Kiersten White

jonnyskov: ladysnowblood: imalittleredtorvette: #I AM IN...

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:55:48 -0400

ladysnowblood:

imalittleredtorvette:

#I AM IN LOVE WITH A 72 YEAR OLD MAN

Always reblog.

That’s totally what they teach you in acting school.

Patrick Stewart, I will love you forever.

epicreads: Today’s new releases from HarperTeen! Read about...

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:07:14 -0400

epicreads:

Today’s new releases from HarperTeen! Read about each of these new releases here.

I SPY TRANSPARENT! Love that book so, so much, guys. And if you buy a copy, on my blog there’s a contest for an ARC of THE CHAOS OF STARS!

HUZZAH FOR INVISIBLE GIRLS AND NATALIE WHIPPLE!

Hi Kiersten! First off, big fan. I just love how personable you seem via things like your blog and this tumblr and your books are great! So I was just wondering...a lot of what you seem to write tends to veer into the area of 'paranormal' YA (or at least has fantastical elements to it) - despite this, do you think you'd ever write any realistic YA? I feel like you have the perfect narrative voice for it!

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:32:47 -0400

Why thank you! I do enjoy interacting with so many awesome people I’d never know otherwise. It feels like a very big privilege.

As far as realistic YA, many of my favorite books are realistic/contemporary novels. But my brain tends to think in stories that have elements of the supernatural to function as both metaphor and also plot aids. I do like to ground my supernatural elements and make them feel as real as possible, so the fact that you think my narrative voice would work well is a very big compliment.

I think plotting/putting together a compelling story with only real elements is so monumentally challenging that I tend to be daunted even considering it. I’m not saying I never will, I’m just saying I have yet to find an idea that feels right for straight up contemporary.

Because honestly? Making stuff up = waaaaaaaaaaaay easier. My friends who write contemporary do so much research it makes my brain hurt by proxy. And I like easy. I am a Very Lazy Person. Though THE CHAOS OF STARS, out this September, actually feels very close to contemporary for me. Except the MC’s parents are ancient Egyptian gods. But you know. Besides that little detail…

Sadly, my own soulmate is only 1 for 2 on this.

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:14:54 -0400

Sadly, my own soulmate is only 1 for 2 on this.

When reviews are mean just for the sake of being mean

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:33:10 -0400

I used to be all:

Now it is just:

I am really stuck on revising the middle of the book I've been writing. How do you keep your "middles" focused? Right now I feel like it's just this episodic string of events. Any advice?

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:47:18 -0400

Sometimes you just need to get through to the end so you can view the book as a whole and realize which events need to be there, which can go, and how to connect them in a smoother fashion.

If the whole book is done and you are struggling with the middle, I would recommend evaluating what each scene accomplishes. Everything must always move forward—whether physically or emotionally, there has to be movement and progression, or the scene should be cut. Even if it’s a great scene in and of itself, if nothing moves in it, it needs to go.

Why are there fire ants in your throat and brain?

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:23:02 -0400

Because I haven’t figured out how to harness their powers for evil yet. As soon as I do, they’ll be in YOUR throat and brain.

(That, or I’m sick, and my throat just *feels* like a colony of fire ants has taken up residence there.)

Let's see, questions ... questions ... OH, I'VE GOT IT. What was the best surprise in writing the Paranormalcy trilogy? You know, that one REALLY GREAT THING you never expected? Or in any of your books, really.

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:15:35 -0400

That IS a good question! For Paranormalcy, it was starting out fast and going along and then realizing I’d already laid the groundwork for mysteries I didn’t know I needed to have. Those serendipitous moments make you feel like a genius and are such a great bonus!

Events-wise, I did not expect to hit the NYT bestseller list with Paranormalcy, so that was pretty overwhelmingly awesome. I really didn’t sleep for a week after!

Title Brainstorming

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:57:53 -0400

“I need a title for this short story. A play on words. Maybe using trap, because they both feel trapped. What are phrases that use trap…googling…booby trap. Hmm. Oh, hey, Fia totally uses Eden because Eden has a nice rack! Boobie Trap! WHAT NO GO BACK TO BED KIERSTEN GAH.”

This is why titles take me a long, long time to come up with, guys.

How do you tell if an idea is book-worthy or not? Voice? Something else?

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:28:24 -0400

It’s this: It won’t leave me alone.

I have more fifty page beginnings than I can remember, and that right there tells you the ideas were not book worthy: I can’t remember them. But occasionally something about an idea—the plot, the voice, the characters—grabs hold of me and won’t let go even if I try to run screaming in the opposite direction. Then I know it’s worth it to try and find that story.

THE CHAOS OF STARS was one such book. It comes out in September, even though I declared many, many times over the year-and-a-half of failed drafts that I was leaving it behind and it would never be a book.

How do you find/ choose songs for your book playlists?

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:26:17 -0400

I used to listen to Pandora a lot, but got tired of it insisting that NO MATTER WHAT BAND/SONG THE STATION WAS SET TO, SURELY KIERSTEN MUST ADORE COLDPLAY.

I don’t.

At all.

Sorry, Coldplay.

I actually listen to the radio still. Smaller stations play weirder stuff which I appreciate.

But other than that, I don’t really do playlists anymore because my last few books have been un-playlist-able for various reasons. So, this wasn’t a super helpful answer. Sorry.

ICYMI: LET THE SKY FALL is only $2.99 for Kindle!

Sun, 12 May 2013 22:02:44 -0400

ICYMI: LET THE SKY FALL is only $2.99 for Kindle!:

shannonmessenger:

I have NO idea how long the deal will last, so you might want to jump on it quick

I love eBook deals! Also Vane.

Can/ will you disclose a few songs from your Mind Games play list?

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:15:56 -0400

Sure! I won’t give the whole list because that was an exclusive prize for a contest not too long ago, but I’ll give you some of the songs! Though I don’t listen to music while I am writing anymore, I did listen to it extensively with MIND GAMES and the sequel.

“Time Is Running Out” by Muse (and I’d laugh every time I was on deadline for the sequel because, yeah, it really was)

“Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups (they feel like a very Fia band)

“Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies

“Help I’m Alive” by Metric

“Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (“They don’t love you like I love you” is such a perfect line for so many of the relationships)

“Stockholm Syndrome” by Muse (Appropriate, right?)

“Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” by Jet (I always imagine this song playing when Fia walks into a club. I know it’s not a clubbing song, but just the attitude)

And finally, “Run” by Snow Patrol, the MENCAP Little Noise Session orchestral version. Such a beautiful, aching song. It’s always been Fia and Annie’s song for me.

epicreads: Some very epic signatures. #veronicarossi...

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:32:02 -0400

epicreads:

Some very epic signatures. #veronicarossi #veronicaroth #raecarson #kierstenwhite

What’s funny is if you see my signature when I first started out. Hint: it actually contained all the letters of my name…

Then I got lazy.

ice-ridden: Have you guys read Mind Games by Kiersten...

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:16:31 -0400

ice-ridden:

Have you guys read Mind Games by Kiersten White?
Because wow.

LOVE.

Holly Black's Tumblr: On My Way Out the Door

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:58:57 -0400

Holly Black's Tumblr: On My Way Out the Door:

hollyblack:

I’m off for a one-week, whirlwind DOLL BONES tour and I hope to see some of you out there. I’ll be talking about the inspiration for the book, about my upcoming projects, and whatever you want.

Happy to sign all the things! Come and chat to me!

Here’s where I will be, again:

May 6th
ANDERSON’S…

Holly is always worth seeing if she’s coming anywhere near you. Which she isn’t. Coming anywhere near me. You’ll note the pout in my typing.

Do you ever work on more than one project at once?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:16:13 -0400

Not actively. I might have several books in the queue (for example, right now I just finished copyedits on a short story, I am about to start writing another short story, I have edits waiting on one book, and am anticipating edits on another before too long), but I can only hold one book in my brain at a time. So, I get to a stopping point on one before moving to another.

And I cannot actively draft more than one book at a time. TOO MANY VOICES.

How many words do you try to write per day?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:10:17 -0400

0! 50,000,000! Somewhere in between!

I am not an every-single-day goal type of writer. When I am working on something, I write as much as I feel like, which is often 5 or 6k a day. When I am working on something on deadline that I might not particularly want to work on, I set daily chapter goals (usually 3k a day, depending).

When I am not working on anything, I write nothing, and I don’t feel bad about it. For some people it really works to have a set amount of daily writing. I am not one of those people, and it’s okay if you aren’t, either.

Is it just me that can easily predict what is going to happen because of writing?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:44:19 -0400

Tell me some winning lotto numbers, and then I’ll answer your question…

Oh, do you mean in books? Yes, learning the mechanics of writing a novel DOES tend to make you pay closer attention so you notice details other readers might miss. Plus, you get such a good sense of plot that oftentimes you can get an idea of what is coming.

(But seriously, if you mean in real life instead of just in novels, I have several business propositions for you.)

Teen! Kiersten!

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:50:11 -0400

Over on the blog, I post pictures of myself as a teen and tell stories and talk about some things I wish I’d known: http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/2013/04/teen-kiersten.html