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

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

Torie wrote: "Hi, Libba! I would love to first tell you how much I LOVED your books and you're truly an inspiration to an aspiring writer like me.

I was wondering what your writing schedule was like. Do you s..."

Hi Torie. I do have a writing schedule, actually. I write during the day while my son is in school. I'm very much a morning person and am most productive anywhere from about 7 a.m. till about 3:00 p.m. I can even get up at 5:30 or 6:00 to write. But I am pretty useless in the evenings. That's when my drool cup is in place. I don't have any writing rituals, per se, though I do love writing in cafes. I hate writing at home (too distracting). And I make a playlist for every book I write so that I can put on my headphones and get into a groove if I feel distracted or things get tough. Music helps, I find. Thanks!

Natalie wrote: "Hi Cool Aunt Libba!

I was wondering what it is that you do to stay so cool and in-touch with young adults. Do you find yourself spending a lot of time building forts, and playing dress up? On th..."

This made my whole life. :) If I'm Cool Aunt Libba, does that mean I always have gum and will take you to the concerts your parents hate? Because I would be 100% up for that job. Thanks for thinking I'm cool, Natalie. Personally, I'm pretty sure I'm a big dork (my son confirms this daily.)

It's an interesting question, and one I sometimes get asked by those "cosmopolitan" adults. I've always wondered why people think teens are some strange subspecies. Or uniform. I just assume we are talking about lots of individuals with varied interests and personalities and concerns and dreams, etc. etc. You know, JUST LIKE ADULTS! ;-) So yeah, my approach boils down to, "Hi. I'm Libba. What's your name? Cool. I'm just sitting here on the stoop eating some Twizzlers. Want a Twizzler? Do you ever wonder what would happen if you got mad cow disease and went on a road trip? Where would you stop first?" It's a conversation, and I'm lucky enough to get to have that conversation for a living. I do think that one of the reasons I'm drawn to writing YA is that I had a particularly intense adolescence, and that that time informed so much of who I went on to be--or am still becoming.

However, I do enjoy both the building of forts with sofa cushions and playing dress-up so I can lip synch to loud music in my basement. Not sure if this qualifies me to write YA or is slightly upsetting and frightening. Your call. Um, Twizzler?

Thanks for the great question!

ka wrote: "I read somewhere that you wrote The Sweet Far Thing twice and I would like to know the difference between the one we read and the first draft you made.

And I would also like to know if you don't h..."

Hi Ka,
Oh...TSFT horrors. Yuppers, wrote a novel all wrong. Got the battle scars and the facial tic to prove it. Most of the stuff that didn't work involved a sort of weird, half-spider man (not to be confused with Spiderman, which would have been some awesome crossover...) who was a very unreliable character leading Gemma astray. It was like I went to sleep and woke up in a completely different book. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking.

But you wanted some outtakes. I remembered posting some on my blog a long time ago. I found them. Here's the link: http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/181...

Enjoy!

Ellie wrote: "Why did you choose to stop the Gemma Doyle trilogy with such an unresolved ending?"

Hi Ellie. Good question. I think life is unresolved, and we are leaving Gemma as she is finishing one chapter in her life and starting another, so i wanted to stop there, with some sadness and some hope, and allow the reader to imagine what happens next.

Reads_ten_each wrote: "This is so exciting! I don't even know what to write! okay okay, I'm calm. Libba Bray, your defiantly one of my favorite authors. I still can't get enough of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, it was amazing..."

Hello, aspiring writer! *high fives you on Internet* I love that you started in fan fiction. I wish fan fic had existed when I was a teen. I probably would've been writing alternate "Wuthering Heights" chapters for days on end. Anyway, way cool that you want to write. You asked for advice, so let's see what I can tell you:
1. Read everything. Seriously. Every time I read, I learn something new. Like Stephen King used "spumed." Great verb.
2. Butt in Chair. Simply put, sit and write for a little bit every day, or as many days as you can per week, even if it's 15 minutes. Practice makes perfect and all that. Or, practice makes better. That's a little more doable.
3. Forgive yourself. Nobody is Margo Lanagan from the get-go. Well, maybe Margo Lanagan is, but she's secretly a Robot of Awesome. Right, Margo? Anyhoo, play and make mistakes. Usually, the good stuff comes out of that.
4. Tell your internal critic to shut up. You know about the internal critic, right? The one that stands behind you and judges EVERY SINGLE WORD as you try to write? Yeah. That one. Mine is named Lola, and she wears leather boots and eats all my M&Ms. She says things like, "Wow, that's SO original." "How many times are you going to start a sentence with a pronoun?" "Saw that coming." "You know who would write this better? Holly Black." Sometimes I have to say to Lola, "Hey, what's that in the closet? Is it cake? Go look...that's right...closer...closer..." Then I shut and lock the door on her and get back to my laptop.
Hope that helps.
Oh, and the 18th century would be the 1700's. The 19th century would be the 1800's in which the Gemma books are set. I swear, this has confused me my entire life. I still have to stop and think about it. :)

Willa wrote: "--How do you write - computer, pencil and paper, etc.
--How did you find a literary agent?"

Hey Willa. (I love the name Willa; it was the name of my beloved high school English teacher, Willa Mae Burlage. She was awesome.) I write on my laptop, which is a Mac Air. But I also keep tons of spiral notebooks, and I almost always have one with me for jotting things down or trying to figure things out. I've also started using the program Scrivener to write, which is really helpful. I recommend it. As for finding a literary agent, I recommend joining SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators). They have amazing conferences all over the U.S. and offer lots of advice on finding an agent, getting published, making your manuscript the best it can be. Thanks!

Tricia wrote: "HI!
I recently read Beauty Queens and loved it!
I have 2 questions.
- What do you like to do in your spare time?
- Do you have any plans for an adult novel?
Thanks!"

Hi Tricia. I'm so glad you liked BQ! Spare time? Oh man, I need to get me some spare time. LOL--not a lot of that around here. When I need to decompress, I like to play drums or piano or see my friends. I spend time with my husband and son watching "Dr. Who." And I love to go for walks while listening to my iPod. I'm a big daydreamer, and I need time for that. I have some notes for an adult novel I might get around to writing one day, maybe twenty years from now. There's another adult novel or novella that I've been writing on in dribs and drabs for ten years. I hope to finish it at some point, but right now, my dance card is booked solid. Thanks for your questions.

Julia wrote: "Hi! I loved the book, BEAUTY QUEENS and it's now being passed around to all my friends! I found Beauty Queens HILARIOUS and now, I want some Maxi Pad pets! Rawr! Ha ha. So, question: Where the HECK..."

Hi Julia and hello Canada! Thanks for the BQ love. It was a lot of fun to write, as you may have surmised, and coming up with those ridiculous (but maybe not too far from the real thing) products was a big part of the fun. I actually worked in advertising and marketing for a few years, so it was delightful to turn what I learned writing copy on its head in service of this book. Maybe it's just that I have an absurdist mindset, but I find most commercials/ads pretty hilarious (and infuriating) when you deconstruct them. And the truth is, we are being marketed to ALL THE FREAKING TIME. It's interesting to see how ads play on our aspirations, our vulnerabilities and insecurities, our fears. So being able to magnify that and turn it up to 11, in the words of Spinal Tap, was just a criminal amount of fun. But hopefully, it also makes people stop and think, "Hey wait a minute, why am I supposed to have fun during my period? Why can't I slow down and lay low? Why do I have to be up all the freaking time?" Within each ad/commercial we see on TV or read in a magazine is a carefully coded message. It's good to be aware of those messages, to view them with a critical eye.

For the record, I also want some Maxi-Pad Pets. Really, who doesn't want a special friend in their pants? ;-)

Thanks for your question, Julia!

Radha wrote: "Ok, so first thing's first, I absolutely love the Gemma Doyle series. They are probably some of the best books I've read over my small liftime of thirteen years. I was wondering....
1.) Why in the..."

Hi Radha. Thanks for your questions. You know, I've been asked Question #1 many times, and when TSFT came out, I ended up writing a blog to answer that one and quite a few others. I'm cutting and pasting the link to my livejournal response here because I think it might have the most comprehensive answer to your question. At least, I hope it does. Here you go: http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...

It might also contain answers to your #2 & #3. I don't know if I'd ever write a fourth book in the Gemma series. If I did, I don't know that it would be satisfying. I'd have to feel compelled to tell that story as I did with the first three. I have often thought about writing something new in that world, say, when Gemma, Fee, and Ann are a bit older. But I suppose we'll have to see. I've got quite a few books on my plate, and those will keep me busy for the next, gulp, four or five years.

Just typing that made me feel the need for cake.

Thanks for your questions.

Picture wrote: "Just a note: I hope you come on a book tour to Minneapolis."

I'd love to go to Minneapolis. I've never been. And it is the land of Prince and Trip Shakespeare. Minneapolis, I am here for you. *thumps chest* *says "ow" because, hello, thumped chest*

Nicole wrote: "LIBBA BRAY! All your books are flipping awesome. I have three questions...
1. What are you writing next? Are the rumours of a trilogy set in 1920s New York true? (Derp I guess that's two questions)..."

Hey Nicole! Sorry I'll miss you at LeakyCon, but I will definitely say hi to the other Shebams as I am very much looking forward to hanging with those cool chicks. As for your questions, let's see:

1. What are you writing next? Are the rumours of a trilogy set in 1920s New York true? (Derp I guess that's two questions) It is 100% true. (See the answer right before yours for more details.) Think "X-Files" with Flappers. I don't know if that's what I'm actually writing or not but it sounds cool. Like Fezzes. Fezzes are cool.

2. Will you ever come on a book tour to England? I wish! Sadly, I think I've sold maybe three copies of my books in England. Maybe you were one? And I'm a complete Anglophile, too. England, I would love to come visit. Just sayin'. *waits for England to share its love*

3. Do you think AGATB would make a good play? I'd love for it to be a musical! Can't you see a number called "I'm the Loneliest Beastie in the Winterlands" or "I Got Them Old Sort-Of-Dead-But-Not-Totally-Dead-Eating-A-Goat's Head Blues (Pippa's Lament)"? No? Just me? *whistles* *looks away*

Thanks, Nicole!

~Yue~ [Down the Rabbit Hole] wrote: "Okay, so before I have this total mental spaz attack and make myself look complete idiot about how much I love your books and KARTIK, I would like to ask you if you are currently working on anythin..."

Personally, I love total mental spaz attacks. I indulge in them frequently. Like recently, I was in Chicago, and on the way out of the airport, I saw a sign that read: "Rockford, Illinois" and I shouted, "ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS! THAT'S WHERE CHEAP TRICK IS FROM!" Cheap Trick being a seminal band of my youth. Yeah. Everyone looked at me like I had three heads.

But on to your question. I am indeed working on something. It's a new four-book series called THE DIVINERS. It's set in the 1920s in New York City (Flappers! Jazz! Speakeasies! Ghosts!) and is supernatural. One of my great genre loves is horror, so I'm going for it. Wish me luck! (And I hope you enjoy it--the first book will be out Fall 2012.)

Caitlin wrote: "Hi Libba,

What drew you to the YA genre? The Gemma Doyle trilogy had some pretty dark elements, have you ever been tempted to try an adult novel?"

Hi Caitlin. I actually started off my writing career as a playwright. Yeaahhh, that went...nowhere. It was my husband who suggested YA. (He worked in children's/YA.) He gave me these wonderful books to read by Laurie Halse Anderson, Francesca Lia Block, David Levithan, Rob Thomas, Angela Johnson--and I was hooked. They spoke to my soul. That's what drew me in. I have been tempted to write an adult book, and I might at some point. I'm also interested in writing another play. But for now, I'm pretty firmly and happily ensconced in the YA world. I think YA rocks. Thanks for your question.

GerIta_lessthanthree wrote: "Hi Libba!

I'm a huge fan of the Gemma Doyle trilogy ans I was wondering where you got your insperation for Pippa, she's my favorite character in the series. Gemma Doyle also got me obsessed with..."

Hi there! I didn't really have an inspiration for Pippa, per se. Characters tend to develop over time in the writing. I knew I wanted her to be a follower, someone who wasn't used to making her own decisions until she makes that very big one at the end of AGATB.

As for the anagrams, oh man, you should have seen the scads of wadded-up paper around my desk as I was trying to come up with anagrams that worked! It was ridiculous. So far, no one is making a movie of AGATB. I guess we'll have to see what happens. Thanks!

Pam wrote: "Dear Libba,

Just wanted to let you know I am a big fan! I have a few questions:
1. What gave you inspiration for Going Bovine?
2. Was Cameron's adventure in Going Bovine real or a dream?
3. W..."

Hi Pam! Let's see if I can give you some good answers to your questions.
Just wanted to let you know I am a big fan! I have a few questions:
1. What gave you inspiration for Going Bovine? Many years ago, I heard about a man in my hometown who had contracted CJ, the human variant of mad cow disease. He suffered from intense hallucinations, one of which was seeing flames shooting up out of nowhere. This, to me, was both terrifying and fascinating--terrifying because the idea of losing my mind, of not being able to discern what is real and what is not, is a primal fear. And fascinating because the brain does bizarre things; we don't understand the brain entirely, and honestly, who is to say what defines reality? I really wanted to explore that concept. So that was the origin. From there, it took on many, many coats of paint, so to speak.

2. Was Cameron's adventure in Going Bovine real or a dream? That is up to the reader to interpret. :)

3. What was the inspiration for the Gemma Doyle trilogy? I love Victorian novels and ghost stories and I wanted to try my hand at both.

4. What was the inspiration for Kartik's character in the Gemma Doyle trilogy? Kartik sort of evolved as did most of the characters, although I did have a crush on a guy named Kartik back in my waitressing days. In true form, he did not know I was alive.

5.I can't remember. Was the reason Kartik didn't kill Gemma like he was supposed to because he actually liked her? I'm guessing that and the fact that maybe he's a lot more ethical and less of a follower than the powers in charge would've liked.

Thanks!

Picture wrote: "Dear Libba Bray,

Please reply even though this is long.

I seriously can eat your writing, and I’d be satisfied for centuries. Your books make me endlessly happy. You should have seen my face w..."

Hey Sukanya! Wow, what a great letter. Thanks so much. I will treasure that. So, so lovely. I hope you can score a copy of BQ at the library. And Sukanya's Mom, what up with the no love for fiction? It's a vital part of every human's education! Also, if you decide to eat my writing, I recommend chocolate sauce. Everything is better with chocolate sauce. Well, maybe not pizza. I digress. Back on track, LIbba. Back on track.

Okie dokie. Let's get to your quick-fire question challenge:

1. Little Women or the Count of Monte Cristo? The Count of Monte Cristo Meets the Little Women. I'd love to see Jo March and Edmund Dantes hatching a revenge scheme in France. (We laugh; this will be a book before we know it.)

2. Saying pop or soda? Dr. Pepper.

3. Favorite TV shows? Dr. Who. Monty Python. Kolchak: The Night Stalker (the original). Twilight Zone. House Hunters.

4. Do you consider yourself schizophrenic? No. But the voices in my head think I am.

5. PI or pie? Pie. Unless I can get 3.14 pieces of pie, in which case, PI pie.

6. Zuzu pets or Webkinz? Robots.

7. Punching fat guys in the face or hitting old ladies with your purse? Neither. I try to keep my violence contained to attacking my manuscripts.

8. Which of your characters is most like you and why? I don't think I can answer that. Sorry.

9. The Matrix or Inception? The Matrix.

10. Possible end of the world: Nuclear war or a virus killing off most of the people? Zombie hordes. Go out with a bang and a shuffle, you know?

Lara wrote: "Hi Libba :) I just love your books, I always think it will take me a while to read them and I end up devouring them super quickly, since they are amazing and so intriguing. I'm wondering if you'll ..."

Hi Lara! Thanks so much for the lovely compliment. :) I am actually working right now (well, not right this second--quite obviously, I am answering your question right now, but you know what I mean...) on a new, four-book series called THE DIVINERS. It's a supernatural, historical series set in 1920s New York City. This story seemed to need a lot of room to tell, hence the four books. It has lots of creepy things and conspiracy and speakeasies and flappers. I'm hoping I can make it all work because, hoo-boy, is it kicking my butt right now...

Jenna Christy wrote: "Hi Libba! I would just like to ask how and where do you get your ideas of your book’s plot? Did you dream them? or did something happen that made you think to write about it? :)"

Hi Jenna. Wow, I WISH I could dream them. It's just good, old-fashioned hard work, my friend. I usually get the seed of an idea--"boy gets mad cow disease and goes on a Don Quixote-type road trip"--and keep adding layers. I loved what the amazing Ray Bradbury once said about plot: "Plot are the footprints left in the snow after your characters have run through." I love that and I think it's true that the better you know your characters, the more you can have them make choices which help determine the plot. Would Character X do this? Would she not do this? I also really try to stay open to my unconscious. Interesting things bubble up all the time and I try to allow myself the room to see where they lead rather than worrying about whether or not it "fits" or will end up in the final version of the novel.

Alana wrote: "Hey Libba Bray! So exciting! When my dearest friend and I met she told me to read A Great and Terrible Beauty and it soon became one of my all-time favourite books. I love it because it reminds me ..."

Hey Alana--no worries, we don't get out the thumbscrews for sneaking in two questions. :) Oh gosh, it's always so hard to nail down favorite books, but here are some of them: Charlotte's Web, Goodnight Moon, The Hotel New Hampshire, The Beak of the Finch, How To Say Goodbye in Robot, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 'Salem's Lot, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice...so many more but I'll stop there.

I had no idea I'd become a writer. My first love was art, then music, then theatre. But when I was eighteen, I had a very bad car accident in which I basically broke my face and lost my left eye. For the next six years, while going to college, I had a lot of reconstructive surgery. But that first year--my freshman year--was really awful. I was broken on the inside as well as the outside and I had no way to talk about the heartbreak and rage. But I had received a little yellow journal as a graduation present and I began to write everything down in there as a way to cope. Eventually, I looked forward to the writing. It was the one place where I found I could be completely honest, and that saved me. I wrote myself into being a writer, I suppose. Thanks for your questions.

Frankie wrote: "Libba, I've been a fan since I read AGATB. I also read the two sequels (love, love) and I adored Going Bovine. I'm excited to read Beauty Queens, too. As an aspiring writer, I was wondering if you ..."

Thanks! My advice is always the same: Read everything. And a great piece of advice I got from fellow writer, Jennifer Jacobson, who said she always asks herself when writing, "Is it true yet?" That's better than anything I could come up with for sure.

I am a music freak! I actually make a playlist for every book that I write. It's a bit of a ritual choosing the songs. Some I jettison; others I keep. Then I often listen to that playlist while writing, especially when I get stuck. There's something about it that gets me into a groove or a writing trance. For AGATB, I listened to a lot of Tori Amos and Sigur Ros. For Going Bovine, it was The Flaming Lips and some delightfully oddball songs. Beauty Queens is heavy on the female artists: PJ Harvey, Le Tigre, Nancy Sinatra, Jill Sobule. I've been putting together the playlist for DIVINERS, which features a lot of 1920s music as well as some very atmospheric stuff like Timber Timbre. As for hobbies, well, reading, naturally. I play drums and piano (not well) and sing in an all-YA author band called Tiger Beat with Dan Ehrenhaft, Natalie Standiford and Barnabas Miller. And I like hanging out with my 12-year-old son who is very good on drums and occasionally tries to teach me things. Thanks for your questions!