1. When did you first have the idea for Shatter Me?
I actually didn't have much of an idea when I first started writing SHATTER ME. I just heard a voice in my head — the voice of a girl. All I knew was that she'd been locked up for something she didn't mean to do; I had no idea what her story was until I started writing it. Everything kind of came together on its own.
2. Who is your favorite character to write about in Shatter Me?
Hmmm. This is a tough question, because I really love all of the characters individually — but I think it's almost definitely Warner. Kenji is a close second.
3. How long did it take from finishing the rough draft, to finding an agent, to becoming a published author?
This is kind of a complicated question to answer. I'd written 5 manuscripts before I wrote SHATTER ME, and I landed my first agent for a very different novel — I actually wrote SHATTER ME while on submission for the first time. But after some time (and some unfortunate obstacles), it became apparent to me that my work – and my vision for my career — was going in a very different direction. I knew it was time to part ways with my first agent, and it was a terrifying time for me. Walking away from a sure thing without knowing what was going to happen — not knowing if I was making the right decision — it was almost horrifying. But I eventually came to trust my gut, feeling that, deep down, SHATTER ME was the strongest thing I'd ever written; I knew it was something I needed to move forward with. I wrote it in 2.5 months, and, after parting ways with my agent (who was never particularly interested in SHATTER ME) I started querying. I got my first offer of representation in a couple of days, and, after I accepted, we worked on edits for about 2 weeks before going on submission. We had an offer for the trilogy in about a day.
4. What books were your favorites growing up? What about now?
Oh goodness. Anything from Judy Blume to Jane Austen. I was a huge fan of contemporary and dystopian novels. THE GIVER changed my life. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET was a lifeline. PRIDE & PREJUDICE was a joy. I read just about everything, in every genre. I'm also a lifelong fan of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. Brilliant, those two men.
5. What plans do you have for any novels besides Shatter Me?
You'll have to wait and see! :D
6. Do you like to sit and plan out your books or just add on as you write?
I'm a hopeless pantser — meaning I write as I go. I can't outline at all. At most, perhaps a scene or two at a time, but even that tends to change.
7. Will Shatter Me be the first in a series, or is it just the first of two?
It's currently set to be the first in a trilogy.
Since we are a Harry Potter podcast, we do have some HP-related questions:
-Favorite DH2 scene?
SNAAAAAPEEEEE! oh my god. That's about when I totally lost it in the theater.
-Favorite HP character?
I absolutely adore Hermione.
-Favorite HP book and film?
I really, really loved Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, though it doesn't seem to be a big favorite for many people. I've never understood why.
-If you could've kept in ONE scene in any of the films that wasn't in the books, what would it be and why?
*SPOILER ALERT*
I actually love that at the end of DH2, Harry breaks the Elder Wand and throws it off the bridge. There's a sense of real finality in the action — that the Elder Wand is officially broken, gone, dead forever — that scene doesn't exist in the book.
There you go!
Thank you so much!!
Thanks so much to Tahereh for participating in the interview! Be sure to check out Shatter Me when it hits shelves November 15th!
No comments:
Post a Comment