Ask Libba Bray - Special One-Day-Only Group discussion
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Ask Libba!
Artemis wrote: "Hi, Libba~ I am a big fan of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy! I just really want to ask whether you really wanted to kill Kartik in the end, and why didn't you let Virginia Doyle/Mary Dawd appear again in ..."Hi Artemis! Thanks so much for the nice words about the GDT. Lots of Kartik love on the boards today. I'm posting a link to the blog I wrote when TSFT came out about the Kartik decision. Maybe it will answer your question? http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...
As for Virginia/Mary, I felt like her story line was complete in AGATB. That was sort of the arc of the first book, really, was Gemma's coming to terms with her mother, her mother's past, her own guilt and grief, and letting go of it all. Gemma had even bigger fish to fry in Rebel Angels and TSFT.
Thanks for your question!
Tracy wrote: "Just wanted to say I loved Going Bovine. One of the best books I have ever read. my question is can you tell us more about Cameron's family? -especially his sister Jenna.Thanks!"
Hi Tracy! Thanks so much. That means a lot. Such a good question but a tough one to answer because I feel like everything i wanted to say about Cameron's family is in the book. Beyond that, I feel the reader owns it and gets to supply whatever backstory s/he wants to make up or contemplate or turn into fan fic. You know? Hopefully, Jenna has all kinds of things going on in a parallel universe somewhere. Thanks, Tracy.
Mere wrote: "Hey, Libba. After finishing Going Bovine (mind-altering) and the Gemma Doyle Trilogy (life-changing), I've conjured up one question for you: What assured you that, being holed up in whatever room..."
Great question, and I'm laughing as I type the answer because, um, I'm not sure that I DON'T go insane while writing. Honestly, I think I do go a little nuts with every book for a little while. I always jokingly (but not so jokingly) say that I need a good 30/45 minutes after the day's writing to just be by myself doing something mindless like grocery shopping or reading silly things on the Internet or annoying the cats before I am allowed to be around other human beings. It's like I'm so submerged that I have to rise slowly so i don't get a case of the emotional bends.
So, yeah. My sanity--always in question. :)
Emily wrote: "Hi Libba, just wanted to say that Beauty Queens is my absolute favourite book of 2011! Now for my question:I noticed that feminism is a very key theme in [book:Beauty Queens|946473..."
Hey Emily. Thanks for the kind words about Beauty Queens. I'm glad you enjoyed that subversive little tale. Mwahahaha!!! Okay. Evil laugh over. I just need to let it out to stretch every now and then.
That's an excellent question, and one that I kept asking myself as I wrote the book. I feel that in order to properly answer your question I might need an entire blog--so thanks for the blog suggestion, indirectly. But here's a short answer: I'm part of what I call the Title IX generation, the girls who directly benefitted by that second wave of feminism in the 1960s and '70s. I think feminism continues to evolve. It's a constant deconstruction of the messages we receive and the limitations/societal constraints placed on women. Some of those messages are overt and some are more insidious. And the more we work at asking the questions and challenging the assumptions and working on autonomy and deciding that we belong at the big table and working to further that cause through intelligent, reasoned discourse, small acts of everyday rebellion (Thank you, Gloria Steinem), and through legal means--AND with our checkbooks--the closer we will get to equality. Again, it's going to take a lot of work and awareness. It's easy to get complacent. And sometimes, say when we are raising small children, we are just too tired, and that's where sisterhood comes in: "Dudette, I am covered in spit-up and trying to calm a colicky baby. I need you to take this shift. I'll get the next. Go!"
I believe that feminism is advocating for equality for women--social, political, economic equality, yes, but also, it's about reframing how society views women, how they value women, and that's hard work that's going to take a very long time. Without that change in viewpoint, the rest is hollow. Some of that is framed by biology: We are the only gender who gives birth, and that presents certain challenges, especially in terms of economic disadvantage. (Feminism and economics are twined.) Creating real and lasting change is going to involve asking some pretty tough questions and being willing to tolerate the discussion, even though some of what is said might be hard to hear. Change involves dialogue. It involves getting past the rhetoric, the knee-jerk responses, to understand why the idea of women owning themselves is so threatening to the world. But ultimately, feminism benefits society as a whole. I believe you can't really have a strong society if you are oppressing 50% of that society.
I've known lots of cool, amazing feminist men, by the way. I've heard a lot of women say, "Well I'm not a feminist because I like men," which I've never really understood. To me, that's like saying, "I can't go to work today because I like cheese." One has nothing to do with the other. I'm a huge fan of the gentlemen: I was raised by a super-cool, feminist dad. I'm married to a cool dude and I'm raising another one. Men and women each bring something different and necessary to the table and it's about appreciating those differences and working cooperatively.
This is such an excellent question. I think I really will try to get to it in a blog. Thanks for the food for thought.
Brianna wrote: "Hi Libba. I wanted to compliment you on your Gemma Doyle Trilogy. I loved the story and the characters. Especially,Kartik :). But will you make anymore books like that? Because I love reading books..."Hi Brianna. Thanks so much. I don't have plans to write about the Victorian era anytime soon, though I also love that time period. But I am writing a supernatural series set in the 1920s which comes out next fall. Maybe you will enjoy that as well. In the meantime, have you read Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series? It starts with Clockwork Angel. It's Victorian and very exciting.
Siman wrote: "Hi Libba,I enjoyed your Gemma Doyle Trilogy immensely and can't wait to start reading Beauty Queens. What I liked the most about the aforementioned trilogy is how it inspires one to hope against ..."
Hi Siman. I don't have a message in mind when I'm writing. I'm writing a story, and I feel like a story is not a message. So I'm always trying to figure out what the story is and why I need to tell it. I'm taking the journey with the reader. I think that only the reader can discern any messages or themes in the text. That gets to be their job and can't be mine. Great question--thanks!
Carrie wrote: "Hello Libba! First off, thanks ever so much for four (soon to be five, when I get my hands on a copy of Beauty Queens) fantastic reads. A Great and Terrible Beauty has long been a favorite of ..."
Hi Carrie! Oooh, hard question! I don't really have a favorite, per se, because I enjoyed writing all of them. But I will say that there is a small sliver of special in my heart for GOING BOVINE. That book had been knocking around in my head for years. It wouldn't leave me alone. And it changed so much in the course of the writing. It's the book I find most difficult to talk about (which is probably why I did a video in a cow suit...) because it came from some place very deep and difficult to articulate. It's all in the book. Thanks!
Mary Beth wrote: "Libba,Beauty Queens was brilliant, but then again I expected nothing less from you. I loved the over the top characters and ridiculous beauty products. The commercials were hyster..."
Why, thank you. Any similarities between Ladybird Hope and a certain former governor are purely coincidental. :) Next, I'm working on THE DIVINERS. It's a creepy, four-book series set in 1920's NYC. Full of flappers, speakeasies, conspiracy, and things that go bump in the neon-drenched night.
Megan wrote: "The Gemma Doyle books were definitely among my favorite YA books. I am always giving aGaTB to people at the library that want an introduction to fantasy books. My question is: Will there be more ..."
Hi Megan! Thanks so much. Scroll up one or two to see the answer to your question and to read a bit about my next series, THE DIVINERS. :)
Heather wrote: "I recently read Going Bovine for a book club I'm in. We all loved the book. We had an interesting discussion and a question came up about Greek Mythology.Were any of the myths an inspiration for..."
Hi Heather. Great question--and Necco wafers all around for your book club! Yes, absolutely. It is a hero's journey and was heavily influenced by myth. I used a lot of Norse mythology--Cameron's mom teaches (or taught) Norse myth before she became a mom. There is reference to the River Styx (Small World ride) on the Greek mythology side. There are fire giants (Norse) and, of course, Balder is a character. There is the sense of Ragnarok, the end of the world, coming. Mrs. Moirae, the old lady in the hospital, is a reference to the Greek Fates (the Norns in the Norse) who control the destiny of man. There is more, too--feel free to go myth Easter egg hunting.
This is what happens when you grow up with an English teacher for a mother, by the way. You are scarred for life. Heh.
Jorayne wrote: "Adding some more Going Bovine love (though I thought the Gemma Doyle books were fantastic too):Can you tell me a little bit more about the timeline of the novel in the "outside" world? For exampl..."
Hi Jorayne, that's a great question...and sadly, one I can't answer. It falls in the "what is your interpretation of what's going on in the novel" category. I leave that up to the reader to decide. The good news is, whatever you decide is the right answer.
Andy wrote: "Hi,I'm trying to make a connection between YA and classic literature. When you wrote the Gemma Doyle series (the only one I've read so far), did it remind you of any classic literature? Which, if ..."
Hi Andy, great question. Well, I certainly hope so. Certainly, I was influenced by a great deal of what I've read and loved, like the Bronte sisters--JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS. I think Gemma's sarcastic observations are also influenced by Elizabeth Barrett in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Frances Hodgson Burnett's THE LITTLE PRINCESS is an influence as are most of Dickens' novels. There's probably some Sherlock Holmes to draw on as well, since I loved HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, among other Holmes tales. I also read a popular writer of late-Victorian school girl novels, L.T. Meade, for research purposes. The book of hers I read was A WORLD OF GIRLS. (Victorian school girl novels were very popular in late-Victorian England.) I drew on a lot of myth as well: Greek, Norse, Indian. Tennyson's poem, "The Lady of Shallot" is mentioned in AGATB; Milton's "Paradise Lost" is a reference for REBEL ANGELS, and W.B. Yeat's "The Rose of Battle" prefaces THE SWEET FAR THING. (The titles of the latter two book are drawn from those poems, respectively.)
Hope that helps get you started. Let me know what else you find as an influence. Thanks!
Annmarie wrote: "First off i would like to start off by saying that you are an excellent writer and i really enjoyed the Gemma Doyle series. I haven't read your new book Beauty queens but it is definitely on my to-..."Hi Annmarie! Thanks so much for the compliment! I really appreciate it. This seems to be a popular question today, so I'm going to suggest that you scroll back through some of the responses to get the answer you're looking for re: Gemma & Kartik & future Gemma books. Thanks, Annmarie!
Haven wrote: "I have never found a YA book I enjoyed more than AGATB. I am an avid reader and have read hundreds of books, but I have to say that AGATB and its trilogy, is my favorite.My question is, are you e..."
Hi Haven, thanks so much! Scroll back through my responses to find the answer to your question. (It's a popular one today.) Thanks!
Cassandra wrote: "Hi Mrs. Bray! I absolutely love the Gemma Doyle series! What made you make the setting of it in England? Did you have to do extensive research to get info about England?"Hi Cassandra, I set the series in England because it was an homage to those great Victorian novels I enjoyed reading so much as a teen, books like JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS and the novels of Charles Dickens. Also, I happen to love England; I'm an Anglophile, so it was fun for me, and I'm always in favor of fun. I did go on a research trip to England. I got to go to the British Library (I still have my library card) and wear special gloves and handle the maps. I corresponded with Lee Jackson, who is a Victorian scholar, and with Colin Gale, the archivist for Royal Bethlehem Hospital, better known as Bedlam. Thanks for your question.
Christine wrote: "Hello! I just want to say that I really love your A Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy. Ever since I read it, it has been my favorite. :) I just want to know if you're planning on continuing Gemma ..."
Thanks so much, Christine. :)
Heidi wrote: "Hi pally!So I finally finished Beauty Queens and loved it. Like your previous works, this is a highly character driven story...which is fantastic.
My question has to do with with the creation pr..."
It's Heidi The Great! Wahoo! Great questions, madam. Let me see if I can make some semblance of sense. (Semblance of Sense--new band name.) I think when it comes to character, I am heavily influenced by my background in theatre. I really think about what makes those people on the page tick. I try to think about all that underlying stuff: psychological wounds, motivations, fears, desires, longings, etc. The juicy stuff. Whenever I get stuck, I ask, "What does this character want right now? What is he or she willing to do to get it? What line would they never cross? Okay, what if they cross it?" So it's a constant conversation in my head. (This might explain why I often put my keys in the fridge and leave the milk on the counter...) If I am alone in my home, I sometimes act things out. (This, by the way, doesn't work so well if you are in a busy cafe. Just a word to the wise.) Yes, I am into sound, as you mentioned, and I do imagine a character's voice. Like you, I also imagined Fee with a throaty timbre to her voice. Sometimes, just as if it were a play, I imagine small bits of business or habits a character might engage in even if those habits don't make the page. I like fleshing things out.
But I don't go into the writing with a fully-fleshed out character. I discover things in the writing and refine and revise as I go. I learn more and make adjustments. I don't really base characters on people I know outright. I might borrow a thing or two--and I sometimes discover some uncomfortable things about myself, LOL--but I'm much more interested in creating real fictional people (that sounds...odd) than in recreating people I know. Ya know? You do. Good. I thought you did.
Great to "see" you on here, Ms. Heidi. Thanks for the questions. Maybe I will see you in Miami next month when the This Is Teen tour kicks it at Books & Books, July 23rd?
(G)Emma wrote: "Hey Libba! I was just curious about the sexual repression that Mary Lou feels in Beauty Queens and where you drew her character from. She really struck a chord in me.
What did your writing proc..."
Hey Emu girl! I related a lot to Mary Lou, too, which is weird since I'm not terribly repressed. But I've always felt very in touch with and comfortable with my sexuality even as I was aware that the world isn't always so down with sexually self-possessed women. I think it goes back to the messages girls/women often get about being sexually passive, about not being too self-assured/direct about sex and sexual desire or feeling entitled to sexual enjoyment lest you risk getting labeled "wild" or "slutty" or some other pejorative. Yeah, screw that. :)
But in Mary Lou's case, it's not just about sexual ownership. It's about having an adventurous, expansive spirit and wanting everything she can get from life. She does not want to be her mother. She does not want to retreat into a cave and live small. She wants to live free and make her mark. She wants to captain her own ship, so to speak.
I would totally accept that pillow. I would treasure it. *waits for cross-stitching to happen*
Magdalena wrote: "Im love your Gemma Doyle books so much but i really want to know why you killed Kartik!? i loved so much and i really would have liked for him to end up with Gemma...after all she went through i th..."Hi Magdalena, thanks so much! I'm hoping this blog will answer some of your questions. (It's a popular question--you're not alone.) http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...
Gemma Irene wrote: "Hello, Ms. Bray! I really enjoyed--no, loved--your Gemma Doyle series, and the only thing keeping me from reading your other books are the people at the library who check them out before I can. I ..."
Hi Gemma Irene. Nice name. :)
Let's see if I can answer some of your questions:
1. What drives you to write in the first place? I have to write. I would write on the back of envelopes if I had to. I love telling stories. I feel that stories connect us. We've been telling stories since we first crawled out of the ooze. Who knows? Maybe we were telling stories IN the ooze. I couldn't NOT write. It's in my DNA.
2. What do you love most about writing? I love when I stumble upon some small truth that I didn't know before which changes me and which I hope I can communicate to someone else. it's like sharing a secret: "Have you ever noticed this? Have you ever felt this way? I've just realized this..."
3. What is the first thing you do when you've finished working on a new book? Drool. ;-) Then go for a walk.
4. What is the one thing new writers should keep in mind when dealing with rejection/acceptance? With rejection, it's to keep going. We've all been there. With acceptance, it's to keep going, too, because now the real work begins...
Great questions--thanks!
Emma wrote: "Hi Libba!Let me just start out by saying, wow, your awesome. I absolutely love your books! Especially Going Bovine! I have two questions:
1) How do you even come up with these characters? Are th..."
Hi Emma. Thanks so much. I appreciate the GB love. How do I come up with these characters? Well, honestly, it's a product of the writing. I keep writing till I find the heart of the character...and then I eat it. I kid, I kid. But I do just keep writing until I figure out all the quirks and hurts and delights of each character. I don't give up on people as a general rule, so I tend to really hang in there with characters as well. I just think human beings are endlessly fascinating and surprising. I've know a lot of very interesting, wild and amazing people. And though I don't tend to draw on them for characters, I do draw on the idea that we all three-dimensional, not one-dimensional. So I hope that comes through in the writing. Getting to know the characters is probably my favorite part of writing.
My favorite hot dog topping? Johnny Depp.
Zoe wrote: "I love all you the work you've wrote, it's all fantastic. Schrödinger's cat alive or dead?????"
Heh--great question, Zoe. Depends on who's observing, doesn't it?
Joan3000 wrote: "Hi! I really loved the Gemma Doyle series and I can't help asking why you decided to kill kartik? I mean why not have a happily ever after and what is it that makes so many writers decide to end th..."Hi Joan. Hopefully, you'll find your answers here: http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...
Thanks!
Nusi wrote: "Dear Ms.Bray. I know three thousand people a day probably tell you this, but I'm madly in love with you and your books. Your writing inspires me as an aspiring writer and is my constant drug as a ..."
Hi Nusi,
Wow. These are great, great questions. Let me see if I can give some satisfying or helpful answers.
1. As I write I keep thinking about my reader, or target audience, and it usually results in me either scarping the writing, or writing something very off, so to speak. The question is How do you stop from thinking about who is going to be reading your material?
That happens from time to time. I think it's part of the internal critic I was talking about in an earlier answer. It's some part of our brain that wants to judge. I think about two pieces of advice from two writers I respect. One was Nancy Werlin who said about giving a speech that you have to assume you are going to lose half the audience anyway. So you should speak to the other half and not worry about it. The other--and this is often my yardstick for writing--came from my pal and short story writer, Maureen Leary, who said once of a certain book, "I felt like it didn't cost {the writer} anything to write it." Books cost us something in their creation, so ultimately, you have to write for the reader inside yourself. You have to feel as if the only person who will ever read that book is you, and damn the torpedoes. This is often easier said than done and is one of the reasons why I use music to help me get into a zone and block out distraction. (music is not a distraction to me.) Or, as I like to say, if you're gonna take it on the chin, wouldn't you rather take it as yourself than as someone else you've pretended to be? Gosh, I don't know if this is helpful, but I sure know that feeling.
2. I read in one of your interviews that you felt the term 'chick lit' was an awfully insulting way to describe your writing, as it has much more depth to it. How do you keep yourself from falling into the chick lit category when your characters and setting are described by the market as chick lit, is there a way out of it?
It wasn't about "chick lit" being applied to my writing so much as my dislike for the term in general because I always felt like it was said to dismiss female writers. And there is nothing you can do about category or labels or any of that. It's all marketing stuff. All you can really do is concentrate on writing the best book that you can.
3. I love love LOVE, that in Gemma Doyle's trilogy the setting was historical and yet you still managed to have all the characters relevant. When writing in certain historical settings, is it better to be historically accurate or be relevant to the reader? *as in should one mention that most girls wouldnt have a shot in hell at what Im writing for instance and it really is fiction, or should you write modernized history so to speak and not mention the unrealistic settings your characters are in?*
That's a really good question. I felt like I was writing a bit of a mash-up so I made a conscious decision to bend the rules a bit and not be 100% historically accurate. (I'm a rules breaker by nature.) You know who does a fantastic job with making historical fiction feel pulse-poundingly current? Caleb Carr. THE ALIENIST is one of my favorites, and what he does so well is to get all the trappings and research right--he gives tons of fascinating information--but he gives the characters a slightly modern edge and doesn't overcomplicate the dialogue. (By that, I mean the language is not difficult to follow.) THE ALIENIST is a great read. I recommend it for research purposes, yes, but also because it's just a wildly entertaining book.
Hope this helps!
Jenna wrote: "Hi Libba! I am a huge fan of the Gemma Doyle trilogy and would love to read a fouth book! I was wondering which of the three novels you enjoyed writing the most and why?"Hi Jenna. Thanks so much. My favorite to write was REBEL ANGELS. I enjoyed getting the girls to London and writing about Nell and Bedlam and the Poppy Warriors.
Janine wrote: "Hi, Libba! I've read all of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy books and Going Bovine, and I have LOVED them all! You are truly one of the few authors that I am the biggest fan of. Usually I read one book o..."
Hi Janine. Thanks so much--and good question. I've never felt that boys were such a big mystery. Maybe it's that I was really close with my older brother growing up and he provided sort of an All-Access backstage pass to the teen male psyche. No filter. Also, I've always had tons of guy friends. I'm married to one and I'm raising another one. I don't know. We're talking about individuals, and characters are individuals regardless of gender, so I'm just always trying to find the heart of that particular character. One thing I will say is that when I was growing up, some of my favorite protagonists were male: Holden Caulfield from CATCHER IN THE RYE, Jimmy from The Who's QUADROPHENIA, Harold from HAROLD & MAUDE. I think what I related to was their unapologetic snark and anger. And my argument is that I'd like to see more of that from female characters. I think we still hold female characters to some unrealistic expectations regarding "likeability."
But ultimately, when you are creating characters, you are trying to create the most honest, living, breathing people you can on the page. And often, that involves exploring yourself. I hope that's helpful. Thanks for your question.
Alyssa wrote: "Hello Libba,I have read your Going Bovine book and it was amazing. I just wanted to know how you came up with the idea for this book? The book was awesome and I loved how it made me laugh and c..."
Hi Alyssa,
The idea for Going Bovine came to me many years ago. I'd heard about a man in my hometown who contracted CJ, the human variant of mad cow disease, and his story stuck with me. I wanted to write about what it might be like to lose touch with reality and if we can ever really know what's "real" or not. It brought up a lot of deeper philosophical questions I had.
Yes, I get writer's block, too. It's awful, isn't it? I think most writer's block is about fear. It's about getting close to some truth that feels scary to unearth. So in a way, you're usually close to a breakthrough when that happens. I also find that when I haven't written in a while, due to schedule interruptions, I get out of the groove and it gets harder to get back in. Ye olde inertia problem. So I'd say that being able to sit with your story for a little bit each day is helpful. And when all else fails, do something else for a while: Go see a movie or go to a museum. Hang out with friends. Run. Read. Play the drums. It'll get your brain going in a roundabout way. No need to beat up on yourself. :)
Karisa wrote: "Hi Libba! I am an adult reader who adores your writing style and feminist punk rock attitude! I discovered you with the Gemma Doyle trilogy and am now reading through Beauty Queens (through fits of..."Hey Karisa, thanks so much! Emily on Page One beat you to the feminism question, so if you scroll back a page, you'll find my answer to that one. As for whether or not I'll write an adult novel, wellll...maybe. I have this one crazy adult book I've been writing in dribs and drabs over the past, um, ten years. (Really? Yes. It has been ten years. It is the neglected novel. It sits in a file on my computer glaring at me and sighing.) But first, I've got THE DIVINERS, my four-book series starting Fall 2012. And then there's another YA novel I've been dying to write for longer than 10 years. (It was the first novel I meant to write but didn't feel ready to tackle.) That's going to keep me busy for some time.
Thanks for your questions.
Alexa wrote: "In which time of day do you prefer to write?"Hi Alexa. I am solidly a morning into early afternoon writer. I'm useless at night. Useless.
Seth wrote: "Hi Libba- I don't know if anyone else has asked about this, but--THE END OF GOING BOVINE. What the heck was that?! I didn't really understand it at all. One of my friends tried to explain it to me,..."Hey Seth. Well, I can't really explain the ending because the ending is totally subject to the interpretation by the individual reader. So, basically, whatever YOU think is what happens, happens. I'll tell you what some people have said:
1. Cameron only takes the road trip in his head and then he dies. Game over.
2. Cameron lives on in a parallel universe because every time you make a choice, you spin off another universe in which a different choice happens. So in one world he dies but in another world, he lives.
3. The adventure only happens in Cameron's head but our brains are like parallel universes in which anything can happen, and since our brains determine our reality, it is all real.
4. Cameron actually died when he was five on the Small World Ride.
5. Cameron exists in a book, and a book is a parallel universe.
6. Dude, this book was trippy. Let's go get some pizza and stop thinking for a while.
Hope that helps.
Kathryn wrote: "What inspired you to write Going Bovine? That book is my absolute favorite and it had me teared up, it actually had me going and wondering about the point of life! Did you go through any emotional ..."Hey Kathryn, thanks so much. Of all my books, I find GOING BOVINE the most difficult to talk about or explain as it's probably the most deeply personal and therefore hard to articulate in any coherent fashion. But yeah, you could definitely say I went through an emotional journey while writing it. :)
Tammy wrote: "Totally freaking right now! You're a big inspiration to me as a writer. I love your Gemma Doyle series so so much. I have a few questions for you about your writing process.Was there ever a point..."
Hey Tammy! "Was there ever a point where you lacked a cohesive plot?" Um, yes. ALL THE TIME! Honestly, when I write, I feel as if I'm standing at the open mouth of a plane holding on to the rip cord of my parachute while looking down dubiously and muttering, "This could all end badly..." It is my extreme sport, and most of the time, I am hanging in the air hoping I land okay. For me, it's all part of the process. I just write and rewrite and keep revisiting, keep asking question, keep going over tiny details (God is in the details) until I work it into something that seems, well, workable. I do think that the more you work on your characters, the more you will discover the plot as a by-product. I mean think about it: character are human beings. Human beings make choices based on all sorts of wants, needs, fears, insecurities, etc. When human beings make choices, they take action. Action = plot.
Remind me of that next time I get stuck, will you? Thanks.
Juwi wrote: "Hi Ms Bray!!! just wanted to say THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME ON GOODREADS- it's particularly awesome for those who don't live in the US...i really hope you do a book tour in the UK somet..."
Hey Juwi. Thanks so much! Wow, I am blushing. (And I am so happy to be mentioned in the company of Ms. Black, Ms. Cabot, and Ms. McCafferty, wonderful writers, all.)
I really did have a blast coming up with the products for BQ. And yes, Maxi-Pad Pets was probably my favorite. I honestly don't know where it came from. I just went, "What would be a truly ridiculous concept for a feminine hygiene product? Oh, how about plush toys in our pants? Yeah, that'll work." Or maybe I'd seen too many of those Webkinz and Pillow Pets ads. They started to break me down, man!
I hope I can get to the UK sometime. Oh, and Captain Jack Sparrow was not an inspiration, but Marc Bolan and Russell Brand were. Thanks!
Vivianne wrote: "Hi, I've read the Gemma Doyle series and have a few questions.How did you come up with everything?
What gave you the idea for the book?
Did you do some major changes in the book before you pu..."
Hi Vivianne. Thanks for your questions. If you scroll back a ways, you'll find some of the answers you're looking for. As for whether I made some major changes to the book, the answer is yes! In the first draft of AGATB, Gemma had a cousin named Jane who was in an abusive marriage, and Tom was madly in love with her. She figured into the plot much more but it just didn't work with the book. Also, believe it or not, Mary Dowd's diary was NOT in the first draft! Crazy, right? That came about in the revision. This is why I say that revision is so important to me. Sometimes, I just don't get the whole picture until the second or third or fourth draft.
Great question, thanks!
Christine wrote: "Hello! I just want to say that I really love your A Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy. Ever since I read it, it has been my favorite. :) I just want to know if you're planning on continuing Gemma ..."
Thanks so much! :)
Christine wrote: "Hello! I just want to say that I really love your A Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy. Ever since I read it, it has been my favorite. :) I just want to know if you're planning on continuing Gemma ..."
Yikes, sorry, Christine. I missed your question. I've answered it on page one. Just scroll through for the answers, thanks.
Crys wrote: "Hey Libba! Thanks for taking time to answer all of our questions. Wow - a lot of great questions on here. I think someone may have asked mine, but here we go.#1 - When I read Beauty Queens, I hat..."
Hey Chrys. How cool that you will be at the DBF. I will see you there! Also, teachers and librarians rock. (My mom was a HS English teacher.) Okay, on to your questions:
#1 - When I read Beauty Queens, I hated Taylor at the beginning but loved her in the end. Which of the characters from that book was your favorite to create and write?
Taylor, definitely. She surprised me, too. Plus, that woman can kick some serious ass.
#2 - As everyone else stated, Gemma Doyle is an amazing trilogy. Looking back, what is one thing you would change about Gemma as a character?
Probably, but I can't think of what that might be right now. :)
#3 - I see that you network with a lot of other YA novelists. Of those writers, who seems to give you the toughest critique? Who's the cupcake of the group?
The toughest is Justine Larbalestier, and I love her for it. The cupcake? Well, I don't think anybody's a cupcake. They all give very good, solid critique but they also give praise. But if I were feeling raw and icky about something, I'd probably phone Jo Knowles first for a verbal hug.
#4 - favorite pizza topping? Cheese. I am simple. But only with pizza.
#5 - Your plan crashes on a deserted island. What are three books you must have with you? Guide to Edible Plants. How To Get Your Ass Off a Deserted Island for Dummies. The Hotel New Hampshire.
Aden wrote: "Hello writer that has made me cry because of your Gemma Doyle series,I love your stories and for one thing I am here ask you some questions.
First question: What is the best place to get id..."
Hey Aden, I think ideas are all around us. You just have to grab the one that speaks to you and makes you want to know more. The worst book of all time? Wow. See, I have so little time that I tend to read only books I enjoy, so I don't have an answer. And last but not least, orange tree. Although if there's a coffee ice cream tree, I choose that. Thanks!
Javier wrote: "Hi, I read your Gemma Doyle Series and I know that that book is not your real genre but I was wondering if you were planning to make another Gemma like series?
Thanks :)"
Hey Javier, actually, I love me all kinds of genres! I'd like to write in most of them. And yes, I've got a new historical supernatural series coming out next fall. It's called THE DIVINERS, and, like the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, it's a mix of horror, creepy, history, adventure, romance, and mystery. All those things I enjoy. Thanks.
Julia wrote: "I've read all your books. Each time I am about to begin a new one, I think she can't possibly compete with herself and top the last one. But everytime you do! Thanks so much for your varied output!..."Hi Julia! Thanks so much --and thanks for being a teacher. Teachers rock. Did I have a response to the WSJ piece? Oh boy, did I. Actually, the night it all went down on Twitter, I responded immediately. Here is a link to what I said: http://storify.com/wsj/books-are-at-t...
Now, wouldn't it be nice if the WSJ offered a rebuttal to someone like Maureen Johnson or Laurie Halse Anderson or Cheryl Rainfield? Better yet, wouldn't it be great if they talked to teens? Just a thought. Thanks.
Rachel wrote: "your gemma doyle series was amazing, im so excited to read beauty queens and i also enjoyed going bovine: it made me laugh. i was wondering what you picture to be the final stage of the relationshi..."Hey Rachel--you are 100% right: I left it open for readers to interpret. *walks away quietly and shuts the doors* :)
Shadow wrote: "What was your hardest obstacle/struggle that you had to overcome to pursue your career as an author?"Self-doubt.
Amanda wrote: "Good evening,I'd like to start by saying that I thoroughly loved the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I love reading novels where there is a female protagonist leading the whole story. It isn't very often you..."
Hey Amanda. Awesome questions. Well, the first thing is to make your novel the best it can be. I know that sounds simplistic but it's true. It's the one thing you have the most control over, y'know? Then you should look for an agent. I often recommend reading the acknowledgments pages of authors whose work you like and seeing who their agents are. (Writers almost always thank their agents.) Then look those agents up on the Interwebs and see if you think you might like them or they might be a good fit for your work and find out if they are accepting new writers and what their submission policies are. Then--and this is important--FOLLOW THEM TO THE LETTER. If an agent says, "Please only submit via email and do NOT submit a full manuscript," then don't snail mail them your 1,000-page opus. You'll only earn a spot in the trash can.
There are tons of contests out there, and those are well worth entering. Again, do some research--most publishing houses have them. If you're interested in writing children's/YA, I would heartily recommend joining SCBWI, the Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. They have chapters all over the country, and they have fantastic resources and conferences.
Hope this helps. And good luck!
Sariah Rose wrote: "Hi Libba Bray,I don't really have any questions, but I just want you to know how deeply infatuated I am with you and your books. You're such an inspiration to me, your words move me breathless. Yo..."
Aww, shucks. Thanks so much.
Casey wrote: "Hey there Libba, I absolutely LOVE you and your books! You are my favorite author of all time. I really enjoy how kooky and witty you are and how you don't let anything get in the way of your writi..."Hey Casey.
Um, thank you for this: "Or is it because if you did anything else your unusualness would be awkward?" I am laughing out loud. My unusualness has frequently been awkward, so it is probably good that I am shut off from society most days, hunkered over my computer with only the cats to shudder at my oddness. LOL.
Why do I write? I can't imagine doing anything else. Even when I worked about 10 jobs and tried to find whatever time I could to write, I kept at it, because I love it. I love story. I love what story can do, how it can connect people, how it can make sense of the world even in the most absurd of tales. I am very lucky to be able to do what I love for a living.
Would I ever write a sci-fi? Man, I'd love to have the mad skillz to write a quality sci-fi, but I'm not sure I have that. I suppose I have written "speculative fiction," but I'm never really sure where the lines are, to be honest. (Maybe that's the point. There are no lines.) Anyway, I do have a "speculative" story coming in a new steampunk anthology called STEAMPUNK! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, edited by the fabulous Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, which will be out in October.
Alien Porno is going on my band name list.
Thanks for your questions.
Catalina wrote: "Hi Libba. I really like your books.I just have two questions:
What inspires you to write?
Any advice for aspiring writers?"
Hey Catalina--scroll through for the answers to these questions in other posts. Thanks!
Victoria wrote: "Hey! I just wanted to say how much I love your books! i mean the Gemma Doyle series is one of the best series I have ever read! It had everything you could possibly want in a book, I just want to ..."
Hi Victoria. You are not alone in wanting a happy ending. Many readers felt that way. I answered their questions (and offered tissues) in this blog post from 2007. I hope it answers your question for you. Thanks! http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...
Allison wrote: "Going Bovine has some incredible themes running through it - it's deep, entertaining, and told from a teenage boy's perspective, the latter of which makes it incredibly different from your other bo..."Hi Allison. Okay, will it freak you out if I say that GOING BOVINE was completely IN my comfort zone? ;-) The joke is that when the Gemma books came out, all my close friends went, "Wha?" They had no idea I was into that sort of thing. (I am.) But when GB came out, they all went, "Oh, yeah. This makes total sense," and all the readers of the Gemma books went, "Wha?" Honestly, Bovine comes closest to the way my brain works most of the time. Which is a deeply troubling thought.
As for why I chose mad cow disease, it was because I had known of someone who died from it, and his story haunted me for years. And when I read more about the disease, I discovered that it often goes misdiagnosed for some time because the symptoms can mimic things like psychological disturbances or drug use, which worked for the story as well. It's a terrible, terrible disease.
Thanks for your questions, Allison.
Erika wrote: "Hi Libba,While reading the Gemma Doyle trilogy I noticed that they just kept getting longer and longer! I was wondering if you could tell us a bit about your editing process and how you decide ho..."
LOL. That's a kind way of putting it, Erika. Those books are freaking door stoppers! Seriously, you could get an upper body workout just trying to lift TSFT. I probably should have stretched the story out over four books, but I had no idea it would the story would take me in so many different directions or that it would need so much room to tell. I didn't map it out beforehand. So suddenly, the last book came along and I went, "OMG! I have so many ends to tie up and so many stories still to tell.." But alas, I needed to pull it all together. Pity my poor editor who had to try to whittle the last book down from its original 900+ pages. I still think poor Wendy (my wonderful editor on the Gemma books) deserves to have her own island.
Thanks!
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You bet. THE DIVINERS--a supernatural series set in 1920s New York City. The first book comes out next fall. :)