Tuesday, October 20, 2009

YOUR Interview with an Author

This worked so well last time that I thought it would be fun to try it again.

This is YOUR chance to interview MG and YA speculative fiction writer, PJ HOOVER! The author of the Forbidden Worlds series (and, I am sure, a future bibliography any spec fic writer would envy), PJ has graciously agreed to answer YOUR questions.

Want to know how to structure a multi-book series? Curious about marketing? Wonder what's in store for Benjamin and pals in the future? (OK, she might not answer that last one...)

ASK AWAY!

This post will be open until Thursday night--so feel free to ask whatever questions you might have. And, as a refresher, here's the interview PJ did with me last year. But feel free to re-ask some questions, see if they changed!

11 comments:

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Hi PJ and Beth:
This question is for Athena (I do my homework, Beth). 1) I should think a name like that would open doors to ancient research libraries. How far did you go, how deep did you delve to learn about Lemuria and teleporting?
2)What is the most interesting thing you ever dug up? Your choice: library(virtual or otherwise) or ground (like real dirt).

Unknown said...

(LOL @ the idea of digging something up literally!) Great questions, Tricia!!!

To keep things organized, here are the questions asked from the previous post:

Kat asked:
And a question, because I'm always interested in this: Did you get your agent via querying? If so, what was the query process like for you?

Natalie Aguirre asked:
What does P.J. recommend that aspiring authors who don't have a blog do to have a web presence and how can we best use facebook when we're not published?


And I would like to ask something, too! I noticed on Tabitha's interview (http://tabwriter.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-pj-hoover.html), you talked about writing Navel in 2005, and rewriting it as the series developed. Could you discuss a bit more about how it's different to write the second book of a series than, say, the first or third? What different processes do you use?

PJ Hoover said...

Oooh, fun questions! This will be great!

christine M said...

I have a question. Did the idea for The Forgotten Worlds trilogy come to you as a series - or did it become a series as you started to write it? In other words did you think I have a great idea for three books. Or did you start to write the story and realize that it could best be told in three books?

Shannon Messenger said...

Okay, I haven't read these books (I know, what's wrong with me?) so I hope this question applies. When you're structuring a series, how do you plant things in the first book that don't fully pay off until later books and yet not make it feel like there's holes in the plot of the first book? (Does that even make sense? It does in my head...but I didn't sleep much last night...)

Robyn Campbell said...

Hey PJ and Beth. What is the one most important thing you want your reader to come away with from reading, The Navel of the World or The Emerald Tablet? :)

dellgirl said...

Ummm, sounds like fun. I don't have a question in mind right now, caught me off guard. However, I will go think of one and come back with it. It'll be just my luck to get side-tracked and come back Friday morning.

I'm looking forward to the interview.

Shannon Messenger said...

I'm not posting another question (though I could...)

I'm actually here to pass on a blog award to you. (What I'm sure is one of many)

Anyway, I stupidly don't know how to do links in comments, so you'll have to stop by my blog if you want the details.

PS: The reason I chose your blog is because I'm insanely jealous of it. Well done you!

Miriam Forster said...

Okay, here's my question(s)...

Can you tell us what's next for you after the Forbidden Worlds series? Are there more amazing worlds in the works? What are you working on now?

(Wow, that was a lot of w's...)

Unknown said...

Got another question! You mentioned in the review that your son is just now reading Navel. I wonder...at what point do you let certain people read your work? Obviously a beta reader is going to read a rough draft, but how rough? Do you keep the first draft personal and send them a second? What about your agent? Your husband? Your children?

Heather Zundel said...

Okay PJ - here we go. What made you think of Atlantis as your first inspiration?

I also am curious about structuring a series. Please elaborate in any way you see fit. :)

What is the most important thing about creating characters?

And - do you outline or write on the fly?
And