As part of our Elizabeth Scott Week festivities I was able to interview Elizabeth for the blog! I was so excited, being that she is one of my favorite authors, and I didn't really know what to ask. So instead of getting specific with books, I wanted to know where the inspiration and beautiful writing came from.
Also, remember to enter our giveaway to win 1 of 3 sets of her books! Linkys to your review or posts = extra entries in the giveaway.
Find her webpage
here, and twitter
here.
Quick List
Nickname: E
Favorite color: black
Favorite City ever visited: It doesn't get any better than NYC!
Favorite Food: Ruffles
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Fiction or Non-Fiction: Both
Name a really good book you have read recently: Heaven, Texas and Natural Born Charmer, both by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who I only recently discovered and wow, have I been missing out on some great books!
Some Deeper Questions
Q: What got you started into writing and why do you write for young adults?
I started writing as utter fluke--I was bored out of my mind during a meeting at work, and instead of taking notes, I found myself writing about a girl. It was the weirdest thing because growing up, I went out of my way to avoid anything that had to do with "creative writing"--I even skipped taking certain English classes in college because of it.
I always saw myself as a reader, and although I loved writing papers, I never ever saw myself writing fiction. I didn't think I was creative, you know?
Anyway, after that first short story, I realized that hey, writing fiction was fun, and never looked back. I joined an online critique group and wrote short stories for about five years before I wrote my first novel, Bloom.
I've always written about teenagers. I don't know why--maybe it's because in my heart, I'm still about 15-18, depending on the day! :-)
Q: What kind of books do you read and who are some of your favorite authors?
I read everything--fiction, non-fiction, biographies, poetry, autobiographies--you get the idea :-)
Some authors I adore--besides Susan Elizabeth Phillips (seriously, how come no one ever told me about her!) are Helen Dunmore, Charles Baxter, Maggie Helwig, Amy Bloom, Ann Patchett, and Ha Jin
Q. What is the best thing about being an author? What is the hardest?
The best thing, for me, about being an author is writing that first draft, hearing from readers, and meeting readers!
The hardest is all the rewriting, and dealing with the realities of publishing--I'm a mid-list author, and with the publishing industry changing so much, I worry.
Q. Which is your favorite of the books you have written?
Since I can't read my own writing (never have been able to, which is why I joined an on-line critique group--I knew I had a lot to learn (and I still do) but that I'd never be able to learn it unless I had someone tell me what I was doing wrong!
So, that's my long-winded way of telling you that I don't have a favorite, because I don't ever read my books.
Q. Contemporary YA is (I believe) one of the hardest genres to write. Characters must be genuine and realistic, and you have had so many of those. What -or who- inspires you when creating these characters and stories? And are any of them based on yourself?
I get inspired by things I see, things I hear, things I read, things I dream about--heck, I've even been inspired when I was cleaning the toilet!
I never have based a character on myself or anyone I know--I think it would be weird to write about someone I know, and as for me? I'm way too boring to write about! (Plus, making up people? FUN!)
Q. Do you plan to continue writing Contemporary YA, or would you like to explore into other genres?
I love contemporary YA, and I have no interest in writing adult fiction or even middle grade. My heart is all YA!!
To see more about Elizabeth Scott
and get a taste of her books in her own words, see the link below:
Rules:
- US Only
- 13 + only
- Runs until May 25, 2011
- May only enter once (on this blog), we will count the extra entries manually
- Each blog is hosting their own giveaway for one set of the books, but here in TSLoaAR, you have a chance to win 1 of 3!
