Hey guys!
Here's another interview! :D This one is with Shana Norris. Her author bio is at the bottom of the page in case you don't know who she is. Anyways.. Enjoy!
Here's another interview! :D This one is with Shana Norris. Her author bio is at the bottom of the page in case you don't know who she is. Anyways.. Enjoy!
Q: When did you
first start writing?
A: I started making up stories when I was really
young, before I could even write them down. I started writing my stories down
when I was around eight years old.
Q: How did you know
you wanted to become a writer?
A: I realized at age 11 that people actually got
paid to write the books I loved to read and that they were just normal people.
Before that, I had always thought of writers as really magical or special
people that I could never be like. But once I realized they were regular people
who loved to tell stories, I decided that was what I wanted to be!
Q: Where do you
find your inspiration?
A: I find a lot of inspiration in real life. News
stories or things that have happened to myself or to people I know. My first
book Something to Blog About was inspired by something that happened to me in
college, and Troy High was inspired by my own experiences with high school
rivalries. Surfacing and the Swans Landing series was inspired by a visit to
North Carolina's Outer Banks in mid-March, when there were very few other
tourists around. It made me wonder what secrets the year-round residents knew
about the islands that the tourists didn't get to see.
Q: How did you come
up with your characters?
A: I always struggle with coming up with names and
such while writing or drawing so how do you decide on those details? A lot of
my characters are inspired by people I know. They aren't exactly these people,
but I take bits of personalities or habits from people I know and exaggerate
them a bit to turn them into characters. Names have always been one of my
favorite parts of writing. Sometimes names will immediately come to me, but
other times it takes a while before I find the perfect one. In some cases, I'll
try a few different names before the right one sticks. In Surfacing, every name
was chosen carefully because they help reflect something about the characters.
Q: Do you have an
author that you look up to? If so, who?
A: I really look up to Meg Cabot because she
doesn't stick to just one thing. She writes whatever she feels like writing and
she seems to really have a lot of fun with her writing.
Q: Do you listen to
music while writing?
A: No, not usually. I do have playlists that I make
for each book, but I usually don't listen to them while I'm writing. I listen
to them at other times when I'm brainstorming while doing other things.
Q: What's one thing
that nobody knows about you?
A: Hmm...I have no idea! I don't think that I
really have a whole lot of secrets. Though most people are surprised to find
out that I'm a big fantasy geek. I love dragons and wizards, and I originally
wrote fantasy books when I first tried to get published.
Q: If you weren't a
writer what would you be?
A: I would be archaeologist. I've always loved
history and I'd love to dig up a buried civilization.
Q: What's your
secret indulgence?
A: Lindor Truffles. Mmm. They are so good.
Q: What is your
life like outside of your writing career?
A: Um, it's not too exciting, lol! I live in a very
rural area, with my husband and our 2 dogs, 5 cats, and 5 chickens. We like to
go kayaking and camping. I try to live a pretty simple life, and I do things
like can my own food and knit and sew. I probably should have been born a
hundred years ago! But then I do like other things like going to the beach with
my friends and I have a weakness for shopping for purses and boots.
Q: Do you have any
advice for our readers who hope to become a writer?
A: Write a lot! And then when you're not writing,
read a lot. Reading is the best way to learn how to plot and develop characters
because you can study the way other authors have done it and learn from them.
And then most importantly, believe in yourself. Believe that you have a story
that needs to be told and don't let rejections or bad reviews get you down.
It's a tough business, but you have to have faith and you have to love it.
Author Bio:
I write young adult books from a tiny town in eastern North Carolina, where I live with my husband and our zoo of animals. I am the author of SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT and TROY HIGH, both available from Abrams/Amulet Books, and THE BOYFRIEND THIEF and SURFACING, both available in ebook format for all ereaders.
Connect:
~Sammy
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