Ask the Author: J. Scott Savage
Answered Questions (34)
J. Scott Savage
I never say never, and I had a really great plan for the kids and the mysterious librarian, but at this point unless something big happened like a movie or TV show, I'm afraid the odds are not in our favor.
J. Scott Savage
Sorry, for just getting back to you on this one. I just discovered these questions. Yes, I totally do. The Oxford comma, or OC as I like to call it when we hang out, is highly necessary for avoiding a lot of confusion. That being said, there are times where I might head out on my own and leave OC behind.
J. Scott Savage
Names themselves can't be copyrighted. But characters can. So I could name a character Harry, but I couldn't make him go to a magical school with Ron and Hermione. But the copyright on the characters of Santa's reindeers is expired so you can absolutely write about them or make a movie about them or name your kids after them. (Maybe give the last one a little extra thought.)
J. Scott Savage
How much do I want to write a sequel? 100.
How much does the publisher want a sequel? Not so much.
I never say never, but at this point the odds are not in our favor.
How much does the publisher want a sequel? Not so much.
I never say never, but at this point the odds are not in our favor.
J. Scott Savage
Of course!
You know what, I have a hard time remembering names. I'll be like, I read this great book and completely describe the plot. Then people will go, Cool, what's the book called. And I totally blank. So no worries at all. I'm just glad you liked them!
You know what, I have a hard time remembering names. I'll be like, I read this great book and completely describe the plot. Then people will go, Cool, what's the book called. And I totally blank. So no worries at all. I'm just glad you liked them!
J. Scott Savage
Hahaha. Great question! I like to have at least two main characters in my books because it lets them play off of each other, especially if one is more into the adventure and is kind of tugging the other along at first. Or if they have different reasons for doing what they are doing. It's great to create conflict and friendship. Several of my books have a boy and a girl like the ones you mentioned and The Lost Wonderland Diaries. But Case File 13 has three boys and three girls. Graysen Foxx has a boy and a twin girl and boy. And my upcoming series Quantum Interstellar Sports League actually has nine kids and five aliens. :)
J. Scott Savage
Man, I read sooo many great book this year. CeeCee Rios, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and the Last Kids on Earth books, Holly, The Hanging City by Charlie Holmberg. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
J. Scott Savage
Oh, gosh, that is a great great question. I mean I'm always losing things so there is that. How about this, when I was in elementary school, I was always forgetting things at home that I needed to take to school and at school that I needed to take home. (I had undiagnosed ADHD.)
One Saturday I want to ride my bike and it wasn't there. Suddenly I remembered I had left it chained to the bike rack at school. I ran all the way back to school, but when I got there, the only thing left was a front tire chained to the rack.
I think I'd like a to read a book about how I found a great detective like Encyclopedia Brown, or maybe a treasure hunter like Graysen Foxx, who took the case and returned my bike. Because I really loved that bike and blamed myself and was super sad for months.
One Saturday I want to ride my bike and it wasn't there. Suddenly I remembered I had left it chained to the bike rack at school. I ran all the way back to school, but when I got there, the only thing left was a front tire chained to the rack.
I think I'd like a to read a book about how I found a great detective like Encyclopedia Brown, or maybe a treasure hunter like Graysen Foxx, who took the case and returned my bike. Because I really loved that bike and blamed myself and was super sad for months.
J. Scott Savage
The answer to both questions is: I would love to! I even know the story I would write. But mostly that is up to the publishers.
J. Scott Savage
There are so many wonderful publishing options these days, and self-publishing is definitely a great one. The main thing I would suggest is to write as much as you can and get lots of feedback. Publishing is great, but learning how to write and get feedback is even more important. Either way you go, keep writing!!!
J. Scott Savage
James and I both started writing at about the same time and we live in the same area so we gave each other lots of writing and publishing advice. I don't know if any of it was any good, because we were both kind of learning as we went, but there you go.
J. Scott Savage
No. I'm sorry that one is a standalone.
J. Scott Savage
I have! In fact I know exactly where the story would go. We'll have to see if it happens but I would love to tell what happens to Marcus and keija after Fire Keep.
J. Scott Savage
All of my books are available as ebooks, audiobooks, and print books. They are all absolutely on Kindle. Hope you enjoy them.
J. Scott Savage
Ahhh, thanks so much. Now I am mostly focused on Middle grade books, but I never say never.
J. Scott Savage
This is a lot like asking, "What makes a good pizza?" Different people like different things on their pizza, but what makes it "good" for them is that they enjoy it.
Different people will look for different things in a good book. Some might like to be scared. Some might want to laugh. Others might look romance or mystery. But what makes the book "good" for each reader is that it provides what they want or need.
For me, the best books are books that make me feel something. I love a book that I keep thinking about long after I shut the cover.
Sorry this took a while to answer.
Different people will look for different things in a good book. Some might like to be scared. Some might want to laugh. Others might look romance or mystery. But what makes the book "good" for each reader is that it provides what they want or need.
For me, the best books are books that make me feel something. I love a book that I keep thinking about long after I shut the cover.
Sorry this took a while to answer.
J. Scott Savage
The elementals were placed where they were for very specific reasons. It was essentially a test to see if anyone could bring them all together. The fire elementals couldn't use their magic to break out of their jail, the same way the air elementals couldn't leave their home--until Marcus and Kyja brought them together. But their magic was always a part of Farworld. :)
J. Scott Savage
I think that I first really began to love books when I was in fifth grade and my teacher read us books like A Wrinkle in Time, Charlotte's Web, Where the Red Fern grows, and others. Between 7th and 8th grade, my family moved across the country and I got picked on a lot. My refuge was the library, and once more I fell in love with books. One day I looked up from reading at all the shelves of books and thought how great it would be if I wrote stories that helped other kids the way those book had helped me.
I didn't publish my first book for many years, but I always had that memory inside my head driving me.
I didn't publish my first book for many years, but I always had that memory inside my head driving me.
J. Scott Savage
I recently finished the first book in a new series called The Lost Wonderland Diaries. It's about a girl and a boy who discover that Wonderland is a real place that Lewis Carroll visited. When they get sucked into this world, they find that things have changed in the last hundred and fifty years and it is now very dangerous.
J. Scott Savage
My wife and I were in New York for a book event and I had just met with my publisher to discuss what I was going to work on next. That night, we went to go see the musical Wicked. Before the curtains even opened, there was a giant mechanical dragon over the stage. I looked up at the dragon and instantly knew I wanted to write a series about kids building a mechanical dragon.
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