Libba’s Comments (group member since Jun 21, 2011)

Libba’s comments from the Ask Libba Bray - Special One-Day-Only Group group.

Annmarie wrote: "First off i would like to start off by saying that you are an excellent writer and i really enjoyed the Gemma Doyle series. I haven't read your new book Beauty queens but it is definitely on my to-..."

Hi Annmarie! Thanks so much for the compliment! I really appreciate it. This seems to be a popular question today, so I'm going to suggest that you scroll back through some of the responses to get the answer you're looking for re: Gemma & Kartik & future Gemma books. Thanks, Annmarie!

Andy wrote: "Hi,
I'm trying to make a connection between YA and classic literature. When you wrote the Gemma Doyle series (the only one I've read so far), did it remind you of any classic literature? Which, if ..."

Hi Andy, great question. Well, I certainly hope so. Certainly, I was influenced by a great deal of what I've read and loved, like the Bronte sisters--JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS. I think Gemma's sarcastic observations are also influenced by Elizabeth Barrett in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Frances Hodgson Burnett's THE LITTLE PRINCESS is an influence as are most of Dickens' novels. There's probably some Sherlock Holmes to draw on as well, since I loved HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, among other Holmes tales. I also read a popular writer of late-Victorian school girl novels, L.T. Meade, for research purposes. The book of hers I read was A WORLD OF GIRLS. (Victorian school girl novels were very popular in late-Victorian England.) I drew on a lot of myth as well: Greek, Norse, Indian. Tennyson's poem, "The Lady of Shallot" is mentioned in AGATB; Milton's "Paradise Lost" is a reference for REBEL ANGELS, and W.B. Yeat's "The Rose of Battle" prefaces THE SWEET FAR THING. (The titles of the latter two book are drawn from those poems, respectively.)

Hope that helps get you started. Let me know what else you find as an influence. Thanks!

Jorayne wrote: "Adding some more Going Bovine love (though I thought the Gemma Doyle books were fantastic too):

Can you tell me a little bit more about the timeline of the novel in the "outside" world? For exampl..."

Hi Jorayne, that's a great question...and sadly, one I can't answer. It falls in the "what is your interpretation of what's going on in the novel" category. I leave that up to the reader to decide. The good news is, whatever you decide is the right answer.

Heather wrote: "I recently read Going Bovine for a book club I'm in. We all loved the book. We had an interesting discussion and a question came up about Greek Mythology.

Were any of the myths an inspiration for..."

Hi Heather. Great question--and Necco wafers all around for your book club! Yes, absolutely. It is a hero's journey and was heavily influenced by myth. I used a lot of Norse mythology--Cameron's mom teaches (or taught) Norse myth before she became a mom. There is reference to the River Styx (Small World ride) on the Greek mythology side. There are fire giants (Norse) and, of course, Balder is a character. There is the sense of Ragnarok, the end of the world, coming. Mrs. Moirae, the old lady in the hospital, is a reference to the Greek Fates (the Norns in the Norse) who control the destiny of man. There is more, too--feel free to go myth Easter egg hunting.

This is what happens when you grow up with an English teacher for a mother, by the way. You are scarred for life. Heh.

Megan wrote: "The Gemma Doyle books were definitely among my favorite YA books. I am always giving aGaTB to people at the library that want an introduction to fantasy books.

My question is: Will there be more ..."

Hi Megan! Thanks so much. Scroll up one or two to see the answer to your question and to read a bit about my next series, THE DIVINERS. :)

Mary Beth wrote: "Libba,

Beauty Queens was brilliant, but then again I expected nothing less from you. I loved the over the top characters and ridiculous beauty products. The commercials were hyster..."

Why, thank you. Any similarities between Ladybird Hope and a certain former governor are purely coincidental. :) Next, I'm working on THE DIVINERS. It's a creepy, four-book series set in 1920's NYC. Full of flappers, speakeasies, conspiracy, and things that go bump in the neon-drenched night.

Carrie wrote: "Hello Libba!

First off, thanks ever so much for four (soon to be five, when I get my hands on a copy of Beauty Queens) fantastic reads. A Great and Terrible Beauty has long been a favorite of ..."

Hi Carrie! Oooh, hard question! I don't really have a favorite, per se, because I enjoyed writing all of them. But I will say that there is a small sliver of special in my heart for GOING BOVINE. That book had been knocking around in my head for years. It wouldn't leave me alone. And it changed so much in the course of the writing. It's the book I find most difficult to talk about (which is probably why I did a video in a cow suit...) because it came from some place very deep and difficult to articulate. It's all in the book. Thanks!

Siman wrote: "Hi Libba,

I enjoyed your Gemma Doyle Trilogy immensely and can't wait to start reading Beauty Queens. What I liked the most about the aforementioned trilogy is how it inspires one to hope against ..."

Hi Siman. I don't have a message in mind when I'm writing. I'm writing a story, and I feel like a story is not a message. So I'm always trying to figure out what the story is and why I need to tell it. I'm taking the journey with the reader. I think that only the reader can discern any messages or themes in the text. That gets to be their job and can't be mine. Great question--thanks!

Brianna wrote: "Hi Libba. I wanted to compliment you on your Gemma Doyle Trilogy. I loved the story and the characters. Especially,Kartik :). But will you make anymore books like that? Because I love reading books..."

Hi Brianna. Thanks so much. I don't have plans to write about the Victorian era anytime soon, though I also love that time period. But I am writing a supernatural series set in the 1920s which comes out next fall. Maybe you will enjoy that as well. In the meantime, have you read Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series? It starts with Clockwork Angel. It's Victorian and very exciting.

Emily wrote: "Hi Libba, just wanted to say that Beauty Queens is my absolute favourite book of 2011! Now for my question:

I noticed that feminism is a very key theme in [book:Beauty Queens|946473..."

Hey Emily. Thanks for the kind words about Beauty Queens. I'm glad you enjoyed that subversive little tale. Mwahahaha!!! Okay. Evil laugh over. I just need to let it out to stretch every now and then.

That's an excellent question, and one that I kept asking myself as I wrote the book. I feel that in order to properly answer your question I might need an entire blog--so thanks for the blog suggestion, indirectly. But here's a short answer: I'm part of what I call the Title IX generation, the girls who directly benefitted by that second wave of feminism in the 1960s and '70s. I think feminism continues to evolve. It's a constant deconstruction of the messages we receive and the limitations/societal constraints placed on women. Some of those messages are overt and some are more insidious. And the more we work at asking the questions and challenging the assumptions and working on autonomy and deciding that we belong at the big table and working to further that cause through intelligent, reasoned discourse, small acts of everyday rebellion (Thank you, Gloria Steinem), and through legal means--AND with our checkbooks--the closer we will get to equality. Again, it's going to take a lot of work and awareness. It's easy to get complacent. And sometimes, say when we are raising small children, we are just too tired, and that's where sisterhood comes in: "Dudette, I am covered in spit-up and trying to calm a colicky baby. I need you to take this shift. I'll get the next. Go!"

I believe that feminism is advocating for equality for women--social, political, economic equality, yes, but also, it's about reframing how society views women, how they value women, and that's hard work that's going to take a very long time. Without that change in viewpoint, the rest is hollow. Some of that is framed by biology: We are the only gender who gives birth, and that presents certain challenges, especially in terms of economic disadvantage. (Feminism and economics are twined.) Creating real and lasting change is going to involve asking some pretty tough questions and being willing to tolerate the discussion, even though some of what is said might be hard to hear. Change involves dialogue. It involves getting past the rhetoric, the knee-jerk responses, to understand why the idea of women owning themselves is so threatening to the world. But ultimately, feminism benefits society as a whole. I believe you can't really have a strong society if you are oppressing 50% of that society.

I've known lots of cool, amazing feminist men, by the way. I've heard a lot of women say, "Well I'm not a feminist because I like men," which I've never really understood. To me, that's like saying, "I can't go to work today because I like cheese." One has nothing to do with the other. I'm a huge fan of the gentlemen: I was raised by a super-cool, feminist dad. I'm married to a cool dude and I'm raising another one. Men and women each bring something different and necessary to the table and it's about appreciating those differences and working cooperatively.

This is such an excellent question. I think I really will try to get to it in a blog. Thanks for the food for thought.

Mere wrote: "Hey, Libba. After finishing Going Bovine (mind-altering) and the Gemma Doyle Trilogy (life-changing), I've conjured up one question for you:

What assured you that, being holed up in whatever room..."

Great question, and I'm laughing as I type the answer because, um, I'm not sure that I DON'T go insane while writing. Honestly, I think I do go a little nuts with every book for a little while. I always jokingly (but not so jokingly) say that I need a good 30/45 minutes after the day's writing to just be by myself doing something mindless like grocery shopping or reading silly things on the Internet or annoying the cats before I am allowed to be around other human beings. It's like I'm so submerged that I have to rise slowly so i don't get a case of the emotional bends.

So, yeah. My sanity--always in question. :)

Tracy wrote: "Just wanted to say I loved Going Bovine. One of the best books I have ever read. my question is can you tell us more about Cameron's family? -especially his sister Jenna.

Thanks!"

Hi Tracy! Thanks so much. That means a lot. Such a good question but a tough one to answer because I feel like everything i wanted to say about Cameron's family is in the book. Beyond that, I feel the reader owns it and gets to supply whatever backstory s/he wants to make up or contemplate or turn into fan fic. You know? Hopefully, Jenna has all kinds of things going on in a parallel universe somewhere. Thanks, Tracy.

Artemis wrote: "Hi, Libba~ I am a big fan of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy! I just really want to ask whether you really wanted to kill Kartik in the end, and why didn't you let Virginia Doyle/Mary Dawd appear again in ..."

Hi Artemis! Thanks so much for the nice words about the GDT. Lots of Kartik love on the boards today. I'm posting a link to the blog I wrote when TSFT came out about the Kartik decision. Maybe it will answer your question? http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...

As for Virginia/Mary, I felt like her story line was complete in AGATB. That was sort of the arc of the first book, really, was Gemma's coming to terms with her mother, her mother's past, her own guilt and grief, and letting go of it all. Gemma had even bigger fish to fry in Rebel Angels and TSFT.

Thanks for your question!

Jessi wrote: "Will you ever write something Paranormal Fanatsy like the Gemma Doyle Trilogy?"

You bet. THE DIVINERS--a supernatural series set in 1920s New York City. The first book comes out next fall. :)

Robin wrote: "I loved your Gemma series so much I'm rereading it again. When you start writing do you know where you are going with the story/characters or do you let it unwind as you begin with a simple idea?
..."

Hey Robin. I rarely know where I'm going when I start a book. To me, a large part of the fun is taking the trip and seeing where I come out at the end. Then there are times where I *think* I know where I'm going and I'm almost always wrong. LOL. So there's that. It's funny, because right now, I'm working on a new series, and I *do* know the end point. But I don't know how we get to the end point. I guess I'll have to see if I stay true to that ending or not.

Fifth graders are awesome. The best advice I can give to them is to read, read, read. You learn with every book you read. Also, to write what they love to read. People say "write what you know" but I think it's interesting to get to write what you *don't* know. But if you write what you love, you'll stay interested in it. Give them my best, and thanks for your questions.

Margy wrote: "I absolutely loved your Gemma Doyle triology and often recommend it when doing Readers Advisory at the library where I am employed for those teens looking for historical fiction - splashed with a t..."

Hey Margy, awesome librarian. Thanks so much for recommending my books. I really appreciate that. Good news--I am working on a new historical series right now. It's called THE DIVINERS, and it's set in 1920s New York City. I'd been wanting to write something set in the 1920s for some time, and I'd been wanting to write another creepy, dark, supernatural series. So I combined the two. The first book will be out Fall 2012. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for your question.

Krissy wrote: "Hey!! I read your Gemma Doyle series about a year ago and nearly died reading it because it was so good.

I have some questions that kind of blend together.

How do you come up with the scenes th..."

Oh, Krissy. I wish I knew! The transition bits are such a chore sometimes. I always have the feeling that I am trying to distract the audience while I figure out how to pull the rabbit out of the hat. Honestly--and I know this is an unsatisfying answer--so much of that problem stuff gets smoothed out after the endless revisions. Other times, I remember the beautiful simplicity of a sentence like, "The next day..." or "It wasn't until ten o'clock the next morning, well after breakfast, that Patrick remembered the monster under the bed." That's what I have to remember: Simple is best. (Most of the time. Sometimes, crazy 'splodey over-the-top action is best.)

I think, too, it depends on your writing process. Some writers write in a linear fashion. I write all over the place and out of sequence, so when I'm stitching things together in Franken-novel fashion, it can feel really awkward until I've worked it and worked it into something more seamless. (Or at least I hope it becomes seamless.)

I usually write three "big" drafts but within those drafts are countless revisions. I revise every day. There's no part of the story that doesn't get reworked in some way. Even the punctuation is suspect. ;-)

Every day, I struggle with the feeling that what I'm writing is total crap. Honestly. I don't know many writers who don't feel that way. That's why it's good to have friends who can take it away from you, read it, and say, "You are crazy. This is coming along just fine. Now have a cookie and get back to work."

Thanks for your questions. And good luck with your writing!

Liz wrote: "What I have always wondered, is how do you develop such strong character voices in your writing? In all your books each character has such a strong narration voice, and all the characters have stro..."

Hi Liz. Thank you so much for that lovely compliment. Working on character is perhaps my favorite aspect of writing. I am fascinated by the human condition, by all the things that stop us or keep us going or help us move on and connect or keep us from connecting. I find that a side effect of writing is that it often helps me understand myself a little better. I think most writers are observers at heart. We watch the world. We take notes. We ponder, "Now, why did that person do that? It would seem against self-interest..." It's like being an armchair psychologist! I'm just endlessly fascinated by human beings and what makes them tick. So getting to know the characters in each book is something I look forward to each time. I know they will take me places and show me things--sometimes wondrous things and sometimes hard truths. Anyway, it comes about by writing and thinking and listening and asking myself lots and lots of questions. I often jot down notes in a spiral notebook, things like, "What would happen if Gemma did X or Y?" "Why is Cameron so checked out of life? What happened?"

The other thing, though, is what I call "The Personal Is Also Universal." By that I mean, that you have to put a little marrow on the page; you have to be willing to dredge up some of your own idiosyncrasies, insecurities, big questions, fears, etc. You have to be willing to go there. At any rate, you should try to make those characters as real as you possibly can and fill in all the holes and not worry about whether they are "likeable" so much as whether they are believable.

Also--and I don't know if this is helpful or not--I came from a theatre background, so I still think in terms of character arc and character analyses. That stuff is etched into my brain matter. Or at least that's what I tell myself to justify getting a degree in drama.

Thanks!

Elliot wrote: "Hello Ms. Bray! Thank you for writing such a wonderful Trilogy! I loved Gemma, so was such a strong role model for young women!

How do you switch from writing something like AGATB to your other ..."

Hi Elliot! Great question. I always use the food analogy: I love Chana Masala. But I don't want to eat it every day of my life. Sometimes I want ice cream. Or sushi. Or pancakes. (You get the picture.) I love so many different genres that I don't want to write just one thing. And truthfully, the story usually dictates the form it takes. Going Bovine was a surreal, sort of jazz-inspired riff on Don Quixote. Beauty Queens is a romp of a satire. The Gemma Doyle trilogy was a Victorian ghost story. Now, I'm working on a sort of dark, creepy supernatural series set in 1920s NYC. I love to write, and I love to write lots of different things. Thanks!

Hannie wrote: "OMG!!!!! Libba Bray! I can't believe you're gonna read this!!!!!

My questions for you:

1. What inspired you to come up with a hot indian male character? I <3 Kartik!

2. Why did you kill Ka..."

Hi Hannie. I am totally reading this. I've read it twice, in fact. Hopefully, my answers will be satisfying! Let's see:

1. What inspired you to come up with a hot indian male character? I <3 Kartik!
I'm glad you heart Kartik. I definitely wanted romance in the series and I wanted also to explore issues of class and race since Gemma and the other girls are mostly privileged white girls and Victorian England was a society with some pretty strict classism and racism.

2. Why did you kill Kartik? Did you want me to have a heart attack?
Sorry for any palpitations. But some people might argue that he's not dead. Just...replanted? ;-) On a more serious note, when TSFT came out, I wrote a blog that answers that question and a few more. Here's the link: http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...

3. Who inspires you?
Most of the people I know. And I'm often inspired by small acts of kindness.

4. Is there some kind of novella after the Gemma Doyle Trilogy? Maybe. Right now, I'm busy writing a new historical supernatural series called THE DIVINERS, which comes out Fall 2012. That's going to keep me busy for the next four or five years, I'm pretty sure.

Thanks!