Ask the Author: Ann Moore
Answered Questions (5)
Ann Moore
I had the idea to write about a quiet girl who decides to unleash her inner self for a long time before I wrote Girl Reinvented. I guess I can be quiet with some people (others would be shocked that I would call myself introverted) and sometimes I've wished I could be more expressive in all situations. I wanted to deal with body image in the book because I feel that a great number of women, especially teens, struggle with loving their bodies. I wanted to address those feelings in a loving way.
I also wanted to remind girls that there are women who are comfortable with themselves and their bodies, even though their appearance might differ from what Hollywood says is hot. Zoe is happy with herself, and I've met many women like her. Although every woman should be her own person, I hope that if girls remember Zoe's comfort and confidence and internalize at least a bit of it, they might feel the self-satisfaction that they deserve.
I also wanted to remind girls that there are women who are comfortable with themselves and their bodies, even though their appearance might differ from what Hollywood says is hot. Zoe is happy with herself, and I've met many women like her. Although every woman should be her own person, I hope that if girls remember Zoe's comfort and confidence and internalize at least a bit of it, they might feel the self-satisfaction that they deserve.
Ann Moore
Right now I'm writing a comedic adventure story for younger kids. I feel comfortable with comedy. When I used to write exams I would even put little jokes in the margins to make the person who was grading smile. On, like, an Organic Chemistry exam, if you can believe it.
Ann Moore
Read a lot! Reading well-written novels will help give a natural sense of how dialog and description flow smoothly. Also, I once took an improv class at Second City, and it turned out to be one of the most helpful things I could have done for my writing. The instructor encouraged us to imagine every aspect of the scene -- if you put something on an invisible table, you had to remember that the table was there later and what you had put there. When you're writing, you're imagining an invisible scene in the same way, in great detail. Parts of the world can't conveniently show up and confuse your audience if it wouldn't make realistic sense.
Ann Moore
I love the feeling of satisfaction when the plot figures itself out in a beautiful way, and your characters find their paths, sometimes in ways you couldn't have predicted.
Ann Moore
I find that if I add time to my schedule for writing, I'm forced to sit and figure out what needs to happen next. Sometimes I procrastinate those moments with a bit of dread, feeling worried that I'm not sure where the story should go next, but when I'm actually in front of the computer and don't allow myself to click outside of Word, I'm left with no choice but to figure out a plot twist or character development. I treat writing almost like an improv class when I'm stuck. Would Chris Rock stand on stage and having nothing come from his mouth? Nope!
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