David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion
Author Q&A
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Mindy McGinnis (Author of In a Handful of Dust) Q&A--Oct 6-9th
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Loved the first book, and can't wait to read the second!Really nice of Mindy to agree to come back to the group. :)
This is super duper exciting!!!!!What is your biggest book related pet peeve?
Who is the first person to read your stories?
How much do you outline before writing a book? Love your book covers!
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What are you working on now?
Anything else on the horizon for Lucy or Lynn?
ooo this is exciting! What made you decide to write a post-apocalyptic novel series? The genre is booming right now and I'm curious to see what went through your head when you decided to go this route.
This book is actually sitting beside my bed waiting for me to read it next :)
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How did you do your research? Was any of it based on personal experience? Did you go on - for lack of a better term - field trips to come as close as possible to experiencing some of the ordeals Lynn and Lucy face? Or was all the research done from the comfort of your own home?
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First of all, thanks for having me back, and I hope you enjoy DUST!1. Natalie--What is your biggest book related pet peeve? When I'm reading a book and there's a cliffhanger. Ugh.
2. Natalie--Who is the first person to read your stories? My first reader is always RC Lewis, author of STITCHING SNOW. She's been a trusted critique partner for years.
3. Teri--How much do you outline before writing a book? Not at all. I rarely even know what's going to happen in my books from day to day. I let the characters decide what's next.
4. Karen--Congratulations on Stephenie Meyer optioning the movie rights to Not a Drop to Drink!! How do you feel about such exciting news?? Stoked! I'm thrilled to be working with someone who knows exactly what it's like to be an author watching their story leap from page to screen.
5. Karen--What are you working on now? Absolutely nothing. I just finished up edits on my 2015 release, a Gothic historical thriller set in an insane asylum titled A MADNESS SO DISCREET. It really took it out of me, and I'm taking a few months off.
6. Karen--Anything else on the horizon for Lucy or Lynn? Nothing in the works, but I'll never say I wouldn't revisit the world.
7. Jessica--What made you decide to write a post-apocalyptic novel series? The genre is booming right now and I'm curious to see what went through your head when you decided to go this route. Much like I let me characters decide what's going to happen next in the book, I let my books themselves decide which one is going to get written. Whatever story is foremost in my mind at the moment is the one that gets my attention, whether the genre is hot or not. Historicals are rarely huge sellers in YA, but I knew that MADNESS was going to be my next project, regardless. If you're inspired you can't afford to ignore it.
8. Victoria--How did you do your research? Was it based on personal experience? Did you go on - for lack of a better term - field trips to come as close as possible to the ordeals Lynn and Lucy face? Or was all the research done from the comfort of your own home? I research almost to a fault (writing MADNESS nearly killed me). But, the internet has changed the way we do just about everything, from shopping to getting movie times to research. I don't have to try to walk from Ohio to California to see what things would be like -- I can just drop the little yellow dude into Google maps and take a look around - which is exactly what I did.
9. David--What was the hardest part about writing the sequel? I never intended there to be a sequel at all. I specifically wrote DRINK as a standalone because I dislike cliffhangers. So when Harper came to me asking if a second one was a possibility, I had to dig deep to come up with any kind of plot at all. It was intended to be a single book, so branching off of a project that was meant to be it's own thing was the first jumping off point, and the hardest.
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If you could visit any world in a fictional book, which book would you choose and why?
Hi Mindy! *waves* Thanks for coming back to answer our questions! I haven't yet read Not a Drop to Drink, though I'm hoping to get to it this month (it'd probably be a great October read). But oh my gosh, A MADNESS SO DISCREET sounds amazing! I already can't wait to get my hands on it. :)Do you ever have regrets when your book gets published, anything you wish you could have done differently?
If you could have a day to spend with just one of your characters, who would it be?
How do you deal with writer's block?
Who influenced you to become a author?How do you come up with the titles to your books?
do you ever have trouble writing a book?
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one fictional character with you (your own or someone else's) who would it be and why?
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10. Jenny--If you could visit any world in a fictional book, which book would you choose and why? Narnia, because talking animals.11. Holly--Do you ever have regrets when your book gets published, anything you wish you could have done differently? I don't know any authors who read finished copies of their books, for exactly this reason. If there's phrasing I don't like, an awkward sentence... I can't change it now. So I don't read them.
12. Holly--If you could have a day to spend with just one of your characters, who would it be? Stebbs. I kind of have a crush on that silver fox.
13. Holly--How do you deal with writer's block? I actually don't think writer's block exists. It's just called procrastination. And I deal with that by sitting my ass down and writing.
14. Heather--Who influenced you to become an author? Anyone who ever wrote a book that I read. I lived inside of fictional worlds for so long, I wanted to make my own.
15. Heather--How do you come up with the titles to your books? The titles of my book are actually lines from poetry. "Not A Drop to Drink" is from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge, and "In A Handful Of Dust" is from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot.
16. Heather--do you ever have trouble writing a book? Every time I sit down to write I think this time it won't happen, this time I will fail, this time it will suck. Every time.
Mindy wrote: "10. Jenny--If you could visit any world in a fictional book, which book would you choose and why? Narnia, because talking animals."Awesome answer! YAY for talking animals!
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Jenny wrote: "I think I might be partial to Narnia too...also Harry Potter :) Would love to be able to do magic! And sit in the stands and watch some Quidditch!"Yeah, that would be totally awesome!
If you could have coffee - or tea, or whatever beverage you prefer - with any three people, living or dead, who would they be? Why those people? What would you discuss with them?
Where do you hope to go as an author? What's your least favorite thing about being an author?
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17. Xandra--If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one fictional character with you (your own or someone else's) who would it be and why? Macgyver, because he would ensure our survival and probably be totally capable of getting us off that island using sand, salt and sun rays.18. Karen--I really love the covers of these books, Mindy! Did you get any input in their design? I did! Harper was really good to me in that they looped me in on early on, but to be honest there wasn't a lot that needed addressed. The posture of the girl on the roof changed on DRINK, and there were tiny adjustments on DUST, but due to my fantastically talented cover designer, there really weren't many changes I wanted at all.
19. Jenny--What book did you LOVE that you think is not getting its proper due? THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST series by Rick Yancey and ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by Kate Karyus Quinn.
20. Victoria--If you could have coffee - or tea, or whatever beverage you prefer - with any three people, living or dead, who would they be? Why those people? What would you discuss with them? Jesus, because wouldn't that be interesting. Whoever my Irish ancestor was that came over from the homeland so that I can get that cleared up in my family history. And Hitler, so I can stab him.
21. Kynndra--Where do you hope to go as an author? DRINK is currently released in Germany under the title BIS ZUM LETZTEN TROPFEN. I'd love to go there!
22. Kynndra--What's your least favorite thing about being an author? People that know me in real life now talk to me a lot about my books, and writing. It's very flattering, and they're deserving fans just as much as anyone, but there's a definite difference between Author Mindy Persona and Everyday Mindy. It can be very difficult to change tracks and talk about my books when I'm trying to catalog hundreds of other people's :)
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David is reading The Monstrumologist series now and loving it! I'm hoping to read it this month, I just moved, and my new library has it! YAY! I also need to read Another Little Piece, I've heard its good, and I do have it on my Kindle.
Jenny wrote: "Hitler--that made me LOL!"Me too; I almost choked on my tea!
What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to research for one of your books?
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Me too; I almost choked on my tea!"
I bwahahaha'd when I read that! Yeah Mindy!!! :)
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Thanks Mindy, for coming back to our group! This has been a lot of fun :)
Did you always plan to make it a two-book series?Are you going to write any novellas to go with the books?
And last, when you were a kid, did you know you wanted to be an author?
No question, just wanted to thank you for doing this Q&A for the group! :)
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How do you find time to work on your own books when you're also "librarianing"? ;)
Harlee wrote: "No question, just wanted to thank you for doing this Q&A for the group! :)":)
23. Karen--What's your favorite thing about being an author? My favorite thing is meeting other authors!! 24. Victoria--What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to research for one of your books? Oh boy... well, if I answer that it'll be a spoiler for DUST. But if you've read DUST then you can probably figure it out :)
David wrote: "Incredible answers, both funny and interesting, Mindy! You rock! And OH MY GOSH, I personally loved your answer of THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST. I just read that whole series in about a week and they were I..."Agreed. The 5th Wave is very good in it's own way but MONSTRUMOLOGIST needs a pedestal.
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24. Victoria--What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to research for one of your books..."
Yup, VERY weird research subject!! :)
Mindy wrote: "23. Karen--What's your favorite thing about being an author? My favorite thing is meeting other authors!! 24. Victoria--What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to research for one of your books..."
Yeah, I've read Dust, and can figure it out... Definitely a very weird research topic!
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions again, Mindy! :)
Thanks for answering our questions, Mindy!
25. JP--Did you always plan to make it a two-book series? No, actually. I wrote DRINK as a standalone, but Harper liked it so much they asked if I had another story in me. I didn't, really. I had purposely ended Lynn's story the way I did, so that's part of the reason I decided to make DUST more about Lucy.26. JP--Are you going to write any novellas to go with the books? There are no plans to, but there is extra content in the PB version of DRINK, including a short story about Mother while pregnant with Lynn.
27. JP--And last, when you were a kid, did you know you wanted to be an author? Yes, most definitely. I took one of those assessment tests in 8th grade where they tell you what jobs fit you best. The proctor asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said an author. My results came back and said I should be a cop. To be fair, I think I would've been a pretty kickass cop.
28. Karen--What does your typical day look like, Mindy? I work for 8 hours, then come home and do home stuff. At the moment that includes 5 little abandoned kittens that think I'm their momma. I don't write until after I'm in bed.
29. Karen--How do you find time to work on your own books when you're also "librarianing"? ;) I'm kind of like Batman - during the day I'm Librarian Mindy, but at night my alter-ego kicks in and I'm Writer Mindy.
30. Cindy--How long do you write for everyday? Not that long, actually. I go very long periods - months sometimes - without writing. I think it's good to give it a break, recharge the inspiration batteries a bit before jumping into something new.
Thank you so much for answering all our questions Mindy!!
Thank you so much for answering all our questions Mindy!!
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Thanks so much Mindy for such wonderful answers and for hanging out with us this week! Thanks wonderful members for asking such good questions :)
David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite!
Books mentioned in this topic
Not a Drop to Drink (other topics)Not a Drop to Drink (other topics)
In a Handful of Dust (other topics)
Because she has been here previously, we don't want to bombard her with questions she has already answered! Please check out all the previous questions here, so we don't have any duplicates! Thanks!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Great news! Mindy is giving away a signed copy of
And if you haven't checked out her books yet, I encourage you to try them! They are great post-apocalyptic reads!
Questions:
1. Natalie--What is your biggest book related pet peeve?
2. Natalie--Who is the first person to read your stories?
3. Teri--How much do you outline before writing a book?
4. Karen--Congratulations on Stephenie Meyer optioning the movie rights to Not a Drop to Drink!! How do you feel about such exciting news??
5. Karen--What are you working on now?
6. Karen--Anything else on the horizon for Lucy or Lynn?
7. Jessica--What made you decide to write a post-apocalyptic novel series? The genre is booming right now and I'm curious to see what went through your head when you decided to go this route.
8. Victoria--How did you do your research? Was it based on personal experience? Did you go on - for lack of a better term - field trips to come as close as possible to the ordeals Lynn and Lucy face? Or was all the research done from the comfort of your own home?
9. David--What was the hardest part about writing the sequel?
10. Jenny--If you could visit any world in a fictional book, which book would you choose and why?
11. Holly--Do you ever have regrets when your book gets published, anything you wish you could have done differently?
12. Holly--If you could have a day to spend with just one of your characters, who would it be?
13. Holly--How do you deal with writer's block?
14. Heather--Who influenced you to become an author?
15. Heather--How do you come up with the titles to your books?
16. Heather--do you ever have trouble writing a book?
17. Xandra--If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one fictional character with you (your own or someone else's) who would it be and why?
18. Karen--I really love the covers of these books, Mindy! Did you get any input in their design?
19. Jenny--What book did you LOVE that you think is not getting its proper due?
20. Victoria--If you could have coffee - or tea, or whatever beverage you prefer - with any three people, living or dead, who would they be? Why those people? What would you discuss with them?
21. Kynndra--Where do you hope to go as an author?
22. Kynndra--What's your least favorite thing about being an author?
23. Karen--What's your favorite thing about being an author?
24. Victoria--What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to research for one of your books?
25. JP--Did you always plan to make it a two-book series?
26. JP--Are you going to write any novellas to go with the books?
27. JP--And last, when you were a kid, did you know you wanted to be an author?
28. Karen--What does your typical day look like, Mindy?
29. Karen--How do you find time to work on your own books when you're also "librarianing"? ;)
30. Cindy--How long do you write for everyday?