I'm thrilled to feature an interview today with my friend and fellow platypus enthusiast Stacey Jay. She's got a brand new YA novel out, Romeo Redeemed, the sequel to her bestseller Juliet Immortal. Without further ado...
1. Without giving
too much away, can you tell us briefly what Romeo Redeemed is about?
Romeo
Redeemed is a “bad boy meets bad girl
and finds true love and renewed faith in humanity” story. There are plenty of
supernatural twists and turns, but at its core it’s a love story and one of my
favorite that I’ve written to date. I really hope my readers enjoy it!
2. Did you discover
anything surprising about yourself or your characters while writing Romeo Redeemed?
I had to let Romeo be bad. In my early drafts, I kept
trying to make him more likable from the start, but the scenes weren’t reading
true. When I went back and let him be transformed more gradually, the book
finally started to “click” for me.
3. How do you
develop your books? Do you have any set process, habits or rituals?
I start with an in-depth synopsis (10-15 pages) and
then move on to a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. I usually end up keeping a
little over half of those chapters by the time I’m done with all of my
rewrites.
4. Say your fairy godmother has
offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book;
where would you want to go and why?
To Palmorola
Island off the coast of Italy. I’m writing a book that is set (in part) on the
island and I would love to spend a few weeks there basking in the sun and
making words. *sigh* Now you’ve got me daydreaming, Jody…
5. How long did it take you to write Romeo Redeemed?
It took about three months to write the rough
draft and about the same amount of time
to revise. I used to do both more quickly, but I’m slowing down in my old age.
6. What would you
say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I don’t like to talk about my work in progress until
it is finished and/or I place it with a publisher. I’m afraid if I do that the
idea will enter the collective unconscious and someone else will write it
before I can.
7. Do you ever
experience writer's block and if so, how to you overcome it?
Yes,
I do, and I tend to muscle through it, hating myself the entire way. But
looking back on finished books, I’ve learned that those scenes I write when I’m
feeling “blocked” and hating myself aren’t any better or worse than what I
write when I’m feeling awesome-sauce about my work. So I just keep going, like
Dory from “Finding Nemo.” I just keep swimming, just keep swimming…
8. What advice would
you give to someone who wants to become a published author?
Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Revise, revise,
revise. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
And if you ever get to the point that you’re feeling
frustrated with it all, take a week off to go refill your creative well. Go for
long walks, spend the day at a museum, go on an adventure and do something
you’ve never done before—all of these things have helped me become inspired
about writing again after a grumpy, frustrated patch.
9. What genre do you
find the most difficult to write and why?
Serious,
contemporary teen books. I’ve tried a few times, but the gritty contemporary
stuff always makes me very sad and I have to stop before I spiral into a
despair pit. Reality is harsh. I prefer to torture my characters in a
fantasy-laced world.
10. Is there anything
that you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Right
now…focusing on one project. I’m all over the place and can’t seem to hone in
and finish anything. It’s a problem, but I’m sure I’ll overcome it as soon as
the deadline for my next book gets a little closer…
11. If you had to
have one word or phrase tattooed on your forehead for the rest of your life,
what would it be?
Breathe,
love, repeat.
12. If you could have
dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My dad. He passed away when I was 19 and I never got
to have a conversation with him as a full-fledged adult. I’d love to spend a
dinner chatting with him about life and showing him pictures of the two
beautiful grandsons he never had the chance to meet.
13. If you could
travel into the past or future, where would you want to go? Why?
Well,
I’d definitely choose the past. I’m afraid of the future. I’m afraid of what
humanity is doing to our planet, and the suffering we’re going to bring upon
ourselves and the rest of the creatures on Earth if we don’t pull out heads out
of our bums and make some big changes in the way we live and do business. As
far as how far back in the past…maybe the late 1960’s? I’d love to hang out and
be part of the flower power generation for awhile.
14. If you had to
compare yourself to an animal, which one would it be? Why?
A
platypus. Because I often feel like the last remaining member of an extinct
genus. And I’d really like to be a mammal that lays eggs rather than giving
live birth. (I’d have at least two more children if that were the case.)
15. Are you a morning
person or a night owl?
I’m a morning person. I do my best work when I can get
up early and go straight to my desk without talking to anyone except the coffee
pot.
