. I grow grossly oversized vegetables in my backyard. I am a pessimistic humanist. A month ago I flew over the bar of my bicycle and hit the pavement because I was distracted by a need to fish something out of my pocket. Tells a story, doesn’t it?
 



RENE DENFELD


Interview with RENE DENFELD

Rene has written for many esteemed publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Oregonian, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is a published author of three nonfiction books. Her first novel, THE ENCHANTED, was published by HarperCollins in March 2014. A finalist for the esteemed 2014 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, THE ENCHANTED has been garnering outstanding acclaim, with rave reviews from Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and other publications. In addition to her writing career, Rene Denfeld is a death penalty investigator who works with men and women facing execution. Rene has extensive training and experience in subjects including FASD, drug effects and cognitive impairments. She is the happy mother of three children she adopted from state foster care.

What are you reading right now?

THE MIDDLESTEINS by Jami Attenberg. It is brilliant.

What first sparked your interest in writing?

I've always been a voracious reader. Books were my childhood solace, the public library my sanctuary. As a child I often escaped into fantasy, until the line became blurred—I remember making little hashmarks on our family calendar for the days I expected the Indians to come and rescue me. I was in sixth grade when I had one of those miraculous, life-changing teachers. She sent one of my short stories into a junior scholastic magazine. It won first prize—a new typewriter. I remember how proud I was of that typewriter. I used it for many years.

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

I love the joy of being immersed in the story. I think it is much the same for writer as it is for reader—that state of suspended joy inside another world. The hard part is when the story doesn't come easily, or when the craftsman in you has to come out and give it a good tinkering.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I believe in following the voice. The nice part of fiction is setting aside one's own ego and silly opinions, and letting the characters tell their own story. I just try to listen. A lot of fiction writing is being a good listener. When I have an idea I open a new word doc and I just start writing. I listen to what this character is telling me and I write it down. Later I go back as an editor and help the voice clean up. I consider myself the caretaker of the voice. My job as a writer is to facilitate the truth of others. What I have found is this allows me to really let go—that is how the poetry comes.

What are your passions?

Besides reading? I love my kids. I love parenting! I've done foster parenting as well as adopting my kids from foster care. I find parenting illuminating on so many levels—it gives me a lot to think about, as does my day job, which is working with men and women facing execution. I like being challenged, emotionally as well as intellectually. Life can be so achingly beautiful. It can be devastatingly painful, grievously harmful, and yet so beautiful. My greatest passion is just for life.

What inspires you?

Other human beings inspire me. Our failings, our humility, or innate goodness even when we do harm. I am endlessly inspired by humanity.

Why fiction?

You can tell so much more truth with fiction. Alexi Zenter, the author of THE LOBSTER KING, says people read newspapers to find out the facts, but they read fiction to learn the truth. He's right.

Why magical realism? (Assuming you consider your work magical realism, which I think is debatable. If you don't, why not?)

I don't consider THE ENCHANTED magical realism. It is how the narrator sees reality. Who is to say he is wrong and another person is right? Our society has a very narrow construct of reality that is basically whatever the dominant culture endorses: you can believe in astrology or angels but not the walls talking; you can espouse heaven but not hell, and so forth. But for a person locked in a death row cell, that is not their reality. I believe the narrator of THE ENCHANTED conveys a much more authentic sense of what prison is truly like, because his reality reflects his true experiences. That includes the ability to find joy and magic and beauty even in the midst of horror and despair.

How was THE ENCHANTED born?

I was leaving the death row prison one day and happened to look up at the stone walls. I remember hearing a very quiet, distinctive, soft voice. He told me, "This is an enchanted place." I drove home, musing on that voice. He became a very real person to me. He would come and tell me his story, and I began writing it down. He would sit at the side of my desk, scaly skin, long nails. Sometimes he would just appear in my car while I was driving—usually into the deep woods for my work—and I would have to pull over and write down what he said.

What drew you to writing about prison life, and death row inmates in particular?

I think it was natural for me, because my day job is the same as the character called the lady in the novel. I've learned so much from the work, about the human capacity for redemption as well as harm. People go inside prisons and they disappear. Thousands up thousands, every year. We send them away and they vanish. They are our caste of invisibles. For all our obsession with crime and violence, we often don't stop to ask why.
Why do some people hurt others? How come some of us can overcome abusive childhoods, and others succumb to rage? What is the nature of forgiveness? Do we all have souls? I am intrigued by those questions.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Good reading makes for good writing. Read, and then read some more. Everything you need to know about writing is in the pages of good books. Then, find out what works for you. Is it a writing group? Is it being inspired by your friends or family? Reach out to other writers. I am only an email away—renedenfeld@gmail.com—and most writers are very friendly and supportive of others. Mostly, believe in your own voice. Write to tell the truth.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

That I am honored to be here, to be listened to and heard by you and your readers. Life is a story—a precious story. And now I am part of your story, and you are part of mine.

DIANE ZAHLER

Interview with DIANE ZAHLER

Diane Zahler is the author of four middle-grade fairy-tale retellings: The Thirteenth Princess, A True Princess, Princess of the Wild Swans, and Sleeping Beauty’s Daughters. She has also written two nonfiction books for older readers, The Black Death and Than Shwe’s Burma, and an incalculable quantity of textbook materials for elementary and high school students. She’s made her home in Seattle, Morgantown, Ithaca, Solana Beach, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Belgium, but now lives with her husband and dog in an old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley. She really likes chocolate.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading a fabulous middle grade adventure story that I can’t tell you about, because I’m doing it for a job I’m working on. It’s in galleys and I’m sworn to secrecy. So instead I’ll say I’m just finishing Hilary Mantel’s BRING UP THE BODIES, which is brilliantly written. I can’t remember when I last read something that made me stop every few pages and just marvel over a turn of phrase or the construction of a paragraph.

What first sparked your interest in writing?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write, so I can’t really answer that. My earliest memories of reading combined joy in the work itself with a burning desire to write something as wonderful.

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

There’s not much I don’t love about it. For me, being struck with an idea is almost magical, and the early stages of writing, when nearly anything is possible, are wonderful. Later, the challenge of figuring out where a story is going and how best to get it there can be frustrating, but I still find it enjoyable. I don’t love getting stuck at points in the narrative, but even the difficulties of working out what seems not to be right in a story is a fascinating challenge. I’ve never been a writer who agonizes over writing (though my husband, who has to listen to me moan and complain, might disagree!).

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I’m not sure I have a process. I like to have my day’s work in my head before I put words on paper. So often I’ll figure out what I’m going to write while I’m driving somewhere, or walking on the treadmill. Then, after I’ve finished my other writing (usually textbook materials), I’ll open the manuscript I’m working on, read the previous day’s work, revise it if it needs it (and it always needs it!), and then write what I’ve been mulling over all day. (Reading this over, it seems like I could have a better process. But somehow it works for me.)

What are your passions?

Reading. Writing. Chocolate. Belgian beer. Travel. Chocolate. My husband and son. My new(ish) rescue dog, Flora. Did I say chocolate?

What inspires you?

Travel, more than anything else. If I’m in a place that’s unusual or marvelous in some way – lost in the maze of Venice’s canals, wandering through an ancient Irish graveyard, paddling a canoe along the moon trail of a Maine evening – I file it away in my head to pull out when I’m thinking about what I want to write next.

Why middle reader?

The books that meant the most to me and that I remember most clearly are the ones that I read when I was a middle-grader myself. I write for that girl, as well as for the kids who are my readers today. I can’t imagine anything better than having my books affect a reader the way the books I read at that age affected me.

Why fantasy?

That middle-grade reader in my head always loved fantasy best. That’s not to say it’s all I loved to read, but books by Edward Eager, C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, Susan Cooper, E. Nesbit – those were the ones I returned to again and again.

Why fairy tale retellings?

Fairy tales focus on such universal feelings and fears – the feeling of powerlessness, the fears of being left behind, of being lost, of losing parents…the stories have meaning for just about everyone. And most people are familiar with them. So the idea of taking these well-known stories and doing something different and new with them was really intriguing to me.

How was SLEEPING BEAUTY’S DAUGHTERS born?

The title actually came first. I had a contract for two books, one that I’d finished and one called “Title to Come.” My editor and I had lunch, and we were tossing ideas back and forth. She was the one who came up with “Sleeping Beauty’s Daughters,” and immediately that struck a chord with me. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do with it, but by the time I was ready to write, there was a story in my mind to tell.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I tell aspiring authors three things: read as much as you can, write as much as you can, and be persistent. Reading in the genre and at the age level you want to write will help you figure out how to write in that genre and for that age group. Writing – well, it’s a craft, and practice is the only thing that will make you better at it. Every published author has drawers or files of manuscripts that never saw the light of day. Those are part of our practice. Each failed story or manuscript makes us better writers. And persistence – and sometimes a thick skin – is absolutely necessary. Often publication is the result of luck and timing, your story hitting an editor’s desk at the instant that editor is looking for something like what you’ve written. But that happy moment can take years to come about. DON’T GIVE UP!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

Did I mention that I am a huge fan of chocolate?

SOMAN CHAINANI


Interview with SOMAN CHAINANI

Soman Chainani’s first novel, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, has been on ABA’s National Indie Bestseller List for 15 weeks, has been translated into languages across six continents, and will soon be a major motion picture from Universal Studios, produced by Joe Roth (SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, OZ THE GREAT & POWERFUL) and Jane Startz (TUCK EVERLASTING, ELLA ENCHANTED). Soman is a graduate of the MFA Film Program at Columbia University, and the recipient of the school’s top prize, the FMI Fellowship for Writing and Directing. His writing awards include honors from Big Bear Lake, the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship, and the coveted Shasha Grant, awarded by a jury of international film executives. Before joining the Columbia University film program, Chainani graduated Harvard University summa cum laude, with a degree in English & American Literature. While at Harvard, he focused on fairy tales and wrote his thesis on why evil women make such irresistible fairy-tale villains, winning the Thomas Hoopes Prize and Briggs Prize for his work.

What are you reading right now?

THE MAGICIAN’S LAND by Lev Grossman

What first sparked your interest in writing?

I just always seemed to have a gift for storytelling and really enjoyed the process of working out the perfect story structure. I'm not a linguist like some authors - more a dramatist, and enjoy the process of finding ways to surprise readers and myself in the process.
What do you love the most about writing? The least?

I love being stunned by something as I'm writing - and getting caught up in the fever of a particular plot moment or a character arc. When it's all racing along and you feel the book writing itself is when it's all very special (usually towards the end of a book.)

As for the least, I think sometimes the solitude and the deadlines, which preclude you from taking your time with it and really enjoying the process at times, can be tricky.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I write from about 10am-4pm every day, with a short lunch break in there. I try to get 500 solid words in a day in terms of new material, plus reviewing the material from the day before. I write fairly slowly but consistently.

What are your passions?

Tennis, movies, and storytelling.

What inspires you?

Good characters and a penchant for high comedy.

Why middle reader?

Because it's so undefined. I feel like the teen genre has been a bit John Green-ified in recent years, so there's not much room to find a tone. In middle grade, it feels like I can really dive in and work with a blank canvas.

Why fantasy?

Fantasy requires the strongest characters to make up for the lack of grounding in the world.

How was THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL born?

I'd had the idea for a very long time - I've been a fairy tale “expert” since college, to some degree, so the idea of a princess and witch switching places was irresistible to me.

This series seems like it must be so much fun to write. Is that true?

It's definitely a blast at times - but it's a very, very difficult series to write. The number of characters, the level of difficulty, the intensity and complexity for a first series is a bit insane.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Only write a story you care deeply about.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

Check out the interactive website at www.schoolforgoodandevil.com. All sorts of fun things on there, including my personal blog, which features a lot of tips about writing.

ROBERT L. SLATER

Interview with ROBERT L. SLATER

Robert L. Slater is a teacher/writer living in Bellingham, Washington. His stories and poetry have appeared in many small press publications. His first novel, ALL IS SILENCE: A DESERTED LANDS NOVEL, was released in early 2014. He has a should’ve-been-a doctorate B.A. in Theatre/Education, Spanish and History minors and a M.A. in Educational Technology. He sing;, plays guitar; acts/directs in regional theatres; brews; cooks; reads; practices Taekwon Do; writes plays, songs, and stories. He has six children, ages 10 to 29 years and one grandchild. His motto is Robert Heinlein’s “Specialization is for Insects.”

What are you reading right now?

I'm reading local authors mostly: Noble Smith's SONS OF ZEUS, Selah J Tay-Song's DREAMS OF A VAST BLUE CAVERN and Jesikah Sundin's LEGACY. On eBook I'm reading Platt & Truant's WRITE. PUBLISH. REPEAT.

What first sparked your interest in writing?

The answer seems flippant, but reading sparked my interest. I wrote songs, poetry, and plays from the time I could write. My focus has changed several times over my life, but writing of some sort has always been present.

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

The creative spark when I fall in love with an idea and later when I'm stuck and begging out loud for the muses to provide with answers. It's amazing how well that works.

The second, third, through penultimate rewrites. I like the first rewrite and the last, but the ones in between begin to drag. I'm really trying to learn to be more conscious so that I won't have to do more than two rewrites to solve that problem. I'm not there yet.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I used to be a “pantser,” writing by the seat of my pants, but that led to a lot of character studies and vignettes and unended pieces. Then I learned not to start a story that I didn't know an end for. Often the end I know is not the one I end up with, but it's like they say: if you don't head somewhere you'll never get anywhere.

What are your passions?

Music and words. Sensory experiences. Nature and travel. Reading myself into another world. Eating and cooking good food. Teaching and learning. Challenging myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. I'm pretty passionate about most of my life. Sticking up for the little guys. Fair play. RECYCLING. That last one's hard as a writer, so I use most paper twice. I'll print on one side and then when I'm done I'll print on the other side. I collect DOOS [Dirty on one Side] paper from other people to reuse.

What inspires you?

Hugh Howey. Really. My kids. Music of almost any sort. My books have lots of little references that connect me to something I heard playing while I was writing or plotting.

Why speculative fiction?

Because it asks the question, “What If?” as it’s most important component. It allows us to escape and the good stuff makes us ask ourselves why we want to escape. It's also what I'm most drawn to reading, though I also love history and science nonfiction, which helps with the speculative aspects as well.

Why young adult?

I'm not even sure ALL IS SILENCE is Young Adult fiction. I mean, it's a category that it probably fits best in, but I would also classify it first as Science Fiction. I worked hard to make the science realistic. I think it also borders on the category New Adult. The next series after Lizzie's will center on a pre-teen boy, so that one will be more of a YA book, but the story is the story and hopefully it crosses those arbitrary borders while still helping people looking for that genre to find it.

How was ALL IS SILENCE born?

The original germ of the idea was a response to LORD OF THE FLIES. I was angry after reading it, because I felt the message was that human beings would quickly devolve into savages given a bad situation. In response I wrote a short story about a disease that wiped out all but some prisoners in a jail who had been taking a medication to keep them calm. But the story never satisfied me. So, many years later when I wondered what would happen to an at-risk teen girl in a similar apocalyptic scenario, I found the story I needed to tell.

Setting (Bellingham and Northwest Washington specifically) play a strong role in the book. Was this deliberate?

Yes and no. I knew very early in the idea stage that the story would be about people trying to reach each other across the plague-stricken country. Bellingham is about as far away from the rest of the country as you get without leaving the lower 48. I knew I could set a realistic novel in this area best. It was important to establish verisimilitude and what better way than to write about where I've lived the past 23 years.

ALL IS SILENCE has a large and varied cast. Was any one character more fun to write?

I loved writing about Spike, but I think I enjoyed them all, even when I didn't like what they were doing!

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Write. Write some more. Share it with people. Write some more. Lather, rinse, repeat. I talk about Robert's Rules of Writing in a blog post. Robert Heinlein's rules of writing adapted by Robert Sawyer and then adjusted for me. Each writer must find what works for them. It's a long arduous process of trial and error.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

I'm 60% finished with the first draft of Straight Into Darkness and almost done with a novella set in the Pacific Northwest that is also set in the DESERTED LANDS universe. I plan to release the novella, TOILS & SNARES, as an ebook sometime this fall and STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS in print and ebook during the first half of 2015. People can sign up for free fiction, newsletter updates, and more at www.DesertedLands.com.

ELIZABETH WEIN

Interview with ELIZABETH WEIN

Elizabeth Wein writes fiction for young adults. She is the author of CODE NAME VERITY, as well as the THE LION HUNTERS cycle, set in Arthurian Britain and sixth century Ethiopia. Her most recent novel, ROSE UNDER FIRE, is the winner of the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award. Originally from Pennsylvania, Elizabeth has lived in Scotland for over fourteen years. She is married and has two teenage children.

What are you reading right now?

I’m halfway through THE NEW MOON AND THE OLD by Dodie Smith. Dodie Smith, where have you been all my life? I love this book. It crept up on me how much I love this book. It is terribly, terribly English, exploring all these weird generational and class crossovers, and every quirky, likeable character is so much more nuanced than you realize at first. Plus she just writes so beautifully.

What first sparked your interest in writing?

Well, I liked reading, of course! I have wanted to write since I learned to read – since I first read a chapter book all by myself from beginning to end in one go. I was seven – the book was ELLEN TEBBITS by Beverly Cleary. When I finished, I closed the book, put it down, and thought, “I want to write stories like this.”

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

I hate when writing becomes a slog—when I get stuck and have to push through a scene that I’m not enjoying, when it feels wooden and forced. But the best thing about it is when you get a flash of inspiration and you realize your story is going to work. I love re-reading a good scene for the first time, when it’s still fresh, enjoying it as though someone else had written a story just for you.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

At the moment I am pretty scattered.

Normally I write out my first draft of a novel longhand, in lined notebooks. I tend to type it up chapter by chapter. Sometimes I use an outline, but not usually. Occasionally I have to make an outline for myself when I’ve already written half the novel and it starts to get out of control. For CODE NAME VERITY I put together a complicated timeline halfway through the writing process.
What are your passions?

I get more passionate over things I hate than things I love! I do a lot of ranting about high-heeled shoes, gun control, the appalling state of the teaching of English literature in Scotland, reinforced gender stereotyping, etc. The list of things that make me rant is quite long. Things that I love include: punting, certain random aspects of watching wildlife, aerobatics (seldom achieved!), the ocean, awesome conversations with my husband, my kids and my grandmother (she is 98!).

What inspires you?

Stories of people doing unusual things; people who successfully break the mold and change their own lives and others’ for the better.

Why young adult?

Because someone made up a shelving category called “young adult” and my books happen to be shelved there? That’s just how I write. I do think that my books qualify as young adult because my characters essentially are figuring out who they want to be when they grow up. That seems to me the essence of what makes a book YA.

How was CODE NAME VERITY born?

I’m going to cheat and direct you to another blog interview for this one – I’ve written about it pretty extensively already and this is an interesting post on the inspiration behind CNV! Click here to read the interview.

Did CODE NAME VERITY require a lot of research?

Of course it did, but I didn’t have to do as much as you might think—I knew quite a bit about the time period already. So what I ended up doing for CODE NAME VERITY was expanding my knowledge. I knew what I needed to check up on (say, the Air Transport Auxiliary, the Battle of Britain, a certain type of aircraft, Resistance activity in France), and then I’d go do some reading on whatever the subject was. I also read a lot of novels and watched a lot of movies that were made during the 1930s and during World War II, which is a great way to pick up little-known details of time and place.

I still haven’t figured out what a “Starboard Light Frappe” is, spotted on the menu for a Glasgow ice cream shop in the 1930s.

Was it difficult writing such an emotional novel?

I know that people say this novel kills them, but believe me, I feel sure I have suffered more over it than any reader ever has! I was an emotional wreck for three weeks after I finished writing it—I couldn’t look at a picture of the Eiffel Tower without bursting into tears! It was a wonderful experience but exhausting. When I finished, my husband said, “Please can you wait six months before you write another book?”

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

1) Write about something you’re passionate about.
2) Make a plan; pick away at it. Concentrate on completion.
3) If you want to write children’s books or YA, join the Society for Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators – it is a wonderful way to meet people (editors, agents & industry professionals as well as other writers). All my breaks came through this society.
4) Join a writers’ group if you can. It’s very helpful to have a support group./div>

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

I have discovered lately that I really like to travel. You’d think I would know this about myself by now, but actually I’ve only just put my finger on it! I enjoy exploring, both home and away.

That’s also useful advice for aspiring authors—go find out more about your world. There is always something interesting to write about, sometimes just around the corner!

BERNADETTE LUCKETT


Interview with BERNADETTE LUCKETT

Bernadette Luckett is originally from the SF Bay Area, but started her standup career in New York City after working as a professional model, a cookie packer, and a lab technician at a VD clinic. She performed at comedy clubs all over the US and appeared on numerous TV shows, then segued from standup into sitcom writing, and has worked on several shows including: Living Single; Sister, Sister; The Tracy Morgan Show; Girlfriends; and Romeo!. Bernadette recently returned to standup last November after a 17-year hiatus. In addition to being a contributing essayist to the anthology NO KIDDING Bernadette worked as a Co-Producer on the documentary, “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor”- which was recently honored with a 2014 Television Academy Honors Award – for television programming that inspires, informs, motivates, and even has the power to change lives.

What are you reading right now?

No books currently. Mostly magazine articles.

What first sparked your interest in writing?

There was a writing contest for kids in our local newspaper. I would write stories and won on several occasions.

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

I love when I see a scene in my head and I just write down what the characters say and do. That’s totally joyful!

I don’t like that I don’t have a good office space of my own to write currently./div>

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I write mostly scripts, and occasionally short stories. For scripts, I love to outline and figure out all the structural details. Then the writing’s a breeze. For stories, I just write it as it flows. Then I go back and edit and rearrange. It’s a lot of puzzle-work. It’s fun.

What are your passions?

I love people: smiling at them, talking to them, helping them, making them laugh. I’m passionate about using my talents to help create a better and happier world.

What inspires you?

I am fortunate to have some great mentors who inspire me to be more loving and be of service more in the world. When I see there’s someone who needs help, I always reach out if I can, or turn them on to someone else who can help them.

Did you know without a doubt what you would write about in your NO KIDDING essay or did you have a few topics from which you narrowed it down?

When I first thought of writing, a million thoughts came to mind, so it was just a matter of sequencing and editing.

Was it difficult writing about something so personal?

I’m one of those people who will tell personal information to anyone. God forbid you sit next to me on a bus. So writing about something personal was very easy for me.

What advice might you give to other women who encounter the perception that they should have a “snappy response” to why they don’t want or didn’t have kids?

Own yourself, own your reasons for what you do, and don’t do. Once you’re okay with you, you’ll know exactly what you want to say to those who ask. It could be a snappy response, or it could be a serious response. As long as you feel comfortable with yourself, it’ll be the perfect answer.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Take away the “should” and the “musts.” Write when you want to, but know the more you write, the more your brain will be lubricated for more writing. Don’t mix up making a living with living your passion. Hopefully they’ll both come together, but it doesn’t help to put pressure on yourself to make money from your writing. Write for Joy, for the Love of it!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

Meditation helps a lot with writing. Sitting quietly causes ideas to flood into your mind. Or even a walking meditation, or silent meditation. You provide the stillness and can tap into the universal supply of incredible ideas.

JOHN COREY WHALEY

Interview with JOHN COREY WHALEY

John grew up in the small town of Springhill, Louisiana, where he learned to be sarcastic and to tell stories. He has a B.A. in English from Louisiana Tech University, as well as an M.A in Secondary English Education. He started writing stories about aliens and underwater civilizations when he was around ten or eleven, but now writes realistic YA fiction (which sometimes includes zombies). He taught public school for five years and spent much of that time daydreaming about being a full-time writer…and dodging his students’ crafty projectiles. He is terrible at most sports, but is an occasional kayaker and bongo player. He is obsessed with movies, music, and traveling to new places. He is an incredibly picky eater and has never been punched in the face, though he has come quite close. One time, when he was a kid, he had a curse put on him by a strange woman in the arcade section of a Wal-Mart. His favorite word is defenestration. His favorite color is green. His favorite smell is books. He currently lives in Los Angeles. WHERE THINGS COME BACK is his first novel. NOGGIN, his second novel, came out in April 2014.

What are you reading right now?

I'm reading this great book, MOSQUITOLAND by David Arnold. It comes out in 2015.

What first sparked your interest in writing?

I was always fascinated by characters in movies and on TV. As a slow reader, I got into books more when I realized that telling stories was something I wanted to do - and the only thing I was ever really good at doing.

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

The thing I love most about writing is that, on a good day, it can help me escape any and everything going on in the world around me.

My least favorite thing about writing is when I reach a point in a story where I lose inspiration....and then it's a waiting game sometimes.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

Process? Haha. I usually get an idea, sit down and see if it will work on paper (err..screen) at all and then come back to it and try again and again until it's either a go or a STOP IT - THIS DOESN'T WORK. I binge write, so I can go weeks without writing a word, then write half a book in a week or two. It's unpredictable and moody, my process, but it works for me.

What are your passions?

Music. Movies. Making people laugh. Telling stories that I think people aren't expecting to be told.

What inspires you?

People and music. Usually never environment. Just people and conversations and a really great (often sad) song.

Why young adult?

Why not? Teenagers get to explore openly and unapologetically where they're supposed to be in the world and in existence in general. Adults do the same thing, but after making a lot more mistakes and apologies. Teenagers are more interesting and honest to me.

Why speculative fiction?

It doesn't matter what a story is about, only how well it's told. It was a challenge at first, to write borderline sci-fi, but now I see the universality in it, which was my hope all along.

How was NOGGIN born?

I wanted to write my homage to Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - a book with an absurd premise, grounded in emotional reality. A book seemingly about one big issue, but actually about a million little things that we all feel.

I empathized with Travis, his parents, Cate, Kyle and, well, everyone in this book so much that I shed quite a few tears on their behalf. Was it difficult writing such an emotional book?

I always say that my favorite thing to do in my books is make people laugh or cry. But, it isn't easy. Sometimes, it just happens, and I'm even surprised by the emotions a scene will produce. NOGGIN became much deeper than I planned, and that happened by equal parts accident and necessity.

You treat every character like they’re the protagonist of their own story. Other than Travis, is there any character in NOGGIN for whom you have a particular fondness?

I love Hatton - because he's so funny. But, of all the characters, Kyle is most like me - he holds onto the past just as much as Travis, but in his own, more personal way.  And I can identify with that.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Write whatever you want to write. Fix it later. Don't dwell on the possibility of failure or being laughed at - I wrote one book about a woodpecker and another about a frozen head. Anything can happen.