YALLFest is coming! YALLFest is coming! On November 9th, 2013, fifty YA authors will descend on Charleston, SC, for an amazing day of free panels, presentations, and book signings. Visit the YALLFest website for more details and follow them on twitter @yallfest. In the weeks leading up to the big event, I’m hosting interviews with the talented YALLFest authors several times a week, so keep stopping by to learn more about these fabulous folks.
Today we welcome Sean Williams, a prolific author from Down Under. There must be something in the Australian air that makes award-winning words pour out of him because he’s written forty novels, eighty short stories, and even a sci-fi musical. Say what?!? The New York Times bestselling author writes books for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers, plus he writes across multiple genres, with a focus on sci-fi and fantasy. His YA thriller, Twinmaker, releases on November 5th and is a near-future tale of technology, identity, and the lengths one girl will go to save her best friend.
And now for the Q&A with Sean:
What one thing do you need to have when you write?
The right music. And chocolate as a reward when I finish.
Describe your book in 5 words.
Jump meets Uglies. But different.
What is the hardest line to write – the first or the last?
The first line is often the hardest to write, but I like a good challenge. The line I like writing the least is the last because it means I have a whole load of rewriting ahead of me.
Best writing tip you ever received?
Give up. If you can do that, you’ll be happier and probably better off as a result. If you can’t, then you know writing is exactly the right thing for you!
Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1) I live in Adelaide, South Australia, a place that’s home to about a million other people but somehow feels like a small town, which is why I love it.
2) I still think music from the 1980s is cool.
3) My stepson has situs invertus, which means his heart is on the wrong side of his body. That’s not really about me, but it is pretty random.
4) I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.
5) I’m minding a pair of green tree frogs, Skipper and Jumpy, for a young friend while she’s overseas with her family. You can see pictures of them on my Facebook page.
Where's your favorite place to write?
In my study, a lovely upstairs nook containing all my favorite book-related things, but I’ve trained myself to write anywhere as long as I have my headphones and some music. I quite like writing in hotels, probably because someone else does all the household chores.
What are you working on now?
Crashland, the sequel to Twinmaker.
Are you planning to attend YALLFest? Have you read any of Sean’s books? Which one(s) are your favorite(s)?
Previous interviews:
YALLFest is coming! YALLFest is coming! On November 9th, 2013, fifty YA authors will descend on Charleston, SC, for an amazing day of free panels, presentations, and book signings. Visit the YALLFest website for more details and follow them on twitter @yallfest. In the weeks leading up to the big event, I’m hosting interviews with the talented YALLFest authors several times a week, so keep stopping by to learn more about these fabulous folks.
Today we welcome Sean Williams, a prolific author from Down Under. There must be something in the Australian air that makes award-winning words pour out of him because he’s written forty novels, eighty short stories, and even a sci-fi musical. Say what?!? The New York Times bestselling author writes books for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers, plus he writes across multiple genres, with a focus on sci-fi and fantasy. His YA thriller, Twinmaker, releases on November 5th and is a near-future tale of technology, identity, and the lengths one girl will go to save her best friend.
And now for the Q&A with Sean:
What one thing do you need to have when you write?
The right music. And chocolate as a reward when I finish.
Describe your book in 5 words.
Jump meets Uglies. But different.
What is the hardest line to write – the first or the last?
The first line is often the hardest to write, but I like a good challenge. The line I like writing the least is the last because it means I have a whole load of rewriting ahead of me.
Best writing tip you ever received?
Give up. If you can do that, you’ll be happier and probably better off as a result. If you can’t, then you know writing is exactly the right thing for you!
Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1) I live in Adelaide, South Australia, a place that’s home to about a million other people but somehow feels like a small town, which is why I love it.
2) I still think music from the 1980s is cool.
3) My stepson has situs invertus, which means his heart is on the wrong side of his body. That’s not really about me, but it is pretty random.
4) I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.
5) I’m minding a pair of green tree frogs, Skipper and Jumpy, for a young friend while she’s overseas with her family. You can see pictures of them on my Facebook page.
Where's your favorite place to write?
In my study, a lovely upstairs nook containing all my favorite book-related things, but I’ve trained myself to write anywhere as long as I have my headphones and some music. I quite like writing in hotels, probably because someone else does all the household chores.
What are you working on now?
Crashland, the sequel to Twinmaker.
Are you planning to attend YALLFest? Have you read any of Sean’s books? Which one(s) are your favorite(s)?
Previous interviews:
