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Q & A - Maureen Johnson
Maureen Johnson is a wonderfully witty author who had penned such wonderful books as The Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Devilish, and Suite Scarlett. Maureen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the middle of a massive snowstorm which she say's "at the time, it seemed like a good idea." We think it only proves her cheekiness and spunk. She is an only child and a University of Delaware graduate.
Maureen says she was always one of those reading and writing kids and she declared her intention to become a writer at the age of eight or nine or so. In addition to writing books, she is also a scriptwriter for the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Handheld videogames which makes her that much cooler.
She currently resides in New York City, but travels to the United Kingdom on a regular basis. Her latest book, Suite Scarlett, was published by Scholastic in May 2008 and is the first in a series. The second book in the series is to be called Scarlett Fever.
So how did you come up with the idea for Suite Scarlet?
I moved to New York because I had a big crush on it-like a serious, "why don't you marry it, then?" crush. I was also going to grad school for theater AND writing, which is like the ultimate cocktail of unemployment doom . . . but I was nothing if not plucky and a little deranged.
I had been thinking for a while that I wanted to do a New York City book, because I live here and I love the place so much. I wanted to do the New York of underemployed actors and writers who do the kind of shows I had to work on in grad school, where you perform in a bathroom to six people. But I also wanted to do the Broadway, the classic glamour, the Art Deco style . . .
I ended up with this laundry list of STUFF I wanted to do, and I made myself sit in a chair one afternoon with a pad and pen (rare, for me) and come up with something that somehow brought these elements together. Amazingly, this worked, and about five hours later I had the framework for the entire story-the hotel, all the main characters, and the basic details.
Did any of the characters surprise you while writing? Which character talked to you the most?
They were all pretty chatty. The trio of Scarlett, Spencer, and Mrs. Amberson particularly so.
These books aren't just for kids; they cross over to adults are well. How do you feel about that?
I feel great about that. I don't pay much attention to the age labels on books, anyway. Read whatever you want, whatever age you are. Library anarchy!
How did you get into writing? When did you begin to write seriously?
I was definitely one of those little kids who was really into writing (an "indoor kid"). I never stopped. It was my goal. So I was always serious to some degree, but I knew that for myself, I was going to have to be an adult before I was any good. I never tried to get published as a teenager. I got my first book deal in grad school.
What was the first book you wrote? Did it get published?
It depends on what you mean by first book. My real first book was a gripping saga about a cookie factory that I wrote when I was eight-it was sort of Willy Wonka via Upton Sinclair, as written by someone who had never read either and was, well, eight. And I think it had a glossary, because I liked glossaries. What kid doesn't?
It's still looking for its audience, that one.
Your books seemed to be aimed at young adults and children. Is that the market you intended or did it just happen that way when it got to the publishers?
They are, I guess. Again, I think YA is more of a marketing term more than anything else. My covers, for certain, are marketed for YA. (Ideally, I'd like all my books to be covered in brown paper bag material and come with crayons, like at tacky family restaurants! Draw your own!)
Do you ever plan on writing for adults?
I have an "adult" book that I've been working on for about six years that keeps getting sidelined. Loads of adults read YA, anyway, so I feel like in many ways I already am.
How do you feel about the enormous success that you've had with your books series? How has it changed your life?
Definitely. I get to do what I love most for a living, and I never have to put on real pants. I'm not sure which one of those is best.
Have you made any new purchases, like a new house, a new car anything fun like that yet?
Aside from my diamond-encrusted disco ball, you mean?
I live in New York, so houses and cars aren't really part of the equation. I guess the biggest thing is that I can do what I always wanted to do . . . travel between New York and England all the time. I have a "home" in the UK, which isn't in any way mine . . . I just get to stay there. This, to me, is pretty much the ideal arrangement, going between these two places.
Have any of your books been optioned for a film? If so, is anything happening with the movie now or is it still in the planning phase?
Yes. My first book was optioned. I occasionally hear things about the others, but nothing has actually happened. This seems to be the way with Hollywood. You hear a lot, but its sort of a miracle if something actually materializes.
What is the best compliment you have received regarding your books?
That someone was reading them. That never fails to get me. When I think of the books, I always see them as they appear on my screen as I'm working. I seem to forget that they get printed and people can buy them. So when someone says, "I read your book," I usually say, "HOW? DID YOU COME IN THROUGH THE WINDOW?"
Do you have any advice for would be authors?
You know how, whenever people talk about how to lose weight, it always comes down to diet and exercise? You can put three thousand spins on that, but it's always some version of diet and exercise? Writing is kind of like that. Read a lot and write a lot.
Did you use any writing books for advice on how to write?
I read a bunch in college. I seem to remember liking Writing Down the Bones. There are loads of good ones, I'm sure, but I have no idea what they are. Good books are the way to go. Model yourself on people who write well.
Do you have any suggestions of how writers can get published?
Be persistent. Write well (not always a requirement, but it helps). Don't be freaked out by people saying no.
In your blog you are very witty and chat about JK Rowling. Have you ever spoke to her? Does she know about your blog?
I seriously hope not. She will know I am on to her and her nefarious plans.
Do you have any close friends who are authors? What's your relationship with them?
The YA community is pretty close, so I'm friends with quite a few YA authors. In fact, we often work together, travel together, bounce ideas off each other. If you wander into the right café below 14th Street on any given weekday, you might see five or more YA authors working at once, munching on cookies and bothering each other. It's the perpetual lunch table. And for some reason, we all have Apples. WEIRD.
What are your favorite books and authors? What do you recommend?
I'm always scared of this question. I have a lot of "favorites," which I guess means I have no "favorites." There should be some limits on favorites. I have to make a list off the top of my head, and leaving out YA . . . because I know a lot of the authors I would list and it's sort of weird listing your friends . . . also there is SO MUCH good YA right now. People into YA already know this.
My favorite book of all time is probably The Great Gatsby. I love Hunter S. Thompson, Robert Benchley, Patrick Dennis, Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, Tom Wolfe, Lester Bangs, Stephen Fry, Joe Orton, Joan Didion, Christopher Isherwood . . .
I like all kinds of books. But then, so do most authors.
What music, movies, and TV shows do you like?
I like a lot of British shows. I'm a massive fan of comedies like Spaced, Black Books, Father Ted, and The Mighty Boosh. I watched all the insanity that was Torchwood. And I don't think there's a UK murder drama in the last ten years I haven't seen. I love mystery shows, particularly British ones. On American TV, my favorite show in the last however long was probably Arrested Development. My guilty pleasure is Psych, which is so much funnier than it really should be. My strange, hypnotic obsession with Law and Order will become very obvious in the next Scarlett book, since a show just like it plays a big part in the story.
I can't believe I've worn myself out on the television part of this question, because the truth is I don't watch THAT much. Really. No, really.
Who are some of your biggest influences?
For Scarlett, I brushed up on my Wodehouse and my Patrick Dennis.
What's next? What are you working on?
Scarlett is a series, so at the moment I'm completing work on Scarlett Fever, which is the sequel to Suite Scarlett. Release-wise, Let it Snow, the three-author collection I wrote with John Green and Lauren Myracle will be out in October.
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