Ask Libba Bray - Special One-Day-Only Group discussion
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Holly wrote: "I thought of more questions. Sorry.1. Can you TELL US what you're planning next?
2. Have you ever seen the play Once On This Island? (I ask because I was finishing The Sweet Far Thing while on t..."
Wow. Okay. I'll try to tackle what I can.
1. Can you TELL US what you're planning next? / THE DIVINERS, a new supernatural series set in 1920s New York City.
2. Have you ever seen the play Once On This Island? (I ask because I was finishing The Sweet Far Thing while on the plane to a theatre camp where we were putting on the show... The girl turns into a tree at the end. SFT: Katrik turns into the tree. I threw the book across the room and into the wall. The hotel manager came and told me I was causing people to complain. I couldn't stand the parallel between the two. So ironic.) / I have never seen ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. Sorry you got in trouble with the hotel manager. Just tell her/him that at least you aren't Keith Moon.
3. I want to know the workings of your friendship/editing group? with all the big name authors I know--- Scott Westerfield, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Maureen Johnson... how did that work? So jealous. / Honestly? We're just friends. Friends like to get together. That's the story, morning glory.
4. Have you ever done any writing based on a really weird dream you've had?/ Yes. But I've never published it.
5. Quick-- the weirdest thing you've ever done in an airport?/ Bought socks?
6. Were you into writing when you were a kid or young adult? Or did the real passion for it come about in your adult life? / I wrote but didn't realize I was doing it. I just did it for fun. My first passion was art followed by music followed by theatre. Clearly, statistics was not going to be my life path.
7. A book you absolutely hate? / Hmm, well sometimes I hate people's interpretations of books like the Bible, especially when those interpretations are then used to justify hatred, violence, bigotry and oppression. But I can't think of any actual books I hate.
8. If you were an animal, what would it be? / I want to say something cool like a wolf. But I'll bet I'm something dorky like a platypus.
9. Does Miss New Mexico ever get the tray out of her forehead? / What do you think? (You're the reader; you get to decide.)
10. ... And does Taylor Rene Krystal Hawkins get that bullet wound fixed up? Because it'd be real easy for that to get infected, and therefore die of on the island. And, honestly, that'd be a pretty pathetic ending to one of my favorite nutters. / I like that your Gonzo-esque neurosis/worrying is in line with mine. I'm guessing if anybody knows about proper wound care, it's Miss Texas.
11. Would you ever consider letting your fans read/posting on your livejournal early versions of your books or deleted scenes? I think many of us would really enjoy it. Really, really enjoy it. / I have posted deleted scenes before and will probably post some BQ outtakes soon. Stay tuned.
12. Do people recognized you on the street? / You mean like my neighbors and the folks at 7-11? Yes. If you mean strangers, then no. I move in the shadows like a ninja.
13. If you weren't a writer, and you could be anything else in the world, what would you like to be? / A singer-songwriter.
14. Am I going to get in trouble for asking so many questions? / There is no penalty box on Goodreads that I know of. You're good.
Dabney wrote: "What do you feel an author owes--if anything--a reader in a book?"That's a very interesting question, Dabney. I'm kind of tempted to ask you what you think. (You can, in fact, answer if you're so inclined. I'd be curious to know.) I think you get into some dicey territory when you talk about owing a reader something. I think all you can do as a writer is write the best possible story you can. But I suppose if a writer does owe the reader (and him- or herself) anything, it is honesty. Fiction is made up of lies designed to get at the truth of something, and I think writers should do their due diligence in finding whatever that truth is, large or small. Thanks!
Mia wrote: "Hellooo, Your Awesome Fabulousness!I actually have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind.
I've always been curious about the reading group questions found at the end of so many nov..."
Hi Mia. Great questions. The publisher usually hires someone to write up the discussion guides at the back of the books. I think generally they are pretty thoughtful. But truthfully, it's been a loooong time since I looked at the trilogy and I can't remember what was asked! (It's a miracle I remember my address most days...)
As for casting, if they ever made a movie of the GDT, I'd hope they'd cast unknowns as the girls. That would be my wish. But I always imagined Olivia Williams or Jennifer Ehle as Miss Moore. Who do YOU see as the characters?
A question I've always wanted to be asked..."Why is Colin Farrell so in love with you?" A: I don't know. The poor heartbroken dear. ;-)
Thanks.
Picture wrote: "Is it called cheating to post my comment again? I hope not. I just really want you to reply.Dear Libba Bray,
Please reply even though this is long.
I seriously can eat your writing, and I’d b..."
But I did answer, I swear. Check page one.
Leanne wrote: "Libba, I loved Going Bovine, and laughed so hard -- I was wondering, did the humor just come to you? Or did you have to sit and think it out?"Hey Leanne,
It should probably be mentioned that I feel I was raised by a combination of Monty Python, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Gilda Radner, and National Lampoon. And I grew up in a very gallows-humor kind of family. So I guess the humor just came to me. If that frightens you, my apologies. ;)
Jillian wrote: "Coming up with just one question is extremely hard. There are so many things I would like to ask about, mainly pertaining to the upcoming Diviners books - which I am really excited for. A fantasy t..."Hey Jillian, thanks so much for the lovely compliments! I blush. Also, thanks for your great questions. I think I may have answered those to some degree in some other comments, so maybe you could scroll back and read them and see if you find what you're looking for. I'm glad you're a Gemma/Adina fan. :) And I'm very happy to hear that you are an aspiring writer. That is awesomesauce. And I hope you'll like DIVINERS--it's giving me fits right now. I feel like I know the characters but the plot is most vexing. Thanks for your questions!
Marissa wrote: "I love the Gemma Doyle series and am in love with all things supernatural and London/Victorian Age. Do you have any book suggestions? Thanks!"Oooh, yes! Well, there's always Cassandra Clare's THE INFERNAL DEVICES series which is set in Victorian England. Maureen Johnson's new book, THE NAME OF THE STAR, is contemporary but creepy and has a nod to Victorian England. (It takes place in England.) If you want to go old school, there's Henry James' classic, THE TURN OF THE SCREW or one of my favorite books of all time, Charlotte Bronte's JANE EYRE. And if you want a sort of send-up of gothic literature, there's always Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY. Enjoy!
Maddie wrote: "What would be your top 20 book recommendations for people who liked The Gemma Doyle Trilogy?"Hey Maddie. Well please see the books I recommended to Marissa, who posted right before you. I'd also recommend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN, Thomas Hardy's TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES, Marion Zimmer Bradley's THE MISTS OF AVALON, Clare Dunkle's THE HOLLOW KINGDOM, CHIME by Franny Billingsley. I haven't read it yet, but I hear wonderful things about JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORELL by Susannah Clarke. THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE by Phillip Pullman. Hopefully, that's enough to see you through for a bit. Happy reading!
Allie wrote: "First off, you are one of my favorite authors. I devoured your Gemma Doyle series last year way past the age of a "young adult". I love that your books can speak to a wide age group!How do you ..."
Hey Allie, thanks for the kind words about the Gemma books. Outlining. Even typing the word makes me tremble. See, I always wish that I had a very orderly, organized way to write a book--a fool-proof method that would not have me tearing out my hair at some point. But so far, it eludes me. I am very non-linear, so I'm not a good outliner. What I do is that once I have an idea, I usually ask myself lots of questions, which I jot down in one of my many spiral notebooks. Things like, "Why doesn't Gemma know her mother is a member of the Order?" Or "How did the Order fall? What is the backstory?" I will often write an entire backstory for something--and sometimes I will even abandon whole plot lines or get rid of characters. In short, Allie, I write a lot of things wrong on the way to finding what feels right. And yes, at some point I will attempt to wrangle my thoughts into thread or an outline or a sub-grouping of some kind, and just as quickly it will all fall to hell. All I seem to know what to do is just keep writing through the rough spots until I hit on something that seems to work. Not terribly efficient, my chaos theory of writing, but it seems to be my process.
So, yeah. If you're looking for someone to tell you how to plan your way out of the misery, I'm not your girl. If you want someone to sit on the stool next to you in "I have no idea what I'm doing yet" commiseration, I'm here. Good luck!
Laura wrote: "I absolutely adored Beauty Queens. It was so original and hilarious! I felt that this novel is a feminist anthem, it was empowering just reading it. What inspired this story, and what are you hopin..."Hey Laura! Thanks so much. Lots of cool questions about feminism on here today. Scroll back to page one to Emily's post for a more comprehensive answer to your question. Thanks!
Alondra wrote: "Hello, Thank you for writing such amazing books! Here are a couple questions I had 1).Where do you find the inspiration for your stories? (You make your characters face some big issues that are no..."
Hi Alondra, I think inspiration is all around us. You just grab the idea that speaks to you and see if it's still speaking to you a few pages in. But yes, my characters do face some big issues. I think my books often tackle identity and how hard it is to figure out who you are, especially if you are an outsider in some way, and how difficult it can be to tolerate feeling alone if you decide to go your own way. (I think there is also an exploration of how we can hold on to who we are and still connect with other human beings without losing ourselves.) That's a good observation on your part. I don't know if I will write about the realms again, but if I did, I'd probably want to pick up the story a few years later. Thanks!
Laura wrote: "what inspired you in the making of the poppy warriors? whats your favourite book and your favourite book you have wrote yourself? how did you get into writing?any more book plans in the near future?"
Hey Laura. Actually, there is a cool inspiration for the Poppy Warriors. One night in NYC, I was eating in a restaurant, and my waiter was this amazing-looking guy. Very tall, thin, and rock 'n' roll. But he had black flowers tattooed all the way up the insides of his arms. They were amazing, and suddenly, I had the name Poppy Warriors. I thought, "That sounds a bit scary." I also have an irrational love of the movie "The Warriors" and was very fond of all the gangs in the movie. I wanted to create a neo-Victorian, Dickensian gang that blended the influence of this waiter and a little bit of Alan Moore (whom I LOVE). That was the genesis of the Poppy Warriors.
My favorite book of all time might be CHARLOTTE'S WEB. Love that book.
I have a new book coming out Fall 2012. It's the first book in a supernatural 1920s series called THE DIVINERS. Thanks for your questions.
Megan wrote: "Hi Libba,I'm sure you have been asked this several times already, but my sister and I want to know if you plan on writing another historical fantasy series or more historical pieces.
Thanks! Megan"
hey Megan--popular topic on here today. I am, indeed. It's called THE DIVINERS; it comes out next fall and if you scroll through the comments, you can read all about it. I hope you'll enjoy it. :)
Julia wrote: "Hi,I'm a big fan and was super excited to hear that Going Bovine is a summer reading book choice @ my HS, but what i'm gonna ask is when is your next book going to come out, and do you know what i..."
Coolio! Glad to hear I made the HS reading list. You know, that list I often avoided in HS. ;-)
If you don't mind scrolling through the comments, you can find me talking about what's next, writing-wise. Thanks!
Brandy wrote: "Beauty Queens is brilliantly demented and I'm loving every minute I spend listening to it. Was it as much fun to write as it is to read, or were there sections you thought would never end?Also, d..."
Hey Brandy, can I put "brilliantly demented" on a t-shirt? LOL. Thanks. It really was an awful lot of fun to write, although, like all books, it presented its share of trouble spots. The large cast of characters was really tough to figure out, for one. I had to figure out how to make each girl have her moment, to get into the heads of all of them. A challenge to be sure. I'm having the same challenge with DIVINERS, which is third person omniscient. Yowza.
Recording the audio book was a fascinating process, but I don't think I'll quit my day job. A lot of times, I'd trip over a wordy sentence and say, "Hey, who wrote this impossible sentence? Oh, right. I did. Only three-word sentences from now on." I'm sorry, audio book people. My bad. Thanks!
Darby wrote: "Hey,Let me just say that I love the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. Few of the best books I've read :)
Anyway, I'm working on being an author of a series and just wanted to know how you keep yourself going w..."
What inspired me to keep writing? A deadline. That's a joke but not really. It's bloody hard to keep going! There are times when I think I will never pull it all together and I have the urge to fake my death and go live in a Target somewhere. But what can you do but keep going? Does the knowledge that every writer struggles with that help at all? Honestly, you've got company. But it will feel so good when you come out the other side. Just do one scene at a time. Good luck.
Stephanie wrote: "Hello, what a crowd!um i did not read other peoples questions i'm sorry if you answered someone else then just copy and paste your answer to here. I have just a few questions first um, in beauty ..."
Hi Stephanie. Your question isn't rude at all. I really wanted a happy ending, which is unusual for me. LOL. Earlier in the book, the girls had been doing dance routines that were scripted. They had to perform for other people, to fulfill other people's expectations. So I wanted us to go out on a scene in which the girls were dancing because they WANTED to. They could wear whatever they wanted to wear and make up whatever dance they wanted to do and express themselves fully. So that's why I ended it the way I did. As for why TAylor stays on the island, I leave that up to the reader to interpret.
Thanks for the great questions, Stephanie.
Theresa wrote: "Hi,I finished the audiobook for Beauty Queens. It was amazing and so hilarious!! You were brilliant!!! One of the best audiobooks ever!
What made you decide to be the narrator/voice actor for B..."
Hi Theresa,
Well, thank you so much for saying so! it was a lot of fun to get to record the audio. I can't see doing it again--it's a lot of time away from writing, for one thing. I think this book was unique and lent itself to having the author record it whereas I could never imagine recording, say, the Gemma books. (Josephine Bailey did those and she's terrific!) It was actually Paul Gagne, the director for Scholastic audio, who asked me to do the audio. I had never done audio work before, but I do have a theatre background, so I guess it's not totally out of left field. Still, I'm happy to leave the work to the professional voice talent out there. They rock.
Sonja wrote: "Hi Ms Bray,1)How were you able to become a published author? 2)How long did it take you? 3)What did you do to develope your creative writing skills (classes, asking for feedback from friends).
..."
Hi Sonja. It took me a very long time to get published. I started off as a playwright, and I wrote 5 1/2 plays. I did countless readings and staged readings and tried to get my stuff out there but faced many, many rejections. When I decided I really wanted to write YA, the first thing I did was read everything I could get my hands on. Then I wrote for Alloy, a book packager. (They often hire writers to write series which they have already sold to publishers.) After writing three books for them, I decided I really needed to write my own books. So I approached an editor I'd worked with, Wendy Loggia at Random House, and asked if she'd like to see my proposal for a trilogy I wanted to write. She bought it, and that's how the Gemma Doyle trilogy began.
One of the best things i ever did for my writing was to join a workshop that met every week. It wasn't a workshop where people critiqued your work. It was based on the Amherst writing method in which you get a writing prompt and write on the spot. At first, I found it intimidating, but eventually, I learned that if I get out of my own way, interesting things bubble up and I can actually get past my writer's block and get right down to it. I might need to take that workshop again, actually. I think you have to find what works for you. Some people flower in a critique group setting; others shrink. Classes provide great structure for some writers and too much pressure for others. But I think it's great to keep growing and stretching and challenging yourself. I'm always reading other writers and admiring their skills, learning craft from them.
Thanks for your questions!
Diemmi147 wrote: "Hi Mrs. Bray,I know more than enough people have already said how awesome your books are, so maybe you do not need me to point that out to you AGAIN. But, please allow me to join the crowd and scr..."
Hi Diemmi, Wow, thank you so much for that wonderful note. It really made my day. I am honored. Let me see if I can answer your questions:
1. Do you often travel?
Not as much as I'd like. I'm hoping to do more travel, especially internationally, in the future.
2. Where have you been to? Outside of the U.S., I've been to Mexico, Italy, England, Canada, Germany, and Austria. I'm hoping to get to France next spring. What I should do is set a book in all the places I'd love to see so that I can count it as research. :)
3. And may I have the pleasure to know wherever that is so fortunate to lodge you at the moment? I live in New York City.
4. Do you write when you travel? Yes. I love to write when I travel. I find it really relaxes me.
5. When you travel, do you go alone, or with friends or family? it depends on the situation. I often travel for business, which could have me traveling alone or with fellow writers and cool publishing peeps. I just finished a tour to San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston with the lovely Meg Cabot and Maggie Stiefvater. Sometimes I travel with my family. Occasionally, I travel with a pal, most often with other writers if we decide to go away and do a writers' retreat.
6. How long do you stay in one place? Hard to say. it depends on the nature of what I'm doing. The longest tour I ever did was eight days in German & Austria followed by four more in Italy.
7. A notebook, a laptop, an ipad or a recorder would you choose to be your constant companion? I'd have to take both a notebook and a laptop. I use both, and I use them differently. I do most of my writing on the laptop and my organizational thinking in the notebook.
Great questions! Thanks so much, Diemmi, and I wish you luck in your dream to become a book translator. :)
M. S. S. wrote: "Hello, Libba! I honestly can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed The Gemma Doyle trilogy. Gemma is now one of my favorite characters in anything. I cracked up laughing, and I cried for an hour str..."Hi Maisah,
Wow, GREAT questions. Thanks so much. Okay, ready for the answer to #1? I screwed up. !!!! I was just learning to write fantasy and didn't really have a good grasp of the rules yet, and I...sort of fudged the lines of the whole body in the realms/body out of the realms business. If I had a do-over button, I would go back in time and fix that problem. But all I can do is learn from my mistakes. So the reason you're confused about that aspect is because it's totally confusing. My bad.
It's hard for me to give an answer to #2 because there's a possibility I might revisit Gemma and the realms at some point, and I'm not sure I want to commit to an answer for now. Sorry, I know that's not very satisfying. But your questions are so good and thoughtful. Thank you.
Hopefully, I'll manage to make things track better in DIVINERS. Or I'll die trying...
Thanks!
Bookworm wrote: "Hi, I read and absolutely enjoyed, Going Bovine and the Gemma Doyal trilogy. There are so many questions I want to ask about it. One is why Kartik had to die. Another is why Gemma moves to America ..."Hey Bookworm (great name), a reader on page one asked some very similar questions, so I'm going to ask if you could scroll through the posts there and find the answers you're looking for in regards to Gemma's friends. As for the Kartik question, I posted this answer after TSFT came out. Maybe it will answer you? http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/278...
Finally, you asked what happens to Gemma when she comes to America. I like to think that the reader gets to imagine what comes next. It's up to you. :)
Thanks!
Maria wrote: "Hello,I was wondering how much background information you had to do to write the Gemma Doyle series. I was wondering if you based those places, the school, the church, the other world, on places ..."
Oh gosh, thanks, Maria. I think I'll answer your last question first. (Is that like having dessert first?) I love all sorts of books and have lots of different interests, so I like to write in many different genres. As I always say, some days I want to wear jeans and a t-shirt. Other days, I want to wear a ball gown and cowboy boots. The story is the story and it requires different "clothes" depending on what it is.
I did a lot of background research on Gemma. First, I read novels of the period--Dickens, the Brontes, Edith Wharton, Victorian school girl novels. Then I read non-fiction books like, WHAT JANE AUSTEN ATE AND CHARLES DICKENS KNEW, THE NEW GIRL: Girls' Culture in England 1880-1915. I employed the help of the amazing Lee Jackson, a Victorian scholar who runs the Victorianweb.org and is himself a writer of Victorian-based mysteries. I corresponded with Colin Gale, the archivist for Royal Bethlehem Hospital ("Bedlam") and read his work. I visited the British Library and did research there and asked for help from librarian friends. (Librarian friends rock.)
I trolled the Internet and books searching for country estates that could serve as inspiration for Spence and its environs. Theo Black, Holly Black's husband, found me these amazing old postcards of crumbling ruins and estates which made for great visual inspiration. Of course, when writing about London, I had to be pretty factual, though I invented a few places. I really, really enjoy the research--so much so that sometimes it's hard for me to get back to the writing.
Thanks for the great questions.
Libba wrote: "Picture wrote: "Is it called cheating to post my comment again? I hope not. I just really want you to reply.Dear Libba Bray,
Please reply even though this is long.
I seriously can eat your w..."
Sorry for re-posting my comment. I was just really worried that you would reply. Because I did one of these questions things with Meg Cabot. Meg Cabot though seemed to reply to only certain questions or at a random order. So, *slaps head* Hehe. Thanks for replying and keep writing.
Ps: I hope I'm not bothering you with this comment to reply to, but I just have to say one thing. For a while after reading the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, I had been thinking to meet you and have you sign an order that says I can mentally be married to the series. I love them soooo much. :) Mentally married. Anyway, I'm just weird like that.
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Ask Libba Bray - Special One-Day-Only Group
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Beauty Queens (other topics)Beauty Queens (other topics)
Beauty Queens (other topics)
Beauty Queens (other topics)
Hi Holly! Ah. So you found the MJ & Libba videos and LIVED TO TELL THE TALE! You are made of brave, brave stuff, my friend. Beauty Queens came about in a very different fashion from any of my other books in that the germ of the idea came from David Levithan. Years ago, he took me to lunch and said, "A colleague and I have an idea for a book and we want you to write it: A plane load of teen beauty queens crash on an island. What can you do with that?" The answer is BEAUTY QUEENS.
But I think it illustrates that the idea you start with is rarely the place you end up. Thanks!