Author Interview: Stephanie Faris

We are so excited to have Stephanie Faris, author of 30 Days of No Gossip, with us today. Be sure to read all the way through her interview and sign up for the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom. Stephanie has generously offered a free autographed paperback copy of 30 Days of No Gossip and some cool bookmarks! You don't want to miss it!

Thanks Stephanie for being willing to go into the "hot seat!"

Bio:

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing. When she isn’t crafting fiction, Stephanie is indulging her gadget geek side by writing for online technology sites. She lives in Nashville with her husband.

You can follow Stephanie on her blog HERE, or check out her website HERE.

                                                       

Blurb:

Can a middle school gossip queen change her ways, or will she lose her BFF for good? Find out in this M!X original novel.
Maddie Evans prides herself on being the gossip queen of Troy Middle School. She is the first person her classmates go to when they need the latest news on the ins-and-outs of TMS—and Maddie never disappoints.

Her best friend since birth, Vi, isn’t crazy about Maddie’s penchant for passing on rumors, but it’s never been an issue in their friendship. Until the day Maddie lets slip who Vi is crushing on—in front of her crush.


Vi is furious, and she confronts Maddie with an ultimatum: no gossip for 30 days, or twelve years of sisterhood goes down the drain. Maddie agrees, but only a week into the challenge, she gets one of the juiciest pieces of gossip EVER—something that could affect the future of the school. Will she be able to keep her mouth shut and tame her ways? Or will she be left standing alone with no one to hear her stories?

Interested in reading the book? You can find it HERE.

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Interview with Stephanie Faris:

 When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


For me, I think it was a gradual process. I wanted to be a writer from the first time I picked
up a book, but I think I realized, even at a young age, that writing wasn’t something you
did because you wanted to. Like singing or acting or dancing, it was a talent you either
possessed or didn’t.


It was only once I got to college that I began to feel confident about my writing. I wrote
news stories for the campus TV station every day. I didn’t have an English teacher
standing over me, asking me to diagram sentences or avoid split infinitives. There was a
different structure to a news story. That confidence stayed with me as I left college, which
soon led me to the decision to write my first novel.



What inspired you to write 30 Days of No Gossip?


I think in many ways I have a bit of a gossip problem myself. I always saw it as a way to connect with other people. I’m usually not sure where my ideas come from, but I remember trying to go without gossiping for even five minutes and it was easy, as long as I didn’t speak to anyone! I wondered what would happen if someone actually had to go 30 days without gossiping and 30 Days of No Gossip was born.


Describe your writing process. Pantser or plotter?


I don’t outline at all. I get an idea and start typing away. About 40 pages in or so, though, I
realize I have no idea where I’m going next! Usually at that point I’ll start a synopsis, but
even then, I don’t plot all the way to the end unless my editor is waiting for a synopsis. I
don’t like to get too far ahead. I guess I like to be surprised.



Have many books have you written? Which is your favorite?


I laughed when I read this question. I started writing in the mid­90s and lost count around
book number 20. My favorite book is always the one I’m currently working on, but I still
have a special place in my heart for the book series that landed my agent. It was called
Ghost Patrol and it was about tween ghost hunters. We came close to getting it published
a couple of times, but by the time we’d shopped it around for years, the idea had already
been done to death by other authors.



What are you currently working on?


While waiting for my next round of revisions, I’m working on a young adult series that’s a
little darker. I don’t know if it will ever see the light of day, but I have so many ideas
pending in other genres, I figured I’d try something different during the long wait!



What advice can you give to aspiring authors?


One of the most important things an aspiring author can do is find a writer’s group. The
camaraderie and support is priceless. Much of what I know about writing today came from
attending conferences and workshops when I was younger. Both Romance Writers of
America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators offer this sort of support.




Now for some fun questions that have less to do with writing and more to do with getting to know you….

List five adjectives to describe yourself.


Tenacious, energetic, dedicated, sensitive, cooperative



What is your favorite quote?


“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”—Wayne Gretzky



If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life again, which year would you choose and why?

I think I’ll stay in 2014! This is the first year I’ve been able to be a full­time writer, so I’m
doing what I love all day. I can’t think of a year in my life that’s more perfect than this.



What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?


Getting up in front of a group to speak is probably the scariest thing I can imagine. Every
time I have to do it, I want to hide somewhere. I think bungee jumping and skydiving
would probably be less terrifying than public speaking!



If you had your own talk show, who would be your first three guests?


Olivia Newton­John, because I idolized her so much as a child. Stephen King, because
I’ve read his books since I was a small child. Can I do another writer? If so, it would be
Judy Blume, because she’s touched so many generations with her writing.



Thank you so much, Stephanie! And now for the Rafflecopter giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway