Friday, November 2, 2012

An Interview with Jo Whittemore

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A. The grain of sand that starts my stories is always a "What if?" question, because the universe is made up of so many possible scenarios and outcomes. It's fun to explore them, particularly if it's something I would NEVER have tried myself (like putting on a one-woman show). After I've got my "What if?", I come up with the character, and it's the character's personality that will determine how the story plays out.

Q: What do you hear from your readers?

A. My readers think the stories are funny but sometimes are disappointed that certain characters don't end up together. I wish I could pair every character with whoever they're crushing on, but life isn't always like that, and learning to adapt to change is what helps people grow. Plus, a lot of times you end up with someone even better!

Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?

A: My favorite character I've read about would have to be Bartimaeus from the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud. For a 5,000-year old djinni, he's hilariously snarky and a bit too brave for his own good at times.

Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

A. I'd like my readers to know that I love their laughter. THAT is what motivates me to keep writing.

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A. In high school, I was the Brain/Drama Geek. I remember in my freshman math class getting an A on a paper and lamenting that I didn't get an A+. I was THAT kind of extreme nerd. And for theater, I was once cast as a nun, so I watched the abbey scene from Sound of Music over and over until I truly felt I would make an excellent Mother Superior.

Thank you so much for your time Jo! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.

Read more about Jo at her website.

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