Comments on: AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Allison Brennan http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/ about the craft and business of fiction Mon, 21 May 2012 05:07:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kylie http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-87457 Kylie Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:37:58 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-87457 I absolutely love The Prey. I felt as if I was acually in Rowan's state of terror. I mean, just think about it! Having an older brother coming after you, not knowing that he wants to kill you. That can really give you some chills. But when the story turns around and Rowan ends up killing her brother with a fire pit stick you can feel the pointy metal stick hanging out of your gut. I LOVE THAT BOOK AND I CAN'T WAIT TO FINISH READING THE HUNT!!! I absolutely love The Prey. I felt as if I was acually in Rowan’s state of terror. I mean, just think about it! Having an older brother coming after you, not knowing that he wants to kill you. That can really give you some chills. But when the story turns around and Rowan ends up killing her brother with a fire pit stick you can feel the pointy metal stick hanging out of your gut. I LOVE THAT BOOK AND I CAN’T WAIT TO FINISH READING THE HUNT!!!

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Nienke Hinton http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-713 Nienke Hinton Thu, 25 May 2006 18:42:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-713 Great interview! Very timely for me because I'm suffering from the 'rewrite the first chapter over and over' syndrome. Learning you go back and flesh out your characters makes me think perhaps I can do that later too. I know it's tough trying to write a first novel that's 'good enough,' I can't imagine what it would be like to write a follow-up to a bestseller!! Can't wait to read the rest of the interview! Great interview! Very timely for me because I’m suffering from the ‘rewrite the first chapter over and over’ syndrome. Learning you go back and flesh out your characters makes me think perhaps I can do that later too. I know it’s tough trying to write a first novel that’s ‘good enough,’ I can’t imagine what it would be like to write a follow-up to a bestseller!!
Can’t wait to read the rest of the interview!

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Allison Brennan http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-712 Allison Brennan Tue, 23 May 2006 16:05:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-712 Hi Camilla! I don't know if it's an exclusive RH thing, but I do think they started it. The thing with my books is that some of the Ballantine team (other than my editor) read THE PREY and felt that it would work well as a back-to-back release. They'd had success with the suspense genre in back-to-back releases and because the RS market is tough to break into, they felt this would give me a boost (it did). Since (and like I said above, I wasn't the first but I think because I was a debut author people sat up and took notice), I've seen a lot of announcements at other houses doing back-to-back books. Once they reach a certain level, I don't know if it's going to make as much of an impact as they do now, but I'm certainly not an expert. Regarding my life, personally, it hasn't effected me at all. I'm still a mom of five who has to get up in the middle of the night if one of the kids wakes up. I still have to change poopy diapers (four down, one to go!) and I still have to double as a chauffer. Professionally, hitting lists has made a difference. Some good, some not as good. I have a lot of people who haven't changed on me, and some who are hesitant to talk to me because I'm a so-called "NYT bestselling author" (which I'm not, really, because I hit the extended list and not the top 15). I'm the same person--maybe a little busier, but the same inside. I'm also getting more requests to speak to clubs, conferences and the like, things I don't think I would have been invited to if I hadn't hit lists. For my career, and because I'm a people person, this is a good thing. I wish I could do them all, but unfortunately I have to limit them until the kids get a little bigger. Finally, hitting the lists has been a lot more pressure on me. I couldn't write a word from when THE PREY hit the NY extended until THE KILL hit. I thought it was a fluke. But when each book did better than the last, I felt much better about the whole thing. So the bulk of the book I just turned in (SPEAK NO EVIL) I wrote in 8 weeks. I still feel the pressure, but it's a little more manageable. I struggled more with SPEAK than I'm doing now with SEE NO EVIL because I feel like I'm back in my zone. Hi Camilla! I don’t know if it’s an exclusive RH thing, but I do think they started it.

The thing with my books is that some of the Ballantine team (other than my editor) read THE PREY and felt that it would work well as a back-to-back release. They’d had success with the suspense genre in back-to-back releases and because the RS market is tough to break into, they felt this would give me a boost (it did).

Since (and like I said above, I wasn’t the first but I think because I was a debut author people sat up and took notice), I’ve seen a lot of announcements at other houses doing back-to-back books. Once they reach a certain level, I don’t know if it’s going to make as much of an impact as they do now, but I’m certainly not an expert.

Regarding my life, personally, it hasn’t effected me at all. I’m still a mom of five who has to get up in the middle of the night if one of the kids wakes up. I still have to change poopy diapers (four down, one to go!) and I still have to double as a chauffer.

Professionally, hitting lists has made a difference. Some good, some not as good. I have a lot of people who haven’t changed on me, and some who are hesitant to talk to me because I’m a so-called “NYT bestselling author” (which I’m not, really, because I hit the extended list and not the top 15). I’m the same person–maybe a little busier, but the same inside.

I’m also getting more requests to speak to clubs, conferences and the like, things I don’t think I would have been invited to if I hadn’t hit lists. For my career, and because I’m a people person, this is a good thing. I wish I could do them all, but unfortunately I have to limit them until the kids get a little bigger.

Finally, hitting the lists has been a lot more pressure on me. I couldn’t write a word from when THE PREY hit the NY extended until THE KILL hit. I thought it was a fluke. But when each book did better than the last, I felt much better about the whole thing. So the bulk of the book I just turned in (SPEAK NO EVIL) I wrote in 8 weeks.

I still feel the pressure, but it’s a little more manageable. I struggled more with SPEAK than I’m doing now with SEE NO EVIL because I feel like I’m back in my zone.

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Camilla http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-711 Camilla Tue, 23 May 2006 07:56:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-711 Hi Allison! Do you think it's a Random House thing to release back-to-back books? Do you think you or your agent would have suggested the back-to-back publishing of your debut trilogy? Also, how has your life (outside of writing as well as in) altered since selling and hitting the best-seller lists? More pressure? More excitement? Hi Allison! Do you think it’s a Random House thing to release back-to-back books? Do you think you or your agent would have suggested the back-to-back publishing of your debut trilogy? Also, how has your life (outside of writing as well as in) altered since selling and hitting the best-seller lists? More pressure? More excitement?

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Allison Brennan http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-710 Allison Brennan Tue, 23 May 2006 03:41:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-710 Hi Thea! I'm with Ballantine. I think Kay Hooper was the first author with back-to-back books. Some category books were published close together, but Kay Hooper was the first single title length author (if I'm wrong, someone correct me!) She's with Bantam (also a division of Random House). Mariah Stewart (Ballantine) broke out of midlist with a back-to-back trilogy, and then had a second one before mine came out. Now I'm hearing about several back-to-back publishing plans this year and next. MJ Rose just had a deal announced in publishers marketplace. It sounded like it was a back-to-back plan. Nora Roberts had several back-to-backs out (maybe not consecutive months, but close together with only a couple months spread.) I think her STAR trilogy were back-to-back. (my mind's going, I'm trying to go off memory so forgive me!) It's a great way to break out, but it's also hard work. You have to be very disciplined and you literally can't have a writer's block for any length of time. Hi Thea! I’m with Ballantine.

I think Kay Hooper was the first author with back-to-back books. Some category books were published close together, but Kay Hooper was the first single title length author (if I’m wrong, someone correct me!) She’s with Bantam (also a division of Random House). Mariah Stewart (Ballantine) broke out of midlist with a back-to-back trilogy, and then had a second one before mine came out. Now I’m hearing about several back-to-back publishing plans this year and next. MJ Rose just had a deal announced in publishers marketplace. It sounded like it was a back-to-back plan. Nora Roberts had several back-to-backs out (maybe not consecutive months, but close together with only a couple months spread.) I think her STAR trilogy were back-to-back. (my mind’s going, I’m trying to go off memory so forgive me!)

It’s a great way to break out, but it’s also hard work. You have to be very disciplined and you literally can’t have a writer’s block for any length of time.

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: thea mcginnis http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-709 thea mcginnis Tue, 23 May 2006 00:52:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-709 Allison - great interview! it's nice to hear '3 books sold' success stories. congratulations and all the best of success. what publishing are your books with? Allison – great interview! it’s nice to hear ’3 books sold’ success stories. congratulations and all the best of success. what publishing are your books with?

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Allison Brennan http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-708 Allison Brennan Mon, 22 May 2006 02:03:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-708 Hi Stay-C! I completely agree--there are too many "rules." The key, for me, is to understand why we do what we do in the story. It's not just breaking rules for the hell of it, it's letting the story flow naturally from the characters which may or may not break the "rules." What is our goal? It's to tell a good story and gain a readership. However we can do that is the way we should do it! Hi Kathleen! My plot and characters sort of come simultaneously, but both become deeper as I get further into the story. I've developed a habit lately (last three books) of writing about 100-150 pages and then the characters "hit me" and I go back and layer and rewrite the beginning, then the last 250-300 pages flow from that major rewrite. In general, I have a vague idea of the plot (general premise) and I can see the characters, but maybe not all their motivations and conflicts. They come as I start writing. And I start writing when I can see at least one protagonist and the opening scene clearly. Hi Stay-C! I completely agree–there are too many “rules.” The key, for me, is to understand why we do what we do in the story. It’s not just breaking rules for the hell of it, it’s letting the story flow naturally from the characters which may or may not break the “rules.”

What is our goal? It’s to tell a good story and gain a readership. However we can do that is the way we should do it!

Hi Kathleen! My plot and characters sort of come simultaneously, but both become deeper as I get further into the story. I’ve developed a habit lately (last three books) of writing about 100-150 pages and then the characters “hit me” and I go back and layer and rewrite the beginning, then the last 250-300 pages flow from that major rewrite.

In general, I have a vague idea of the plot (general premise) and I can see the characters, but maybe not all their motivations and conflicts. They come as I start writing. And I start writing when I can see at least one protagonist and the opening scene clearly.

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-707 Kathleen Bolton Sat, 20 May 2006 14:15:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-707 Hi Allison, How do you approach fleshing out a story? Do you start with the characters or do you get a rough idea of the plot first and then start thinking about the characters? Hi Allison,

How do you approach fleshing out a story? Do you start with the characters or do you get a rough idea of the plot first and then start thinking about the characters?

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: stay_c http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-706 stay_c Sat, 20 May 2006 04:46:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-706 No problem! No problem!

Like? Thumb up 0

]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-705 Therese Walsh Sat, 20 May 2006 04:12:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2006/05/19/author-interview-allison-brennan/#comment-705 Sorry, Stay-C, I had to repost so I lost your original comment. Here's what it was, for the record: <I>Let's here it for the rule breakers! I'm on a few writing loops and keep hearing comments just like yours. "Can't do this" and "Can't do that." Nothing makes me raise an eyebrow faster and say, "Watch me." </I> I totally agree with your sentiments, by the way. Sorry again for the screw up! T Sorry, Stay-C, I had to repost so I lost your original comment. Here’s what it was, for the record:

Let’s here it for the rule breakers! I’m on a few writing loops and keep hearing comments just like yours. “Can’t do this” and “Can’t do that.”

Nothing makes me raise an eyebrow faster and say, “Watch me.”

I totally agree with your sentiments, by the way. Sorry again for the screw up! T

Like? Thumb up 0

]]>