Ask the Author: Eileen Cook
Answered Questions (9)
Eileen Cook
I was a total believer in fairies and all sorts of magic growing up! I remember poking around my grandmother's garden trying to surprise one as it seemed to me if they were going to live anywhere her garden would be the perfect spot.
The idea for the Fourth Grade Fairy series came to me when talking to someone who felt like they never fit in - a feeling I had too. I thought it's likely everyone feels a bit of that- and then I started thinking that wouldn't it be funny/interesting if someone who would be fascinating to us (a fairy) felt like she didn't fit in to her world.
Writing is hard. I understand how it can be difficult to get a story from your head to the page. One thing I learned is to get past being disappointed. Any idea in your head is BRILLIANT. Once it is on the page it usually falls short of what we want. But the truth is- everyone has ugly first drafts. The trick is to keep working on them. Get the story out and then fix it until it is much closer to what was in your head. Happy writing!
The idea for the Fourth Grade Fairy series came to me when talking to someone who felt like they never fit in - a feeling I had too. I thought it's likely everyone feels a bit of that- and then I started thinking that wouldn't it be funny/interesting if someone who would be fascinating to us (a fairy) felt like she didn't fit in to her world.
Writing is hard. I understand how it can be difficult to get a story from your head to the page. One thing I learned is to get past being disappointed. Any idea in your head is BRILLIANT. Once it is on the page it usually falls short of what we want. But the truth is- everyone has ugly first drafts. The trick is to keep working on them. Get the story out and then fix it until it is much closer to what was in your head. Happy writing!
Eileen Cook
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at two books coming out this June- The Sisters Chase and The Party- I would give both two huge thumbs up. I'm also looking forward to Dividing Eden.
Eileen Cook
My own life is terribly boring- and I rather like it that way. I like to keep as much of the drama as possible on the page. I do find why people make the choices they do a constant mystery- including some of the decisions I've made in my own life. Why do we chose to keep certain people in our lives, why we give up on a goal (or keep going), why we settle and a million other things!
Eileen Cook
How does anyone ever answer this- there are so many great couples to choose from. I often find my favourite is whatever I've read most recently as I am still sucked into their lives and feeling all the feels associated with their relationship.
Eileen Cook
Hi Yasmeiry- Thanks so much for writing. The story in The Almost Truth didn't happen to me. The idea came from two places. The first is that I think most teens go through a period where your parents seem so odd that you wonder if its possible you aren't even related to them. The biggest inspiration came from seeing a missing child poster that had an age enhanced photo on it. I turned to a friend and said- wouldn't it be weird if you looked like one of those photos? Then it suddenly hit me that would be a great starting place for a book.
Eileen Cook
Hi Caitlin-
The original draft of the book took place here, but as I was writing the book I felt like it was missing something. I remembered when I was in university I did a semester abroad and how it was amazing, but also unsettling as that was the first time I'd ever been so far out of my own element. I decided to re-write the story having the accident happen overseas.
At that time I was planning a trip to Italy so I could combine my travel with book research. When I go somewhere I love to read books about, or set in, the location I plan to see. I read a book called The Monster of Florence which mentioned the Amanda Knox trial. That got me interested in that subject and I read a bunch more. Her trial was what motivated me to add the media interest and how people who didn't have any direct knowledge of what happened had really strong opinions into my book.
So the Amanda Knox trial didn't inspire the book, but it certainly shaped the final outcome. It's all proof that when writing one thing often can lead to another- which can make a huge difference in the end!
The original draft of the book took place here, but as I was writing the book I felt like it was missing something. I remembered when I was in university I did a semester abroad and how it was amazing, but also unsettling as that was the first time I'd ever been so far out of my own element. I decided to re-write the story having the accident happen overseas.
At that time I was planning a trip to Italy so I could combine my travel with book research. When I go somewhere I love to read books about, or set in, the location I plan to see. I read a book called The Monster of Florence which mentioned the Amanda Knox trial. That got me interested in that subject and I read a bunch more. Her trial was what motivated me to add the media interest and how people who didn't have any direct knowledge of what happened had really strong opinions into my book.
So the Amanda Knox trial didn't inspire the book, but it certainly shaped the final outcome. It's all proof that when writing one thing often can lead to another- which can make a huge difference in the end!
Eileen Cook
I am lucky that being inspired isn't typically a big problem for me- it is more of a problem to figure out which of the million ideas swirling around in my head is worth the time and effort.
I do have a routine. I do my best writing middle of the day so I try and leave that time free and use earlier in the day or later to do the million other things that need to be accomplished.
I do have a routine. I do my best writing middle of the day so I try and leave that time free and use earlier in the day or later to do the million other things that need to be accomplished.
Eileen Cook
The best part of being a writer is getting to sit around making stuff up all day (often while wearing yoga pants and in between searching the internet for cute puppy pictures.) I really enjoy writing and the process of coming up with a story that I am excited to tell and then being able to share it.
The best part of being a published writer is hearing from readers who enjoyed your book. So often writing is this very solitary thing, so when someone reaches out to you to say they liked what you did it’s amazing.
The best part of being a published writer is hearing from readers who enjoyed your book. So often writing is this very solitary thing, so when someone reaches out to you to say they liked what you did it’s amazing.
Eileen Cook
Read and write a lot. Books, both those you love and even those you dislike, are great teachers so give yourself permission to read as many as you can. Look at how the author chose to tell their story, what made you like (or dislike) a character, was there a section where you found yourself compulsively turning pages? The second half of my advice is to write a lot- writing is a craft. You get better the more you do it. It can be discouraging at first because the idea in your head is perfect and shiny and wonderful and your first draft is not. The secret is to push through that process.
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