Ask the Author: Annabel Monaghan
Answered Questions (16)
Annabel Monaghan
Not only is that not nosy but it’s the first time I’ve had that question. I was looking for a short expression that conveyed this idea of uniqueness and I liked this one best. Portuguese is such a pretty language.
Annabel Monaghan
Never say never but I’d say the third book will likely wrap things up and be the last. Still working on it now so don’t know when it’ll be released. Heading back to work on it now….
Annabel Monaghan
I wish I did. It would be easier to know if I’d finished it but (shame!) I haven’t. Check back here and I’ll post about it when i know.
Annabel Monaghan
I’m planning for one more Digit book - working on it now. I have a collection of essays for moms coming out in December called Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? AND I have a novel about a 25 year old woman that’s mostly still in my head. So, in short, yes lots more books coming
Annabel Monaghan
I don’t know, mainly because I haven’t finished writing it yet. Typing like crazy and hoping for the best, thanks for asking!
Annabel Monaghan
Sorry to not have responded sooner! See earlier question and answer.
Annabel Monaghan
Yes! I’m writing a third and final Digit book now - hoping to be done in the new year.
Annabel Monaghan
Yes, the third book starts right where Double Digit leaves off, with Digit starting work for the President.
Annabel Monaghan
Yes, I am working on a third and final Digit book now. Send me good vibes for fun ideas and fast typing!
Annabel Monaghan
and the answer is YES! I’m so glad you liked it. Yes, I’m working now on a third and final book. Wish me luck!
Annabel Monaghan
I used deal with writer’s block by talking a walk or making tea or calling my sister. And I found that it wasn’t helping with my writing but boy was I walking, sipping and chatting a lot. Now I’m kind of strict about it in that I force myself to keep writing when I’m stuck. I’ll type stuff like, “Wow, so this is terrible, I mean where am I even going with this ridiculous story? I wonder if I have any leftover cookie dough in the fridge? This story can never get resolved. Ever. Unless the code leads them to the airport. Wait, that’s it!” It generally takes longer than that and involves a fact-finding trip to the fridge, but it works itself out. It’s like Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Annabel Monaghan
My favorite thing about being a writer is meeting a reader who liked something that I wrote. When I meet someone who says that my book is her favorite book, I do this: First, I pretend like I didn’t hear her so I can get her to say it again. Then I think “This person should probably read The Hunger Games or Lonesome Dove.” And finally, I just feel really grateful that this reader experienced my book in the way I was hoping she would. A book is a collaboration between the writer and the reader, after all.
Also I really like being where I want to be and wearing what I want to wear. I used to get up in the morning and put on a suit. And pantyhose! Can you imagine that kind of suffering?
Also I really like being where I want to be and wearing what I want to wear. I used to get up in the morning and put on a suit. And pantyhose! Can you imagine that kind of suffering?
Annabel Monaghan
I hate myself when I am answering this question, because the real, true answer is so boring: you just need to write. You need to write regularly and with enthusiasm. Writing is like any other muscle, and it gets easier as you go. I also think that reading really helps your writing. Reading everything you can, so you can hear the voices of different authors and experience different styles of story telling helps you find your own. Ancillary advice: pay attention, write things down, and, by all means, start young while you still have your parents paying your bills!
Annabel Monaghan
Right now I’m multi-tasking, which amounts to me getting nothing done at all. I’m working on the third and final Digit book, I’m writing a screenplay, and I’m writing my regular column. Let me do that math for you: 1 + 1 + 1 = 0. I need to pick something and finish!
Annabel Monaghan
Sometimes I’ll have a thought spinning around in my head for a few days, and I know it’s not going to leave me alone until I write about it. I guess you’d call that inspiration. But I don’t really believe in waiting to feel inspired to write. Writing really happens for me while I’m writing. If I can be disciplined enough to sit down and open my laptop (I cannot overstate how hard this part is. The agony!!) the inspiration will usually come while I’m typing.
Annabel Monaghan
A Girl Named Digit started with the idea of a fake kidnapping. I just liked the idea of someone being removed from her life for a while to do something cool while everyone back at home was worried about her well being. Watching the news coverage would be like attending your own funeral. So I thought a lot about what sort of person would need to be fake kidnapped, and I got to this: a teenage math genius who accidentally trips up a terrorist group and needs to disappear pronto.And then for Double Digit, I thought a lot about the practical applications of math and how Digit’s gift for math could get her into even more trouble. It turns out hacking into the Department of Defense’s mainframe is frowned upon by the authorities. Who knew?
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