Ivy
asked
Lisa McMann:
Hey Lisa, just curious, Are there any new books or book series your working on as of now? I absolutely loved The Unwanteds Series and I plan on reading the Wake Trilogy soon! I was also curious, what do you think about while you brainstorm characters? How do you get inspiration for their physical appearance, personality, and their possible friends?
Lisa McMann
Hi Ivy,
Yes, I'm working on a new series call The Forgotten Five. It's about five supernatural kids, raised in isolation on a deserted island, who enter civilization for the first time ever to search for their missing criminal parents and the stash they left behind. It's kind of like The Incredibles, but the parents are villains instead of heroes. The characters are some of the best I've ever written (though Aaron Stowe is probably one the very best).
When I brainstorm characters, I am always thinking about diversity and how they can be different in looks and personality from the other characters, and how they can be unique, interesting, and have different flaws that they will need to work on throughout the series. I want my characters to have depth--deep rooted issues that they've faced in the past that make them the characters they are when the book begins. It helps to jot down a few things about each character, like a bio--something you have for you, not necessarily in the story--that helps you understand how they would make decisions. For instance, if they were bit by a dog as a young child, they might have a fear of dogs now. Or maybe something happened with their parents that has changed everything for them. Many times I don't really know the characters until I've done several rounds of edits on my manuscripts--it takes a lot of editing to really find out who they are.
I hope you enjoy The Forgotten Five! The first three books are available now, and there will be seven in all. Book four comes out Feb 13th.
Yes, I'm working on a new series call The Forgotten Five. It's about five supernatural kids, raised in isolation on a deserted island, who enter civilization for the first time ever to search for their missing criminal parents and the stash they left behind. It's kind of like The Incredibles, but the parents are villains instead of heroes. The characters are some of the best I've ever written (though Aaron Stowe is probably one the very best).
When I brainstorm characters, I am always thinking about diversity and how they can be different in looks and personality from the other characters, and how they can be unique, interesting, and have different flaws that they will need to work on throughout the series. I want my characters to have depth--deep rooted issues that they've faced in the past that make them the characters they are when the book begins. It helps to jot down a few things about each character, like a bio--something you have for you, not necessarily in the story--that helps you understand how they would make decisions. For instance, if they were bit by a dog as a young child, they might have a fear of dogs now. Or maybe something happened with their parents that has changed everything for them. Many times I don't really know the characters until I've done several rounds of edits on my manuscripts--it takes a lot of editing to really find out who they are.
I hope you enjoy The Forgotten Five! The first three books are available now, and there will be seven in all. Book four comes out Feb 13th.
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