EDIT: To avoid an imbalance of questions on the site, I’m going to answer a lot of comments below. Thanks for your questions!
Hello friends –
Whether you are self-quarantining (weird that that’s a word now, right?) or still in school and work, I’m excited to offer a fun opportunity.
It’s called Artist Chat – a group of authors and illustrators who are opening ourselves to questions from readers, which we will answer with a video response.
Readers – ask us anything! (Unless it’s so weird that we can’t possibly answer)
Parents and teachers – you are invited to follow us on Twitter @ArtistChat (Also called “Stuck at Home Book Chat”) or look for links to our video responses. You can share those answers with your young readers, whether they are at home or still in the classroom.
We hope this effort will help provide a reading and writing boost during these crazy times.
As a bonus, I will be giving away a book to one of the first thirty people who ask a question directed to me (@Nielsenwriter) through ArtistChat. So ask away – in comments below, or on Twitter @ArtistChat – I can’t wait to answer!
So far, other participating authors are: Kathryn Purdie, Bree Despain, Rosalyn Eves, Chad Morris, RuthAnne Snow, Kaylynn Flanders, Robison Wells, Ellie Terry, JR Johansson, Jessica Day George, Erin Stewart, Marion Jensen, and Wendy Toliver.
Even if you don’t know their books (or maybe especially if you don’t know their books, begin asking questions and you might discover another favorite author!)
43 Comments
This is such a nice idea, Jennifer!
My question is: As a writer, what’s your best advice for keeping a series of books fresh and interesting as you continue to write for the same characters?
I’m reading The Warrior’s Curse and Words on Fire right now, I’m really enjoying them. I can’t wait to read The Captive Kingdom! Hope all is well!
Thanks for asking, Cali – I’ll try to get that answered for @artistchat (Twitter) this week!
Aw, I don’t have Twitter, but I guess I’ll ask a question here! What is it like to know that you have published many books, and have brought so many characters to life? And… How do your characters help you as a person/writer?
This is so awesome what you and these other authors/artists are doing! I’m glad that there is so many amazing author/artists in the world that are willing to share. And you’re one of the best of them, so thank you so much!
Hi Jamie,
Since you don’t have Twitter, I’ll answer you here. It is an amazing thing to have published these books, knowing they began simply as ideas in my head and now they are something that can be shared with readers throughout the world. And I am deeply influenced by my characters – so many of them have traits I wish I had, and I want to live up to who they are.
Thank you for answering! That’s so awesome!
How has current events changed your writing schedule?
Thanks for asking, bn – I’ll try to get that answered for @artistchat (Twitter) this week!
I have two questions.
I noticed that when replying to questions, you often refer to Jaron as “Sage.” Is there a particular reason for this?
In The False Prince, after Jaron comes out from the dungeons, Connor confronts him with papers that Connor believes contain a plot to claim the throne and then get rid of him. The way Jaron avoids directly answering Connor’s questions makes it seem like Jaron wrote those papers, but Jaron later tells Tobias that Connor knows about the papers Tobias wrote, which implies that Tobias wrote those papers. Who exactly wrote the papers, and what were they about? Could they be Jaron’s notes on how his family might have died?
Thank you very much!
Hi June, since there are potential spoilers, I’ll answer here rather that on video.
I call him Sage to avoid spoilers. Regarding those papers, Sage collected the papers Tobias was writing, which contained thoughts on how to get rid of Conner once he became King, and Sage supplemented them with writing of his own, designed to look as though it had come from Tobias.
Jennifer, were do you get the inspiration for your books?
Hi Trinity – I’ll try to answer your question this week for ArtistChat on Twitter!
Thanks so much for sharing! I was wondering how do you connect two plotpoints? Like, you have two plot points well developed but don’t know how to another? Thank you!
Hi Calliope – I’ll try to answer that on Twitter this week for @artistchat. Thank you!
How do you know when you have created a fantastic, multidimensional character? I am always very hard on myself about my own characters and was wondering how characters like Sage are so perfectly executed.
Hi Brianna – I’ll try to get those answered on @Artistchat (Twitter) this week. Thanks so much!
When finishing a series, do you ever feel like you’re letting go of friends (the book characters) or are they always a part of you and with you?
Hi Katie – I’ll try to get those answered on @Artistchat (Twitter) this week. Thanks so much!
What a great project! I hope young readers take advantage of people giving up there time like this. When we are off Spring Break, I will be sure to put this into the minds of the young readers at my school.
I posted two questions here in the comments shortly after this blog post was published, but I don’t see them… did they come through?
They’re coming through now, June!
@Nielsenwriter, Hello I would like to ask whether what do you do to help yourself entertain during the home quarantine season due to the Corona virus?
Hi Lem – I’ll try to get that answered this week on @artistschat (Twitter) – thanks much!
This is so cool! I don’t have any social media. Can I ask a question here? Or has the event already ended?
You can ask the question here, Ailee.
I’d be interested to know how you go about creating well-rounded characters (both main and secondary) with depth without distracting from the rest of the cast and not losing steam from your signature fast-paced stories?
I’ll try to get that answered this week on @artistschat (Twitter) – thanks Bryce!
How has the earthquake effected your schedule?
I have no social media.
Hi George;
Where I am, the earthquake was a brief morning rumble. It spooked me a bit at the time but I was fine for the rest of the day and just picked up with my writing where I left off. Thanks for asking!
I’d like to know how demanding the characters in you head are. Maybe this is hard to explain…but you say that you only started writing about Jaron again because he wouldn’t leave you alone. 🙂 I understand a character being so real that they tell their story, and you just write it, but could you give us an idea of how that looks for you (particularly where Jaron is concerned:))?
Hi Rachel –
Okay, for Jaron in my head…so it’s a little like those cartoons where an angel or devil appears on the character’s shoulder and constantly talks to them. Only in this case, it’s in my imagination and it’s not to get me to do something, but to write the scene or dialogue as he is dictating it. And it’s a voice that intrudes on my thoughts sometimes when I’m doing something else, or sometimes I’m reviewing a scene and he’s there to push the scene further. If I’m writing a scene and something about it isn’t working, I can walk away from it and before long, that voice will be there to correct it.
Maybe it sounds a bit nuts, but really, it’s just that he’s got a piece of my imagination and when I’m writing his stories, I tap into that voice.
Hi! So first off you’re my favorite author and I own all your books.
I have three questions
1. How do you keep yourself motivated to write.
2. I would like to be an author and was wondering if you had any advice. If you do I would love that!
3. Do you have any book recommendation for social distancing?
Hi Chloe – Thank you for having my books.
1. The motivation is partially because I have deadlines, and also because I don’t walk away from projects unfinished. For me, when I put my characters in danger, I feel the need to finish because otherwise, I’ve abandoned them in the middle of all that trouble.
2. If you wish to be published, then write and write and write. Along the way, you will find discouragement and frustration and rejection – lots of it, but you have to continue working at it. Those who keep submitting their work and looking for ways to improve as a writer will eventually be published. So just don’t give up.
3. Book recommendations WHILE you are social distancing? I just put up a blog post tonight with a few you might want to check out!
Thank you!!!!!!
Hey, Jennifer! I don’t have social media, but what is the best technique for writing for you? I usually plan out the book, but then I find I didn’t plan enough, and start to write from the seat of my pants. Any tips? And also, I realize (as a writer myself) that suggestions for books can be annoying, but as an adoring fan I was wondering if somewhere (maybe end of book 5?) of the Ascendance series could you PLEASE have Jaron have identical twins? I am pretty sure the entire fandom would back me up on this. Jaron would have so much fun with them! Thank you for writing my favorite books!
Hi Alana. For me, when I get the story idea, I try to think about how I want the story to end, and I look for five possible solutions to the story problem. This forces creativity and helps give you options. Once I’ve chosen the best options, I begin to connect the beginning to the ending – that outline will always change as I write, but at least it gives me a roadmap.
And twins for Jaron? I wonder how he’d deal with that? 😉
I agree with Alana you should totally give Jaron a twin.
Hmm…what if the twin was somehow WORSE? 😉
Dear Mrs. Nielsen,
How do you create a sense of suspense in a story? Whenever I try to add suspense to my story, I’ll hand it over to a friend and ask, “What’s happening here?” and it doesn’t seem to come off with the right emotion to it. Do you have any tips for how to write suspense and action?
Also, second question, how long do you usually spend researching for your historical fictions? I absolutely love them- especially Resistance! XD
Hi Amelia –
I’ll answer your question here. A few tips to create more suspense would be:
Put the action first and explanations later.
Make sure the main character has a lot to lose if they fail.
Give the main character a time limit, and then shorten it.
The villain should be more powerful than the hero, and more likely to win.
Be aware of when you get bored as a writer – if you are bored, your reader is bored. Something needs to happen.
To your second question, depending on the needs of the book, research is at least 50% of the total writing time for a historical. RESISTANCE took longer because so much detailed research was needed, but it’s usually 2-3 months of research and 2-3 months of writing for me.
Are there any plans for a movie/tv series for the amazing False Prince series? I hope there are.
Hi Nuha – There is some talk, but nothing concrete right now. I hope one day soon that will change!
I don’t have twitter, but I do have two questions. The first one is kind of strange. Do you know when Sage’s birthday is?
My second question is how do you pronounce Carthya?
Hi Issabelle – Sage’s birthday is May 7. And Carthya is pronounced: Car (the automobile) – thee – uh.