|
|
|
|
Blogs by L.T. Suzuki
Megan Curd Interview
8/6/2011 10:33:40 PM
YA author, Megan Curd discusses her debut novel and the writing life!
LTS: Twitter is a regular treasure trove of writing talent and this is where I met today’s guest blogger! I’d like to introduce you to YA Urban Fantasy author Megan Curd! Not only does Megan have a new novel, she’s entering a whole different phase in her life as a new mom! Congratulations, my friend! I’d like to begin by having you share a little information about yourself with our readers. I know you graduated from Northwestern College and you currently reside in Wisconsin, but tell us, what do you like to do when you’re not writing?
MC: Obviously, I love to spend time with my husband, son, and family! Besides the obvious, though, I love to snowboard. Winter is my favorite season and I always try to get on the slopes as much as possible with friends. I play video games with my brother, who lives in Ohio, when we’re both free (we both have kids, so that’s scarce now).
LTS: You have been reading since you could hold a book in your hands. When did you decide to start writing and seriously start thinking of becoming a published author?
MC: My friend I was living with while in my junior year of college actually convinced me to try my hand at writing. She kept saying she thought I’d be good at it, so during winter college finals, I decided to write Bridger. I’m a bit of a procrastinator! : ) I didn’t have any intentions of it becoming a true novel, nor did I think about getting it published, until a couple of my friends started encouraging me to do so. Bridger was written in about 5 weeks (first draft), and I began querying it in February of 2010.
LTS: I understand your debut novel, ‘Bridger’ is already garnering some great reviews! What was the inspiration behind this story and can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Ashlyn McVean?
MC: I actually called my mom one evening and told her about my friend wanting me to write, so we Googled “cool legends” (super scientific, haha), and uncovered the legends of the fae in Ireland. Immediately I thought there was a story that could be woven from what I was reading, and I jumped in. It was a lot of fun to research what was already in place, plus add my own spice to the stories.
As for Ashlyn, I think Ash is a lot like me in different ways. She’s just a teenage girl trying to figure out her place in the world. She’s not perfect, but she’s not a damsel in distress, either. I didn’t want to have a weak protagonist; she needed to be capable of holding her own in the world she’s thrust into unwillingly. I wasn’t sure how to write a completely fresh character, so many of Ash’s friends and foes have traits from my friends and I. They all know who they are in the story, so it’s kind of fun for them to see their personality traits on pages. I even borrowed a couple names. McVean is actually the surname of a good friend I met while working at an orphanage in Bolivia. I asked if I could borrow her namesake, and she obliged. I hope she approves of the resulting character!
LTS: Without giving away too much, can you reveal what’s in store for the readers when they crack open ‘Bridger’?
MC: Hopefully twists and turns they don’t see coming! You’ll get a trip to Ireland, along with other places you may not have imagined existed. There’s a couple cute boys, some fighting, and of course Ash has to figure out what to do with everything on her plate. I don’t envy her much with all the decisions she has to make!
LTS: The road to publication is difficult at the best of times and we both know what it’s like to have a literary agent we decided to part ways with. Do you have any advice you’d like to share with the author struggling to find representation?
MC: Don’t think that an agent is the end-all you need to get published. There are plenty of routes to publication, and they’re all great options. Never limit yourself. If you feel your work has the merit to be read, put the effort in to make it the best and cleanest that you possibly can, and present it to the world – be it through an agent, through going indie, or however you go. There is nothing wrong with exploring your options. Good books will be read, you just have to be willing to put the time and effort into making your writing the best it can possibly be.
LTS: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned on the road to publication?
MC: Patience and perseverance. Patience, because nothing happens overnight (or over two nights), and perseverance, because you WILL be rejected at some point. The important thing is getting back up and going at it again. I don’t even know how many times I was rejected before finding my agent, then even afterward I would get rejection letters from agents I’d queried 7-8 months ago. There will be bad reviews. Your book will not be everyone’s favorite. The important thing is to make sure you hit your audience as best possible, and learn from the mistakes made along the way. Continue to write. The more you write, the more effective your writing will become. Practice makes perfect.
LTS: Excellent advice, Megan! I’m curious about your writing style. Are you one of those disciplined writers who must dedicate a certain time each day to producing so many words, or are you more relaxed and tend to write when it strikes your fancy?
MC: I am very much a relaxed writer. I always have been, but especially now with my son around, I really can’t set a word goal or time limit on my writing. I write when he’s asleep or with his daddy. Sometimes I’m just tired and need to sleep. There’s no shame in that for me. When the muse attacks me, I’m all over it, but I’m not one to force words down for the sake of it, either.
LTS: Still on the subject of writing styles, are you a plotter or pantser? The readers would like to know if you tend to plot out your story line in great detail or if your writing is more organic with the characters and events unfolding as you write.
MC: I’m totally a pantser. It would drive me bonkers to try to figure out a plot line before I write. My characters definitely lead the story where they want it to go in their own time. I actually was working on the sequel to Bridger a couple days ago and it took a turn I didn’t expect. The character just kind of said, “Hey, this is what should happen.” I was taken aback. We’ll see what happens…I’m curious myself! : )
LTS: Some authors meditate, others need to fuel up on coffee or listen to music. Do you have any rituals, ones that can be shared with the readers, that you must do before you hunker down for a writing session?
MC: Well, before my son, I absolutely loved going to Acoustic Café in downtown Eau Claire to write. I’d warn my husband that I’d be MIA for a few hours, go down there, get a coffee and a bowl of Texas Chili. It was great. The atmosphere is wonderful, I can people watch, and there’s great music. Now that my son is here, I’m going to have to invest a lot more in my Keurig coffee maker, haha. I love to sit and write with a good cup of coffee.
LTS: At one time or another, most writers hit the wall and their work stalls because of the dreaded writer’s block. What do you do to get around or over this mental wall to resume writing?
MC: If I get writer’s block, I go to my music collection. Music drives my writing almost as much as coffee does, and many times I can see my characters within a song. Bridger has a playlist, as does my upcoming book, The Guardian Chronicles: Forbidden. I feel like I can make these soundtracks to my character’s lives, and it makes them more real. When I can hear what they might be feeling via music, it loosens up the block a lot.
LTS: Who is your favourite author and how has he/she inspired you to write or influenced your writing style or choice of genre?
MC: JK Rowling by far is the most influential author for me. She can make you feel for any character. I was actually just talking with a friend about how much I love Severus Snape. Yes, I loved to hate him, and then I loved to love him. Any time he was on the page, he elicited emotion. For me, that’s a win as an author. Rowling can make you feel for any character, be it good or bad. I want my characters to be able to do that as well. She also made Harry’s world completely believable. Muggles, Witches, Quidditch, etc. all are commonplace, and you believe it. You can see it, touch it, taste it. She’s an excellent writer and definitely has a gift.
LTS: What is the most profound discovery you’ve made in terms of your writing and how it has touched the lives of others?
MC: If I try to push my writing, it doesn’t come out nearly as good. I have to let it be a completely organic experience. There are days I want to write, and only can get a thousand words when I wanted to crank out five thousand. There’s other days that the five thousand is beyond easy and I can write for hours. I just go with it. As for how it’s touched others, I actually was talking with a friend whose friend stole her copy of Bridger. She’s an elderly woman and although I’ve never met her, my friend tells me she’s eating it all up. That amazed me. I love when I can read people with my words; it’s something I never saw coming. It is so much fun to get on twitter and have someone who’s read my book comment about a character like it’s a friend of their own. I hope that continues, because it really makes my day when I see/hear those things. It makes me want to write for a long, long time.
LTS: What are you reading now, and how did this particular book make it onto your to-read list?
MC: I’m reading The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs. I have wanted to read it for a while, but I just put it on my iPhone, so when my son is eating, I read chapters. It’s nice because I can read it whenever, wherever. It’s also on my Kindle, but the iPhone is a little easier to tote around. Isaacs’ book made it on my to-read list because I met her on Twitter, and she’s an amazing woman. I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with her and spending time with her in person, as my family lives in Ohio and she’s in Kentucky, so when I go home to visit, we’ll meet halfway, along with fellow author Hope Collier. We have way too much fun together. It’s great getting to meet fellow authors, and Twitter has allowed me to meet great people, such as yourself, Lorna! I’m truly blessed by all my author friends.
LTS: What do you foresee in your future over the next five years and do you hope to branch out from YA Urban Fantasies into other genres? Can your fans expect a sequel to ‘Bridger’ in the near future?
MC: I see myself working on both the Bridger series and The Guardian Chronicles series. Maybe something else, as well? Who knows. I really enjoy writing YA Urban Fantasy, but I won’t say no to anything else, either. I will always probably go with YA, though. I enjoy the genre too much, and I haven’t grown up yet myself. When I grow up, maybe I’ll write about other things. Right now, I just have too much fun doing what I’m doing. : )
And yes, fans of Bridger will hopefully be able to get their hands on the sequel to Bridger, tentatively titled Traitor, next spring. I’m about a third of the way through writing it right now, and if my son allows me to write as much as I’d like, I’m hoping for a spring release. In the meantime, The Guardian Chronicles: Forbidden, is going to be out by late fall. I’m going through revisions on that new series right now, and it will be going to beta readers very soon. I can’t wait for people to be able to read that one. I really enjoyed writing the characters for TGC.
LTS: Thank you so much for taking the time from your crazy busy life and dipping into your naptime to answer these questions, Megan! I’ll catch you on Twitter.
For more information about Megan Curd and her novel, check out:
Website: www.megancurd.com
Follow Megan on Twitter: .MeganCurd
Where to buy the book: http://amzn.to/kcXQ1G
Comments (1)
More Blogs by L.T. Suzuki
• Erica Lucke Dean Interview - Saturday, May 18, 2013
• Amber Lea Easton Interview - Sunday, May 12, 2013
• Ruth Nestvold Interview - Saturday, May 04, 2013
• Rose Garcia Interview - Saturday, April 20, 2013
• Robert Pruneda Interview - Saturday, April 13, 2013
• Lance Burson Interview - Saturday, April 06, 2013
• Rachel Thompson Interview: - Saturday, March 23, 2013
• Samantha Martin Interview - Saturday, March 16, 2013
• Lisette Brodey Interview - Saturday, March 09, 2013
• Jack Whyte Interview Part Two - Saturday, March 02, 2013
• Jack Whyte Interview Part One - Saturday, February 23, 2013
• Molly Greene Interview - Saturday, February 16, 2013
• Dionne Lister Interview - Saturday, February 09, 2013
• Anita Reynolds MacArthur Interview: - Saturday, February 02, 2013
• Alicia Kat Dillman Interview - Saturday, January 26, 2013
• John Gregory Hancock Interview - Saturday, January 19, 2013
• Adriana Ryan Interview - Saturday, January 12, 2013
• Jennifer McConnel Interview - Friday, January 04, 2013
• S.M. Boyce Interview - Saturday, December 15, 2012
• James Tallett Interview - Saturday, December 08, 2012
• Melissa McPhail Interview - Saturday, December 01, 2012
• Roz Morris Interview - Sunday, November 18, 2012
• Tania Johansson Interview - Saturday, November 10, 2012
• Dale Ivan Smith Interview - Sunday, November 04, 2012
• Respect Your Readers - Sunday, October 28, 2012
• Greta van der Rol Interview - Sunday, October 21, 2012
• Justin Bog Interview - Saturday, October 13, 2012
• Thanksgiving Day: Gratitude - Saturday, October 06, 2012
• Steena Holmes Interview - Saturday, September 29, 2012
• Kenneth Hoss Interview - Saturday, September 22, 2012
• Patty Jansen Interview - Saturday, September 15, 2012
• Joshua E. Bigger Interview - Saturday, September 08, 2012
• Joyce Damask Interview - Saturday, September 01, 2012
• Marketing & Twitter - Saturday, August 25, 2012
• Henry Herz Interview - Saturday, August 18, 2012
• Kristin Bair O'Keeffe Interview - Sunday, August 12, 2012
• William Linde Interview - Saturday, August 04, 2012
• Micheal Rivers Interview - Saturday, July 21, 2012
• Robert James Russell Interview - Saturday, July 14, 2012
• Becka Sutton Interview - Saturday, July 07, 2012
• Canadian Authors Feature - Saturday, June 30, 2012
• Gini Koch Interview - Sunday, June 17, 2012
• M. Pax Interview - Saturday, June 09, 2012
• Karina Halle Interview - Saturday, June 02, 2012
• Novice Writing Mistakes - Sunday, May 27, 2012
• Pippa Jay Interview - Sunday, May 20, 2012
• Glenn Starkey Interview - Saturday, May 12, 2012
• Maurice G. Nicholson Interview - Saturday, May 05, 2012
• How I Select Followers on Twitter - Saturday, April 28, 2012
• Shaun Allan Interview - Sunday, April 22, 2012
• Darlene Foster Interview - Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Kim Aleksander Interview - Saturday, April 07, 2012
• Hope Collier Interview - Saturday, March 31, 2012
• John Kolson’s Writeado: A New Online Writing Tool - Saturday, March 24, 2012
• Jeff Shanley Interview - Saturday, March 17, 2012
• Stephen England Interview - Saturday, March 10, 2012
• Everett Powers Interview - Saturday, March 03, 2012
• The Kindle Prime Experiment - Saturday, February 25, 2012
• Edward Lazellari Interview - Saturday, February 18, 2012
• Connie J. Jasperson Interview - Saturday, February 11, 2012
• Sally Dubats - Saturday, February 04, 2012
• Selecting Writers For My Author Feature - Sunday, January 29, 2012
• Tarek Refaat Interview - Sunday, January 22, 2012
• Toby Neal Interview: - Saturday, January 14, 2012
• Thomas A. Knight Interview - Sunday, January 08, 2012
• Linda Poitevin Interview - Sunday, January 01, 2012
• 2011: A Year in Review - Monday, December 26, 2011
• Angeline Kace Interview - Sunday, December 18, 2011
• Eden Baylee Interview - Saturday, December 10, 2011
• Cyndi Tefft Interview - Saturday, December 03, 2011
• The Conference Experience - Sunday, November 27, 2011
• A.R. Silverberry Interview - Sunday, November 20, 2011
• Suzy Turner Interview - Sunday, November 13, 2011
• Patti Roberts Interview - Sunday, November 06, 2011
• Raine Thomas Interview - Sunday, October 23, 2011
• LK Gardner-Griffie Interview - Saturday, October 15, 2011
• Jonathan Gould Interview - Saturday, October 08, 2011
• Brian Rathbone Interview - Saturday, October 01, 2011
• Matthew Merrick Interview - Sunday, September 25, 2011
• Dean Lappi Interview - Saturday, September 17, 2011
• J.T. Ellison Interview - Sunday, September 11, 2011
• Carolyn Arnold Interview - Sunday, September 04, 2011
• John Kolson Interview - Sunday, August 21, 2011
• Megan Curd Interview - Saturday, August 06, 2011
• Elena Aitken - Sunday, July 31, 2011
• When Book Reviews are Misleading… - Sunday, July 24, 2011
• Deborah Riley-Magnus - Saturday, July 16, 2011
• Jessica Subject Interview - Sunday, July 10, 2011
• J. Alexander Greenwood Interview: - Sunday, July 03, 2011
• When Social Networking is no so social... - Monday, June 27, 2011
• Dannie C. Hill - Monday, June 20, 2011
• Shay Fabbro Interview - Tuesday, June 14, 2011
• Genevieve P. Ching Interview - Monday, June 06, 2011
• Al Boudreau Interview - Monday, May 30, 2011
• Jennifer Hudock Interview - Monday, May 23, 2011
• Paul Mansfield Keefe Interview - Monday, May 16, 2011
• Rusty Fischer Interview - Monday, May 09, 2011
• Jason McIntyre Interview - Monday, May 02, 2011
• Emlyn Chand & Novel Publicity - Monday, April 25, 2011
• Steve Umstead Interview - Monday, April 18, 2011
• John Betcher Interview - Monday, April 11, 2011
• Kimberly Kinrade Interview - Monday, April 04, 2011
• Inspiration & Where You Find It - Monday, March 28, 2011
• Christie Yant - Tuesday, March 22, 2011
• Amy J. Rose David Interview - Monday, March 14, 2011
• George H. Sirois Interview - Monday, March 07, 2011
• Linda Nagata Interview - Monday, February 28, 2011
• Adventures in Editing or... Is it Done Yet? - Monday, February 21, 2011
• Greg Messel Interview - Monday, February 14, 2011
• Jen Wylie Interview - Monday, February 07, 2011
• Katie M. John Interview - Monday, January 31, 2011
• How Do You Measure Success: - Tuesday, January 25, 2011
• Avery Tingle Interview - Monday, January 17, 2011
• Kristie Cook Interview - Tuesday, January 11, 2011
• Ren Cummins - Tuesday, January 04, 2011
• A Wish For the New Year - Tuesday, December 28, 2010
• Trish Wolfe Interview - Monday, December 20, 2010
• Jesi Lea Ryan Interview - Monday, December 13, 2010
• Cat Connor Interview - Monday, December 06, 2010
• How to Make a Story Ring True - Monday, November 29, 2010
• Sharon Bially Interview - Monday, November 22, 2010
• Donna Carrick Interview - Monday, November 15, 2010
• Brenda Sedore Interview - Tuesday, November 09, 2010
• Robert Feagan Interview - Monday, November 01, 2010
• Of Book Signings, Volunteering & Option Agreements… - Tuesday, October 26, 2010
• Daryl Sedore Interview - Monday, October 18, 2010
• Seven Day Blog Tour Begins October 17th - Tuesday, October 12, 2010
• Todd A. Ritter Interview - Monday, October 04, 2010
• Cheryl Kaye Tardif Interview - Monday, September 27, 2010
• Claude Bouchard Interview - Tuesday, September 21, 2010
• Dr. Peter Clement Interview - Tuesday, September 14, 2010
• Elizabeth Isaacs Interview - Monday, September 06, 2010
• Introducing a New YA Fantasy - Monday, August 30, 2010
• Interview with Author Gene Doucette - Monday, August 23, 2010
• It's All About the Books Part 2 - Monday, August 16, 2010
• It's All About the Books - Monday, August 09, 2010
• When to Abandon Your Manuscript - Monday, August 02, 2010
• 1st Anniversary Blog: A Celebration of Authors - Tuesday, July 27, 2010
• Kathy Chung & the SiWC Part Twp - Tuesday, July 20, 2010
• Kathy Chung & the Surrey International Writers Conference Part One - Tuesday, July 13, 2010
• Deanna Jewel Interview - Tuesday, July 06, 2010
• The Happiest Indie Author (me) in the World! - Tuesday, June 29, 2010
• The Author Effect - Tuesday, June 22, 2010
• Jacqueline Pearce Interview - Tuesday, June 15, 2010
• Peggy Richardson Interview - Tuesday, June 08, 2010
• Wendy Nelson Tokunaga Interview - Tuesday, June 01, 2010
• The Importance of a Critique Group - Saturday, May 29, 2010
• Zoe Winters Interview - Tuesday, May 18, 2010
• Zoe Winters Interview - Tuesday, May 11, 2010
• Tonya R. Moore Interview - Monday, May 03, 2010
• Write On Bowen! - Monday, April 26, 2010
• Dayna Hester Interview - Monday, April 19, 2010
• Luke Romyn Interview - Monday, April 12, 2010
• Rhonda Carpenter Interview - Monday, March 29, 2010
• Lacey Weatherford Interview - Monday, March 22, 2010
• K.M. Weiland Interview - Tuesday, March 16, 2010
• Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords Interview! - Tuesday, March 09, 2010
• Jo Lynne Valerie Interview - Tuesday, March 02, 2010
• Dan McNeil Interview - Tuesday, February 23, 2010
• Catherine McKenzie Interview - Tuesday, February 16, 2010
• 8 Years of Writing! 8 eBook Winners! - Sunday, February 07, 2010
• Birthday Blog (or an Ode to Aging Gracelessly) - Monday, January 18, 2010
• Interview with Paranormal Author Kate Austin - Monday, January 11, 2010
• Riley Carney Interview - Tuesday, January 05, 2010
• Ask an Editor - Monday, December 28, 2009
• Lee Edward Fodi Interview - Monday, December 21, 2009
• Interview with YA Author James McCann - Tuesday, December 15, 2009
• Researching Historical Fiction with Diana Gabaldon - Tuesday, December 08, 2009
• kc dyer Interview & Enter to Win an Autographed Novel! - Tuesday, December 01, 2009
• Bev Katz Rosenbaum Interview - Tuesday, November 24, 2009
• Writing Tips I Learned from Terry Brooks - Tuesday, November 17, 2009
• An Interview with Tamara Sheehan - Monday, November 09, 2009
• YA Author Loreena M. Lee Interview - Tuesday, November 03, 2009
• Why Do I Blog About Other Authors? - Thursday, October 29, 2009
• Critique by Author Jack Whyte - Tuesday, October 27, 2009
• BookCamp 2009 - Monday, October 19, 2009
• Participating at VCON 34 - Wednesday, October 14, 2009
• Therese Walsh Interview - Tuesday, October 06, 2009
• Interview with Debra Purdy Kong - Tuesday, September 29, 2009
• Twitter – The Power of the Tweet - Tuesday, September 22, 2009
• Part Two: Publishing in a Foreign Market - Tuesday, September 15, 2009
• An Interview with author Christopher Belton - Tuesday, September 08, 2009
• Part Two of the Caroline Leavitt Interview: - Thursday, September 03, 2009
• An Interview with Author & Book Reviewer Caroline Leavitt - Tuesday, September 01, 2009
• An Interview with Kathleen Bolton - Tuesday, August 25, 2009
• Interview with author/artist Scott Kessman: - Tuesday, August 18, 2009
• Interview with author/artist Scott Kessman: - Tuesday, August 18, 2009
• Part 2 of the Kim Falconer Interview - Thursday, August 13, 2009
• An Interview with Kim Falconer - Tuesday, August 11, 2009
• Part 2 An Interview with Alan Baxter - Thursday, August 06, 2009
• An Interview with Alan Baxter - Tuesday, August 04, 2009
• If You Write It, They Will Come (buy it)… Not! - Sunday, July 26, 2009
• Lori A. May: Author Extraordinaire - Tuesday, July 21, 2009
• Merits of a Writers Conference - Sunday, July 19, 2009
• Part 2 Publishing in the Digital Age - Thursday, July 16, 2009
• Publishing in the Digital Age - Monday, July 13, 2009
• Writing Tips for the Novice Novelist - Tuesday, July 07, 2009
• Flog the Blog - Tuesday, June 30, 2009
• Do's & Don't of a TV interview - Saturday, June 27, 2009
• Mortality & Writing - Friday, June 26, 2009
• The Art of Editing 101 - Tuesday, June 23, 2009
• How To Write When Suffering from Bad Memory Retention - Saturday, June 20, 2009
• Finding Inspiration from Others - Thursday, June 18, 2009
• To Blog or Twitter... - Tuesday, June 16, 2009
|
|
Bookmarks
