The Nerd Daily contributor Mimi recently had the pleasure of getting to sit down with acclaimed YA contemporary author Jenn Bennett and talk about all things writing, book recommendations, and unique quirks!
Keep on reading to find out more about Bennett’s upcoming release Serious Moonlight, her first venture into YA historical fiction, and her writing process!
If you had to describe Serious Moonlight in five words, which words would you choose?
Awkward, family, mystery, independence, romance.
The protagonist of Serious Moonlight, Birdie, has a passion for detective stories and solving mysteries. Did you grow up with Nancy Drew and the like? What draws you in about detective stories?
I did grow up with Nancy Drew, yes, and I especially love historical mysteries like Amelia Peabody. But the mystery aspect of this book actually came from my mother’s love of mysteries. She’s always been an avid detective/mystery reader, so this was my small way of honouring that.
It’s undeniable that your books are filled with unique characters. How do you come up with their unconventional occupations and unusual traits?
I suppose I’m the original quirky character (artist, nomad, lover of all things weird), so I populate my stories with quirky people…because that’s what I know.
Which Hogwarts houses would you sort the protagonists of your novels into?
They’re all wildly different and would likely be sorted into different houses.
Out of all the characters you’ve created, who resembles you the most? Who is the most unlike you?
I probably have the most in common with Bailey from ALEX, APPROXIMATELY (love of old movies, love of museums, hatred of the beach)—or perhaps Lennon from STARRY EYES (goth tendencies). Least like me might be Birdie from SERIOUS MOONLIGHT.
What’s your favourite part about writing a book? And the least favourite?
There a moment that usually occurs when I’m about twenty or thirty percent finished with the book. It’s something I call the Golden Moment, when I suddenly realise what the book is all about. Unfortunately, it also sometimes means that I need to trash several weeks’ worth of writing and start over again…which is the part of writing I hate the most.
Tell us more about your writing process. How do you write a novel? Do you write chronologically or jump around in a story? Do you listen to music while writing?
I write chronologically and don’t understand writers who jump around. That makes no sense to my brain. I need absolute silence to write: no music, no busy coffee shop, no television in the background. I generally complete a first draft in about two months, and that means writing for six to twelve hours a day, every day, in order to meet my daily writing goals.
The publishing process is somewhat of a mystery. Was there anything that shocked or surprised you when your first book was picked up by a publisher?
Is it a mystery? I feel like now, more than ever, aspiring authors are banding together and helping each other through the submissions process, mentoring other writers. Social media chats. Websites that tell you how to query a book. Twitter advice from seasoned authors. Private Facebook groups. If you want to know how to break into publishing, the most important secrets you need to know are these: (1) write compelling stories and (2) don’t give up.
Any advice for any aspiring writers out there?
If writing is the most important thing in your life, find a boring day job that will keep you afloat and allow you time to write. Because it can take years to start earning enough money to live, and even then, nothing is guaranteed.
You’ve recently revealed that your next novel (The Lady Rogue, releases September 2019) will be set in 1930s Romania. Can you tell us a little bit more about it?
It’s about two teens who travel through Romania in search of the girl’s father, a treasure hunter who has disappeared while looking for a medieval ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler. This book has it all: travel on the Orient Express. Medieval Transylvanian castles. The Carpathians. Witches. Dangerous occultists. Magic. Cursed objects. Romanian folklore. And a forbidden, banter-filled romance.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
I recently just finished UPROOTED by Naomi Novik, and it was an outstanding fairytale-esque YA fantasy.
Serious Moonlight hits shelves on April 16th and it will be available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
