A. Bailey
asked
Lily Sparks:
Hi Mrs. Sparks! First, I want to say that "Teen Killers Club" is one of my favorite books I've ever read due to your unique writing style and lovable characters. The second thing was what's your writing process? Do you do a lot of research or do a lot of planning before writing? I thought I would ask because I respect you as a writer. I often have trouble as a beginning writer with the writing process.
Lily Sparks
Thank you so much for this question!
And what a compliment. Nothing makes me happier than when people enjoy Teen Killers Club. Of all my writing its my most personal & heartfelt & people who get it are my people.
My process starts with a really detailed outline. I break the story in a broad arc and then break down what happens in every single chapter.
However in the actual writing, once my characters are solid, I sort of set them down and see what they do. This is my favorite part of writing, I really feel like a camera following the characters around and recording what happens, and so often they surprise me. I give my characters total permission to re-write the story according to what they truly are and this usually lands me in a place more organic than what I've planned.
For example, [spoiler] in my first outline of Teen Killers Club, Erik was the big bad and Signal had to kill him in the Star Barn at the end to protect Javier. But then in the writing, Erik kept making the case for why he was not such a bad guy after all, and in listening to him the theme of the book and the series became much clearer.
Hope this is helpful. Everyone has their own different way they write and whatever gives you the most happiness per minute is the way to follow.
Thank you so much for this question!
And what a compliment. Nothing makes me happier than when people enjoy Teen Killers Club. Of all my writing its my most personal & heartfelt & people who get it are my people.
My process starts with a really detailed outline. I break the story in a broad arc and then break down what happens in every single chapter.
However in the actual writing, once my characters are solid, I sort of set them down and see what they do. This is my favorite part of writing, I really feel like a camera following the characters around and recording what happens, and so often they surprise me. I give my characters total permission to re-write the story according to what they truly are and this usually lands me in a place more organic than what I've planned.
For example, [spoiler] in my first outline of Teen Killers Club, Erik was the big bad and Signal had to kill him in the Star Barn at the end to protect Javier. But then in the writing, Erik kept making the case for why he was not such a bad guy after all, and in listening to him the theme of the book and the series became much clearer.
Hope this is helpful. Everyone has their own different way they write and whatever gives you the most happiness per minute is the way to follow.
More Answered Questions
Weronika
asked
Lily Sparks:
Dear Mrs. Sparks, I just finished reading Teen Killers Club and I absolutely love it. I wanted to ask you if there will be a 2nd book? If yes, when will it be released and, if you can say, what will be the title? If I am not mistaken when someone asked you that question before you did say the title will be 'Tenn Killers Club II: HIDE +SEEK. Did it change? Sorry I am not caught up.
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