IT’S GINGER FREAKING SCOTT! Can we take a moment to appreciate that I love her and her writing and now I’m interviewing her? Can we all freak out together?

I’m doing an interview of an author. I don’t know if the title wasn’t specific enough for you so I added this. This interview was a long process and I wanted my first blog post back to be special so that’s why I waited a bit. It was supposed to be up last week but we had to press pause on the process and I was camping Wednesday and Friday so I didn’t really want to post then. Also it was impossible since there was no WiFi.

Me: 1. What inspired you to start writing?

GS: It was a Judy Blume book when I was a pre-teen. I read the book Forever, and I was blown away that there were books out there about young girls like me that were real and emotional and that tackled the hard things about growing up. I wanted to make more of them.

Me: 2. When did you start writing?

GS: I started really working on stories in college, but it took me years to find the confidence to finish one.

Me: 3. Where do you get your ideas from?

GS: From a lot of places really. I draw from my own life and lives of my friends, from observations and from current events and issues. I study people constantly, and usually a small thread of an idea will pop into my head and then I will draw from all of those things to build it into a story.

Me: What is your writing process?

GS: I’m fairly consistent. I usually spend a few weeks really thinking about the idea and the characters. I don’t outline much, but I know my beginning and my end. Sometimes it changes when I get into the flow too. I try to write for a certain amount a time daily but I never force it. Only when someone is waiting on me, like an editor. I try not to put myself under deadline pressure so I have the room to really dig deep on the plot, and hopefully take it somewhere unexpected.

Me: 5. What is your favorite book that you wrote?

GS: The Hard Count. That book was personal, and the message behind it is one I’m passionate about – we are all what we make ourselves to be, and we aren’t our stereotypes.

Me: 6. What is your favorite book of all time?

GS: Ohhhh that’s a hard one. I can never pick one, nut for the sake of being brief, I will say The Outsiders.

Me: 7. Who is your favorite author?

GS: I have many, but one I particularly admire is Curtis Sittenfeld, the author of Prep.

Me: 8. If you had to have dinner with any three authors who would they be?

GS: I would sit down with Erin Morgenstern, who wrote the Night Circus, because I think people who write fantasy like hers are immensely talented. Then I would sit down with the late William Goldman because he was the king of characters and plots. The Princess Bride remains! And then I’d need a real King, because nobody recreates childhood like Stephen.

Me: 9. Who is your favorite author of all time?

GS: Judy Blume.

Me: 10. Have you ever gotten gotten writer’s block?

GS: Yes, I have gotten a bit of writer’s block before. It usually doesn’t last long for me, but when it happens I try to set whatever I’m working on aside and work on some other things like marketing for a book or graphic design or reading. I just kind of keep picking up the project until I feel the spark again.

Me: 11. Do you like to be original or stick with what is trendy/what people want?

GS: I have to write what I feel like writing otherwise my heart just isn’t it. It’s nice when what I’m feeling is something that readers are really into at the moment, but I feel like as long as I produce something I’m proud of then the book will find its space.

Me: 12. What advice would you give to young authors?

GS: DO not let the fear of failure stop you from trying. I spent years being afraid of what people might think of my work to share it, and now I know there’s always someone who will want your words.

Me: That’s all the questions I have. Thank you so much for taking time out of your life and doing this. Thank you again.

And we finished after a very, very long process.

Blogger’s Note: I’m tired so I will interact with you guys on Wednesday and tell you about my insane life then.

Love you all ♡