Take a deep breath and hold on tight. Or, you know, don't. More answers to your very pressing questions, including what I would tattoo on my body if I
had to pick something.
Patti asks, Did you start writing book two before you had a book deal?
I didn't start book two until I had the actual deal. I had one planned, but it's really not a good strategy to write sequels to books that haven't sold. Companion novels (books that are tied in but can stand on their own) are okay, but if you write a direct sequel you run the risk of ending up with two books that will never sell. And that, my friends, is heartbreaking. Write notes on your sequel ideas, but move on to another project while querying/on sub for the first. Paranormalcy was a backup manuscript for me, after all.
Liam asks, Is Paranormalcy a book like, say, Maximum Ride, and it "talks" to the reader, or just plain, "this is my own book and I don't know anyone is reading it"?
Evie is a self-aware narrator. She does occasionally break into the narrative to explain things to the reader. It was a fun way to work in the paranormal mythology. Good question, Liam!
Although you're a debut for Harper, is your publisher selling any signed copies? Because they should. Because of the blog, and we want them. The customer is always right, right?
I will make sure there is a way for anyone who wants one to get a signed copy. I know a lot of authors do signed bookplates that can be mailed out; I'll probably do something similar.
What is your favorite song ever? Multiple songs allowed.
My all-time favorite song is probably Blackbird, by The Beatles. My all-time favorite band is Snow Patrol. I could (and do) listen to them every day.
If I told you I imagined your house like a beach house I stayed at once, would that make you happy?
It would make me smile that you either a) think I am far, far wealthier than I am, or b) don't understand the price of beach real estate in San Diego. But hey! I'll imagine that right along with you, because that's a nice image. In reality I'm about a five minute drive from the beach. Which is pretty nice, too.
Pinksuedeshoe asks, Did you leave the purple in your hair for your little sister's wedding?
I put the purple streak in right after, and it's still there. I'm increasingly fond of it.
Corra McFeydon asks, How long have you known you wanted to be a writer, and why did you choose young adult fiction?
I've always wanted to be a writer. Cliche, I know, but true. I loved reading and wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and writing seemed like the perfect career. Turns out it is!
Young adult fiction kind of chose me. For many years I thought I'd write and illustrate children's books (that is, until I figured out that I'm not actually a very talented artist). The first book I wrote was a middle grade novel (and, well, boring). But once I wrote the opening sequence to Flash (which I never planned on writing as a novel), I was hooked. YA has everything I love about books--good writing, fun, engaging stories, and romance. I don't want to write anything else, ever.
If you're wondering what genre/age group to write, I suggest looking at what you love to read. Although I read very widely, I enjoy YA paranormal more than anything else.
JCKandy asks, How are Mac and Laptop getting along?
Leave me out of this. I'm retired.
Good! Great! We love each other!!! I'm having so much fun!!!!!
Also, I see you have a pink streak in your vlog. Is that your Evie streak?
It's actually purple, and yes, it is! My payment to The Universe for my book deal.
Maya asks, I hope to have kids in the next few years and I also hope to keep writing books. Does having kids really take away every ounce of free time, like they say?
Yes and no. Infants are pretty much twenty-four-hour-a-day demands (or at least mine were, and if yours weren't, I don't want to talk to you). But they grow out of that pretty fast (although on month three of no more than forty minutes of sleep in a row, it didn't feel fast at the time), and you'll adapt to it until you can't remember a time when you got to choose what you wanted to do most (or even some) hours of the day. I've got two small kids who are pretty demanding, but I still manage to find time to write. You'll make it work, and both things (kids and writing) are well worth the effort.
Cat Clarke asks, Were you scared to start writing again after you got your book deal? Any added pressure?
Yes and no. Yes in that I'd sold a book I hadn't written yet, and there were pretty high expectations. That is a little nerve-wracking still. But at the same time, knowing that Editor Erica and HarperTeen loved my writing enough to buy books sight-unseen gave me a very nice boost of confidence.
Kimberly Franklin asks, How did you come up with the characters in your book (ie their mannerisms and what makes them, them)?
Honestly, my characters just come to me. I don't sit down and sketch them out. Some come fully formed (like Evie) and some reveal themselves to me as the story progresses. When I edit I pay particular attention to mannerisms. For example, in Instinct, a book I wrote right before Paranormalcy, when I edited I took out about half of what the love interest said. I realized by the end of the book I'd written him way too chatty. Others come with their verbal ticks or cues pre-set.
Do you outline before writing or do you fly by the seat of your pants? Or are you a mixture of the two...a plantser?
Definitely a plantser. I have a general idea of where I'm going and write down key things that need to happen, but then I let the story take me there its own way.
Giles asks a related question, How in-depth do you go with your outlines, and do you stick to them pretty closely?
I don't really outline at all, just note major scenes.
Kimberly also asks, When do you let your betas read your work? Do you give it to them chapter by chapter or once you've finished everything? Before editing or after editing?
I have one reader,
Natalie, who reads as I write. If I get criticism early on it paralyzes me, but I can count on her to only note if I've
really screwed something up or am taking a chapter in the wrong direction. She's my best cheerleader, and I don't know how I ever first-drafted without her. I've also let
Stephanie read some things before I'm done, but they both know that mid-first draft is not the time for hardcore critique. I need a lot of confidence to be able to write that initial draft.
Once I finish my first draft, I always, always edit it at least once before sending it out to any betas. And then I send them the entire thing. I want to send the cleanest draft possible to my betas so they aren't distracted by sloppy language and can focus on plotting, overall story, and details.
Susan Quinn asks, How long did it take you to go from finished manuscript to awesome-agent-representation to book deal?
This post talks in detail about how long it took me to get an agent. I wrote Flash last June, signed with Michelle last November, Flash went on submission in January (which is the month I wrote
Paranormalcy), April we decided it wouldn't sell as-is because of MC age issues, May and June I edited
Paranormalcy, mid-July Para went on sub, and I had a three-book-deal on August 12th. So, a little over a year after I finished the first draft of Flash. What a year, too. I nearly died, got an agent, wrote four novels, fizzled on a sub, and sold in a pre-empt.
It makes me tired just thinking about it.
Melissa asks, If you could be any character in a book, who would it be and why?
I'm going to hold off on answering this. Sorry. I've got something fun planned for later, though, so stay tuned!
Carrie Harris asks, If you were a Muppet, which one would you be?
That girl who is in the band with straight blond hair and eternally closed eyes. She's a babe.
And FINALLY, CKHB asks, I know that you cannot get a tattoo, but if you were REQUIRED for whatever reason to get one, what would it be?
A great big HARPERTEEN with hearts and swirls around it on my lower back.
(You know I'm kidding, right? Honestly, I don't know. When I think of what I would have gotten five years ago it makes me shudder [probably something with stars, which I loved at the time]. So I can't imagine being able to pick something I'd want on my body forever. That being said, I'm very enamored of Chinese characters, and would probably pick one that meant something to me.)
If Evie got a tattoo, what would it be?
Oh, Evie would totally want to get a tattoo. But she'd have a really hard time settling on one thing. In the end I think she'd pick a word that I can't reveal here (check back after the third book is out) in pink script over her heart.
But then again, she probably wouldn't do it because of the needles. She's not real big on pain.
WHEW. That's it, folks. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and especially to those of you who actually made it through this whole thing. Good thing I only do this once a month.
