Stephenie Meyer's gonna crash myspace D:
So. There is this club thinger (and I possibly should have posted something sooner, but oh well ^^) that did a live chat with Stephenie Meyer last night. I went for part of it, but it was insane, and as I had no questions really (I'm just a loser and like seeing what she has to say, hah) I decided I'd just check back later to see what had been said.
Really though, it was insane. There were nearly 2,000 posts in one hour, I think was the total. Honestly I was kind of dissapointed. For the Eclipse prom 1,000 people showed up from all over the world, and that was actually going. For this, chatting with Stephenie online, only 3,000ish people came. That seems REALLY low, imo. Ah well, it was still crazy. I'd read 10 posts, and go to the next page and there'd be 50 more o_o
AHAHAHA, this woman cracks me up ♥
"Well, to be perfectly honest, Bella and Edward's love is fictional. Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone."
I could go on and on, but I have to pack for Canada. I hear it gets cold up there. Cold is like 70 degrees, right?
readergirlz divas wrote:
1. What's your flavorite ice cream?
2. Where are you right now?
SM:
Hi, everybody! Happy Halloween!
Well, my favorite ice cream is caramel, and right now I'm at home, bushed from trick or treating, in the kitchen on my husband's computer. :)
Cullen Vampire wrote:
1. Is Breaking Dawn the last book in the Twilight series, or will there be more to the story of Edward & Bella after the fourth novel?
2. Is Midnight Sun just Edward’s version of Twilight, or of New Moon, Eclipse, etc. as well? (And Midnight Sun IS going to be published someday, correct?)
3. Do you have anymore updates on the Twilight movie? Do you know if they will combine Twilight & New Moon into one film? What are your thoughts on that?
4. Okay, this is a silly question about Edward’s “extra” hearing: If Edward were watching a movie, would he be able to hear what the actors/actresses were thinking at the time they were being filmed? In other words, is it possible for people’s thoughts to be recorded for Edward to hear? (Can you tell that I’m a total dork yet?)
5. What was your favorite part about writing Eclipse?
6. After dreaming up the amazing idea for Twilight, was it hard to figure out where the second & third books were headed or did the direction of the story easily unfold?
7. Another silly question: In Midnight Sun, when Edward finally escapes biology (and Bella) and goes to “hide” in his car, he puts on a CD to listen to. What CD is he listening to?
8. Stephenie, if you were Bella, would you make the same choices - or mistakes - that she has? Would you choose eternity with Edward or a long, “normal” life with Jacob?
That’s all I have so far. Thank you SO SO SO SO much for being here tonight and answering all of my long and silly questions. Ha.
SM:
1) I'm not sure.
2) Midnight Sun will be the only one from Edward's pov, I'm 99.9% sure.
3) No updates on the movie. I am in communication with Summit, and very pleased with their direction so far.
4) Edward can only hear people who are really there, within a few miles. That's why he didn't know Bella was standing next to Jacob during that pivotal scene in NM.
5) Laughing at my own jokes.
6) It was easy after I had the characters. They knew what they wanted to do.
7) Once Debussy, once Linkin Park
8) I'm not sure if I would want to be a vampire. I'm not as brave as Bella is.
Nicole Marie! wrote:
But here are my questions:
1) How rich were everyone’s families before they were changed?
2) Did the Newborn Armies fight with American Revolutionary techniques or with Native American techniques?
3)How do you feel when you meet guys that have read Twilight and enjoyed it?
4)Are you going to be doing any book signing in Texas anytime soon?
5)Do you need any names for any minor characters? Nicole & Christian are wonderful names!
SM:
1) I haven't thought about that too much. Rosalie's family was doing okay, Edward's was pretty wealthy, Emmett's were on the poorer side.
2) They fought with vampire techniques.
3) I love meeting male Twilight fans.
4) I don't know my schedule for next year yet.
5) I have everybody named pretty much, but thanks for the offer.
Meg wrote:
Will we ever find out how Charlie reacted when Bella told him she and Edward were getting married?
SM
Maybe this is a good place to mention that I won't say anything at all about what might be coming anywhere in the future. :)= <--that's my favorite fanged smilie, though we all know that vampires don't really have fangs.
Firestar wrote:
1. On page 194 of Eclipse Bella and Edward are discussing Tanya’s interest in Edward. Edward becomes very nervous like he has something to hide. Why does he act this way? Is there something more to the whole Tanya thing?
2. Do you have any new bands for me to listen to? I love Muse, Blue October, Keane, ETC.
3. Will you at some point tempt us with a first chapter of Breaking Dawn or a partial play list?
4. Has your husband read your books? Mine did and he really enjoyed them. He learned a bit from them too. Thank You! Hee! Hee!
5. What happens if you don’t burn all the parts of the vampire? Does he/she come back?
6. How does a vampire metabolize blood?
7. Why didn’t Alice see Bella’s intruder?
Again, Thank you for taking the time to chat with all of us. Happy stress free writing!
SM:
1) No comment.
2) Interpol, Motion City Soundtrack, The White Stripes, Ok Go, Spoon, Arcade Fire, Eisley, MUSE <-- Did I mention MUSE??? Go get some Muse.
3) I don't know if I'll be able to reveal anything about BD before the release date. It's going to be pretty hush hush. Maybe I'll get to do teaser quotes like I did for Eclipse.
4) Pancho has read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. He shows no interest in the part of BD that I have done. It's like a knife in my heart.
5) It's possible. Whatever parts are burned are gone for good, though.
6) Can I skip the science for tonight? Gah. I majored in English. Science hurts my head.
7) Alice was watching for someone interacting with Bella--mostly for someone trying to hurt her. So her "eye" so to speak was on Bella, and Riley never came near her on purpose. If Riley had altered anything--like killing Charlie--Alice would have seen Bella's reaction to that. Non-interference was the key.
Am I writing a zillion typos? Feels like it.
mandy [54 days til BYU-I!!] wrote:
Hey! So happy we get to talk with you tonight! :) I was actually at your signing in Fairfax, VA, but I highly doubt you remember me since there were over a thousand screaming, giggling, Edward-crazed female fans stuffed into that Borders there along with me. ;D
At any rate, I'll try not to gush so much because there are so many things that all of us want to talk to you about, and I don't want to clog up the forum with my adoration of Edward; though it is quite a lot. ;P My first question to you, among the hundreds of others you are inevitably bound to get tonight, I hesitate to ask for fear that you'll think it is too cliche or overused: Do you have any good, solid advice for YA authors? I have just submitted my first novel to be published, and I was doing some research about what other authors think, and I have rarely found anything that is not a brush-off answer.
The second question is: Would you ever consider writing an LDS (Mormon) YA/Adult fiction novel? I am LDS, so you may be able to understand where I'm coming from. ;P
I apologize for just diving right into the deep questions. My rampant curiosity sometimes gets the better of me.
Thank you, and again, it's wonderful to be able to speak with you tonight! :)
Mandy
SM:
Hey Mandy,
I've got some advice for writers on my website. It gets kind of lengthy. I guess the biggest thing I would advise is ***Trust yourself as a reader*** If you like to read what you have written, probably someone else will too. Second, forget all about the publishing process while you write. That's the hard/lame part. The writing is the good part. Enjoy it!
I have a YA Mormon story in preliminary stages in my computer. I hope to get a chance to work on it in 2008 or 9. It really cracks me up. At the same time, I have no idea how people would respond to it. I might have to publish under a pseudonym.
Annette wrote:
Stephenie please choose one you would like to answer:
1) Why does Charlie not like Edward and love Jacob?
2.) If Bella becomes a vampire can they kiss for real or are the teeth still an issue?
3) Was Edward with her in twilight when she fell asleep on the grass, Bella said she felt like someone was there?
Thank you!
SM
1) Edward crushed Bella. Charlie's holding a grudge.
2) You should see Emmett and Rosalie make out! Not a problem.
3) Yes. He was in the tree over her. He did come down onto the lawn to see what she was reading, but then he got freaked out by the sight of his sparkly skin next to hers. We see Edward and think "Beautiful." He sees himself and thinks "FREAK!"
Johanna wrote:
Hi ! My name’s Johanna, your biggest Canadian fan ever. I have a few questions so, I’l just go straight to it :
What do you think of the choice they made regarding the casting of the movie (no open casting ) ?
Have you ever read any other YA vampire book ? Like L.J. Smith because I can definitely see many similarities between your style pf writing and hers …
Finally, is Matthew Bellamy as cute as he seems ?
SM:
1) I think Summit knows what it's doing. If they did open casting, it would only please one person, and leave thousands of others shattered. Open casting can cause a lot of bad feelings. They did open casting for Scarlett O'Hara, and then everyone was super pissed that they hired a professional actress from England (but can you imagine anyone but Vivian Leigh as Scarlett??).
2) I've never read another YA vampire book. I don't want to confuse myself.
3) *drooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool* You have NO idea! He is AMAZING!!!!!!!
Butterfly wrote:
Hello Stephenie. My name is Anita and I’m from Austria. It’s a really big honour for me to chat with you tonight. I’m a big fan of your books and I did read every book several times. To my first questions:
How long did it take you to come up with a story for Eclipse and how long did it take you to write the book?
Will there be a prom in Phoenix for Breaking Dawn?
Did the TV-series Roswell inspire you to write the books? Charlie behaves like the father of Liz Parker (Jeff) in Eclipse and you added the Roswell theme song to one of your playlists for the books.
With which of the characters can you identify yourself the most? With which of the characters do you identify your husband most?
In Eclipse there is this love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob. While Edward seems to be like a girl’s first and only love, Jacob is the best and understanding friend. A guy a teenager girl grew up with. I remember you wrote that you have also grown up with your husband as a friend. Is the whole situation based on true events in your teenager years? Did you also have to decide between to men?
Twilight is based on a dream you had about Bella and Edward in the meadow. What are New Moon and Eclipse based on? Did movies, TV shows, book, songs or true events inspire you?
What do you think about having sex before being married, since it was also a big subject between Edward and Bella in Eclipse and what do you think about getting married while being a teenager?
SM
1) Eclipse flowed pretty naturally out of New Moon. I don't remember spending any time at all thinking about what I wanted to write. It was almost like writing down a history of something that had really happened (because I'm sort of nuts that way). It took about 6 months to write Eclipse.
2) I don't know what kind of events there will be for BD. Things have gotten so freakishly huge that I'm not allowed to throw spontaneous parties anymore.
3) I don't think I was inspired by Roswell, but my brother was a HUGE fan. He had a Sheri Appleby shrine. I picked up the Dido song off the radio.
4) Mentally, Edward and I have a lot in common. We tend to see the world in a very black/white wrong/right kind of way. I have a lot of rules for myself, too. But sometimes when I'm in a bad mood, I can kind of be like Jacob in his brattier moments.
Pancho is not like anyone in the book. I can't even imagine where someone so practical and anti-fantasy would come into play.
5) I never had a triangle like Bella's. If I'd ever known a boy like Edward OR Jacob, he would have overshadowed every boy I dated in high school and college. Pancho and I never really had a conversation until we were in our twenties, so there was no high school romance going on there. I'm not the kind of person who attracts drama. (Shout out to Meghan H.! Stealing all the drama available in the universe!)
6) After that first dream, I didn't need much more inspiration for the plot. I had the characters. They drive the plot, and they know what they want to do. I just kind of record the madness.
7) I believe very much in waiting until you are married to have sex, for a very long list of reasons which all add up to a happier, easier life. I think the media goes out of their way to make it seem like waiting is an impossible goal. But it's not. I'm not THAT much older than most of you. I'm a veteran of the wait! Woot!
I think there are a lot of things to see an do in this life, and marriage is not something you want to jump into. Life gets really serious when you get married. Have some fun, keep it light, and then get married when you feel really, really comfortable with the idea. Listen to your parents a little. My mom was SO right about the first guy I was engaged to (not Pancho).
Ruby wrote:
Stephenie,
what is your favorite part of the writing process?
SM:
I love it when it's just flowing--when the words are rolling off my fingertips and I can hardly keep up. Dialog tends to go like that. And I love it when I forget that I'm writing and I'm just in the story. Also, I love it when I make myself laugh. Basically, writing is awesome.
Except for transitions, expositions, and editing. :)
Jamie Leigh wrote:
Are you ever coming to NJ?
Can you add more to the Jacob black extra page since Eclipse came out?
Will we get to know what happened in Eclipse when Edward had to get Jacob back to talk to Bella?
A lot of people think the movie will ruin parts of the book, what do you think?
Will you ever have time to visit a school?
Is Jacob okay? He got hurt pretty bad. Can you give him a hug for me? Please?
Are you much of an artist? Could you draw a scene from the book for us one day?
What were you and your family for Halloween? Did you do anything special?
Some randoms from some random people:
“Please don’t make Jacob leave forever. He may not like Bella anymore but he still loves her….right? Please I can’t live without Jacob Black!”
“I hate Jacob. Kill him or something.” (that one made me sad)
“Hollywood blows-screw the movie.”
“Do you listen to bands recommended by fans? I think you should listen to Jamison Parker…*rambles *”
“When will you be accepting fan mail?”
“Any regrets about the book? I know if my life changed to a busy schedule like that I‘d go crazy.”
“Do you ever look around on the myspace fan group?”
“Don’t ever stop writing. Because we love you. And your books. *hug*”
SM
I don't know my schedule for the next tour--I probably won't know until summer.
I won't be adding anything to any page until I finish BD. It is taking SO LONG! (And the sad irony of it all is that you guys will read it in one day and then be ready for the next!)
I'm not sure what that third question is asking about.
I want to see the movie. It may disappoint, and I'm well aware of that. But I'm hoping that it will be good. I want to see my dream on the big screen.
I actually don't like school visits. They intimidate me. Half the kids in there (mostly the male half) are there because they have to be. They slouch, roll their eyes, fall asleep, talk loudly to each other, make paper airplanes... it freaks me out. I like doing bookstore events because everyone there WANTS to be there.
No comments about what might happen next with Jacob or anyone else.
I am not much of an artist. I might try my hand at Bella's wedding dress, because I lost the picture I once had of it, but I doubt it will turn out pretty.
My kids were a skeleton, Sher Kahn, and a clone trooper for Halloween. I was Pam from the office (still in the costume now). My husband was, as usual, a party pooper.
Alex the MQ [Goldfish] wrote:
What, in your opinion, is the most important thing in life?
What is your defining moment?
SM
God and family.
I have a lot of defining moments: the time I realized that I could hold my own in any English related class; the time I realized that I was pretty after all, in the right circles at least; the day I got married; the day I held my baby for the first time; the day someone told me that the book I'd written had merit. I'm sure there are more to come.
Will edit to add the second half in a bit <3
mel wrote:
*Squeal!!*
Hi Stephenie! I've got a couple of questions (out of a million, haha)
1. Does becoming a vampire actually change your cells into something else that LOOKS like you, or are you still YOU, but harder?
2. Can the alpha werewolf make decisions on behalf of the tribe, or is a full council always necessary?
3. Have you had time to breathe yet from all your promotions? ;)
SM:
1) It's sort of both. Your cells are totally new, but what you were before is still a big part of who you've become. It's not that it just looks like you.
2) The alpha werewolf can make emergency decisions on his own.
3) No. Getting on a plane tomorrow for Toronto. Will I ever catch up? Sigh.
Keeton wrote:
will you write a book in alices view
SM:
I don't have any plans to do so at this time. Because of Edward's mind reading, Midnight Sun is going to give you a lot of insight about what everyone else's pov is during Twilight. You'll get to see inside Alice's head. For me, that's enough.
None of those freaky Virgos here. wrote:
Hi Stephenie!
This is Jenny, the English girl from the Eclipse Prom … yeah, the one who is way too obsessed with your books, haha. Thanks so much for doing this webchat! Though the idea of waking up at 3:30am to be ready for the start at 4am here in England was not pleasant, I’ve been really excited for it!
Thanks for coming to England for the Kent signing, by the way! I got to meet some really cool, English Twilight fans, and for about an hour afterwards I couldn’t say anything but squeak, “Stephenie Meyer hugged me!” It was amazing. Oh, and you haven’t thought at all about my poster, have you? I mean, Jacob meeting a girl called Jenny WOULD be an amazing plotline … ;) Or even a vampire attack - I was just saying to my friends yesterday that it would be so sexy: death by vampire! xD
Okay, I do actually have some questions! Despite all that rambling - I’m just way too excited for this.
1. Does the vampire transformation affect the person’s weight? As their skin has different properties, and is much harder, and they don’t have any blood, does this make them lighter than the average human of that size, heavier, or about the same?
2. How would vampires cut their hair? I assume that it’s incredibly strong like their skin, but what if, say, Rosalie wanted to have a trim? I’m not necessarily saying any vampires would … but if they did, how would they go about it?
3. Okay, this one’s just a silly one that makes me giggle. What would happen if a werewolf had their tail cut off, and then they turned back into a human? Would a bit of their coccyx go missing? Would the tail grow back? -laughs-
Thanks again for this, Stephenie! You are simply amazing, and since reading your books my life has turned upside down.
Oh! My best friend, Ery, made a song about New Moon which she gave at you to the Kent signing, and she asked me if I could ask you whether you’d listened to it, and whether you’d like it. She’s dying to know!
SM:
Hey Jenny! *hugs*
1) Vampires are a lot heavier, but they're able to disperse their weight so that they don't leave dents in the floor.
2) Vampire hair is not strong like superman hair. You can cut it, but it's not growing back. Rosalie wouldn't dream of touching hers.
3) The tail would grow back. I'm not sure what part of their human anatomy would reflect the loss until that happened.... Hmm.....
I haven't had a chance to sort through my new CDs yet. Soon, hopefully!
So eager for eternal damnation wrote:
Hi Stephenie!
First I wanted to say that I love your books. Okay so my question is this, I was re-reading Eclipse last night and I realized that Edward, and all the vampires, fighting stance was a lot like a wrestling stance. Did you know about that, like was that where you got the idea, or is it a coincidence?
SM:
I don't know much about wrestling! Sports? Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.... The hunting crouch was something that just seemed right to me as I was writing.
mary [E.C.] wrote:
how many books are there going to be???????
SM:
I don't know for sure. 4 definitely. If you count Midnight Sun, then 5 definitely. I'd like to write a few more, but right now I'm so buried under BD that I can't really bear the thought of what's next. I have to get BD done before I look ahead.
Meagster wrote:
What are your personal thoughts on the movie current standing? You have mentioned before, on stepheniemeyer.com, that you have little control of what the producers say. Why is this? What would you do differently?
(By the way, AH! I just asked Stephenie Meyer a question.)
Okay. We're good.
SM:
Like I said, so far I'm very happy with Summit. They seem to be going out of their way to keep me in the loop and to listen to my thoughts. But we still have a very long way to go. I have my fingers crossed for the best, but I'm not going to lie about it if they screw it up. I have a very open mind about their vision, though. I'm probably more flexible than a lot of the readers.
At this point, I wouldn't change anything. I learned a lot from the first option with MTV, and I'm really enjoying this new situation.
♥stopper wrote:
Dear Ms. Meyer-
It’s such an honor to be talking to you, even if it’s across the internet!
I think I speak for many people when I ask the following:
How is Breaking Dawn coming along?
Is there any news on the film version of Twilight?
Have they determined the release date for the fourth book?
Is there anything you can tell us about the fourth book that we don’t already know?
I have many more questions, but I think I’ll wait to see if they’re answered. I’m sure these questions will be repeated a countless number of times.
Other than that, I’d just like to say that I’m a big fan and aspiring author. I look forward to your future works!
Corrinne Rogers
Delaware, USA
SM:
BD is coming along SLOWLY. I work best when I have a long period of uninterrupted time, so the tour really brought things to a screeching halt. I'm hoping that I can get things moving faster after I'm done touring and done with the last edit on The Host, which is what I've been working on since Saturday.
No release date on the fourth book. Since IT'S NOT DONE and all that...
Can't tell you anything about book 4. Lips: sealed.
The Bella Cullen Project wrote:
Hello, Stephenie! It's the Bella Cullen Project. Needless to say... we are big fans (le duh...)
I have a question! Is Bella's story really going to be over after Breaking Dawn? Oh! And AFter Midnight Sun is released, is there going to be an Edward-version of New Moon? Eclipse?
-Chandler
SM:
Yay, the BCP!! (Everyone go listen to their music!)
Bella won't be narrating after BD, but that's not to say that she won't be appearing in the stories at all. If I write them....
Ta-shi-a [team Cullen!] wrote:
lol, we've bombarded her before she actually talked!
well, here are my main questions:
1] what were you thinking with the whole edward/bella/jacob triangle? were you just trying to make it too much like Wuthering Heights?
2]what is the deal with Leah being a werewolf?
SM:
1) The E/B/J triangle happened very naturally. I added the Wuthering Heights angle more than a year after I'd written the rough draft. Writing about love triangles is exciting. You should try it sometime.
2) I'm not sure what you mean with this. And I'm not saying anything about any characters that might appear in the future.
Starr wrote:
Hi Stephenie!!!!!! MY QUESTION IS . . .
Near the end of Eclipse when Bella and Edward are in the meadow, is Bella being truthful about her reason’s for not wanting to consummate their relationship, or did she stop Edward because she was still distraught over Jacob?
SM:
Bella was being entirely truthful in the meadow. Her reasons had nothing to do with Jacob at all.
wanna bet? wrote:
Hi Stephenie.
I have a couple of questions.
First in one of my classes we are reading Marcel Proust and in his novel he wrote one of the characters names is Charles Swann.
And the first thing I thought of was Charlie.
Did you name him after Proust's character or is this a by chance kind of thing?
Amy ^, , ^
SM:
Pure chance. The last name "Swan" comes from one of the original founders of the town of Forks.
Rhiannon wrote:
Hi,
I know this will probably not get in there,
But to me Bella and Edward's love doesn't seem...real.
Does she love him just because of what he is, and vice versa for Edward?
Well, Edward kind of obviously does cause of the whole mind reading thing, but other than that. Does he actually like her mind and find her attractive?
SM:
Well, to be perfectly honest, Bella and Edward's love is fictional. Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone.
In my fictional world, though, Bella's love for Edward, and his love for her, is very, very real. When Edward leaves, and Bella reacts not like a high school girl getting over her first crush, but a widow whose husband has died: that there was a clue. When Bella looked vampirism in the face and decided to go ahead with it, forgoing her present family and any future family (kids): that was a clue. When Bella gives up her best friend, who would have made a dang fine soul mate: that was a clue.
I could go on and on, but I have to pack for Canada. I hear it gets cold up there. Cold is like 70 degrees, right? So that's the last question I can answer. Oh, except my husband (who is reading along in the other room) says that everyone wants to know if Bella keeps her notes from Edward. Heck, yeah!
Also, I hear Lauren Myracle stopped by. Hi Lauren! You rock.
I'm sorry I couldn't even make it to page twenty. I wish I had the no-sleep vampire perk so that I could answer all the questions in here. It would only take me a week or so...
Before I go, I want to tell you how much I appreciate all of you. You have no idea how crazy and wonderful and overwhelming it is to have all these cool people excited about ME. Me, of all people! I wish I could hug you all. Thanks for making me feel like the most special person in the world.
Happy Halloween! I <3 Twilight fans!
Stephenie
Really though, it was insane. There were nearly 2,000 posts in one hour, I think was the total. Honestly I was kind of dissapointed. For the Eclipse prom 1,000 people showed up from all over the world, and that was actually going. For this, chatting with Stephenie online, only 3,000ish people came. That seems REALLY low, imo. Ah well, it was still crazy. I'd read 10 posts, and go to the next page and there'd be 50 more o_o
AHAHAHA, this woman cracks me up ♥
"Well, to be perfectly honest, Bella and Edward's love is fictional. Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone."
I could go on and on, but I have to pack for Canada. I hear it gets cold up there. Cold is like 70 degrees, right?
readergirlz divas wrote:
1. What's your flavorite ice cream?
2. Where are you right now?
SM:
Hi, everybody! Happy Halloween!
Well, my favorite ice cream is caramel, and right now I'm at home, bushed from trick or treating, in the kitchen on my husband's computer. :)
Cullen Vampire wrote:
1. Is Breaking Dawn the last book in the Twilight series, or will there be more to the story of Edward & Bella after the fourth novel?
2. Is Midnight Sun just Edward’s version of Twilight, or of New Moon, Eclipse, etc. as well? (And Midnight Sun IS going to be published someday, correct?)
3. Do you have anymore updates on the Twilight movie? Do you know if they will combine Twilight & New Moon into one film? What are your thoughts on that?
4. Okay, this is a silly question about Edward’s “extra” hearing: If Edward were watching a movie, would he be able to hear what the actors/actresses were thinking at the time they were being filmed? In other words, is it possible for people’s thoughts to be recorded for Edward to hear? (Can you tell that I’m a total dork yet?)
5. What was your favorite part about writing Eclipse?
6. After dreaming up the amazing idea for Twilight, was it hard to figure out where the second & third books were headed or did the direction of the story easily unfold?
7. Another silly question: In Midnight Sun, when Edward finally escapes biology (and Bella) and goes to “hide” in his car, he puts on a CD to listen to. What CD is he listening to?
8. Stephenie, if you were Bella, would you make the same choices - or mistakes - that she has? Would you choose eternity with Edward or a long, “normal” life with Jacob?
That’s all I have so far. Thank you SO SO SO SO much for being here tonight and answering all of my long and silly questions. Ha.
SM:
1) I'm not sure.
2) Midnight Sun will be the only one from Edward's pov, I'm 99.9% sure.
3) No updates on the movie. I am in communication with Summit, and very pleased with their direction so far.
4) Edward can only hear people who are really there, within a few miles. That's why he didn't know Bella was standing next to Jacob during that pivotal scene in NM.
5) Laughing at my own jokes.
6) It was easy after I had the characters. They knew what they wanted to do.
7) Once Debussy, once Linkin Park
8) I'm not sure if I would want to be a vampire. I'm not as brave as Bella is.
Nicole Marie! wrote:
But here are my questions:
1) How rich were everyone’s families before they were changed?
2) Did the Newborn Armies fight with American Revolutionary techniques or with Native American techniques?
3)How do you feel when you meet guys that have read Twilight and enjoyed it?
4)Are you going to be doing any book signing in Texas anytime soon?
5)Do you need any names for any minor characters? Nicole & Christian are wonderful names!
SM:
1) I haven't thought about that too much. Rosalie's family was doing okay, Edward's was pretty wealthy, Emmett's were on the poorer side.
2) They fought with vampire techniques.
3) I love meeting male Twilight fans.
4) I don't know my schedule for next year yet.
5) I have everybody named pretty much, but thanks for the offer.
Meg wrote:
Will we ever find out how Charlie reacted when Bella told him she and Edward were getting married?
SM
Maybe this is a good place to mention that I won't say anything at all about what might be coming anywhere in the future. :)= <--that's my favorite fanged smilie, though we all know that vampires don't really have fangs.
Firestar wrote:
1. On page 194 of Eclipse Bella and Edward are discussing Tanya’s interest in Edward. Edward becomes very nervous like he has something to hide. Why does he act this way? Is there something more to the whole Tanya thing?
2. Do you have any new bands for me to listen to? I love Muse, Blue October, Keane, ETC.
3. Will you at some point tempt us with a first chapter of Breaking Dawn or a partial play list?
4. Has your husband read your books? Mine did and he really enjoyed them. He learned a bit from them too. Thank You! Hee! Hee!
5. What happens if you don’t burn all the parts of the vampire? Does he/she come back?
6. How does a vampire metabolize blood?
7. Why didn’t Alice see Bella’s intruder?
Again, Thank you for taking the time to chat with all of us. Happy stress free writing!
SM:
1) No comment.
2) Interpol, Motion City Soundtrack, The White Stripes, Ok Go, Spoon, Arcade Fire, Eisley, MUSE <-- Did I mention MUSE??? Go get some Muse.
3) I don't know if I'll be able to reveal anything about BD before the release date. It's going to be pretty hush hush. Maybe I'll get to do teaser quotes like I did for Eclipse.
4) Pancho has read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. He shows no interest in the part of BD that I have done. It's like a knife in my heart.
5) It's possible. Whatever parts are burned are gone for good, though.
6) Can I skip the science for tonight? Gah. I majored in English. Science hurts my head.
7) Alice was watching for someone interacting with Bella--mostly for someone trying to hurt her. So her "eye" so to speak was on Bella, and Riley never came near her on purpose. If Riley had altered anything--like killing Charlie--Alice would have seen Bella's reaction to that. Non-interference was the key.
Am I writing a zillion typos? Feels like it.
mandy [54 days til BYU-I!!] wrote:
Hey! So happy we get to talk with you tonight! :) I was actually at your signing in Fairfax, VA, but I highly doubt you remember me since there were over a thousand screaming, giggling, Edward-crazed female fans stuffed into that Borders there along with me. ;D
At any rate, I'll try not to gush so much because there are so many things that all of us want to talk to you about, and I don't want to clog up the forum with my adoration of Edward; though it is quite a lot. ;P My first question to you, among the hundreds of others you are inevitably bound to get tonight, I hesitate to ask for fear that you'll think it is too cliche or overused: Do you have any good, solid advice for YA authors? I have just submitted my first novel to be published, and I was doing some research about what other authors think, and I have rarely found anything that is not a brush-off answer.
The second question is: Would you ever consider writing an LDS (Mormon) YA/Adult fiction novel? I am LDS, so you may be able to understand where I'm coming from. ;P
I apologize for just diving right into the deep questions. My rampant curiosity sometimes gets the better of me.
Thank you, and again, it's wonderful to be able to speak with you tonight! :)
Mandy
SM:
Hey Mandy,
I've got some advice for writers on my website. It gets kind of lengthy. I guess the biggest thing I would advise is ***Trust yourself as a reader*** If you like to read what you have written, probably someone else will too. Second, forget all about the publishing process while you write. That's the hard/lame part. The writing is the good part. Enjoy it!
I have a YA Mormon story in preliminary stages in my computer. I hope to get a chance to work on it in 2008 or 9. It really cracks me up. At the same time, I have no idea how people would respond to it. I might have to publish under a pseudonym.
Annette wrote:
Stephenie please choose one you would like to answer:
1) Why does Charlie not like Edward and love Jacob?
2.) If Bella becomes a vampire can they kiss for real or are the teeth still an issue?
3) Was Edward with her in twilight when she fell asleep on the grass, Bella said she felt like someone was there?
Thank you!
SM
1) Edward crushed Bella. Charlie's holding a grudge.
2) You should see Emmett and Rosalie make out! Not a problem.
3) Yes. He was in the tree over her. He did come down onto the lawn to see what she was reading, but then he got freaked out by the sight of his sparkly skin next to hers. We see Edward and think "Beautiful." He sees himself and thinks "FREAK!"
Johanna wrote:
Hi ! My name’s Johanna, your biggest Canadian fan ever. I have a few questions so, I’l just go straight to it :
What do you think of the choice they made regarding the casting of the movie (no open casting ) ?
Have you ever read any other YA vampire book ? Like L.J. Smith because I can definitely see many similarities between your style pf writing and hers …
Finally, is Matthew Bellamy as cute as he seems ?
SM:
1) I think Summit knows what it's doing. If they did open casting, it would only please one person, and leave thousands of others shattered. Open casting can cause a lot of bad feelings. They did open casting for Scarlett O'Hara, and then everyone was super pissed that they hired a professional actress from England (but can you imagine anyone but Vivian Leigh as Scarlett??).
2) I've never read another YA vampire book. I don't want to confuse myself.
3) *drooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool* You have NO idea! He is AMAZING!!!!!!!
Butterfly wrote:
Hello Stephenie. My name is Anita and I’m from Austria. It’s a really big honour for me to chat with you tonight. I’m a big fan of your books and I did read every book several times. To my first questions:
How long did it take you to come up with a story for Eclipse and how long did it take you to write the book?
Will there be a prom in Phoenix for Breaking Dawn?
Did the TV-series Roswell inspire you to write the books? Charlie behaves like the father of Liz Parker (Jeff) in Eclipse and you added the Roswell theme song to one of your playlists for the books.
With which of the characters can you identify yourself the most? With which of the characters do you identify your husband most?
In Eclipse there is this love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob. While Edward seems to be like a girl’s first and only love, Jacob is the best and understanding friend. A guy a teenager girl grew up with. I remember you wrote that you have also grown up with your husband as a friend. Is the whole situation based on true events in your teenager years? Did you also have to decide between to men?
Twilight is based on a dream you had about Bella and Edward in the meadow. What are New Moon and Eclipse based on? Did movies, TV shows, book, songs or true events inspire you?
What do you think about having sex before being married, since it was also a big subject between Edward and Bella in Eclipse and what do you think about getting married while being a teenager?
SM
1) Eclipse flowed pretty naturally out of New Moon. I don't remember spending any time at all thinking about what I wanted to write. It was almost like writing down a history of something that had really happened (because I'm sort of nuts that way). It took about 6 months to write Eclipse.
2) I don't know what kind of events there will be for BD. Things have gotten so freakishly huge that I'm not allowed to throw spontaneous parties anymore.
3) I don't think I was inspired by Roswell, but my brother was a HUGE fan. He had a Sheri Appleby shrine. I picked up the Dido song off the radio.
4) Mentally, Edward and I have a lot in common. We tend to see the world in a very black/white wrong/right kind of way. I have a lot of rules for myself, too. But sometimes when I'm in a bad mood, I can kind of be like Jacob in his brattier moments.
Pancho is not like anyone in the book. I can't even imagine where someone so practical and anti-fantasy would come into play.
5) I never had a triangle like Bella's. If I'd ever known a boy like Edward OR Jacob, he would have overshadowed every boy I dated in high school and college. Pancho and I never really had a conversation until we were in our twenties, so there was no high school romance going on there. I'm not the kind of person who attracts drama. (Shout out to Meghan H.! Stealing all the drama available in the universe!)
6) After that first dream, I didn't need much more inspiration for the plot. I had the characters. They drive the plot, and they know what they want to do. I just kind of record the madness.
7) I believe very much in waiting until you are married to have sex, for a very long list of reasons which all add up to a happier, easier life. I think the media goes out of their way to make it seem like waiting is an impossible goal. But it's not. I'm not THAT much older than most of you. I'm a veteran of the wait! Woot!
I think there are a lot of things to see an do in this life, and marriage is not something you want to jump into. Life gets really serious when you get married. Have some fun, keep it light, and then get married when you feel really, really comfortable with the idea. Listen to your parents a little. My mom was SO right about the first guy I was engaged to (not Pancho).
Ruby wrote:
Stephenie,
what is your favorite part of the writing process?
SM:
I love it when it's just flowing--when the words are rolling off my fingertips and I can hardly keep up. Dialog tends to go like that. And I love it when I forget that I'm writing and I'm just in the story. Also, I love it when I make myself laugh. Basically, writing is awesome.
Except for transitions, expositions, and editing. :)
Jamie Leigh wrote:
Are you ever coming to NJ?
Can you add more to the Jacob black extra page since Eclipse came out?
Will we get to know what happened in Eclipse when Edward had to get Jacob back to talk to Bella?
A lot of people think the movie will ruin parts of the book, what do you think?
Will you ever have time to visit a school?
Is Jacob okay? He got hurt pretty bad. Can you give him a hug for me? Please?
Are you much of an artist? Could you draw a scene from the book for us one day?
What were you and your family for Halloween? Did you do anything special?
Some randoms from some random people:
“Please don’t make Jacob leave forever. He may not like Bella anymore but he still loves her….right? Please I can’t live without Jacob Black!”
“I hate Jacob. Kill him or something.” (that one made me sad)
“Hollywood blows-screw the movie.”
“Do you listen to bands recommended by fans? I think you should listen to Jamison Parker…*rambles *”
“When will you be accepting fan mail?”
“Any regrets about the book? I know if my life changed to a busy schedule like that I‘d go crazy.”
“Do you ever look around on the myspace fan group?”
“Don’t ever stop writing. Because we love you. And your books. *hug*”
SM
I don't know my schedule for the next tour--I probably won't know until summer.
I won't be adding anything to any page until I finish BD. It is taking SO LONG! (And the sad irony of it all is that you guys will read it in one day and then be ready for the next!)
I'm not sure what that third question is asking about.
I want to see the movie. It may disappoint, and I'm well aware of that. But I'm hoping that it will be good. I want to see my dream on the big screen.
I actually don't like school visits. They intimidate me. Half the kids in there (mostly the male half) are there because they have to be. They slouch, roll their eyes, fall asleep, talk loudly to each other, make paper airplanes... it freaks me out. I like doing bookstore events because everyone there WANTS to be there.
No comments about what might happen next with Jacob or anyone else.
I am not much of an artist. I might try my hand at Bella's wedding dress, because I lost the picture I once had of it, but I doubt it will turn out pretty.
My kids were a skeleton, Sher Kahn, and a clone trooper for Halloween. I was Pam from the office (still in the costume now). My husband was, as usual, a party pooper.
Alex the MQ [Goldfish] wrote:
What, in your opinion, is the most important thing in life?
What is your defining moment?
SM
God and family.
I have a lot of defining moments: the time I realized that I could hold my own in any English related class; the time I realized that I was pretty after all, in the right circles at least; the day I got married; the day I held my baby for the first time; the day someone told me that the book I'd written had merit. I'm sure there are more to come.
Will edit to add the second half in a bit <3
mel wrote:
*Squeal!!*
Hi Stephenie! I've got a couple of questions (out of a million, haha)
1. Does becoming a vampire actually change your cells into something else that LOOKS like you, or are you still YOU, but harder?
2. Can the alpha werewolf make decisions on behalf of the tribe, or is a full council always necessary?
3. Have you had time to breathe yet from all your promotions? ;)
SM:
1) It's sort of both. Your cells are totally new, but what you were before is still a big part of who you've become. It's not that it just looks like you.
2) The alpha werewolf can make emergency decisions on his own.
3) No. Getting on a plane tomorrow for Toronto. Will I ever catch up? Sigh.
Keeton wrote:
will you write a book in alices view
SM:
I don't have any plans to do so at this time. Because of Edward's mind reading, Midnight Sun is going to give you a lot of insight about what everyone else's pov is during Twilight. You'll get to see inside Alice's head. For me, that's enough.
None of those freaky Virgos here. wrote:
Hi Stephenie!
This is Jenny, the English girl from the Eclipse Prom … yeah, the one who is way too obsessed with your books, haha. Thanks so much for doing this webchat! Though the idea of waking up at 3:30am to be ready for the start at 4am here in England was not pleasant, I’ve been really excited for it!
Thanks for coming to England for the Kent signing, by the way! I got to meet some really cool, English Twilight fans, and for about an hour afterwards I couldn’t say anything but squeak, “Stephenie Meyer hugged me!” It was amazing. Oh, and you haven’t thought at all about my poster, have you? I mean, Jacob meeting a girl called Jenny WOULD be an amazing plotline … ;) Or even a vampire attack - I was just saying to my friends yesterday that it would be so sexy: death by vampire! xD
Okay, I do actually have some questions! Despite all that rambling - I’m just way too excited for this.
1. Does the vampire transformation affect the person’s weight? As their skin has different properties, and is much harder, and they don’t have any blood, does this make them lighter than the average human of that size, heavier, or about the same?
2. How would vampires cut their hair? I assume that it’s incredibly strong like their skin, but what if, say, Rosalie wanted to have a trim? I’m not necessarily saying any vampires would … but if they did, how would they go about it?
3. Okay, this one’s just a silly one that makes me giggle. What would happen if a werewolf had their tail cut off, and then they turned back into a human? Would a bit of their coccyx go missing? Would the tail grow back? -laughs-
Thanks again for this, Stephenie! You are simply amazing, and since reading your books my life has turned upside down.
Oh! My best friend, Ery, made a song about New Moon which she gave at you to the Kent signing, and she asked me if I could ask you whether you’d listened to it, and whether you’d like it. She’s dying to know!
SM:
Hey Jenny! *hugs*
1) Vampires are a lot heavier, but they're able to disperse their weight so that they don't leave dents in the floor.
2) Vampire hair is not strong like superman hair. You can cut it, but it's not growing back. Rosalie wouldn't dream of touching hers.
3) The tail would grow back. I'm not sure what part of their human anatomy would reflect the loss until that happened.... Hmm.....
I haven't had a chance to sort through my new CDs yet. Soon, hopefully!
So eager for eternal damnation wrote:
Hi Stephenie!
First I wanted to say that I love your books. Okay so my question is this, I was re-reading Eclipse last night and I realized that Edward, and all the vampires, fighting stance was a lot like a wrestling stance. Did you know about that, like was that where you got the idea, or is it a coincidence?
SM:
I don't know much about wrestling! Sports? Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.... The hunting crouch was something that just seemed right to me as I was writing.
mary [E.C.] wrote:
how many books are there going to be???????
SM:
I don't know for sure. 4 definitely. If you count Midnight Sun, then 5 definitely. I'd like to write a few more, but right now I'm so buried under BD that I can't really bear the thought of what's next. I have to get BD done before I look ahead.
Meagster wrote:
What are your personal thoughts on the movie current standing? You have mentioned before, on stepheniemeyer.com, that you have little control of what the producers say. Why is this? What would you do differently?
(By the way, AH! I just asked Stephenie Meyer a question.)
Okay. We're good.
SM:
Like I said, so far I'm very happy with Summit. They seem to be going out of their way to keep me in the loop and to listen to my thoughts. But we still have a very long way to go. I have my fingers crossed for the best, but I'm not going to lie about it if they screw it up. I have a very open mind about their vision, though. I'm probably more flexible than a lot of the readers.
At this point, I wouldn't change anything. I learned a lot from the first option with MTV, and I'm really enjoying this new situation.
♥stopper wrote:
Dear Ms. Meyer-
It’s such an honor to be talking to you, even if it’s across the internet!
I think I speak for many people when I ask the following:
How is Breaking Dawn coming along?
Is there any news on the film version of Twilight?
Have they determined the release date for the fourth book?
Is there anything you can tell us about the fourth book that we don’t already know?
I have many more questions, but I think I’ll wait to see if they’re answered. I’m sure these questions will be repeated a countless number of times.
Other than that, I’d just like to say that I’m a big fan and aspiring author. I look forward to your future works!
Corrinne Rogers
Delaware, USA
SM:
BD is coming along SLOWLY. I work best when I have a long period of uninterrupted time, so the tour really brought things to a screeching halt. I'm hoping that I can get things moving faster after I'm done touring and done with the last edit on The Host, which is what I've been working on since Saturday.
No release date on the fourth book. Since IT'S NOT DONE and all that...
Can't tell you anything about book 4. Lips: sealed.
The Bella Cullen Project wrote:
Hello, Stephenie! It's the Bella Cullen Project. Needless to say... we are big fans (le duh...)
I have a question! Is Bella's story really going to be over after Breaking Dawn? Oh! And AFter Midnight Sun is released, is there going to be an Edward-version of New Moon? Eclipse?
-Chandler
SM:
Yay, the BCP!! (Everyone go listen to their music!)
Bella won't be narrating after BD, but that's not to say that she won't be appearing in the stories at all. If I write them....
Ta-shi-a [team Cullen!] wrote:
lol, we've bombarded her before she actually talked!
well, here are my main questions:
1] what were you thinking with the whole edward/bella/jacob triangle? were you just trying to make it too much like Wuthering Heights?
2]what is the deal with Leah being a werewolf?
SM:
1) The E/B/J triangle happened very naturally. I added the Wuthering Heights angle more than a year after I'd written the rough draft. Writing about love triangles is exciting. You should try it sometime.
2) I'm not sure what you mean with this. And I'm not saying anything about any characters that might appear in the future.
Starr wrote:
Hi Stephenie!!!!!! MY QUESTION IS . . .
Near the end of Eclipse when Bella and Edward are in the meadow, is Bella being truthful about her reason’s for not wanting to consummate their relationship, or did she stop Edward because she was still distraught over Jacob?
SM:
Bella was being entirely truthful in the meadow. Her reasons had nothing to do with Jacob at all.
wanna bet? wrote:
Hi Stephenie.
I have a couple of questions.
First in one of my classes we are reading Marcel Proust and in his novel he wrote one of the characters names is Charles Swann.
And the first thing I thought of was Charlie.
Did you name him after Proust's character or is this a by chance kind of thing?
Amy ^, , ^
SM:
Pure chance. The last name "Swan" comes from one of the original founders of the town of Forks.
Rhiannon wrote:
Hi,
I know this will probably not get in there,
But to me Bella and Edward's love doesn't seem...real.
Does she love him just because of what he is, and vice versa for Edward?
Well, Edward kind of obviously does cause of the whole mind reading thing, but other than that. Does he actually like her mind and find her attractive?
SM:
Well, to be perfectly honest, Bella and Edward's love is fictional. Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone.
In my fictional world, though, Bella's love for Edward, and his love for her, is very, very real. When Edward leaves, and Bella reacts not like a high school girl getting over her first crush, but a widow whose husband has died: that there was a clue. When Bella looked vampirism in the face and decided to go ahead with it, forgoing her present family and any future family (kids): that was a clue. When Bella gives up her best friend, who would have made a dang fine soul mate: that was a clue.
I could go on and on, but I have to pack for Canada. I hear it gets cold up there. Cold is like 70 degrees, right? So that's the last question I can answer. Oh, except my husband (who is reading along in the other room) says that everyone wants to know if Bella keeps her notes from Edward. Heck, yeah!
Also, I hear Lauren Myracle stopped by. Hi Lauren! You rock.
I'm sorry I couldn't even make it to page twenty. I wish I had the no-sleep vampire perk so that I could answer all the questions in here. It would only take me a week or so...
Before I go, I want to tell you how much I appreciate all of you. You have no idea how crazy and wonderful and overwhelming it is to have all these cool people excited about ME. Me, of all people! I wish I could hug you all. Thanks for making me feel like the most special person in the world.
Happy Halloween! I <3 Twilight fans!
Stephenie