Authorial Intrusion - D.L. Garfinkle
I love reading about the Publishing Journeys of my favorite writers.
I love the long, soul-searching interviews that reveal every obstacle and triumph: the author whose agent made her do three revisions before signing her … the author who gets up at 4:30 a.m. to write, because it’s the only time she has to herself … the critically acclaimed author who spent nine years trying to get published … I never tire of this stuff!
Long, luxurious interviews aside, don’t you sometimes find yourself wondering: “But do you like Thai or Chinese food better?”
Reader, I asked them.
I assembled a grab-bag full of random questions and emailed them to my favorite writers.
They answered!
This will be a weekly post, as long as I have a supply of bored willing writers.
And by the way, if you’re an author and I haven’t emailed you yet … do not imagine that you’ve escaped my clutches. My curiosity rambles far and wide! I will get to you. Also, if you have a book coming out (or already published), and you want to play along, feel free to contact me at my LJ email address. (For now, I'm limiting the interviews to writers of MG and YA, since that's what I read and write. I may open it up to PBs later.)
And now, without further ado, our fourth guest - D.L. Garfinkle!
D.L. Garfinkle - dlgarfinkle - is the author of three hundred books … no, not really. But she does write faster than most people read. She’s had four YA books published within two years - with a fifth slated for publication in November. She also has a new series of chapter books - the Supernatural Rubber Chicken series - coming out in 2008 and 2009.
One thing you should know about Debby: she will make you laugh. Here’s a snippet from one of her recent blog posts: “Edna [See? Even her dog’s name is funny] the Fourteen-pound Wonder Dog chewed up half the Scrabble letters while we were at the beach. I plan to study her poop to see if she's spelling words with it. This week, her written work undoubtedly would be better than mine.”
In Storky, How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl, I was cracking up by page two - about Rex (the MC’s penis) going nuts in his pajama bottoms. And in Stuck in the 70’s, I was giggling by the end of page one, at the mention of the MC’s L.A. Rams pajamas (I know - do I have a pajama fetish?). I also got a special joy out of reading this line in STUCK: “We pass familiar streets - Roscoe, Canoga, Sherman Way.” As a former Valley Girl myself, I will tell you that my first job was as a phone girl at Mother’s Restaurant on Roscoe Boulevard!
This bio is becoming longer than the interview, so I will sign off and let Debby take it from here:
In writing, are you a plotter or a plunger?
I started out as a plunger, but I've become a plotter.
Where did you go on your first date?
To a dance with this Mormon guy organized by his church. After he drove me to the dance, a couple of girls there took one look at me and told me to go to the bathroom. When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I saw a huge booger hanging down my nose. The Mormon guy never asked me out again. I'm surprised I ever went on another date with anyone again.
Five favorite movies.
Casablanca
It's a Wonderful Life
Parenthood
Sideways
The Forty-Year-Old Virgin
Advice for writers in 5 words or less.
Listen to your critique group.
Chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles?
Chocolate chip cookies, of course. Chocolate trumps everything.
Thanks for indulging our curiosity, Debby!
I love the long, soul-searching interviews that reveal every obstacle and triumph: the author whose agent made her do three revisions before signing her … the author who gets up at 4:30 a.m. to write, because it’s the only time she has to herself … the critically acclaimed author who spent nine years trying to get published … I never tire of this stuff!
Long, luxurious interviews aside, don’t you sometimes find yourself wondering: “But do you like Thai or Chinese food better?”
Reader, I asked them.
I assembled a grab-bag full of random questions and emailed them to my favorite writers.
They answered!
This will be a weekly post, as long as I have a supply of bored willing writers.
And by the way, if you’re an author and I haven’t emailed you yet … do not imagine that you’ve escaped my clutches. My curiosity rambles far and wide! I will get to you. Also, if you have a book coming out (or already published), and you want to play along, feel free to contact me at my LJ email address. (For now, I'm limiting the interviews to writers of MG and YA, since that's what I read and write. I may open it up to PBs later.)
And now, without further ado, our fourth guest - D.L. Garfinkle!
D.L. Garfinkle - dlgarfinkle - is the author of three hundred books … no, not really. But she does write faster than most people read. She’s had four YA books published within two years - with a fifth slated for publication in November. She also has a new series of chapter books - the Supernatural Rubber Chicken series - coming out in 2008 and 2009.
One thing you should know about Debby: she will make you laugh. Here’s a snippet from one of her recent blog posts: “Edna [See? Even her dog’s name is funny] the Fourteen-pound Wonder Dog chewed up half the Scrabble letters while we were at the beach. I plan to study her poop to see if she's spelling words with it. This week, her written work undoubtedly would be better than mine.”
In Storky, How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl, I was cracking up by page two - about Rex (the MC’s penis) going nuts in his pajama bottoms. And in Stuck in the 70’s, I was giggling by the end of page one, at the mention of the MC’s L.A. Rams pajamas (I know - do I have a pajama fetish?). I also got a special joy out of reading this line in STUCK: “We pass familiar streets - Roscoe, Canoga, Sherman Way.” As a former Valley Girl myself, I will tell you that my first job was as a phone girl at Mother’s Restaurant on Roscoe Boulevard!
This bio is becoming longer than the interview, so I will sign off and let Debby take it from here:
In writing, are you a plotter or a plunger?
I started out as a plunger, but I've become a plotter.
Where did you go on your first date?
To a dance with this Mormon guy organized by his church. After he drove me to the dance, a couple of girls there took one look at me and told me to go to the bathroom. When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I saw a huge booger hanging down my nose. The Mormon guy never asked me out again. I'm surprised I ever went on another date with anyone again.
Five favorite movies.
Casablanca
It's a Wonderful Life
Parenthood
Sideways
The Forty-Year-Old Virgin
Advice for writers in 5 words or less.
Listen to your critique group.
Chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles?
Chocolate chip cookies, of course. Chocolate trumps everything.
Thanks for indulging our curiosity, Debby!