We recently reviewed the endearing new YA novel Awkward (click here for the review). This acclaimed book, released last January, currently has a 4 1/2-star average rating on Amazon and over 500 ratings on Goodreads.
We are privileged to host an interview today with the novel’s author, Marni Bates. Aside from being the cutest thing ever (trust me, I got to meet her in person!), she’s also a super talented writer! Awkward is her debut novel.
And now a few words from Marni!
Story Carnivores: Let’s start with a fun one. If you could go to coffee with one living author, who would it be, and why?
Marni Bates: Wow. Okay there is some pretty steep competition here but…Meg Cabot. I think her books are fantastic. Her heroines are snarky, strong and fully capable of kicking butt (even supernatural butt, if necessary) but they also have moments of emotional vulnerability. And since Meg Cabot provides emotional depth for her guys, I happen to find them super hot. I will never look at a motorcycle quite the same way after reading her 1-800-Where-R-U series. *Fans self* Oh, Rob Wilkins!
On a more personal note, Meg has a terrific sense of humor and a very warm heart. I’ve been following her blog for years and owe a lot of my success to her advice. She has definitely been a major source of inspiration for me. I would love to tell her in person what a difference she has made in my life.
SC: When did you first start writing fiction? Did you always want to be a novelist?
MB: When I was in elementary school I wrote a short story about fairytale characters that came to life at night. All of my literary favorites were whining about how annoying it was to deal with the same problems every day (I recall two of the three little pigs were particularly displeased about having to rebuild their houses) and my teacher told me I was going to be an author.
Then she lost the story.
Two of the very best gifts she ever could have given me. I can always think of it fondly as the best thing I’ve ever written, without having to confront reality.
And when I decided my senior year of high school that I was going to write a novel, I remembered that she believed in me. That she thought I could entertain people with my words.
Good teachers make such a difference!
That said, I’ve wanted to be a number of things. A lawyer. A juggler. A hard-hitting journalist. An FBI agent. The ambassador to Micronesia. The dame of Sark.
I think it’s a very good thing that none of those things worked out.
MB: Mackenzie Wellesley was initially supposed to be my opposite. She wants to avoid the spotlight at all costs…and I daydream about red carpet events and press junkets. But this story stuck with me because Mackenzie was so vocal about wanting none of it. That is was an accident.
But when I actually started writing, it became obvious that Mackenzie and I have a lot in common. My family pointed out that creating an American history geek with a love of rollerblading wasn’t much of a stretch. And while they were right, I think I put a lot of myself into all my central characters. Even the perfect Notable queen, Chelsea Halloway, shares some of my insecurities.
But you’ll have to read the other books in the series to find out what those are!
SC: The story of how you got representation for Awkward is a great one. Would you mind telling it to us?
MB: Sure! I showed up to the Willamette Writer’s Conference with a brilliant (albeit devious) plan to sign up twice for their free pre-conference pitch night. My first pitch was off, partly because I found it unnerving that I wasn’t allowed to hold the microphone. But a very nice agent handed me her card and I ducked into the other pitch room feeling optimistic.
And more than a little crafty.
I nailed that second pitch. It was one of those moments where everything clicked and I could see it in the panelists’ eyes that I had just knocked that sucker out of the park. That said, I was still stunned when one of the agents offered me representation. Right there. Based solely on my pitch.
Now any writer who has dealt with the nightmare of pitching to agents is probably thinking, OMG! You signed with him, right? You must have! Why would you even consider sticking around in un-agented writer hell for even a milli-second longer than necessary?!
It remains one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made, but I wanted to sign with someone who saw me as a client. Not as a young writer who could be molded into a client. As a teenage college student with a rather misleading dimple, I had to be extra careful.
So I pitched a slew of agents at the conference.
And remember that agent from the first night? We decided to meet for breakfast, during which she turned to me and said, “I like you. I really hope you can write. Because if you can’t write, I can’t help you.”
I gave her my writing samples that day.
She had finished them by lunch.
Laurie McLean believed in Awkward even more than I did and she offered me representation on the last day of the conference. I’m so glad I held out for her to be my agent. Receiving “the call” is a huge moment for every author. Having my friend/agent Laurie deliver the news that KensigntonTeen wanted a three book deal (later expanded to four books) made that moment perfect for me.
Now I try to pay it forward by helping other writers polish their pitches at conferences. Occasionally I still enjoy feeling crafty but it’s nothing compared to helping other people get closer to achieving their dreams.
SC: We met at the annual Romance Writers of America convention last month in Anaheim. How important is it do you think for both aspiring and published authors to attend writing conferences?
MB: Okay, I put a lot of thought into my word choice here. Ready? Conferences are vital. They aren’t mandatory because there is no requirement to attend. They aren’t strictly speaking essential because it is possible to be published without them. But I think writers need them for a whole host of reasons. Here are a few:
1. It’s not actually just you and your computer.
I mean, I know it feels that way most of the time. But there is a community out there that knows what you are going through. And they understand why you get frustrated when family members ask, “Are you ever going to get a real job?”
2. You can write…they can help.
Brainstorming. Beta reading. Blogging. Tweeting. Commiserating. A hard smack of advice. A reassuring word. I have lost count of the times and ways my writer friends have helped me. Most of the time I don’t even think they knew they were saving my sanity. They just thought I would enjoy staring at Ryan Gosling.
They were right.
3. Conferences give you a chance to meet in person.
Okay, this may seem pretty obvious, but face time forges a stronger bond with other writers. While It was really nice to feel like Twitter provided a firm foundation of friendship pre-conference, there’s nothing quite like being in the same room with someone. And at the conference I also bonded with new writer friends (*cough* Brian) who are awesome and talented and inspire me to get back to work even when I don’t feel like editing.
All of this is gearing up to my last point.
4. Conferences make you feel more alive.
That’s why I chose the word vital. They make you feel…more. More accepted. More encouraged. More inspired.
Or at least that’s what they do for me!
MB: I hate editing.
I loathe almost everything about it. The prospect of going through my manuscripts and perfecting every flipping sentence is just…torture. So I whine about it–primarily to my mother because I don’t want to annoy people and she somehow doesn’t count, I suppose.
Oh dear, that didn’t come out quite right.
I should probably edit this. But I won’t.
Awkward didn’t require any major editing. I think my biggest problem was that Friday appeared twice consecutively and my amazing copyeditors at KensingtonTeen wanted to know what vendetta I had against Saturday.
Honestly, I feel incredibly lucky that my fantastic editor Megan Records believes in my voice and wants to maintain it.
SC: What really astounded me about Awkward was its voice. You’re only in your twenties and you already have a strong grasp of voice in fiction. Did you have to think about voice a lot in writing Awkward, or did it just come naturally to you?
MB: Wow! Thank you so much! My characters are both persistent and vocal with their demands, which made Awkward come very naturally to me. I admit, I panicked after agreeing to write the spin-off sequel, Decked with Holly, because I knew the book needed two points of view–one of which was from a twenty-one year old male rockstar.
I was terrified that I would screw up my hero and yet that book was my favorite to write. Go figure.
SC: I really loved the scene toward the end where Mackenzie gets to sit down with Ellen Degeneres. Out of curiosity, when you use a real life celebrity as a character in your own book, do you have to get his or her permission? Or is that not at all necessary?
MB: Erm, I didn’t get Ellen’s permission. I think since she is considered a celebrity and Awkward is clearly identified as a work of fiction, I’m in the clear. I’m also betting that my publishers would have stopped me if they thought there was any danger of a lawsuit.
That scene was a lot of fun to write and I watched all the YouTube interviews I could find to prepare for it. You know, because that counts as essential research for a writer.
I’m still trying to convince my grandma to see it that way.
SC: As a follow-up, you actually got to meet Ellen! What was that like?
MB: It was amazing. I was actually at the Warners Bros lot to meet my friend (and fellow KTeen author) Nina Berry when Ellen stepped outside. I walked right over to her and said, “I wrote about you in my book. Hi. Wow. Huge fan. I always thought I would be cooler when this happened!”
Ellen was so sweet about the whole thing. She smiled as if I wasn’t some random fan trembling in front of her and babbling about a fictional interview. She even agreed to take a photo with me. Definitely one of the most exciting moments of my life.
SC: The movie rights just sold for your book, for a TV Movie at Disney! Can you tell us any details about this project?
MB: Hollywood is complicated and unpredictable and I don’t want to disappoint anyone by misrepresenting what is going on. Disney Channel has officially made me an offer for the option rights to Awkward. From there, it’s going to be a long wait before I find out if they want to actually buy it. And that movie will be based on someone else’s treatment, so I can guarantee it will be really different from the book.
Confused? Me too.
Let me put it this way: Disney Channel has expressed interest in turning Awkward into a made for TV deal. Insert ridiculous happy dance here! But at the end of the day, I need to focus on the only aspect of my career that I can control: my writing.
SC: Your follow-up to Awkward, Decked with Holly, is coming out on September 25. Can you tell us about this project? And what other books are you writing that we get to look forward to?
MB: I absolutely loved writing Decked with Holly, but I find it hard to explain. It helps to think of it as a modern twist on Cinderella. Except in my version Prince Charming says, “Um, I don’t actually want to marry you. Any chance you would be cool with faking a romance? You know, only until things calm down.”
Although the drummer from ReadySet, Dominic Wyatt, would never describe himself as Prince Charming. And Holly Dayton is not about to let anyone push her around. Not even a super hot rockstar…
This book cracked me up even as I edited it. So I’m hoping everyone finds it as funny as I do!
SC: Let’s end with another fun one. If you could have any actress play Mackenzie in a movie made from your book, who would it be, and why?
MB: Oh, fun! Well if Disney does buy the movie rights (fingers crossed!) they will probably want to use one of their up and coming starlets. So I would love to see Mackenzie played by…
Alyson Stoner or Bella Thorne!
I’m cheating. I know you told me to only pick one. I just…couldn’t. I think either of these girls would do a fantastic job with Mackenzie. I also think there are a number of other very talented actresses who would be brilliant for the role.
See, this is the reason the authors usually have no say in casting!
Thanks for interviewing me!
SC: Thank you, Marni!
Awkward is available on Amazon and at bookstores everywhere. And be sure to pick up a copy of Decked With Holly, coming September 25!
