Category: Author Interview

1. Do you like writing the beginning of a book or the end better? Why?

I definitely prefer writing the beginning of a book! Beginnings always feel a little bit like magic to me—for me they’re all about creating atmosphere and intrigue. Plus it helps that at the beginning I haven’t gotten far enough into a draft to run into any problems; I can write whatever I want, without having to worry about tying up what’s come before in a satisfying way. 

2. What have you learned about yourself and the world from writing? 

I’ve learned so much! Sometimes it’s picking up odd little factoids in my research—for instance, I now know how emergency sprinkler systems work even when a building doesn’t have power, and I know why fish don’t bump into each other when they swim in schools (look up something called a lateral line). But some of it’s been seeing people respond to my work and learning about the ways we find meaning in each other and the written word. Some of it, too, has been in looking back at my own work and realizing how the things that are important to me find a way to come through even when I’m not aware of it.

3. How do you hope your writing/work will impact your readers?

I think the best way to describe what I hope for is to say that I hope my work makes its readers lean closer. Maybe that’s out of recognition—seeing themselves in a moment or a character—or curiosity or horror or disgust or interest or maybe it’s just, “Huh, that’s a cool sentence.” Whatever the case, I hope my work makes its readers participate in it, so to speak.

4. Have you always loved to write?

Always, even when I’ve hated it.

5. To date, what is your favorite chapter you have ever written?

There are a couple contenders, and I think if I were picking my “best” chapter I’d have a different answer, but I have a huge soft spot for Chapter 11 (at least I think it’s 11?) in Wilder Girls, wherein Byatt tells a story about something she did in grade school. It was such a fun chapter to write; her voice came really naturally to me, and I love experimenting with form.

6. How much of your time do you spend reading vs writing?

I’m a slower writer these days, so I end up with not nearly as much time to read as I would like. I try to balance it so that when I’m off deadline I’m reading as much long form fiction as I can, and when I’m in the thick of my own writing, I’m reading essays and shorter non-fiction.

1. Are any of the characters from your books, based on real people?

Sometimes! I don’t think anyone can TRULY create something from nothing, so in a way, all the characters are based on pieces of real people, but mixed up like a jigsaw puzzle. (That said, I did name one of the bullies in the book after my own high school bully!)

2. Do you like reading vs writing more?

This is a tricky one! But reading is one of life’s great pleasures, so I supposed I’d have to say I like reading more.

3. Do you have a certain place or environment you like to write at?

I usually write in my office, but actually really like writing on airplanes! Something about the noise of the engine, and being trapped with nothing else to do, really makes me focus.

4. What is the most difficult part of writing a book for you?

Honestly, whatever part I’m doing at the moment always feels like the most difficult! Writing is hard work, even though I love it. That said…the part that is often the most difficult for me is the very first time editing the book.

5. If you could give any advice to a first-time author what would you say?

Remember that your worth isn’t determined by how well your book does! You are cool and awesome all by yourself!

What are your favorite books to read?

Mostly spooky or weird stuff. Like my own! There’s something about a good scare that is really exhilarating!

List some important elements that make a good book?

You have to create a character that is believable. If not, your readers won’t feel like they are real. Also, make sure your character has obstacles. Without obstacles there is no conflict. And without conflict there is no story!

How do you keep track of all your ideas when writing a book?

I have no idea! I am a very disorganized writer. I have friends that are the opposite. I wish I could be more organized but when I try, I just get messy again. But I guess that is my method! I have documents and journals where I put down ideas and hope they turn into stories.

What inspired you to start writing?

READING! I had so much fun reading as a kid that I decided to try writing myself. I’m glad I stuck with it. It was a long, hard journey but I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

What’s a story or plot you’ve always wanted to write about, but it didn’t work out?

That’s a good question. I have scraps of ideas that I think about every day. I’ve always wanted to do something with black and brown people in an alternate Victorian setting. Maybe one day! But I try to keep all of my ideas in mind. You never know when the inspiration will strike to begin a new story!

1. What inspires you to write?

I’ve loved fantasy for as long as I could remember, but I had never read any that featured people who resembled me and my loved ones. ASOWAR was inspired by my desire to create a fantasy world that held Black folks and the African cultures I had grown up with front and center. Also, as someone who has dealt with anxiety for most of my life, I wanted to see a Black character who reflected this struggle but still got to be the hero of their story.

For Serwa, I’ve always loved Saturday morning cartoons, particularly shows like Sailor Moon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where a ragtag group of misfits has to put aside their differences to save the world. But I’d never seen a story like that as a Black girl as the leader. That desire led me to write a story that was as action-packed and high stakes as the cartoons I loved growing up but with a girl who looked like me at the center of the adventure.

2. What’s a story or plot you’ve always wanted to write about, but it didn’t work out?

I’ve always wanted to write a mystery, but it hasn’t worked out yet. Maybe one day soon!

3. If you could give yourself a tip for being an author, when you first started writing what would you say?

I’d tell her to pick a job that comes with healthcare! But in all seriousness, I’d tell her that her gut instincts to treat her writing as a priority and as seriously as others treat things like sports or clubs was right. And that so many amazing, wonderful things she can’t even fathom are coming her way, as long as she keeps putting a pen to paper and never gives up.

4. Do you plan out your stories before you write them or do you just go page, by page?

I’m what some call a road tripper, which is where I have a solid idea of where I’m trying to go and know exactly what is in front of me at the moment, but I’m not sure where I’m going to stop along the way. Is it a very stressful way to draft? Oh, 100%. But it hasn’t failed me yet!

I’m what some people like to call a road tripper of a headlighter, which basically means I know where my end destination is, I know the general direction I need to go in, I know where I am and what’s right in front of me…and that’s it. I find that when I try to outline too tightly before I begin a project, I get bogged in the weeds. A lot of my best scenes come when I throw my outline away and just completely trust my gut.

5. If you could change the ending to one of your favorite books which book would it be, and what would you change?  

SPOILER ALERT I’d change the ending of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so that the Pevensie children don’t have to leave Narnia at the end.
Can you even imagine growing up to be this super awesome adult ruler in a magic world, then having to return to our world with no magic, and you have to go through PUBERTY again??? Absolutely not!

6. How did you get the idea to use the Adinkra symbols in “Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Witchcraft and Mayhem”?

I grew up with the Adinkra symbols my whole life, and I always knew I wanted to use them in my writing one day. When I was crafting the Serwa world and had these super cool villains based in Ghanaian folklore in the adze, I knew I needed an equally cool magic system based in the culture to match. The Adinkra were the obvious choice, and the world grew from there!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love reading, and I spent all my free time reading books on my Kindle. I also like taking walks and hanging out with my kids.

How do you hope your writing will impact your readers?

I believe that it is important to know more about the world around us. I hope my books will help readers understand different cultures, viewpoints and perspectives.

1. What’s your favorite character that you’ve created? And why? 

I don’t know if I have a favorite. They are all somewhat a part of me, and also somewhat a part of others as well as my imagination. I think I like them all in different ways!

2. What is the best advice you have ever received as a writer?

Don’t read the reviews!

3. Are there any books or authors that have influenced your writing style or storytelling?

Growing up, I loved reading books about New York City, and I believe all of those books helped me write my books now (which are all about New York City!).

4. Out of the books you’ve written which has been the hardest to make/write?

Probably the one I’m writing right now, which is a historical middle grade novel.

5. What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?

Don’t give up! 

1. What is the most difficult part of writing a book for you?

Definitely the muddy middle! If I get to a scene where I don’t know how to write it or if I’ve written myself into a corner sometimes I’ll just skip ahead to the next scene where I do know what’s going to happen and go back later.

2. If you didn’t write what would you do?

Well, my full-time job is teaching fourth grade which is super fun, but if I could be any other job in the world, I think I would be a travel writer. Getting paid to travel and write about it sounds like a pretty awesome job!

3. To date, what is your favorite chapter you have ever written?

This is a fun question! So I had already done extensive edits for the Stepmom Shake Up, and my editor sent me a whole new outline, which included some brand new scenes. Needless to say, I was freaking out! So I went to my daughter, who was the same age as the main character Grace at the time, and I asked her (frantically, with my hair sticking up on end) “What would you do if you were trying to make two adults fall in love?” And she said, “I would give them a milkshake with two straws.” So I went off and wrote that scene in the Stepmom Shake Up, and it ended up being my very favorite scene and it even changed the title of the book! 

4. What do you do when a new idea comes to you while you’re still working/writing a new book? 

I have a notebook of orphan ideas and anytime I have a stray one while I’m working on something else, I write it down. But it’s the ideas that won’t leave you alone that you eventually have to write.

5. What have you learned about yourself from writing?

I’ve got grit and thick skin. You need that when you are faced with all the challenges of being an author. I am also a terrible speller and I have no idea where commas are supposed to go.

6. Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?

I definitely outline and plan a lot. The thought of staring at a blinking cursor on a blank page is terrifying! So I at least have some idea of what’s going to happen in each chapter. But sometimes past me leaves future me some really annoying notes like “something hilarious should happen here.”

1. What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

With each book I’ve written, I spend most of my writing time convinced that I have no idea what I’m doing. But eventually,  I realize all these loose threads I’ve been twirling are coming together, tying into a cohesive, real story. I think that’s my favorite part of being a writer. It feels very much like magic. 

2. How long did it take your first book to be written?

I spent about a year writing Pack of Dorks, my first published book. The fastest I’ve ever finished a novel was three months, but somewhere between six and nine months seems to be the sweet spot for me. 

3. What’s a story or plot you’ve always wanted to write about, but it didn’t work out?

I love reading fantasy books and have sketched out plots for several. I even finished writing two books in what would be a series about a boy fights supernatural monsters to save his brother from a witch’s curse. I love that story, but it never quite found its home with a publisher. Hopefully I’ll land on the right plot in the future! 

4. What was the first book you ever wrote?

I was a super quiet kid, to the point that one time, a classmate asked me if I even could speak. I spent most of my time reading; the school librarian was my favorite person in the world. Even so, one day in fourth grade, I ran out of books to read. I had no choice but to write my own. At three pages, calling this a book might be a bit of a stretch, but it was the first story I had ever written for myself. I filled up every line with my own thoughts, and fell in love with this new (to me) way of having a voice. I don’t remember what I named that book, but I can tell you one thing: It was awful! The literary version of the first time I tried riding a bike—a total wreck! But finishing it was the first time I considered myself a writer, and I loved that feeling, so I kept on pedaling, so to speak. 

5. How do you get past writers block?

I have a lot of mind tricks for this! My favorite to find a song that makes me feel the way my characters might in the scene I need to write, and playing it again and again. (My family dislikes this one after the tenth or so repeat.) I also find going for a long walk or run can shake off whatever is blocking me. 

1. How do you decide all of your characters possible names, and personalities? It’s so hard to find the perfect match!

Usually the names come to me. Often they have something to do with the book’s themes. Veda in A TIME TO DANCE is told by her mom about the fifth Veda, and how she embodies this concept. Vidya in CLIMBING THE STAIRS is growing up in India in the 1940’s and yearns to go to college which is usually an unattainable goal for a girl in her society; her name means intellect in the Indian language of Sanskrit. Kabir in BORN BEHIND BARS has a Muslim father and Hindu mother and his name honors a saint who is honored by people of both religions. 

2. What’s a story or plot you’ve always wanted to write about, but it didn’t work out?

I wanted to write fantasy and tried repeatedly to get it published but at the time I started people didn’t want fantasy with a multicultural element. I still have had no success getting my fantasy published though I have written it and love it! 

3. What is your favorite thing about writing?

Through books I as an author can touch the hearts of people i  may never meet. Sometimes my books have helped change other people’s  lives for the better. That’s the most important and amazing gift, to know my words have increased compassion in the world. 

4. How do you think up the titles for your books?

Many of my titles have metaphorical resonances. ISLAND’S END can refer to the actual place in the novel at one end of the island or to the threat to the islanders’ way of life. THE BRIDGE HOME can be the home that the four children build on the ruined bridge, or about how they are seeking a home and building a bridge of trust and friendship towards finding what home means to them. 

5. What is your favorite book and why?

My books are like my intellectual children. I can’t choose one favorite!!!

Thanks to Padma for sharing her writing tips. Continue reading to see the next interview in our series.