Ask the Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Answered Questions (171)
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Hi Susan. The quick answer that springs to mind is the Young Readers' Edition of Pay It Forward. That was really done with an 11-year-old in mind. I have five dedicated YA books: Becoming Chloe, The Year of my Miraculous Reappearance, Diary of a Witness, Jumpstart the World, and The Day I Killed James. Theoretically that makes them all 12-18, but they are pretty mature for YA, and I generally like to recommend them for 14-18. Of them, I'd say the most appropriate for younger readers would be The Year of my Miraculous Reappearance and Diary of a Witness. They revolve around very serious themes, but I think if the 11-year-old is a mature reader, they would be okay. I'd be most comfortable if you read them yourself first. Hope that helps.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
I have no idea, but it was not from me. It was either some kind of error or someone pretending to be me, though at the present time I've had no other reports of suspicious activity. Thank you for letting me know. I'll look into a possible spoof account.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
This answer contains spoilers…
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Catherine Ryan Hyde
I'm definitely a student of human nature, but otherwise I have no idea where these stories come from. I'm as perplexed as you are. I come up with one idea at a time, and I start with the characters and what they're up against. The theme kind of reveals itself as I go. I hope that's what you wanted to know. Thanks!
Catherine Ryan Hyde
No, none of my characters are based on real people. They come from "the ether." But if he felt real to you, I'm glad for that.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Wonderful to hear you're enjoying the books, Kathy! The next release is JUST A REGULAR BOY on May 7th. Next after that is A DIFFERENT KIND OF GONE on December 5th,
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Hi Sandra. This is a lovely note. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I think in one way "the science of oneness" might be tricky to weave into fiction. Seen from another angle, that may be all I've ever written about. Thanks again for reaching out.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Hi Sally. The form is on my original website. I ask those reading the blog on Goodreads to click through to the original blog to leave an entry. Also this was only open for three days. I posted it on a Thursday and said I'd leave it open through Sunday. If you go to the blog, you'll see the announcement that it's been closed, and who the winners are. If you did click through to the blog on my website and couldn't find a way to leave a comment, it's because I close comments a day after choosing winners. But there will always be more giveaways!
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Hi Marie. Glad you enjoyed the book.
Manuela was the young woman she had to bunk with for that one night in juvenile detention. The one who told her Bea didn't care about her and took off with all her stuff.
If you go back to Chapter 21 (The True Value of Canned Garbanzo Beans) you'll see that the "Alpaca suitcases" were things she took from her abandoned family home much later, when she went back there with Bea.
Hope that helps.
Manuela was the young woman she had to bunk with for that one night in juvenile detention. The one who told her Bea didn't care about her and took off with all her stuff.
If you go back to Chapter 21 (The True Value of Canned Garbanzo Beans) you'll see that the "Alpaca suitcases" were things she took from her abandoned family home much later, when she went back there with Bea.
Hope that helps.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about. Yes, still writing, Always writing.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about. Don't know how to answer now, because what I was working on when you asked is probably out now.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about. I hope you've read more by now and have enjoyed them just as much.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about. My mom was a writer. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
My gosh, I'm so sorry. Seems there were *eight* questions from a year ago that GoodReads never notified me about.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Wonderful message, Trisha. Thank you. My goal when I write is to help us all feel more human, while at the same time not feeling as though being human is the bad news. Not sure if that gets near your "why," but I'm throwing it out there. I appreciate your posting this.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Hi!
Being motivated to finish a novel is tricky and I don't know if there's an easy answer for it. I do know that if I'm very interested by what I'm writing it's much easier to keep going. So if the work starts to feel dull or slips off course, I'll sometimes give myself permission to put it down and work on something else. I think I wanted to be an author because I had a teacher who told me I had a talent for it, and I wasn't used to such compliments.
I do all my planning in my head, so I'm not sure my system would be much help to you. My advice would be to do whatever seems to get words on paper or in digital memory. Also I'd advise you not to write in too solitary a way, but rather to invite feedback on your work, even though it can be hard to hear. And the more you read, the closer that experience will take you to what you want to write.
My two favorites of mine are Boy Underground and Have You Seen Luis Velez? I think it's a tie.
Thank you for reaching out, and best of luck with your own writing.
Being motivated to finish a novel is tricky and I don't know if there's an easy answer for it. I do know that if I'm very interested by what I'm writing it's much easier to keep going. So if the work starts to feel dull or slips off course, I'll sometimes give myself permission to put it down and work on something else. I think I wanted to be an author because I had a teacher who told me I had a talent for it, and I wasn't used to such compliments.
I do all my planning in my head, so I'm not sure my system would be much help to you. My advice would be to do whatever seems to get words on paper or in digital memory. Also I'd advise you not to write in too solitary a way, but rather to invite feedback on your work, even though it can be hard to hear. And the more you read, the closer that experience will take you to what you want to write.
My two favorites of mine are Boy Underground and Have You Seen Luis Velez? I think it's a tie.
Thank you for reaching out, and best of luck with your own writing.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Hi Ginger, and thank you. I didn't know until I was an adult, either. If they don't teach us in schools, we're not likely to know. And that's certainly more comfortable, but it's not comfort I'm after when I write. I'd prefer to capture the world as it is. Manzanar is on the 395, a route I used to drive once a year or so to camp and hike in the Eastern Sierras. Even with most of the buildings gone, it's haunting. It's hard not to imagine the experience of being interned, and hard not to write only books that don't include it. It's actually come up twice in my work.
I'm so happy to hear that you have enjoyed my books, and thank you for these thoughts.
I'm so happy to hear that you have enjoyed my books, and thank you for these thoughts.
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Nothing in the works at the moment. I like books better than movies, so I'm less anxious to see them adapted than many of my readers seem to be. But there's always that possibility. Meanwhile I'm glad you enjoyed the book!
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