Interview with....
I got started when I was in grade school, because I liked making up stories. I kept at it because I still like making up stories.
What is the most rewarding aspect of publishing a book?
The most rewarding aspect of publishing a book is that you get to talk about the characters that have lived inside your head for years and years with other people. First with your editor and then with readers.
Have you ever considered giving up? If so, why?
I considered giving up when I was partway through writing Tithe and I didn't think I was going to finish. I had been working on the book a long time and every step forward seemed to mean that I realized I'd already messed something up earlier. It was really hard to make myself believe I would figure out the plot to my satisfaction and finish the book.
What do you do to keep writing?
I trick myself when the writing is really hard. I will write with music on, around friends who are also writing, or if I am having a really bad day, with the TV on. Sometimes I don't get a lot done, but forward movement is the key.
If you could change something in your novels, what would it be?
I love revising and it is very hard for me to stop, so there are a few lines in Tithe, Valiant, Ironside and Spiderwick that I would love to change. I find stuff to change every time I read a part aloud.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From my own life and from things that I love and also from things I become interested in. I think that writers are well served to get fascinated by things and indulge their obsessions--that's where new ideas come from.
How do you develop believable characters?
I think about myself and the people that I know and make sure that my characters have flaws as well as strengths. I think about what interests me about people and what motivates them to do things. I am fascinated by people doing bad things for good reasons and good things for bad reasons.
What do you think is the key to publishing a book?
I don't think there is any one key to publishing a book, but you can write the best book that you can. Research publishers and editors.
Is there anyone you aspire to be like?
I admire a lot of qualities in my friends and family, but I guess I aspire to be a better version of myself.
Do you have a writing routine?
My writing routine varies, but mostly I get up in the late morning and go meet the writer Kelly Link at either a coffee shop or one of our offices. Then we write and distract each other from writing with gossip, internet news, and lolcats,
Check out Holly Black's Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside in the young adult section of your local bookstore, and also her middle grade series The Spiderwick Chronicles (and the movie that is based on said books).
NEXT WEEK:
An interview with Mandy Hubbard, whose debut YA novel PRADA AND PREJUDICE is coming out next year.