Hello and welcome to the 21 Minus blog tour! Are you excited? Good. You should be. :)
21 Minus, hosted by Anna Waggener, aims to showcase writers 21 and under. With that in mind, I present my interview of 15-year-old writer and blogger Nick Hight from New Zealand. He doesn't know who interviewed him yet, and I don't know who interviewed me. That's part of how you win the contest -- but more details on the rules after the interview.
Interview with teen writer Nick Hight:
1. Why did you decide to start a blog?
Because someone I know -- who’s not even one of my mates -- told me I should. Seriously, that’s the only reason. She said I should give it a go, and I thought, why not? At the time, I didn’t intend to meet other writers online or post about writing or anything like that at all -- it was just a way for me to rant to the world.
2. What is your favorite book or movie and why?
This is a tough one, because I have a whole heap of favourite books and movies. Can I list a couple? I admire the scope of Tolkien’s imagination in The Lord of the Rings, the absolute suspense in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and the story of Eragon by Christopher Paolini. They’re all really my favourite, but all for very different reasons.
3. Who's your favorite character -- from any book or movie -- and why do you like them?
He’s from a TV show, rather than a book, but I have to go with Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Without a doubt. Yes, it’s a kids’ show, but Zuko has a depth of character that just astounds me. I like him because his character arcs dramatically. He’s so set on his father restoring his honour at the beginning; by the end, he’s been able to restore his own honour.
4. How and where do you put yourself into your writing and your characters?
Mainly through the way my characters act and react, and the events that they experience. Story is a metaphor for life, so with every action, reaction and event I express my view of the world. It's like me personally saying to the reader: "Look at this. This is how I believe people in real life act. This is what I believe life to be like." So, the majority of my self-expression comes from what happens inside the world of my story.
5. What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to keep writing seriously?
Of course! I wouldn't be serious about it if I intended to stop! The dream is to write full-time, but on my journey there I'd love to go to university and study English, travel, possibly teach, and possibly get an internship at an literary agency. The options are many. But I'm shooting for full-time writing above and beyond anything else.
6. Cat or dog person? ;)
Well, I'd like to say I'm a dog person, although I've never had one as I pet. I've got a cat, but a think dogs are a lot more fun.
7. If you had to describe your WIP in one word, what would it be?
"Awakening." If you interpret that in every sense of the word, I guarantee that whatever you come up with will feature heavily in the novel. So much so that this might end up becoming the name of the series.
Thanks Nick for the great interview! Head on over to his blog to read his interview of another participant. And now for the contest rules:
- Participants and readers are entered into a drawing for a list of prizes, found here. There are some really great ones -- including a signed ARC of Anna's soon-to-be-released novel!
- You get additional entries in the drawing for tweeting, reblogging, posting about, and otherwise promoting the blog tour.
- You'll notice Nick described his WIP as "awakening." Every blogger has been asked the same question, and responded with their own one-word answer. Your goal is to read each interview, collect each answer, and email the list to Anna (anna[at]annawaggener.com.) This earns you more entries in the drawing.
- Finally, I encourage you to read and comment on every interview! This won't get you any more points (at least I don't think so), but that's not the point. Not the point? Get it? OK, never mind...
EDIT: For a complete list of all participants and the official contest rules and entry form, go here!
21 Minus, hosted by Anna Waggener, aims to showcase writers 21 and under. With that in mind, I present my interview of 15-year-old writer and blogger Nick Hight from New Zealand. He doesn't know who interviewed him yet, and I don't know who interviewed me. That's part of how you win the contest -- but more details on the rules after the interview.
Interview with teen writer Nick Hight:
1. Why did you decide to start a blog?
Because someone I know -- who’s not even one of my mates -- told me I should. Seriously, that’s the only reason. She said I should give it a go, and I thought, why not? At the time, I didn’t intend to meet other writers online or post about writing or anything like that at all -- it was just a way for me to rant to the world.
2. What is your favorite book or movie and why?
This is a tough one, because I have a whole heap of favourite books and movies. Can I list a couple? I admire the scope of Tolkien’s imagination in The Lord of the Rings, the absolute suspense in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and the story of Eragon by Christopher Paolini. They’re all really my favourite, but all for very different reasons.
3. Who's your favorite character -- from any book or movie -- and why do you like them?
He’s from a TV show, rather than a book, but I have to go with Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Without a doubt. Yes, it’s a kids’ show, but Zuko has a depth of character that just astounds me. I like him because his character arcs dramatically. He’s so set on his father restoring his honour at the beginning; by the end, he’s been able to restore his own honour.
4. How and where do you put yourself into your writing and your characters?
Mainly through the way my characters act and react, and the events that they experience. Story is a metaphor for life, so with every action, reaction and event I express my view of the world. It's like me personally saying to the reader: "Look at this. This is how I believe people in real life act. This is what I believe life to be like." So, the majority of my self-expression comes from what happens inside the world of my story.
5. What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to keep writing seriously?
Of course! I wouldn't be serious about it if I intended to stop! The dream is to write full-time, but on my journey there I'd love to go to university and study English, travel, possibly teach, and possibly get an internship at an literary agency. The options are many. But I'm shooting for full-time writing above and beyond anything else.
6. Cat or dog person? ;)
Well, I'd like to say I'm a dog person, although I've never had one as I pet. I've got a cat, but a think dogs are a lot more fun.
7. If you had to describe your WIP in one word, what would it be?
"Awakening." If you interpret that in every sense of the word, I guarantee that whatever you come up with will feature heavily in the novel. So much so that this might end up becoming the name of the series.
Thanks Nick for the great interview! Head on over to his blog to read his interview of another participant. And now for the contest rules:
- Participants and readers are entered into a drawing for a list of prizes, found here. There are some really great ones -- including a signed ARC of Anna's soon-to-be-released novel!
- You get additional entries in the drawing for tweeting, reblogging, posting about, and otherwise promoting the blog tour.
- You'll notice Nick described his WIP as "awakening." Every blogger has been asked the same question, and responded with their own one-word answer. Your goal is to read each interview, collect each answer, and email the list to Anna (anna[at]annawaggener.com.) This earns you more entries in the drawing.
- Finally, I encourage you to read and comment on every interview! This won't get you any more points (at least I don't think so), but that's not the point. Not the point? Get it? OK, never mind...
EDIT: For a complete list of all participants and the official contest rules and entry form, go here!
"the absolute suspense in The Hunger Games
ReplyDeleteby Suzanne Collins." Hmmm, sounds like something you might want to read. You should give it a go...
I plan to eventually! I have enough to read right now as it is, though.
DeleteDefinitely worth reading :)
DeleteAnother great interview! =) And Zuko! I love Zuko, for the exact same reasons you listed. I actually have a character vaguely based on him in the novel I'm going to query in a couple months. ^_^
ReplyDeleteOne of the questions always in the back of my mind when I'm working on new characters is: "How can I work someone like Zuko into this story?" Good on you for finding the answer to that!
DeleteI'm working through Nick's blog at the moment. I've only read about two months worth of posts, but I can tell I'm really going to enjoy reading what he has to say. This interview just supported that opinion even more.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh Zuko! ATLA is pretty much the best show ever... I'm so excited for Korra!
ReplyDeleteMe too! It's going to be so, so, sooooo good :)
DeleteI'm glad Nick mentioned Avatar: The Last Airbender. :) I love it and it seems everyone else does, too! Funny story: I only got through book one before my boyfriend and I broke up, and I was sad because he owned the whole series on DVD and now I wouldn't get to watch them...LOL.
ReplyDeleteI loved the cat-dog question :] Oh, and the question on how/where you would put yourself in your writing. The answer to that one was especially great; stories really do reflect the general elements of life, and it's awesome you brought that up! And Zuko is by far one of the best (and most complex) characters in A:TLA, although I have to say I still prefer Sokka over him xD
ReplyDeleteThese were great questions and answers!
Thanks for interviewing me, Laura! It was a blast :)
ReplyDeleteI should just clarify, though, that I'm actually 15. And Ashed is on the shelf for now, although I'll probably pick it up again in a few years :)
Sorry!! I thought I'd read somewhere that you were 18. Apparently I can't tell a 5 from an 8, lol. I'll make that edit...
DeleteYou clearly come across as very mature!
DeleteThe Lord of the Rings seems to be a common favorite!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading this interview.
Aside from the bit about Eragon, I loved the interview & answers! There are so many under-21 writers/bloggers out there, I had no idea!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHA "Aside from the bit about Eragon...." This was my exact reaction.
DeleteHahaha, I had an "Eragon" moment too -- but in all fairness, I loved the first book myself and hated the rest of the series, so I didn't mind. :)
DeleteAnd yeah, I had no idea there were going to be so many of us in this blog tour! It's very encouraging.
I'm with Laura on that one - I loved Eragon to pieces, but hated the rest of the story. I think Paolini got too caught up in showing off his writing/language skills to keep focussed on what went so well in the first book: the characters and their story.
DeleteAbsolutely! There are heaps of young writers out their in the blogging community! :) I'm glad to have met a few more on this blog tour :)
"I think Paolini got too caught up in showing off his writing/language skills" AUGH so true!! I think he also decided to go a little heavy on the "this part is an homage to Lord of the Rings" theme which he'd touched on in the first book but had to beat us over the head with in the rest of the series...Oh and then the interesting characters whose development went nowhere, and the obnoxiousness of the protagonist, I could go on but I won't...Lol, if CP is reading this, I apologize. :P
Delete@Laura—Lol! Don't apologize, he's the one who chose to write it that way. ;)
DeleteHaha, I think if he was reading this blog I would actually be flattered.
Delete