Check out Veronica’s interview with fellow Northwestern alum, Claire Zulkey!
You start your Insurgent tour this summer: how do you typically decide what to read for appearances?
Insurgent is so full of spoilers that the range of scenes I can read from is pretty narrow. That said, I try to keep in mind that listening is a much different experience than reading—some of my favorite scenes don’t come across as well when I read them out loud. So I try to choose one that is a little more action-packed, or has a little more humor, if possible. And, you know, trial and error is always a good policy.
How is plotting out a series different from plotting out a book?
I don’t really outline—I wrote an outline for book two, but spent all my drafting time working to mentally discard it. So the difficult part of writing a series is that you continually write yourself into corners and have to write yourself back out again. For example, if I kill someone and I find in the next book that they would have been useful, I’m out of luck. Most of the time I’m able to make it work, but sometimes I get a little scared that it won’t. The best part about writing this way, though, is that each thing I write builds on what came before, so it’s a process of discovery for me right alongside the reader. I know that if something surprises me, it will also surprise them, in all likelihood.
The other difference is that you’re working with two arcs– the larger arc of the series, and the smaller arc of whatever book you’re writing. That means that you have to find a way to have a (somewhat) satisfying ending, while still leaving room for the next book. You have to answer some questions and leave some questions dangling. You have to figure out what has to happen to a character in the meantime in order to lead them where you ultimately want them to go. It’s sort of like watching a television show with a greater series arc– every episode contributes to the finale, but every episode has its own story.
What are some of your favorite literary series?
Most of the series I read are under the young adult umbrella—Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Animorphs (oh, the childhood memories), and more recently, The Girl of Fire andThorns, which is the first book in what I think will eventually be a trilogy by Rae Carson.
What’s the update on the film adaptations of your books?
I sold film rights to Summit Entertainment last year, and a production company, Red Wagon, and a screenwriter, Evan Daugherty, also signed on after that. Now Summit is a part of Lionsgate, but everything is proceeding as it was before—just waiting for a screenplay and we’ll see how it goes from there.
Read the rest of the interview here!
via Divergent Nation