Ask the Author: Jilly Gagnon
Answered Questions (6)
Jilly Gagnon
I'm so glad you liked it, Brielle! I'm working on more YA books as we speak -- hope to get them to you soon :)
Jilly Gagnon
Not right away, but I was immediately intrigued by it--the idea of being a regular person one day and incredibly famous the next blew my mind!
And then more of the story started coming out--while he was going on Ellen, his girlfriend was getting death threats!--and I got more and more interested in the whole thing.
Usually I need a little time to let ideas percolate, but this one definitely came to a boil more quickly than usual ;)
And then more of the story started coming out--while he was going on Ellen, his girlfriend was getting death threats!--and I got more and more interested in the whole thing.
Usually I need a little time to let ideas percolate, but this one definitely came to a boil more quickly than usual ;)
Jilly Gagnon
I'm pretty boring! My life doesn't have a ton of mysteries, though there's all kinds of moments I would--and do--mine for my novels.
Jilly Gagnon
My all-time favorite have to be Bertie Wooster and his infamous gentleman's-gentleman, Jeeves.
Their love for one another is intense, long-lasting, and most importantly, plays out in perhaps my favorite comic novels of all time. Bertie could never imagine a romance as important as his relationship with his valet, and Jeeves...well, he must love the young master excessively to continually offer the services of his giant brain all in the effort of keeping Bertie's life perpetually carefree, with no threats more formidable than a stray Aunt.
P.G. Wodehouse was a genius, juggling dozens of balls, all of them on fire, while making the whole thing look as effortless as waking at noon and ringing for kippers. No, Bertie and Jeeves aren't swoon-worthy romance, but they're one of the most enduring pairs of all time. That has to be at LEAST as good as "unrequited," right?
Their love for one another is intense, long-lasting, and most importantly, plays out in perhaps my favorite comic novels of all time. Bertie could never imagine a romance as important as his relationship with his valet, and Jeeves...well, he must love the young master excessively to continually offer the services of his giant brain all in the effort of keeping Bertie's life perpetually carefree, with no threats more formidable than a stray Aunt.
P.G. Wodehouse was a genius, juggling dozens of balls, all of them on fire, while making the whole thing look as effortless as waking at noon and ringing for kippers. No, Bertie and Jeeves aren't swoon-worthy romance, but they're one of the most enduring pairs of all time. That has to be at LEAST as good as "unrequited," right?
Jilly Gagnon
Say yes to EVERYTHING. It took me 9 years to get a book sold--in the meantime, I wrote reviews of bakeries, short comedy pieces for anyone who would take them, ghostwritten political pieces for the clients of PR firms, satire news for a fledgling site, political op-eds that ran in Canada, and, and, and (that only gets me to about year 5 or 6). I also wrote 4 books that didn't sell before one did.
All that effort is incredibly important. Writers face a lot of rejection, and learning to deal with it, get up, and write again, is possibly the most important thing you can do as a writer. Beyond that, all that writing made me better. I needed to do everything in between book one and right now to get to a place where I was ready.
All that effort is incredibly important. Writers face a lot of rejection, and learning to deal with it, get up, and write again, is possibly the most important thing you can do as a writer. Beyond that, all that writing made me better. I needed to do everything in between book one and right now to get to a place where I was ready.
Jilly Gagnon
For #famous, there's a pretty clear precedent: the "Alex from Target" story. I think the idea of instantaneous, unexpected fame is fascinating, and makes for a great story!
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