You know what is exciting? TODAY IS EXCITING. Because I have the bestselling and famous author Michael Grant himself here for a guest post on his writing process! (No I’m not freaking out YOU’RE FREAKING OUT.) I’ve been addicted to Grant books ever since I found the Gone trilogy back 703 years ago. So I’m super excited to be on the blog tour for his latest book FRONT LINES, which is set in WWII and all about the women who served and is, basically, fantastic.
What to expect from today’s glorious post?
- a guest post from Michael Grant (!!!!)
- a review of Front Lines (which is a book that you should eat immediately by the way)
- giveaway of 2 x copies of Front Lines!
An enormous thank you to Hardie Grant for this opportunity!
Michael Grant always been fast paced. He’s lived in almost 50 different homes in 14 US states, and moved in with his wife Katherine Applegate, after knowing her for less than 24 hours. His long list of previous occupations includes cartoonist, waiter, law librarian, bowling alley mechanic, restaurant reviewer, documentary film producer and political media consultant.
Michael and Katherine of have co-authored more than 150 books, including the massive hit series Animorphs, which has sold more than 35 million copies. Working solo, Michael is the author of the internationally bestselling GONE series, the groundbreaking transmedia trilogy BZRK and the MESSENGER OF FEAR series. Michael, Katherine, and their two children live in the San Francisco Bay Area, not far from Silicon Valley.
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MICHAEL GRANT’S WRITING PROCESS
guest post
First, you need coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Then you need sunlight, and a nice fat cigar. . . But I suppose you could get by on tea, rain and a lollipop, too. The point being that this post is about how I do it. Me. If you want to write for a living you’ll have to find your own way to do it, because every writer does it their way, and there is only one criterion to judge the success of your method: did it result in a published book and an advance payment? It did? Then whatever you did was obviously right. If it takes sacrificing a goat to Satan to get you through the writing process, well, I understand goat meat is perfectly edible if you season it right, and all the best writers will be in Hell anyway.
So, all that said, this is how I do it:
- I have an idea. Here’s how that works for me. I think, “Hmm, I should be thinking of an idea.” And eventually out pops something like, “Kids turn into animals,” or, “Teen-age Grim Reaper,” or, “Lost with superpowers, or “Women in World War 2.” From there I tease the idea out. I sort of weigh it for story potential. Does it feel like a lot of story? Too much? One book? Three? This is a mix of instinct and experience. You can’t learn the first, you just have to have it. And experience, sadly, involves a whole lot of typing. At this point I do a memory check with some Google help, trying to see if my concept or my title are already out there. If not – and they never have been – I start putting together the Series Bible.
- The Holy Series Bible. It is part brainstorming session, part sales tool, part bluff. Putting it together sort of forces my brain to get to the next level of detail. At this point I’m mostly still convincing myself that I have something, but I do it in a sort of imaginary dialogue with an editor. I guess what she’ll need to hear from me. I guess what she’ll need in order to take this concept into a meeting and make the sale. I anticipate what the sales force will say.
- Step one of the Series Bible is to write a tag line and/or elevator pitch. In a single sentence, what is this concept about? I make it catchy, because again, I’m not just thinking through the book, I’m thinking through the pitch and the marketing.
- Next, I start thinking characters. Certain character ‘slots’ are dictated by the idea of the book. There will be a lead, male or female. The lead will need someone to talk to, otherwise, no dialog. This number two person can be a love interest or a friend. In GONE I built it in groups of three because that gives you a feeling of openness. Sam/Astrid/Quinn. Caine/Diana/Drake. But again, this is not chiseled in stone.
- Anyway, what I do next is start pulling up head shots on Google Images, searching “Teen boy,” “African-American girl,” whatever. (For God’s sake put on Safe Search first, because the first, oh, billion or so hits are not what you’re looking for.) At this point I may have half a dozen characters sort of vaguely in mind, and I’m looking for faces that will make that character pop for me. Other times I discover a face and decide to build a character around the face. This is how Dekka from GONE came to be. Pretty soon I’ve got seventy or eighty head shots or candid’s.
- Now I start building the characters. This is all about detail. I will eventually know a lot more detail about the characters than will be in the book, but for now I’m sketching personalities, feeling my way around this made-up person. I wonder, “How do they dress?” “What’s on the walls of their room?” “What’s on their playlists?” I decide on half a dozen things about the character, and include those in the Bible. I slap in the picture, and add descriptions – physical, psychological, their key relationships maybe. So I sketch for the Bible, but at the same time this person, this made-up person, is starting to take on some weight in my mind. I’m getting to know them. And this is important because Law Number One: character first. I don’t care how much it screws up your plot, or complicates things, always, always be true to the characters. Remember: it’s not you the reader loves, it’s your characters.
- With characters more or less sketched in and growing like little brain tumours in my fevered subconscious, I move on to environment. You thought I was going to say plot, didn’t you? No. Everything you’re writing has to feel real, and the more you’ve thought through the physical setting and the rules that govern your little universe, the more real it feels to readers.
- Now, it’s time to think story. I already have the core concept, I know the layout, I know the main characters, so now it is time to convince my editor that I have some idea what the story is about. Some people are great at outlining. I am not. All my outlines are about 50% b.s. I don’t like outlines, I don’t use them, but editors need something to show in the meeting, so I write an outline. (Only for the first book if it’s a series.)
- Now my Series Bible has a tag line, character pics and descriptions, maybe some pics of locations, maybe a map, and a reasonably convincing outline. Now comes the bluff — I want to convince editors (and myself) that I know what the hell I’m talking about. So I add some sections on where I think your book goes in the market, I prattle a bit about the psychology that undergirds my world, maybe talk space ships or aliens, if I have any of those. Basically, I lard up the Bible a bit to look as if I’ve got it all worked out. I fire it off to my editor and she says, “Okay, but I can’t pay much,” and I say, “Yeah, well, we’ll see about that.”
- Wait, what? I hear you cry. What about agents and submission letters and all of that? Remember how I said this is how I do it? This is how I do it because I’m way into this career by now, and I don’t have to jump through those hoops. But if you’re reading this then you probably do, and I’ll leave that to someone who knows more about it than I do.
- Finally, I have my deal, and now I sit down to write. I start to type. I work maybe three hours a day, not writing in discrete drafts but circling back, again and again, whenever the anxiety builds and I’m feeling the need to fix something. The early chapters have always been re-written many times before I submit, with later chapters being more on-point and thus rewritten less. And about six months later, I’m done.
- Now, I will tell you the secret to why I have been able to get 150 plus books published. It’s not that I am a great prose stylist. I’m not. It’s not that I have a great imagination, though I do, or that despite being a misanthrope I’m told I do well with character. Anyone who makes a living at this has talent, that’s a given. But I also have something very boring: great work habits. I am never seriously late. I never hand in a bad manuscript —I seldom have more than a single, relatively light revision. I never need anyone to hold my hand, and I take complete responsibility for my work. I am, in short, utterly reliable. Never forget: editors are busy and work hard. The easier you make their lives, the longer you stay in this business.
And that exhausts my store of wisdom. Just remember: this is how I do it. Maybe it works for you, maybe not. There’s always still the goat thing to try.
REVIEW OF THE AWESOME FRONT LINES
Every time I see Michael Grant has a new book out, my first thought is always “I NEED THIS IMMEDIATELY.” I’m an entirely hopeless fan of the Gone series and Messenger of Fear. Soooo, I totally was excited to try Front Lines. It did feel very DIFFERENT to all other previous Grant books I’ve read but IT WAS STILL GOOD.
I really loved how it was all focused on the girls. HUZZAH FOR WOMEN. But oh oh it was extremely historically accurate on the sexism — which made it hard to read at times. My heart STIRS WITH RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. It focuses on 3 girls enlisting (voluntarily!!) into the army and they are constantly given grief for it. And misjudged. And dismissed. AND YET THEY WERE CONTINUOUSLY AWESOME. #heroes
THE CHARACTERS:
- RIO: She’s probably the mainest of the mainy characters. And she is my favourite…just because she went to war as a naive but well-intending girl, and grows into something tough and sharp edged. Character development = A+
- FRANGIE: She’s African-American and had to battle sexism and racism constantly. I absolutely admire her. She goes the medic route when she enlists.
- RAINY: She’s a Jewish girl who is super super smart and enlists in like the special forces.
It’s VERY warrish. So like tons of lingo and explanations. I enjoyed that part from the historical viewpoint and I felt like a learned a lot. Especially about the conditions and the attitudes and how they trained the recruits. But…it took them 300 pages to even get to the war. So it IS quite slow.
Ultimately: A SOLIDLY GOOD BOOK! It reminded me of Code Name Verity! And while it felt different to Michael Grant’s previous paranormal-ish-horror-ish books, I learnt a lot from Front Lines and I’m just gonna sit here and GAPE at the amazingness of women in WWII, okay?! OKAY.
1942. World War II. The most terrible war in human history. Millions are dead; millions more are still to die. The Nazis rampage across Europe and eye far-off America.
The green, untested American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled—the armed forces of Nazi Germany.
But something has changed. A court decision makes females subject to the draft and eligible for service. So in this World War II, women and girls fight, too.
As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering. Not one expects to see actual combat. Not one expects to be on the front lines.
Rio, Frangie, and Rainy will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. They will fear and they will rage; they will suffer and they will inflict suffering; they will hate and they will love. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known.
GIVEAWAY? HUZZAH GIVEAWAY!
- 2 x copies of FRONT LINES to win
- Will be sent from the publishers
- AUSTRALIAN only
So I read Gone and it was good. Then I started Hunger and it was really really creepy. But Grant seems to be a really good writer, and actually this book sounds way more up my alley. I finished Between Shades of Grey on Sunday and it was so good and so sad and I’m basically a mess now. I’m actually personally very anti-war, so NEVER. (there are pictures of me as a three year old that says TIME OUT GEORGE BUSH about the Afganistan war. And my grandfather got handed white feathers because he didn’t fight in WWI) Anyway, I do quite like war stories- like Code Name Verity. Anyway, awesome post. (and 150+ books. What is that craziness?)
Oh oh yes the Gone series is totally creepy. IT GETS CREEPIER TOO. I think this is why I love it. 😂 Ahem.
Wait. I swear I’m normal.Also I NEED to read Between Shades of Grey! It’s becoming a movie now, isn’t it?! And doesn’t the author have another book out? Eep. I’m behind. 😂
(Also I don’t blame you being anti-war. I’m glad you were making opinions at the delicate age of 3 too. AMAZINGNESS.)
This was such an awesome post! Unfortunately I haven’t read anything by Grant yet but I do have some of his books on my list, and after this hilarious insight on what goes on in that mind I definitely have to get to something! Haha!
Front lines actually sounds very exciting! I like the idea of these three girls enlisting. I’m not sure what I would have done, maybe I just should stick to sacrificing goats! =P
AHHH I’M SO GLAD, GABBY!! *cheers wildly* Ahem. And I do totally recommend his other books as well. The Gone series is my FAVOURITE. I’ve even re-read Gone because it’s just so good. 😂
I LOVE WW11 books, sadly I have not read that many. I MUST CHANGE THIS. (I also have never read a Michael Grant book……..BUT HIS BOOKS ARE ON MY TBR I SWEAR.) I definitely will be reading Front Lines as soon as possible, because it sounds AMAZING.
YOU GOTTA TRY THE GONE SERIES. THEY ARE EPIC AND FRIGHTENING AND FEELS. < --- Because we all like to have our feels punctured, right?! RIGHT. *nods* Ahem. And I hope you like Front Lines if you get a chance to try it!
I haven’t read many memorable WWII books, but this one sounds awesome! And it’s got an extremely impressive average rating on Goodreads. My TBR list just got one book longer. I really enjoyed the guest post too. Too bad the giveaway isn’t open on the other side of the Tasman…
Yayyyy. *flails quietly* It’s definitely a good one and I adore that it focuses on women. <3 Not enough books do. :') It's like Agent-Carter-level awesome.
This book is on my tbr for sure! I’m ashamed to say that I still haven’t read any of Grants other books 🙈 But I do want to!!
I really enjoy WWII books and Code Name Verity might be my favourite. While writing this comment I’m realising that it’s been quite a while that I’ve read any WWII books… So no recommendations from me today 🙁
THEY’RE TOTALLY WORTH IT, ISABELLE, I PROMISE *shrieks* Gone is the BEST.
And omg Code Name Verity….just the mention of that has me IN A PUDDLE OF FEELS OF SADNESS. I think that book destroyed me, omg. (I just borrowed out Elizabeth Wein’s latest one, too!! Black Dove White Raven! APPARENTLY I’M A BEGGER FOR PUNISHMENT.)
Haha I know the feeling! CNV had me ugly crying, not just a little tear or two 😉 have you read Rose Under Fire? I hope it lives up to CNV!
YES. I read Rose Under Fire and omgggg SO MANY TEARS. I can’t even pick between CNV and RUF. *howls*
My friend recommended this book! I didn’t know it released only recently though 😛
I’ve heard of the Gone series and I have seen it in my library but I never get the first book when I want it! *screams* The book looks so asdfghjkl.
WWII books? I prefer watching anything related to it, sadly. The only book that comes to my mind is The Book Thief. I’m watching an anime that related to WWII that is adapted from a novel but it does not have an English translation sadly.
I think Front Lines was released earlier in America??? I’m not 100% sure tbh. XD AHHH BUT GONE IS SO VERY GOOD!! Gone was my first Michael Grant series and omg I was so very addicted. 😂
(And the Book Thief is AMAZING. I probably watch more WWII books than I read as well *nods* Have you seen The Book Thief movie?!? SO SO GOOD.)
THIS BOOK SOUNDS SO AWESOME I SHOULD START GETTING INTO WW1/2 BOOKS MORE!
Shamefully I don’t think I’ve ever read an actual book taking place during the war (any suggestions?) except for an MG book called Treasure Chest I believe, and the main characters (twins) met Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross and helped out during the American Civil War.
As for movies, I tried watching The Book Thief and admittedly it wasn’t my vibe, watched Schindler’s List during the New Year (DO NOT DO THIS IT WILL MAKE YOU SO DEPRESSED FOR THE YEAR TO COME), and this series The Strain has flashbacks to WW2 I think 🙂
THEY ARE REALLY SO VERY GOOD!! I did a whole year on WWII back in highschool and devoured a zillion books on it and it was the bessssst. I still have some favourites from back then. :’)
Well, I DEFINITELY recommend this book! And also Code Name Verity, and Rose Under Fire and I Am David, The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas, and The Wrong Boy. They’re all AMAZING.
I used to play the Schindler’s List theme song on my cello. I HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE THOUGH. I KNOW IT’LL MAKE ME CRY.
I’ve read the first seven Animorphs books (they’re really hard to get hold of now 🙁 ) and all of The Magnificent Twelve books (hilarious series, didn’t have a great finale but, eh, still worth it).
My favourite ww2 book is either Dogfight by Craig Simpson (but I didn’t like the direction the sequels took) or The Book Thief. Oh the pain.
I don’t think I’m suited to fighting. Or nursing. Or anything on the battlefield. I might’ve been good at code-cracking though. 😉
I haven’t read any of the Animorph books sadly, buuuut I’ve read a LOT of his other books eeeep. THE GONE ONES ARE MY FAVOURITE. And the first Magnificent Twelve book was kind of hysterically good. 😂
The Book Thief…pfft. It should be retitled THE BOOK OF PAIN AND FEELS SMASHING ANGUISH.
*howls*
That book sounds awesome! I read some, but not a lot.
I CAN ENTIRELY ATTEST TO THE FACT IT IS INDEED AWESOME. *nods wildly*
This advice was really good. I like how he mentioned the world building comes before the plot. That was a big mistake I made in my WIP and I’m paying for it now. I had a good plot, but sloppy world building. The things he said about constancy are so true. I struggle with that quite often because my life is constantly changing. We’re such busy people. But I always try and make room for my writing.
Congrats on getting an author interview, Cait! This was super cool and I loved it. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get more in the future.
YES! Such helpful advice!! Although I think things are definitely different for everyone, but it’s great to see other writers’ processes and figure out how to improve ours, right?! (I’m totally a plot then world then lastly characters. 😂 Which is a bit awkward because sometimes I get a great plot and ZERO CHARACTERS FOR YEARS.)
(AFJDAKSD STILL FANGRLING FOREVER.)
I picked this up last week and now I am so frickin’ happy I did! This interview made me laugh aloud in a silent study area dang it! XD My boyf’s been pestering me to read the Gone series for ages… so now I guess I’m gonna have to (*sigh* it’s a hard life). BUT FIRST: FRONT LINES! I am so excited for this! Thanks for your awesome post, Cait and Michael!
OMG YES LISTEN TO YoUR BOYFRIEND! Gone is amazing. And creeptastic. AND AMAZING. < --- Just had to say it again. :') And I hope you like Front Lines too! Basically if it's a Michael Grant book = it's gonna be awesome.
Those were really helpful tips! Three hours of writing a day sounds manageable.
I’m so very nosey but I LOVE finding out different authors’ processes so EEEEEP. This was hugely fun. 😂 I’m glad you liked it!
GONE IS AMAZING! I’ve only read the first two books though 🙈, but I’m planning to buy the whole series and binge-read it! I feel as if not a lot of people have read that series, so you’re one of the few that I know that loves it as much as I do!
AHHH IT IS AMAZING AND HELLO FELLOW FAN!! I feel like the blogging world doesn’t talk about Gone enough?! I AM SO OBSESSED WITH THAT SERIES. *hugs it* I read it pre-blogging so I’d love to reread. <3
I love WWII books! Oh, my favorite are Frontlines, obviously. I also like Leviathan, Wolf by Wolf, and The Book Thief. I would have enlisted back then. Let me at them! I have also read Frontlines. It was awesomesauce! I think my favorite part was when Rio was like “Heck yeah, I am going to make it to 20 push ups!” I smile every time I think about it. I am proud st least some girl can do 20 push ups (I know I can’t). Can you do 20 push-ups?
Eeeep I need to read Wolf by Wolf! I have it on my TBR but ahhhhh I don’t even know why I haven’t gotten to it yet. *facepalm*
AND YES RIO DOING THE PUSHUPS WAS AWESOME. And everyone was cranky at her because they’d have to compete. 😂 Dude, I couldn’t even do ONE push-up probably. I am a weakling.
This is a great post! It really shows how writing a novel is not an easy task to do.
And in the end, working habits are what matter in the end if you want your book to be finished.
Thank you for sharing!
Oh writing definitely isn’t easy! I TOTALLY AGREE. I always adore getting a sneak-peek at authors’ writing process. IT’S SO SO INTERESTING OMG.
I love this post! Michael Grant is amazingly awesome and I loved Front Lines. Goes still remains one of my favorite book series EVER. I still need to read Messenger of Fear. Give it time. I will. I agree completely with your review of Front Lines. Rio was also my favorite character. When she had to kill people in the war, I felt so bad for her. She had to do what she needed to do, but it wasn’t as cut and dry as she thought it would be. I know the people she killed were enemies, but it’s still hard. And yeah, the ONLY criticism I had of the book was how long it was. The first part of the book dragged a lot, but it was still pretty great. I can’t wait for the sequel.
AHHH ANOTHER GONE FAN!! *flails happily* Honestly I don’t see the blogosphere talk about that series enough AND IT IS MY FAVOURITE. I was addicted to it pre-blogging too. :’) (Rio was SO awesome. It was seriously amazing to watch her grow up and change. ALTHOUGH SAD. Poor little Rio. 😩)
Honestly, I think if there was a war bad enough to call for people to get conscripted I would basically get to anxious that I wouldn’t actually be able to pass any of the tests that allow you to be in the army or the navy or whatever.
But anyways, I still need to read this book, I just keep putting it off because it’s so freakin’ long.
*whispers* Me too, tbh. I would be the one having a breakdown in the corner because PEOPLE ARE OVERWHELMING. (I’m so very functional. Ahem.)
It is long! But I felt it went really fast?!
HE ONLY DOES ONE REVISION? Or, if you’re reading this, YOU ONLY DO ONE REVISION?
Geez, that is impressive. I wish I had better work habits. Or a better ability to get the hell off social media. Sadly, I do not.
BUT I LOVED THIS BOOK. I feel like it became even better towards the end and hopefully the second one will be even more fast-paced 🙂
I GUESS 150+ BOOKS HAS ITS PERKS FOR ABILITY TO BE AWESOME AMIRITE?!?!?? Ahem. Anyway. I’m sure I could be super productive if someone banned me from Goodreads. I have a slight addiction ahem.
And AGREED! I can’t wait for the sequel!
I’m currently (slowly) reading the Gone series, and I love it! I just purchased Plague, and hope to read it this month. When I heard about Frontlines, I knew I wanted to check it out. Great review, and I loved Grant’s advice. Thanks for posting!
YAY I’M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THIS! *flails* And also Gone is AMAZING so I’m glad you’re reading it!! Just wait to the finale. It basically destroyed me (in the best way ever. :’)
Errr… How does one write 150 books again?? Should I kill a goat? Uh naah.. I’ll think of something else…
But in all seriousness… 150 books?
I haven’t read anything by Grant… But after that number… I just can’t get over that number dang… 150… Anyway, moving on, what I think I was trying to say is that I will now have to read something by him. Not sure about Front Lines… But definitely Gone, I think… Because you see… I just love creepiness a little too much.
I’m like 99% sure ALL SECRETS are revealed when one sacrifices that goat. #legit
Gone is AMAZING and very definitely creepy. Plus it gets more creepy as it goes along. <3
Am I am excited for Front Lines? Am I? Umm, yes! I just don’t know why I haven’t picked it up yet. I’m a history major and a feminist and… it sounds so perfect! I am a little scared by how long it it is. It just looks slow-paced if that’s possible. But definitely be getting to it soon.
And I don’t personally agree with Grant’s writing process. I mean, obviously to each their own, but I write for myself and definitely don’t do anything about making it “pitch-able” or writing tag lines so early one etc. Or even caring about editors. I do write extensive characters and setting before plot though so we have that in common. And I use Pinterest religiously to story board my characters too!
YAYY! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!! (And good luck for the giveaway! 😂) And even though it is long, it’s at least easy to read, so I found I got through it pretty fast despite the slowness.
And of course each to their own with writing processes! He definitely did underline the fact that there is no ONE way. 🙂 And also it depends if you are writing as a career too.
I am not a writer. Michael did a great job. I am anxious to read “Front Lines”. Thanks for the giveaway.
Marilyn
Most welcome, Marilyn! Good luck for the giveaway!
Really awesome post! I’ve realized lately that a lot of my life, as well as writing, comes down to holding myself reliable to a schedule and commitment. It was cool to read Michael’s tips about writing, and ultimately saying what I’ve been feeling. Front Lines sounds like a neat book since I’m a bit of a WWII buff and recently want to read something like Peggy. Thanks for this post! 🙂
YES! I think there re tons of ways to go about writing, but if one wants to be serious about it…we have to commit, right?! And make goals and work hard to achieve them *nods* Michael’s process is so so inspiring for me!! I mean, I go about things differently, but I AM STILL SITTING HERE ALL INSPIRED.
(Peggy Carter is the most awesome of ever, right?! 😂 LOVE HER.)
ONE REVISION I AM JEALOUS.
I actually have not read any of his books *cries in shame* But Front Lines sounds amazing!
I literally have no time tho tbh. I am so busy all the time like what.
Also, question, is the give away international?
Excellent post as always, Cait (AND CONGRATS ON HAVING ANOTHER SUPER COOL GUEST STAR)
YOU MUST GET ONTO THIS, EMKAY!! *flails* Although not-having-any-time is truly a problem. I UNDERSTAND. *pats shoulder* Someone steal us all a timeturner. It would be SO HANDY.
And the giveaway is Australian only. 😉 Says on the rafflecopter!
Ooooh I’m just reading the Gone series at the moment!! I’m kind of on the fence about it though. It’s just so….. freaky. I guess I’ll just have to see. And what the heck is the Gaiaphage?!
This is such a fantastic post! It’s so interesting to hear of a *real* author’s writing process. Writing is something I admire and wish I had a talent for. ^_^
I love it because it’s so freaky. 😂 Which book are you up to? IT GETS REALLY TRULY FREAKY AT THE END. (The Gaiaphage is the alien/evil/thingy.)
And omg isn’t it awesome to know how authors work?! I LOVE IT. I’m so nosey, so posts like this are always super inspiring and interesting to me. :’)
I love hearing about author’s writing processes, the little nooks and crannies in shaping their worlds. Great post 🙂
YAY I’m glad you enjoyed the post! I tooootally agree! Learning about authors’ processes is the best.
I WISH I LIVED IN AUSTRALIA….FOR MULTIPLE REASONS. *cries* But seriously I am TOTALLY PICKING UP A COPY OF THIS BOOK ASAP. This has actually come in insanely accurate timing because I’ve been hopelessly wading through WWII history stuff (particularly women in WWII) for a trilogy I’m going to write in the future (Ahem) SOOOO I BASICALLY NEED BOOKS THAT ARE ABOUT WWII BUT ARE ALSO ENTERTAINING AND REALISTIC AND ACCURATE. SO THIS IS BASICALLY GOLD THANKYOUVERYMUCH.
Also look at you, superstar, hosting guest posts from bestselling authors!! *mind blows* 😉
peace outttt,
abbiee
p.s. HOPEFULLY I DIDN’T MESS UP THE GIVEAWAY. bc i didn’t realize it was AUS only until….yeah. *COUGH*
YOU SHOULD JUST POP BY FOR A FEW SECONDS AND COME WIN THIS BOOK AND ALSO HAVE PINEAPPLE TEA AND SCONES WITH ME. #nodownside (Except omg does “pineapple tea” exist??? Probably??? Hmm.) AHEM. But dude. YES. Read this for research!! I also am in intense admiration for you writing Historical Fiction! It’s like the one genre I’ve sworn never to write because AHHHH SO COMPLEX AND SO MUCH RESEARCH. 😂 My research includes setting a book in, like, India or something and then eating curry and saying I’ve researched. Ahem.
I’ve never read any Michael Grant… Please don’t hurt me, Cait. *nervously offers cake* I’m just not into the horror-ish feel a lot of the synopses I’ve read seem to have. But Front Line… ALL THE YES!! I will be reading this one for sure 🙂 Is it brutal? WILL IT HURT MY FEELS? It looks like a real chunky book too, which I love.
*eats cake and is appeased* YE SHALL LIVE.
Front Lines is brutal but not gory (at least I didn’t think?) it’s more psychologically brutal I think, especially considering all the mental things the girls had to go through just to be seen as SOLDIERS and not dirt. Although it’s pretty war-y and shoot-y towards the end *nods* I HOPE YOU GET A CHANCE TO READ IT SOMEDAY SOON.
DID I CALL IT OR DID I CALL IT? 😉
And I really like WWII books! I feel like they show such a dark and horrifying side of humanity, but they also show how selfless and heroic people can be as well. I definitely thought this was a great alternate retelling too – it had such an amazing concept and tackled so many taboo topics that aren’t discussed enough in YA. But, like you, I feel it was just missing that extra spark that turns it from a good book to a great one, you know? (And, of course, it’s super hard to compete with books like Code Name Verity & The Boy in the Striped Pajamas). Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did Cait! Thanks for sharing and for the amazing interview too! ♥
OF COURSE YOU CALLED IT. 😂 And omg I SO did enjoy how it talked about the tougher topics…but still kept them all YA-appropriate (because I mean, if it was 100% realistic, I think it’d have been MUCH darker still) and it just made me kinda ache for these girls and also feel sO ENORMOUSLY PLEASED with the rights women have now. (And I agree, I mean, omg how can anything live up to Code Name Sobbing Verity?!? I’m still excited to keep reading this series though!! How many actual SERIES are there for WWWII books?!? NOT ENOUGH. I AM THE EXCITE.
I LOVED Code Name Verity so I’m going to have to check this out. There are so many WW II stories out there that it’s always nice to find ones with unique twists like The Book Thief, which happens to be one of my favorite books of all time.
I always love reading author’s writing processes because they’re all so inspiring and no two are exactly alike. They motivate me to reassess my own process every once in a while.
I can’t wait to read this book soon.
Yessss. The Book Thief is BEYOND amazing omg. I really want to reread that book now. <3 And Code Name Verity was phenomenal. AHHHHHHH. It IS awesome that there's tons of WWII options for reading *nods* Especially recently published books.
And IKR?! I LOVE HOW INSPIRING THIS IS. 😂 I mean, my process is different, of course (we're all different!) but it's SO INTERESTING to see how authors do it. And handy to get some tips, right?! I loooove the idea of a character Bible!
This looks awesome! 😀 Plus, gotta love all the Peggy Carter gifs… XD
PEGGIE CARTER FTW. 😂 She is basically my superhero. hehe.
So sad its Australia only. On my list. great review and post, liked the insights.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! 😀
Hi Cait!
I loved this blog post! I’m a writer and took notes while reading this! I found it very interesting and was pleased when I discovered that I do some things in a similar order!
I can’t WAIT to read Front Lines! It looks SOOOOO goooooood!!
AHhh that is very awesome! I’m so nosey so I LOVE learning about the behind-the-scenes-things for authors. 😂 It’s so inspiring. #goals Good luck for the giveaway!
So I’ve seen this book around. But I’ve never actually known what it was about outside of one of the WWs. Now it sounds excellent! When I find it, I’ll nab it up!
MICHAEL GRANT *hyperventilates* I am a massive fan and arrgh I just devoured this post! I really loved his tips and I guess if you love what you do, have good working habits and are dedicated then it really does work for you then you’re going places. I want to be able to publish as much as him in the future. Oh, and I’m glad Front Lines was so good. I have it but I haven’t read it yet. Don’t even ask – I have no idea why I haven’t. I should really get my life together. But I do love WWII kinds of books and this one sounds so power to the women that it has me interested and all the more excited 😀