Questions for Author Interviews. What do you like?

[Skyler]

Wasn't sure where to put this, so thought I'd ask in here. I'm going to be doing a series of guest author interviews on my website, but I'd love to know what sort of questions you all wish people would ask the authors.

Put on your reader hat, not your writer hat, and think about the interviews you've read online. Are you bored of the same old style of questions? Or do you still find that interesting? Maybe there are things you'd like to know that are never asked.

Let me know your thoughts, so I can ask them the questions you all want to hear.

Thanks,
Skyler

[Will]

What is your favourite writing place?

[Yvonne]

What do you do to motivate yourself when you don't feel like writing?

[Andrew]

I tend to think the usual questions work quite well, as long as the author thinks hard about their answers. The trouble is, a lot of writers think they need to play safe.

"Which genre makes you throw up in your mouth?"
"Which writer would you most like to punch?"
"Who is your favourite Nazi?"

You could ask all of the above, and you'd still get a bland set of answers about sunbeams, Jesus inspiring people's work, everyone being lovely, and not needing a trad publisher any more anyway.

[Michael]

I've been doing a similar thing, take a look at the ones I've done so far: http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/

[Grace]

I always think a pithy question that gets straight to the point, is good as a reader ie.

"Why should we buy/ read your book?"

"What makes your book different from all the others out there."

G x

[Patti (baconater)]

Oh yep. Excellent question Grace.

[Patti (baconater)]

I also like the way you took the pith. ;)

[Alex]

How about:

"If you were a critic, what would you write about your book(s)?"

"When writing, do you generally stay 'in your comfort zone' or do you sometimes challenge yourself?"

[Paul]

Which do you think is the best story/novel/article/essay that you wrote, and which do you think is the worst?

[Nick]

I've read a few and done a few. I think the best are when the interviewer does a little research into you, and asks questions like, 'Can you tell us what is your favourite moment/scene in your book.' The reader can then begin to get an insight into the author. That way, it's interesting to the reader and helps the author promote their work.

[Jim]

Just to follow up Nick's comment. It really helps if the interviewer has actually read some of what you have written. Not necessarily all of it, but ideally at least one representative piece