Thursday, February 28, 2008

An Interview with *drum roll*.... Jaclyn Moriarty

Hello, everyone. Now I get a turn to interview another charming author for your viewing pleasure. Read on (if you dare) and you will find the 10 questions that Aella and I asked the lovely Jaclyn Moriarty.... and some occasional commentary from yours truly (that's in red).

1.) Did you enjoy writing any of your books more than you did the others?

Sometimes, particular characters' voice seem to rush onto the page, surprising me with the things they say. So, that makes writing more enjoyable. That's what happened with the Emily-and-Charlie sections of The Year of Secret Assignments, and with most of Bindy Mackenzie. Also, I wrote four different versions of The Spell Book of Listen Taylor (an earlier version is published as an adult book called I have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes), and it always seemed to take me into a kind of dreamworld. I loved writing every single draft.

But I think my favourite is going to be the one I'm writing at the moment. Its working title is Shadowgirl, and, so far, I'm having the best time I've ever had writing a book. (Superstitiously speaking, that's a dangerous thing that I just said.)

Oh yeah, you'd better knock on wood, or throw salt, or something!

2.) What do you think is the real reason that most teens don't read for leisure very often?

Their minds work faster than pages turn.

Well, some of them do... but some don't... *points out passing girls who giggle and shriek "OMG lyk this PURSE!"*

3.) What was the most intense thing you ever did to procrastinate novel work?

Have a baby.

Ok, you win.

4.) E-books. What say you?

Okay. But I don't want to read them myself.

5.) Growing up on those rainy days when there wasn't anything to do but read from the collection on your shelf (library's closed), what would you have picked up first?

Any of the Mary Poppins books; and The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbitt.

6.) What did you want to be as a kid? Were you always on the tracks to being a novelist?

The first thing I wanted to be was an author. Then I wanted to be a school teacher, a flight attendant, an astronomer. For a while I wanted to be a concert pianist, but I have absolutely no ear for music, no sense of rhythm, and I almost failed all of my piano exams. So I became a lawyer.

7.) Okay. Choice making time. Maelstroms, tempests, or whirlwinds * jeopardy music plays lightly *?

That depends. Am I watching the maelstrom/tempest/whirlwind from somewhere safe, or am
I right in the middle of the maelstrom/tempest/whirlwind? If the latter, how powerful is the maelstrom/tempest/whirlwind? If very powerful, I think I would be safest in the middle of a tempest. I could take cover somewhere, whereas, if I was in the middle of a maelstrom/whirlwind, I would be in trouble.

You're right, getting in the middle of any type of big storm (from blizzards to sandstorms) is not a good idea and we here at the Maelstrom would never encourage anyone to seek out said storms and try to harness their energy as a component in a world domination plot... not that I've done that or anything *shifty eyes*

8.) Do you have any wisdom to impart upon the aspiring authors who doth be reading this?

Try not to over-analyse things, the way I did with question (7).Try not to write in the style of
question (8). Try not to show your writing to people who tear it to pieces. Try not to fret if you find you are always changing directions in your writing. I think changing directions is a good thing.Try not to fret about getting published. You have plenty of time. Try to read unusual things such as poetry and science books and biographies. Try eating grapes and peaches while you are writing.

Yumm... grapes and peaches are delicious....

9.) If you could be any kind of animal, what would it be?
Well, I think I would choose a bird of some kind because then I would be able to fly. I think I would like to be some kind of colourful parrot that flies around chatting with other parrots and eating berries and nuts. To be honest, I would do a lot of research, if this was a serious option, to make sure I chose precisely the right kind of bird (eg not one that people are likely to shoot; one that has a beautiful song rather than a squawk; not one that eats worms).


10.) Have you heard of the Super Awesome Project? Shhh.... It's a secret.
And yet, here you are referring to it in a question.

Good answer. Oh, by the way, said Super Awesome Project is no longer known as the Super Awesome project...but it's still fairly secret....


Thank you very much for answering our questions Ms. Moriarty, and I hope you all enjoyed the interview.

From the Shadows,

~Medeia Senka~

8 comments:

Reese said...

LYKE, OMG!!! I LYKE TTLY L.O.V.E. HER!!!!

*scoffs* Stupid preps.

Wait what was that? A mention of SAP?? Not a secret anymore Meds. Do tell...

BINDY MACKENZIE IS AWESOME.

Anonymous said...

best overheard prep conversation ever.
(on Valentine's Day)
prep-slut one (let's call her Justine): lyk, she got, lyk, a million roses.
prep-slut two (let's say Sarah): lyk, i know
Justine: there's no way she got that many roses.
Sarah: srsly. i bet she bought them all herself to make ppl think she's, lyk, popular or something.
Justine: *scornful laughter*
Sarah: *scornful laughter*
Sarah: i love us.

Medeia said...

lyk OMG no way! i cant even lyk believe it. srsly.

I really shouldn't talk like that. I can just feel my brain beginning to decompose.

Bri said...

Oh my word, I love Jaclyn Moriarty! Seriously. You ROCK!

Medeia said...

Why thank you very much Bri, but Aella deserves most of the credit... she is the one who first put The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie into my hands, after all (which I love by the way)

ReaderGirl said...

Oh cool! how do you guys swing these interviews seriously....e_e

Anonymous said...

I agree with readergirl. How do you get these interviews? It must be frightfully exotic. This is a very nice blog by the wayside.

...Reeve...

Anonymous said...

Aww, thanks... We just asked for interviews and these magnificent authors agreed to do the interviews with us... that is, if you can get their contact info to ask them in the first place.....