Author Interview: Welcome M. Beth Bloom @QuinlanLacey

Today we welcome author M. Beth Bloom for an interview!


Blurb:
Eva has always wanted to write a modern classic—one that actually appeals to her generation. The only problem is that she has realized she can't "write what she knows" because she hasn't yet begun to live. So before heading off to college, Eva is determined to get a life worth writing about.

Soon Eva's life encounters a few unexpected plot twists. She becomes a counselor at a nearby summer camp—a job she is completely unqualified for. She starts growing apart from her best friends before they've even left for school. And most surprising of all, she begins to fall for the last guy she would have ever imagined. But no matter the roadblocks, or writer's blocks, it is all up to Eva to figure out how she wants this chapter in her story to end.

Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell, Don't Ever Change is a witty, snarky, and thought-provoking coming-of-age young adult novel about a teen who sets out to write better fiction and, ultimately, discovers the truth about herself.

Welcome! Let's get started!

Do you have a schedule of when you write? 

I wish.  I’d love to be one of those writers who can wake up in the morning, chug coffee and pen the most beautiful sentences.  In the morning I’m a freak and couldn’t formulate a thought if dunk-tanked into coffee.  I have to follow my inspiration and alert level.  1 is great.  4 is less great.

How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing? 

In certain phases I’ve been able to clearly put friends/myself ahead of writing.  The crafting was put on hold so that I could live and engage.  Then there are other periods where every relationship I have suffers a bit so that I can sit behind a desk for hours every day/night.  I wouldn’t call it balance. 

How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 

This is my second and favorite novel.

Do you have a favorite character?

Gotta be Foster.  He’s just so earnest, it kills.

Where do you write?

I have an office with three big plants, stacks of paperbacks, a marble top desk, and as many coffee table-sized Kate Moss books as I can fit on a shelf.  Not to mention my dog-eared Thesaurus, broken pieces of crystal, and my favorite clicky pens.

Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?

My mother reads my novels and her initial response is always some suspicious comment about the mother character.  She seems oddly like me, or, that sounds like advice I’ve given you.  I like it though, taking anyone’s writing personally is a major compliment.

What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?

 Once I learn how to ride a bike I’m sure it will be bike-riding.  For now it’s reading fancy foreign magazines, watching cartoons and comedy, shopping for baggy clothes, and researching boxer puppies for sale.

What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?

Obviously, sit down and force yourself to begin.  But I’d also say, really really really consider it.  Being a writer is grueling and full of rejections and harsh criticisms.  Kill your darlings, while cute, is also TRUE.  Ask if you have the stomach or patience for it.  I check back in and ask myself constantly.

What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?

Writing, for me, is Donna Tartt, Bret Easton Ellis, Loorie Moore, and Lydia Davis.  I’m inspired by their wit, imagination, humor, simplicity/complexity, and epicness daily.  Favorite book though is KAROO, by Steve Tesich.

Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such?

Absolutely.  My best friend and screenplay writing partner, Ben.  I’ve bothered him with every small, forgettable, barely thought out idea in my brain.  I’m constantly pitching him plots.  Britt is my phase one editor.  I give him everything fresh from my fingers, way too early to show to Harper.  He rips it apart, thankfully.

Are you working on anything now?

I’m about to direct my first feature film, called Ladyworld, from a script I co-wrote.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! It was so great to have you. Good luck with your film! SO COOL!

M. Beth Bloom is a musician, video artist and writer. Her fiction has appeared in StoryQuarterly and Dave Eggers's Best American Non-Required Reading series. She lives in Los Angeles.