It’s been a week since the NoVa TEEN Book Festival in Arlington, VA, but if I say ‘squirrels in my attic’ do I get a pass for being late with a post? More on that–the squirrels–in another post. If I can work up to it. (sigh)
If you are close to the MD / DC / Northern Virginia area, this YA author-reader event is a fabulous one to attend. It’s small, but draws some big names in YA literature, which means readers get nice, personal group time in addition to panels and signings. 2016’s keynote speaker was Holly Black, a fantasy author I’ve admired since my kids and I read The Spiderwick Chronicles as they were being released. As a testament to our fandom, here is our author signing photo of both Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black from September 26, 2009.
Yay! Since then I–and the significantly grown ‘kids’ (new adults)–have read also read Holly’s Curse Worker Series, borrowed from my high school neighbor. It’s Teen Neighbor Girl and I who go to the NoVA Teen Fest together now. We both love fantasy and were looking forward to seeing Holly and having books signed. We were in luck last Saturday: we slipped right into classroom seats in a mini-session of Questions and Answers.(Brilliant organizers offered two! Accommodating more fans!)
And strictly Q & A it was. In my newbie author role, I was taking notes and discovered this can be awkward—everyone wants to be there, but who wants to start? One brave reader popped her hand up with what she claimed is her standard author question: If your book was a food, what would it be?
I apparently didn’t write down Holly’s answer. * facepalm * Ok, that’s my bad, but I was fascinated by the question.
Here are a few of the things I did note…but please do NOT hold me to them as actual quotes from Holly Black. It’s hard to note-take completely in these situations. I believe I caught the intent of her answers, but my apologies to Holly now if I really messed up!
Q: When you finish writing a book, do you play out scenarios for what happens next to the character?
A: Not too far, but a little in case I do write in this world again, so when I do check in, I know where characters are.
Q: Do you create playlists?
A: Yes, for every book. It’s a great time-waster, but it also helps me to fall back into that world when I return to write sequels.
Q: Do you use a writing program?
A: Scrivener. (She loves what it can do, but acknowledges it’s not for everyone.)
Q: Why do the Spiderwick Chronicles chapters all start with ”In Which’?
A: The Spiderwick Chronicles pulled in the design of Antiquarian books. Holly and Toni DiTerlizzi visited a museum (or shop?) to immerse themselves in the style. The look of the covers, having hard covers, the deckle pages, illustrations and the chapter starts (Chapter One: IN WHICH The Grace Children Get Acquainted With Their New Home) all add to the feeling these are telling an old tale.
Q: How do you feel about ships?
A: (She likes them.) One of the joys of writing a series is seeing what people want to happen to the characters. Also, Holly thinks it’s a sign she’s done her author job of getting a reader really into a book. You have to feel nervous that the character is not going to get what you want, and you have to truly want it for them—that’s what keeps a reader turning the pages. (And writing fan fiction, I believe was another of her points with saying this.)
She’s been fascinated with Fairies her entire life. To write about the Fair Folk: The challenge is capturing how different they are. They need to feel alien. You might write the story draft without dwelling on this, but when you go back to revise, think about the differences. They will have a different moral code. Their choices shouldn’t sound ‘normal’. An attitude of ‘you can’t make me operate according to your system’ needs to prevail.
Holly loves the tension between the real danger of faerie and the beauty of faerie.
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Great session, as was Holly’s keynote talk with slides on Why Magic? Sorry I didn’t take notes there, but it’s a great talk if you have a chance to hear it. Of course we waited in line to have our books signed.
Teen Neighbor Girl brought The Curse Worker series and I carried The Coldest Girl in Cold Town for her. (The limit is three books person, so be sure to plan ahead if you’re an avid fan of one author!)
I took along Valiant and bought Tithe, which I’d never read and am enjoying. We did buy other books as well. It’s nice to support the authors as well as the indy book store that is one of the main sponsors of NoVa Teen Book Festival–One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.
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