Ask Gabrielle Zevin!

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Monica wrote: "What is the process that an author goes through to reference one of your novels? Or vice-versa..."

Do you mean clearing a passage? If it's for an academic paper, it is usually unnecessary. If it's a short enough excerpt (less than three lines), it's often covered by what's known as "fair use." To be safe, you can just write the publisher about the title you are interested in using and the nature of your request. Most publishers have rights departments and those e-mails can usually be found on their websites.

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Kathy B. wrote: "I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. this morning to finish The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry. What an amazing book! Gabrielle, you always have such brilliant characters. For this book, did..."

Aw, so happy to hear that!

Re: Stories or characters first?
Ever since I published my first novel about a decade ago, I knew I wanted to write a book about books and publishing. I've been thinking about the book that would become A.J. Fikry on and off for about a decade. But I didn't really start writing the book proper until I had the AJ Fikry character. Without him, there was no book. I knew I might have something when I wrote that bit where A.J. tells Amelia all the things he dislikes to read.

Re: the book selection in Fikry
Mostly, they are things I've read, but they are not all my favorites. I did come up with a booklist for each of the characters. I thought it would be interesting to always describe characters based on what or how they read as supposed to physical character descriptions. The most challenging thing was choosing the short stories because they had a lot of work to do -- they had to be good chapter titles, they had to be stories that A.J. would want to recommend to Maya, and they had to work thematically. But luckily, I have read A LOT of short stories over the years. I enjoy short stories, though not as much as A.J.

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Suz wrote: "I'm intrigued by the idea of growing up in a bookstore. Is there anywhere else that you would have liked to have been dropped off as a baby? I think a small bookshop is perfect."

Maybe an art supply store or a museum or a concert hall or a theater or a library?

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Beth wrote: "Hello Gabrielle,
I love all the books that I have read by you (especially the Birthright trilogy) I was wondering what inspired you to become a writer and what tips would you give to..."

Thank you, Beth. I'm delighted to hear that! I gave a few of my best tips a little higher up on the message board. Read a lot, write a lot. Think a lot before you write. Get a good chair. Don't worry too much about word count, etc., etc.

I might give you a little more advice about reading as a writer, though. Read broadly... I didn't mention that. It is useful to read beyond just the things that you like from time to time. Really study the stories you like the best, though. Think about the construction and why the construction works.

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Kathy B. wrote: "Not sure why this question occurred to me just now, but I know some authors talk about what music they listen to as they write, and, I'm assuming that others probably don't listen to music while wr..."

I have listened to music while I wrote certain books, but other books have been silent. My process is pretty fluid. The Birthright books and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac required soundtracks, but Fikry, I wrote in silence. However, I DID make a playlist for Fikry after the fact.

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Kathy B. wrote: "Gabrielle, did you know when you started the novel what the fate of different characters was going to be, or did it evolve while writing?"

I did know pretty much everything before I started writing Fikry. The longer I've written, the less I find I like to discover as I go. Which isn't to say, I don't discover anything. Only that my discoveries tend to be smaller, I suppose. But yes, with A.J. Fikry, I knew what would happen. I knew how the book would end and particularly how I wanted readers to feel at the end.

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Amanda wrote: "Gabrielle Zevin; three questions for you!

One: The character Lambiase's journey in terms of what he read, and who he considered himself to be really facinated me. Did you base him on a real person..."

Re: Lambiase
I've written books for young people as well, and it's often said that kids who don't take up reading when they're young have a very difficult time reading as a hobby when they are older. I wanted to write a character who defied the odds a bit. And I wanted to write a person who became more empathetic because he had read more. In a way, becoming a great reader changes the way he does his job as a police officer, too.

Re: was I a bookseller?
No, but I wish I could lie and tell you that I was. I've spent years loving bookstores and traveling around the country as an author. I've done events where two people came, and one of them was the bookseller, and you notice things about how bookstores work! I've been driven around the country by a variety of sales reps, and I've seen them go through a Winter catalog. (Fascinating, if disturbing process for an author.) And in a way, A.J. Fikry is just as much people I've known on the publisher side of the business, too.

Re: Yes, I'd be happy to sign stock. Are you at a particular store? I think I might be doing a few stock signings already.

Finally, I am happy to hear that! Happy happy bookselling!

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Ekaterina wrote: "Hello Gabrielle,
'Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac' is one of my most favourite books,and the first I read in English, and now I've finished first chapters of 'The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry'. And I ..."

You're clever to notice this. Pretty much every character I've ever written is an orphan! They are unavoidable in literature -- stories, and particularly ones for children, are populated with orphans. They are a cliche, in a way. But the fact is, in life, most parents outlive children, and this creates orphans. In a way, "hating orphan stories" is a sort of denial of the inevitability of existence.

[Gabrielle, Author of "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry"]

Thanks to everyone who asked questions today! Delighted to know how many of you are truly close readers. Have a great night! — Gabrielle

[Don]

I work at a library system in the Midwest and have been pushing your AJ on everyone since I read an advanced reader copy several months ago. Everyone I have been pushy with has loved it. How important are "grassroots" promotions at libraries to you? What has been your personal experience with public libraries?

[Amanda]

Gabrielle wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Gabrielle Zevin; three questions for you!

One: The character Lambiase's journey in terms of what he read, and who he considered himself to be really facinated me. Did you base him o..."

Yes! I'm at the Depot Bookstore, in Mill Valley, CA. Please stop by- I've convinced all but two of my coworkers to read your book, and I'm working on all my regulars.

[Kathy]

Thank you, Gabrielle, for the wonderfully thorough answers to the questions asked by your fans/readers. My older granddaughter is almost at the point where I can hold Elsewhere in my hands and say, "Have I got a book for you!"

[Beth]

Thank you Gabrielle for answering my questions. I am so happy.
:)

[Alithea]

Gabrielle wrote: "Alithea wrote: "It was because of Elsewhere that I became a lover of books! The book was so insightful and original, I instantly fell in love. I loved the characters and the whole concept of there..."



I am going to be perfectly honest with you to say to that that gif was my reaction to reading your reply. I absolutely love your books and to read a reply from one of my favourite authors makes me so asdfghjkl!
Putting my fangirl self aside, I totally agree with how you left the book, it was perfect. Also thank you for answering my question! :)