Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books discussion
This topic is about
P.T. Michelle
Author Interview of the Month
>
Indie Author Interview with P.T. Michelle
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Great interview! C.S. Lewis is a huge favorite with me, too. :)
Great interview, chatty and informative :)
Hi everyone! *waves* Thank you for having me! Coffee shops are da bomb for writers. 95% of LUCID was written in a B&N cafe. :)
Mod
That's totally amazing :)
All this week I'm sharing anything and everything to do with the BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS series during a blog tour. From playslists to movie cast to Ethan/Nara interviews to worldbuilding, 10 little known facts about BKoD, ravens, AND we're also debuting the BKoD book trailer! The list of the tour is on my blog here: http://www.ptmichelle.com/2012/09/23/... Oh and BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS is on SALE for $.99! :)If anyone has any questions about writing, I do have several tips on writing on my blog as well. You can read those here: http://www.ptmichelle.com/tag/wrting-...
Any questions, ask away. :)
P.T.
P.T. wrote: "All this week I'm sharing anything and everything to do with the BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS series during a blog tour. From playslists to movie cast to Ethan/Nara interviews to worldbuilding, 10 li..."Thanks P.T. and great interview! My user name for a lot of things is Wonderwmn! Now I'm off to check out your blog. Oh and those who haven't read Brightest Kind of Darkness, what are you waiting for? AWESOME BOOK!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness! I loved BKD but I never heard Lucid was published! *dies*.
Mod
P.T. wrote: "All this week I'm sharing anything and everything to do with the BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS series during a blog tour. From playslists to movie cast to Ethan/Nara interviews to worldbuilding, 10 li..."To date, Wonder Woman is still my all time favorite hero(ine)! :) I'm so glad you enjoyed my books, Marni! :) Oh, btw, during the tour I wrote a guest post about worldbuilding, giving a visual example (visual in the sense of a 3D perspective). It's here if anyone's interested in checking it out : http://rhireading.blogspot.com/2012/0...
Rachel's Book Reviews wrote: "Oh my goodness! I loved BKD but I never heard Lucid was published! *dies*."Yay, I'm so glad you loved BKoD and that my posting here helped alert you to LUCID's release. It released in July. :) Hope you love LUCID just as much!
Erin wrote: "I've got Brightest Kind of Darkness up to read next week, I've so been looking forward to getting to it! Great interview, thank you for taking the time to chat with our group!!"I hope you enjoy it! :)
Hi P.T.!! Just had the chance to drop by. I am looking forward to checking out your books. The ladies that run our group always provided wonderful recommendations and I have never been disappointed. I am heading over to buy BKD! Great interview!
Tina wrote: "Hi P.T.!! Just had the chance to drop by. I am looking forward to checking out your books. The ladies that run our group always provided wonderful recommendations and I have never been disappoi..."Hi Tina! Thank you. I hope you enjoyed BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS. :)
Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Brightest Kind of Darkness (other topics)Lucid (other topics)
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was around fifteen. I've always been an avid reader, but when I finished one book and sighed as I closed it, I looked over at my mom and said, "I want to be the one who writes books that readers sigh over when they finish them." And she said, "Then be an author." Haha, like it was that simple, but I did get the itch to write. Later, after college, the desire grew so strong I started writing. I sold my first book nine months later. :)
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
For a full-length novel from start to finish, any where from two to three months. Then I have my critique partner's edits and my own rounds of edits which can add up to a month and a half more time before the book is ready to be published.
3. What do you think makes a great story?
If the writer can make me empathize with the characters, even if they do things/make decisions I wouldn't, then that's good story telling. As to what makes a great story, for me it's the combination of the above as well a twisty plot and a deep character arc. The main character will go through ups and downs in the story, but by the end I want the main character to have changed/grown, hopefully for the better, but at the very least with more understanding.
4. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
When I'm in the full throes of writing a book, I'll work at least six hours a day on writing.
5. How do you balance family and writing?
Sometimes it's not always easy balancing the two, especially during deadlines, but I do try my best to keep it balanced. When I'm buried though, thankfully my family is very understanding and will make dinner for ME for a change! :)
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Writers are typically very observant people. My ideas come from everywhere: a snippet from a newspaper headline, a partial conversation, a lyric from a song, or a scene from a movie. I find everything inspiring!
7. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
How the writing mind works in the background, the subconscious chugging along on autopilot, writing scenes that at the time seemed innocuous but later became pivotal to the plot line or character arc. Yes, I do plot/plan as much as possible, but the muse "having a mind of its own" has happened enough times to make me sit back and say, "Wow, how'd I KNOW to write that?"
8. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
Under my adult romance name I've written fifteen novels and novellas. Under my YA name, I've written two books so far. Every book is my favorite when I'm writing them, though I do have a soft spot in my heart for my YA books! :)
9. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Certain quirks that make up a character might come from several different sources, but I've never based a character on a specific person.
10. Do you have a favourite place you love to write?
A coffee shop. I can just get away and write. No family distractions, no Internet. I get so much writing done this way!
11. How hard is it to get published?
When I started writing in 2003 there weren't many publishing options, but today there are so may options/career paths for authors to choose: traditionally publish, self-publish, publish with a small press. Each avenue has their own benefits and pros and cons. It's up to the authors to decide what they want and then choose a path that suits their needs. Some paths are easier access, others harder, but the work behind the scenes...THAT never changes. It's just as much time and effort to self-publish a book as it is to be traditionally published. Actually, it's more work if you do it right, because you are the: author, editor, copy editor, cover artist, back cover blurb writer, advertising, marketing, legal and finance department all rolled into one.
12. What do your family and friends think about your books?
My family is very supportive and proud.
13. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love to take pictures! If I wasn't a writer, I would probably go back to school for photography and graphic design.
14. Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
First, read a LOT. Every time I read a book I learn something. Reading taught me so much about the craft of writing. If aspiring authors are writing any romance in their books, RWA has wonderful chapter to help authors learn the ins and outs of the publishing business. Absolute Write is another place where aspiring authors support each other. Also, if you write YA, there's the Society of Children's Books, Writers and Illustrators as well as Vera Kay's Bulletin Board (aka the Blue Boards) are great resources.
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be Wonder Woman. True! :)
16. What are your favourite books and which authors inspire you?
I loved the The Swiftly Tilting Planet and The Chronicles of Narnia. Many authors inspire me, but the earlier ones were Madeleine L'Engle and C.S. Lewis.
17. For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for getting their material published?
Write what you're interested in. Don't chase the market. If you write what you love, it'll come through in your writing. Always approach reading as a chance to take away/learn something new. And never believe you've stopped learning. That's the great thing about this career, you'll never peak on the learning curve. :)
18. What are you working on now?
I'm finishing up one of my adult romances, and then I'll be working on the 3rd book in my YA series, BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS.
Thank you so much for having me on NEVER TOO OLD FOR YA
ABOUT P.T. MICHELLE
P.T. Michelle is the young adult pseudonym of Patrice Michelle, author of fifteen romance novels and novellas. When P.T. isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or odd in nature.
LINKS: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Newsletter