Ask the Author: Brittney Morris
Answered Questions (14)
Brittney Morris
Aw, thanks, Gaura! Glad you enjoyed it! I was inspired to write a YA with a cryptology puzzle at its core after seeing a documentary about the infamous Cicada 3301 puzzle, which was an international cryptology puzzle with an ambiguous prize. I would love to write a sequel one day, but I'm not sure what I would title it....The Landing? haha. Thanks again for your question!
Brittney Morris
Maybe one day! I'd love to jump back into Kiera's world. :)
Brittney Morris
Hi, Yasmeen! My apologies for the severe delay in answering my GR questions. I hope your journey to finding an agent has been fruitful! My number one thing to keep in mind when agent hunting is to look for an agent who will protect you, your work, your brand, and your creative process as you navigate the waters of publishing. When you receive an offer of representation, I highly recommend asking direct, difficult questions of your agent. Hypotheticals, even. Anything that will help you prepare for the worst case scenario. Hope that helps!
Brittney Morris
Hi, Krista! What a great question. I was wondering if anyone was going to notice this, so thank you for asking! Alex and Isaiah's powers are passed down through their lineage of male family members, but they're not genetic. I wanted to make this distinction between unwanted magical powers and real-world genetic conditions to make it clear that I wasn't writing a commentary on hereditary or chronic illness, but generational trauma. I also wanted to offer a reason why Alex and Isaiah simply choosing to never have biological children or adopt children would not eliminate their lineage of powers. It does raise another question though...if either of them were to adopt a male child, would the powers manifest once they're brought into the family? I would imagine not, but it's interesting to think about. Thanks again for your question! :)
Brittney Morris
Hi, The Bookworm! So glad you loved SLAY! I was inspired to write SLAY after seeing Black Panther. You can read the rest of the story here: https://www.unitedbypop.com/young-adu.... Thanks for your question! And sorry it took me so long to answer!
Brittney Morris
Thank you so much! I did write the first draft of SLAY lightning fast - 11 days. I was aiming to finish in time for a Twitter pitch contest (one of the rules was that you could only enter finished manuscripts, and it was only 2 weeks away so I had to MOVE). Fast drafting has been awesome because it doesn't give me time to second guess what I'm writing or convince myself it's not good enough, or that it's missing something (which I can always add later), or that it was a bad idea in the first place and nobody's going to read it, etc. I can get very harsh with myself if given enough time to stew. I take just 24 hours to outline first, and I keep it to exactly 1 page. Any more than that and I start to feel overwhelmed and talk myself out of it. :)
Brittney Morris
My major was economics, but my passion has always been writing. I wrote my first novel at 10, but I'll skip ahead to more practical advice. I suggest connecting with other writers. It helps immensely! Creativity is contagious, and publishing is so small. You'd be surprised who knows who in the industry. Getting plugged into #WritingCommunity on Twitter was one of the best things I could've done for my career.
Brittney Morris
Top 3 most life-changing have to be: Undertale, Papa & Yo, and Papers Please. Recent charmers include Stela, Assemble with Care, and Manifold Garden.
Brittney Morris
Thank you. <3 I was inspired to write SLAY after I saw Black Panther and wanted someone to make a VR Wakanda simulator game. I thought, 'Hey, if I don't know how to code it, I'll write a book about someone who does!' And thus, Kiera's story was born. Being Black is so multifaceted and kaleidoscopic, and I'm just happy to be able to tell our stories. (I don't think I could quit writing if I tried!)
Brittney Morris
Great question! I lived in Seattle for 6 years, and I do adore the city. But the main reason I picked Bellevue, was that it's a huge tech hub (kind of like Seattle's slightly fancier cousin), and I wanted to declare to the world that there are geeky Black girls everywhere, even in cities with a reputation for being a white man's tech utopia.
Brittney Morris
I was inspired to write SLAY after seeing Black Panther on opening night. The minute I left the theater, I was wishing someone would create a Wakanda Simulator video game. Since I’ve never programmed a video game before, I thought writing a book about one would be the next best thing!
Brittney Morris
The minute I left the theater after seeing Black Panther on opening night, I was hoping someone would make a Wakanda simulator video game. Since it didn't look like any game studio was going to, I decided to write a book about one instead! And thus, the idea for SLAY: the game, was born.
Brittney Morris
Writing feels like directing a movie with an unlimited budget. It's the closest thing we humans have to magic. My favorite part of being a writer is talking to people about what I've written, or what they've written. It's like playing pretend in grade school all over again.
Brittney Morris
I like to plant my behind firmly in the couch and take in other stories, usually books or video games, until something sparks an idea. It's a great time to invest in learning what's happening in YA publishing, read other books in my genre, and embrace the brain vacation (easier said than done, I know).
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more