Reminder: YOU CAN WIN AN ARC OF COLD KISS (NOT OUT UNTIL SEPT) AND AN AUTOGRAPHED FOREVER HERE.
You can also see what author Amy Garvey thinks about writing here and what she thinks about her new book here.
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Amy's Answers Part II
Cold Kiss is definitely heartfelt. What inspired this book?
A bunch of people were talking about YA trends, and someone mentioned zombies. And I thought, yeah, a girl with a zombie boyfriend, that would be funny. But then it stuck with me, and I realized it wouldn’t be funny at all. I have a lot of issues around death and loss, and the idea of someone bringing a loved one back to life really appealed to me, just to explore what that would mean.
If you had to describe Wren in 3 word what would they be? ...And Gabriel?
This one is so tough! I think for Wren it would be: headstrong, curious, independent. And for Gabriel: steady, challenging, protective.
Wren learns a lot through the course of the book. What do you think her most important lesson is?
I think the most important lesson she learns is that love is so much more than a happy ending. It’s not just about how you feel, either. Love comes with a responsibility to the people you care for, and sometimes that means letting them go. Love has to be selfless to a certain extent.
Both Wren and Gabriel have rather unique abilities and the magic that runs through the books is unique. How did this idea develop?
I’ve always loved the idea of ESP or any kind of psychic ability, which is generally purely organic – you either have it or you don’t. I don’t see why magic couldn’t be the same kind of thing – one of those “humans generally only use ten percent of our brain capacity” things. If it’s part of the ninety percent that doesn’t usually get tapped into, I thought it would be something that ran in a family, like a gene or a talent.
But I also like the idea that magic is out there the way electricity is, and that if you can figure out how to harness it, you can use it. So someone without that natural ability, but with focus and determination, could use spells, too.
One thing that was important to me was making the story feel as real as possible, as if everything that was happening could actually happen to any girl in the world. That’s why I didn’t want to create a whole magical school or community. I wanted Wren to have to figure out what to do with her power, the same way I would have if I had suddenly realized I could turn a paper bird into a live one, or change the color of the walls with just a thought. It works better as a metaphor for me that way, too.
Don't forget you can win a Cold Kiss ARC & autographed copy of Forever here.
A bunch of people were talking about YA trends, and someone mentioned zombies. And I thought, yeah, a girl with a zombie boyfriend, that would be funny. But then it stuck with me, and I realized it wouldn’t be funny at all. I have a lot of issues around death and loss, and the idea of someone bringing a loved one back to life really appealed to me, just to explore what that would mean.
If you had to describe Wren in 3 word what would they be? ...And Gabriel?
This one is so tough! I think for Wren it would be: headstrong, curious, independent. And for Gabriel: steady, challenging, protective.
Wren learns a lot through the course of the book. What do you think her most important lesson is?
I think the most important lesson she learns is that love is so much more than a happy ending. It’s not just about how you feel, either. Love comes with a responsibility to the people you care for, and sometimes that means letting them go. Love has to be selfless to a certain extent.
Both Wren and Gabriel have rather unique abilities and the magic that runs through the books is unique. How did this idea develop?
I’ve always loved the idea of ESP or any kind of psychic ability, which is generally purely organic – you either have it or you don’t. I don’t see why magic couldn’t be the same kind of thing – one of those “humans generally only use ten percent of our brain capacity” things. If it’s part of the ninety percent that doesn’t usually get tapped into, I thought it would be something that ran in a family, like a gene or a talent.
But I also like the idea that magic is out there the way electricity is, and that if you can figure out how to harness it, you can use it. So someone without that natural ability, but with focus and determination, could use spells, too.
One thing that was important to me was making the story feel as real as possible, as if everything that was happening could actually happen to any girl in the world. That’s why I didn’t want to create a whole magical school or community. I wanted Wren to have to figure out what to do with her power, the same way I would have if I had suddenly realized I could turn a paper bird into a live one, or change the color of the walls with just a thought. It works better as a metaphor for me that way, too.
Don't forget you can win a Cold Kiss ARC & autographed copy of Forever here.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Wed. & Writing: Amy's Answers
In honor of Cold Kiss week, this Wed. we have words on writing from Amy Garvey.
Who is your greatest inspiration in writing?
Probably writers like Nora Roberts and Stephen King. Writers who just kept at it, as long as it took, and who value story as much as style. There are probably a dozen more I could name, but I really respect an author who spends the majority of his or her time writing. There are a lot of distractions out there, and some of them are necessary and even beneficial, but the most important part of being an author is giving yourself space and time to write.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
It’s a big cliché, but I was a kid when I knew. In elementary school I always went all out with the creative writing assignments, and I was lucky to get a lot of them. I have notebooks from those years with these nascent, completely embarrassing stories, but they were my greatest joy aside from reading. Writing is all I’ve ever wanted to do, even when I knew I’d have to do other things to pay the bills.
What advice do you have for unpublished writers?
To keep at it. To study the market, because in the end, no matter how brilliant some stories are, if there’s no audience for them, they won’t be published (traditionally, anyway). Know what you’re getting into if you decide to self-publish. Work on your ideas and your use of language more than you develop your Twitter persona or expand your network. Know that there is no magic formula and that publishing, like a lot of other arts, usually involves as much luck as talent. And always keep reading.
Were there any specific resources that helped you in querying process?
I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful agent, Maureen Walters at Curtis Brown, Ltd. So all that stuff gets left to her.
Was there one moment or event that you really feel catapulted your career?
Two things have certainly boosted my self-esteem. I worked for Kensington Publishing as an editor for years, and the first books I ever had published were through them after I quit. But there was always a nagging feeling that it was a favor to me, that I was simply being helped out by friends. So when I sold a manuscript to Harlequin (for a line that sadly died before it was ever really established, although my book was released within Superromance), I was thrilled. Someone who didn’t know me personally loved my work! I felt the same way when Cold Kiss sold, because not only was it another publisher, but it was a new genre for me.
Who is your greatest inspiration in writing?
Probably writers like Nora Roberts and Stephen King. Writers who just kept at it, as long as it took, and who value story as much as style. There are probably a dozen more I could name, but I really respect an author who spends the majority of his or her time writing. There are a lot of distractions out there, and some of them are necessary and even beneficial, but the most important part of being an author is giving yourself space and time to write.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
It’s a big cliché, but I was a kid when I knew. In elementary school I always went all out with the creative writing assignments, and I was lucky to get a lot of them. I have notebooks from those years with these nascent, completely embarrassing stories, but they were my greatest joy aside from reading. Writing is all I’ve ever wanted to do, even when I knew I’d have to do other things to pay the bills.
What advice do you have for unpublished writers?
To keep at it. To study the market, because in the end, no matter how brilliant some stories are, if there’s no audience for them, they won’t be published (traditionally, anyway). Know what you’re getting into if you decide to self-publish. Work on your ideas and your use of language more than you develop your Twitter persona or expand your network. Know that there is no magic formula and that publishing, like a lot of other arts, usually involves as much luck as talent. And always keep reading.
Were there any specific resources that helped you in querying process?
I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful agent, Maureen Walters at Curtis Brown, Ltd. So all that stuff gets left to her.
Was there one moment or event that you really feel catapulted your career?
Two things have certainly boosted my self-esteem. I worked for Kensington Publishing as an editor for years, and the first books I ever had published were through them after I quit. But there was always a nagging feeling that it was a favor to me, that I was simply being helped out by friends. So when I sold a manuscript to Harlequin (for a line that sadly died before it was ever really established, although my book was released within Superromance), I was thrilled. Someone who didn’t know me personally loved my work! I felt the same way when Cold Kiss sold, because not only was it another publisher, but it was a new genre for me.
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