1. What drew you to YA fantasy writing?
Going to separate these into two categories – young adult and fantasy. The first novel I ever wrote was adult chick lit/romantic comedy. While I didn’t land an agent with it, I did get consistent feedback suggesting that I wrote with a “YA voice.” So for my second novel, I tackled YA. And those agents were right. Somehow, the tone, feel, style of YA just fits me.
As for fantasy, in this case it was the subject matter that dictated the genre. I knew I wanted to do an exorcism novel, and the paranormal elements grew from there!
2. I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve interviewed an author who doubles as a circus performer. What role do you play in the LA based troupe Cirque Berzerk?
Well, in a former life, I was a classically trained opera singer. I stopped doing that professionally several years ago but was lucky enough to fall in with this crazy circus troupe back in 2008. My official role is one of the Sirens . We’re three singers – rock, R&B and opera – performing with a live band. I won’t lie: we’re pretty freaking awesome!
3. What inspired the YA Horror/Paranormal, Possess?
Some of my fondest reading experiences from my childhood and teen years involved scary stories. Horror, gothic, ghost stories – anything that would send a chill down my spine, make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and force me to sleep with the light on. I wanted to write that kind of story. And when I thought about what scared me the most, exorcism and demonic possession was at the top of the list.
4. Do you believe in exorcisms/exorcists?
Tough question. Intellectually, I’m one of these people who needs to see things in order to believe them. That said, I’ve read several first hand accounts of exorcisms that shook me. To be honest, I’m not sure I want first hand experience with demonic possession, so I’ll just say that I absolutely believe that evil exists in our world, and I can only hope that if someone I cared about was afflicted by such an oppression, there would be an exorcist who could help.
5. How would you describe Bridget Liu?
Bridget is wounded. That’s the first word that comes to mind. At the beginning of the novel she’s questioning everything in her life – who and what she is, who to trust, who to fear. Everything good in her life feels lost and out of reach, and she’s taken to closing herself off from life as a way of protecting herself from the things that might hurt her. Part of her journey is an acceptance of who she is – the good, the bad and the fugly.
6. I’ve heard there’s been some interest from movie executives, is that true?
Yes. (And that’s all I can say.)
7. Can you tell our aspiring writers a little bit about the Enchanted Inkpot?
I’ve been honored to be a part of several writers’ groups with some of the most talented, giving, amazing authors. The Enchanted Inkpot is one of them. It’s a group blog of YA and MG fantasy writers, including several NYT bestselling authors. We conduct reading groups, open up discussions on a variety of topics in relation to fantasy fiction, post interviews, organize tour stops. It’s pretty awesome.
8. Do you have any upcoming tours/signings planned?
I update all my events on my blog: http://gretchenmcneil.blogspot.com/
9. Where is the best place to go to learn more about your books? Do you twitter/facebook?
I am literally all over the interwebz. I’d say the two best places to keep up with me are on Twitter (@GretchenMcNeil) and my blog (listed above)
10. Many of our readers are aspiring fantasy writers. What advice would you offer someone just starting out?
Two things. #1 – read, read, and then read some more. Read YA. Read fantasy. Read non-fiction. Read whatever grabs your attention. You never know what’s going to inspire an idea or instill a plot bunny in your brain. My personal library is literally all over the place. And I find inspiration there all the time.
#2 – Join an online writing community. There are some really amazing groups of writers out there – Absolute Write, the Blueboards, Query Tracker’s forum – where you can talk about the process, find critique partners, get advice, commiserate, console, celebrate. I owe so much of my success to the friends I met on Absolute Write. It’s not a debt I can ever repay. They’ve literally made me the writer I am today.
I write. YA urban fantasy, paranormal and historical fiction and I’m repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown. My debut YA horror/paranormal POSSESS will be published by Balzer and Bray for HarperCollins August 23, 2011, edited by Kristin Daly Rens.
I’m a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4′s Code Monkeys and I currently sing with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. I’m a founding member of vlog group the YARebels where I can be seen as “Monday” and an active member of both The Enchanted Inkpot, a group blog of YA and middle grade fantasy writers, and The Apocalypsies, a group blog of 2012 (oops) children’s book debuts.