What was your major? Were you ever undecided?
What made you choose your major?
What was the best part about college? What was the worst?
Career Questions
When did you first begin writing?
How long have you been writing?
When did you write your first novel? How old were you?
Who or what inspired you to write?
What made you choose your genre? What make your genre unique?
What jobs have you had outside of writing?
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
What is your current project?
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Do you have a specific writing style?
If you had to choose, which author would you consider a mentor?
Name someone or something that supported you outside of family members.
Can you share some of your current work with us?
What has been the toughest criticism ever given to you? What has been the best compliment?
Where do you want to take your writing in the future?
What dreams have been realized by the results of your writing?
If you could leave your readers with one legacy, what would it be?
What do you think makes a good story?
Do you see writing as a long-term or short-term career?
If you couldn’t be an author, what career would you have?
What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses as a writer?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
If there was an author you could meet, who would it be and why?
Are there any occupational hazards to being a novelist?
Work Habits Questions
What motivates you to write?
Do you have a regular writing routine?
How do you manage your time?
Is there anything you find challenging about writing?
Do you travel a lot?
What was the hardest part of writing your books?
Where do you get ideas?
Do you ever experience writer’s block? How do you fight it?
Do you work with an outline?
How do you market your work?
What is your overall writing process like?
Do you write daily?
How do you write your rough drafts (laptop, desktop, pen and paper, etc.)?
How do you handle discouragement?
How do you approach creating a novel?
Do you have a set formula for setting and character development?
What do you think are the key elements of writing?
What resources/books do you think are essential for writers?
How long does it take you to write a book?
Do you have any writing quirks?
Do you ever take news/current events and incorporate them into your work?
Do you ever research legends, myths, history, etc. to get ideas?
Hobby/Interest Questions
Who and what do you like to read?
Have you ever read a book more than once?
Do you keep a journal?
What books and authors have influenced your life the most?
What book(s) are you reading right now?
Are there any new writers who have caught your interest?
Who is your favorite author and why?
What do you like to do outside of writing?
What do you do to relax/unwind?
Do you personally prefer reading ebooks, paperbacks, or hard cover books?
Book/Series Questions
Do you have a favorite character in your book/series?
How much research do you do for a book?
Do you have a book you recommend readers start with?
How many books have you written?
What were the challenges of bring your first book to life?
What inspired you to write your first book?
How did you come up with the titles for your books?
Is there a message behind your novels that you’d like readers to grasp?
How much of the book is realistic?
Are any of the books based on personal experiences or events from your life?
Who designed your book covers?
Did you learn anything from writing your books? If so, what?
Is there anything specific you’d like to say to your readers?
What was your favorite chapter or part of the book to write?
If your book were made into a movie, who do you picture playing each main part?
What does your family think of your books?
What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned while writing your books?
Do you have a favorite book so far?
Do you hear from readers much? What do they say?
Which of your characters is most/least like you? Why?
How important do you think villains are in a story?
Are any of your characters based on people you know?
Do you have a book trailer? What is your opinion of them?
Genre Questions (Can insert genre or generalize.)
What is your favorite (genre) book?
What is your favorite (genre) movie or television show?
What interests you most about your genre?
What book was your first introduction to your genre?
Why should fans of (genre) movies read (genre) books?
Opinion Questions
What do you see as the future of the writing industry as a whole?
What stereotype about writers do you think is wrong? What stereotype has some truth to it?
What contributes to a writer becoming successful?
What are your pet peeves?
What makes you cry?
What makes you laugh?
Using Social Media for Education
In addition to marketing, social media sites are a great resource for keeping up with industry changes and events. The following are groups and pages I follow in Facebook and Twitter:
Writing-Related Facebook Pages:
HuffPost Books
Wow! Women on Writing
Writer.ly
Writer’s Digest
Ice Cream for Zombies—tips on how to write better fiction
Publisher’s Weekly
Author Mingle
The Book Doctors
Writers and Authors
Writers’ Workshop
Penguin Group
Keep Writing
Captain Grammar Pants
The Creative Penn
In thinking about who to follow on Facebook and Twitter, start with a search of authors you admire. You can also follow pages related to your genre, local libraries, bookstores, city event pages, and media. Many publishing company employees and literary agents have accounts and often give friendly advice—with the understanding that they don’t want to be bombarded with queries through social media unless they ask.
Networking with Other Authors
Whether through online communities or local groups, interacting with fellow authors will help your skills grow faster and should provide an encouraging environment in what used to be a very solitary career. With local groups, you have the advantage of immediate and face-to-face feedback, as well as the opportunity to share resources for regional events. Online groups take away the problems of geographic location and varying work schedules. It’s great to develop friendships through both options. Seek out writers with more experience to help stretch you, and reach out to help other people with your strong points. In this way, everyone wins.
This concept extends to other creative fields—artists, marketers, musicians, website designers—anyone who you may want to collaborate with as your series grows.
Contact Information
Creating a novel series can be a lifetime project, and there is joy in the journey. It can also become an opportunity to do something extraordinary for your
own life, for your family, and for the community around you. As I learn more through the experiences of developing my own series, I want to help as many other writers as possible.
If you have questions about an area I didn’t cover in this guide, you’re welcome to contact me at [email protected] (Use the subject line: “Series Craft question” to avoid being mistaken for spam—I do try to answer questions personally and will try to help you or refer you to a book or source that can.) You can also follow me and send questions via Twitter @patriciagilliam.
Also by Patricia Gilliam
The Hannaria Series Book 1: Out of the Gray (2009)
When Hannaria's ambassador is targeted for assassination by a human terrorist group called the Earth Independence Party, two teenagers find themselves drawn into the situation from different vantage points.
The Hannaria Series Book 2: Legacy (2009)
The Hannaria Series continues with Adam Verin and Jernard narrating the second book in the series. After confronting Kressler and the EIP, Jernard is visited by an old friend requesting help to rescue his wife and children from a race of ruthless aliens. After resigning from his position with the EIP, Adam's life is threatened by his own father and former colleagues who now consider him a traitor.
The Hannaria Series Book 3: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (2010)
While scrambling to protect their human allies on Earth, Jernard and his family race to gather evidence against another Hannarian who is intent on killing them--and who has been manipulating the EIP to accomplish his larger goals.
The Hannaria Series Book 4: Something Like the Truth (2012)
When a group of serial arsonists begins attacking locations on Hannaria, Jernard and his family are brought up on charges of treason and accused of being connected to the group's leader.
The Hannaria Series Book 5: Where the Oasis Blooms (2013)
Discovering Wynn being tortured by Glaven, Michael Dermott attempts to rescue him. Rica and Alex learn more secrets of their families' pasts while Rica abilities continue to develop.
The Hannaria Series Book 6: Into the Ashes is currently in progress.
Series Craft 101 Page 4