Ask Tracey Garvis Graves discussion
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Feb 26, 2013 01:28PM
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YAY!!! do you have choices who you would like too see play Anna and T.J in the movie?
Hi Tracey! When does Isle of Bones take place relative to On the Island? It's a novella, not a full-length novel, correct? I LOVED On the Island! I read it a month ago and I just can't stop thinking about it.Also, since it sounds like Covet is about a'forbidden' romance (like On the Island was), is that a predicament that you like exploring as a writer?
How has your life changed since publishing On the Island?
On the Island is an edgy story, given the age difference between the main characters and she having been his teacher. Covet, from the description, appears to follow this trend. Do you specifically set out to tackle controversial love stories? How do you manage to stay within that invisible boundary and not offend your readers' sensibilities?
Rumor has it that there is a follow up to Anna and T. J.'s story. What can you tell us about it?
I loved On the Island and look forward to Covet! You seem to bring in some good moral dilemias into your books. Where do you draw your inspirations/ideas from?
I would love to hear about your writing process. How many hours do you write in a week? What puts you into a flow state? What part of the story do you find the easiest to write (like dialogue, setting, internal monologue, etc.)?
Hey guys,If you are gonna ask questions about Covet please use the spoiler alert, in favor of those crazy people out there who don't read the synopsis and go far to know nothing about a book before reading. Thanks :)
Yours
Crazy people
Hi Tracey,I love OTI. I wanna know how OTI was born and when you knew in the writing process that you had a book in your hands.
Was OTI the first try of writing a book?
About Covet, did you feel less or more presure writing it? In what way are OTI and Covet different/ similar?
Cant wait!!
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Best,
Tracey
COVET sounds really good. Can't think of a question yet...I'll just wait for a teaser. ;) Just want to say I LOVED On the Island. :) Bought the paperback though i already have an ebook. Too bad for international fans, we don't get join or attend book signing events.
Love from Manila, Philippines.
Tracy,Frankly I don't see the wisdom in using the term "Women's Fiction"As the first two words of the introduction of the new book "Covet" as presented by Goodreads.
Why biforcate your audience?For an artist to write,paint,sing or act to a single gender is unnecessary, if not a disturbing notion .When did equality morph in to seperatism?
"Island "was an excellent piece of writing ,snuck in under the marketing radar without a sexist label.Can one assumes you approved the Women's Fiction classification?
Hi Tracy, where did you get the inspiration to write On the Island? :)
What is yr writing process, where do you write, for how long and do u need to block/ or motivate yourself to write? Really looking forward to Covet!
Hi Tracey! I'm a huge fan of On the Island! As a fellow Iowan, I'm curious as to how your ideas for the story line came about and how you did your research on the Maldives. What a great escape (the book) in a long, long winter.
Dear tracey,Do you think is mandatory for a writer to prepare academically to be a writer? Collegue, courses, etc? If so, what would you recomment them to be about?
Who do you really trust to read your stuff before you send it out to the world besides editors or the outside world?
Thanks
AgP
Dear Tracy, I LOVE On The Island! Support send from HK!! My question is how do you write a story? Do you plan it first or just let your inspiration hit you on the way? And what do you do if you get stuck in the middle of your writing?
Few more questions to ask...T.J. is a cool name, how do you choose the names for your characters? And what made you fall in love with writing?
Thanks
Hi Tracey, your blog page was set up long before On the Island was initially self-published. I’m curious to know how much of a following you had when your novel was ready for publication, and how much of an impact social media had on its initial success prior to being traditionally published by Plume?Thanks!
Tracey,Just wanted to know how you could imagine the Robinson Crusoe kind of living that TJ and Anna had On The Island. Were you ever left alone in such a situation or did someone speak about it. How do you imagine and create a character like Anna who must have faced several situations. I loved the way she and TJ got together - It was so sublime and natural. Did you actually face any such situation. If it was imagination, what was the inspiration.
Hi Tracey! Was "On the Island" your first book? I'll bet you were thrilled that it was such a huge success! The story was so original and like nothing I've ever read before! I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days flat (and I worked both days too!). How did you think of such an original plot? And you kept it soooo exciting throughout! I'm very glad you chose for the book to have a happy ending - what made you choose to do that.
Hi Tracy, I was captivated by On the Island and I couldn't put it down . As a reader I was really eased into the plot and characters that it seemed so natural for them to be together. Do you right from your own feelings and experiences or do you write as if you were a fly on the wall and imagine what it would be like? Or a mixture of both? That was more like three questions in one- ish... :) Thank you! x
Hi Tracy,What was the hardest part of writing On The Island? I can't wait to read Covet!
Hi Traceythe minute I finished On The Island I emailed you and introduced myself. we exchanged a couple of emails and I thank you for being 'so real'.
I am a big fan of On the Island and congratulate you on your success! I look forward to the movie and hope that you have a lot of say in the making / editing. Are you worried about the story being changed at all? Nothing makes me more sad as when a story I loved reading is altered for cinematic reasons! (one that stands out is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult; she is also one of my favorites!)
You write beautifully and I am excited to enjoy more of your work!
Regards,
Jen Diffin
Hi Tracey!Do you have any say in who will play the characters from "On the Island" in the movie?
If so, do you have any ideas as to who will play TJ and who will play Anna?
Sincerely,
Joy Bennett
Hi Tracey-How did your husband feel about your book when he first read it? I know from experience, living with a writer, that I always try to figure out if any of his characters are based on someone he knows, if they are a combination of people or completely fictitious. Are there any experiences or conversation in your book that are based on a true life event, other than the tsunami?
Annie Harbour
Hi Tracey,I absolutely loved On the Island. I was worried about where the story would go considering the age difference of the characters but you wrote such a heartwarming story that it became hard to find anything wrong with their love despite their age difference. I found myself cursing the characters in the book who questioned Anna's ethics and those who attempted to belittle TJ.
I'm looking forward to seeing how you tackle the complexities of a crumbling marriage, a budding romance and the struggle to decide whether it's time to move on or remain faithful now more than ever. I have no doubt it will be an interesting ride.
Congrats.
D
Hello Tracey! I love On The Island, there is so much action and surprises, I was excited and afraid for Anna and TJ at the same time!Before writing On the Island, was it was a dream or a nightmare for you to stay on a desert island ?
I hope you'll come in Europe, UK or France, to meet your fans!
Another question regarding your "inspiration" for writing On The Island. The romance of TJ and Anna was definitely a moral issue-age difference and Anna being in a position of authority. Was this based on a situation you knew of, maybe even a crush you had on a teacher and then tweaked things? It sort of threw me when you had the tsunami impact TJ and Anna, but it was a nice touch. Did you use that scenario because you have an interest in natural disasters, or maybe it occurred while you were penning this novel? I am really looking forward to your future work! I thoroughly enjoyed reading On The Island-twice :)
Hi Tracey,How do you find time for pleasure reading, while you are in the middle of writing a new book? Do you set aside certain times for reading?
I started writing last year and now I have about twenty books to read and I just can't seem to find the time like I used to before I started writing.
On The Island is one of my all time favorites. That reminds me of another question: Did you intend to write On The Island to be romantically fulfilling for both male and female readers or did that just sort of happen by accident?
Hi Tracey, as you already know I loved On The Island. I am curious how you decided that TJ would have Hodgkins lymphoma? The reason I ask is because I am a survivor of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, status post stem cell transplant in 2005. Lymphoma is not a widely known cancer-perhaps your book could be the vessel to bring more public awareness. Thank you again for an AMAZING read. :)
Hi Tracey,I am a huge fan of OTI! Read it quickly and thought about it long after reading it. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us. I have just self-published my first novel and am in the very beginning stages of marketing it. I would like to send free signed copies out to several influential bloggers in hopes of getting it seen by lots of people and I'm wondering how you go about finding the right blogs to send your book to. Do you have favorite bloggers that you can reccomend? It's a YA love story with a splash of fantasy thrown in so im hoping to reach readers who enjoy this genre.
Thanks, Melanie
Hi Tracey, Msg #24 by Sharon asks a similar thing - as a first time WF author looking at possible self-publishing (which I've gained some VERY helpful info from you on from your website), I'm curious about how long you gave it going the "traditional publishing" route before making the self-pub decision. Yes, curious about how many followers you had on your website and if you've done other writing that you put on your website before your book got published. Way to go on a fabulous job - you are clearly a woman who sees things through!
Hi Tracey,Big fan as you know. On The Island was a beautiful book.
This question has been asked but I also wanted to know, where did the idea come from?
Also how much time is spent on researching infomation for the book and what was the hardest thing that you had to research?
I know im going to read it again in the next few weeks. I loved loved Anna & TJ story.
Mod
I'll be answering your questions all day today. You still have until noon CST to ask, and I'll keep answering until I'm done. :)
Mod
Hi Emilia,
When I was asked this question last spring, my choices were Anne Hathaway for Anna and Taylor Kitsch for T.J. I must say that no one really liked my choice for Anna! And sadly, I think Taylor Kitsch is just a bit too old to play T.J.
Lately, I've been saying that Minka Kelly would make a great Anna, but really any dark-haired actress with a natural kind of beauty would fit the image I have of Anna in my head. I think an unknown actor might be a really good choice for T.J. (sort of like Christopher Atkins and Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon).
Also, I think that John Goodman would be wonderful for seaplane pilot Mick!
Hi, Tracey! Thanks for doing this Q&A session. I'm curious about the writing process for your upcoming release. What was the biggest challenge you faced writing COVET and how did you overcome it? Were there any big lessons learned from OTI that you used to write the next book, or was it a separate venture?
Thanks again! Really looking forward to this new read.
Tracey wrote: "Emilia wrote: "YAY!!! do you have choices who you would like too see play Anna and T.J in the movie?"Hi Emilia,
When I was asked this question last spring, my choices were Anne Hathaway for Ann..."
I would LOVE Anne Hathaway in this role! And, Taylor was the image I had in mind for T. J. Goodman is spot on.
Jonetta wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Emilia wrote: "YAY!!! do you have choices who you would like too see play Anna and T.J in the movie?"Hi Emilia,
When I was asked this question last spring, my choices were Anne H..."
Goodman is spot on. I kinda like Liam Hemsworth for TJ but I can see the Taylor look too.
Mod
Hi Kimberly,
Isle of Bones (which has actually been re-titled UNCHARTED) is a novella (so around 30K words, give or take). It's a prequel, of sorts. The book will pick up after the epilogue of On the Island ended. You'll be able to see what Anna and T.J. have been up to, meet their third child,and spend a little time with them. But then we'll go back in time. Remember the shack that Anna and T.J. discovered on the island? They assumed that the person who built it is also the skeleton in the cave. But they were wrong. So you'll meet the guy who built that shack, and find out what happened when he was on the island. I'd recommend reading the epilogue again (pay close attention to the mention of Owen Sparks, the dot-com millionaire).
Regarding forbidden romance, I like to put characters together and then ask "what if" questions. What if these two characters, who shouldn't be together, were stranded on a desert island? What would happen? Would their actions be justified? For Covet, I wanted to ask the question, What if three people were struggling with the circumstances of their situation, especially when the circumstances were somewhat out of their control? What would happen during their interations? Would readers be able to understand the choices they made?
Mod
Hi Ginifer,
Wonderful things have happened since I published On the Island, and I'm eternally grateful for everything that has come my way. I used to write from 5:30-7:00 a.m. every morning and then go to my day job. Now, writing is my day job. I have the best job in the world because I'm able to write during the day and then be totally present when my kids and husband walk back through the door. Full-time writing has given me a much better work/life balance. And I now have a wonderful and devoted audience of readers (that I thank my lucky stars for every single day).
Mod
Hi Jonetta,
I like to tackle the "what if" questions in my novels. What if two people (who should not be together) were stranded on a desert island? What would happen if they had no one but each other to depend on? When I started writing On the Island I couldn't resist the challenge of seeing if I could make the readers fall in love with Anna and T.J. and actually root for them to be together. Based on feedback from readers, I'd say that was mostly the case. Many people have told me that Anna and T.J. felt like their friends by the end of the book. People genuinely wanted them to have their happily ever after.
In Covet, we have three people who are in a difficult situation (which is somewhat out of their control). Set against the backdrop of the recession and its after-effects, I wanted to explore the impacts of job loss (especially on the primary breadwinner)and the resulting emotional and relationship impacts that would have on a marriage. I think Covet is a very relatable story, and many people may know someone who went through something like this (or experienced it themselves). Just like On the Island, I think Covet will generate some very lively book club discussions.
Mod
UNCHARTED(formerly titled ISLE OF BONES) is an On the Island companion novella. You'll be able to see what Anna and T.J. have been up to, and meet another character from the book (hint: the guy who built the shack). I'll be revealing the cover and the a snippet from the novella next Friday, March 22nd.
Mod
Hi Traci,
Thank you!! I do like writing books that will generate a lively discussion. I draw inspiration from asking the "what if" questions. What if I put two people (who should not be together) on a desert island? What would happen? Would the characters' decisions be justified?
What if I took two married people who were struggling to reclaim their marital equilibrium after dealing with circumstances that were largely out of their control? Would you understand why they did what they did? Would you sympathize? Is it a situation you or someone you know has also experienced?
Although the situation in On the Island is highly unlikely, Covet is a much more relatable situation that readers may be able to identify with.
Mod
Hi Lisa Jo,
It's hard to answer this question spoiler-free, but I'm going to do my best.
Based on the description for On the Island, many people struggled to decide whether they wanted to read the book. I know this because readers tell me that all the time. That they weren't sure they wanted to read the book because of the age difference between Anna and T.J. But they took a chance on it anyway and told me how much they loved it (and how it wasn't what they expected).
I know the only thing readers have to go on is a book's blurb, but just like with On the Island, Covet may not be as predictable as you think.
I hope that readers will once again take a chance (and enjoy) my latest novel.
I'm a huge fan of your work and cannot wait for Covet!! I've made so many of my friends read OTI as well who also love it. Will you be making any appearances or book signings in the mid west any time soon?
Ask Tracey Garvis Graves
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