When I was at Adelaide Writers Week last month, I did an extended interview with Sean Williams, who writes the Trouble Twisters series with Garth Nix. The ABC was kind enough to film the talk and put it online.
I talk about Uglies, Leviathan and the history of illustrations, living with another writer, from whence inspiration comes, my other books, and pretty much everything else writerly. It’s a whole hour long!
Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to Adelaide Writers Week for having me, to everyone who asked questions, to the ABC, and to Sean for being a great interviewer.
Here is the ABC page where you can download this as audio or video. Click here for the other talks from Adelaide Writers Week.
A few notes:
1) For you USians, note that “the ABC” (Australian Broadcasting Company) is not the same as “ABC” (American Broadcasting Company).
2) At 13:15, I meant to say “Book 2” instead of “Book 3.”
3) Justine, in the audience, is caught tweeting at 26:45.
4) My pronunciation of “manga” is weird sometimes. I’m from Texas.
5) At 36:00 I briefly confuse Miyake with Miyazaki, because I was wearing the former. #humblebrag
So I know this post does NOT pertain to the ‘Uglies’ series..
However, I am an extreme! fan of those books.
I have noticed that there has not been an update on them since 2010, which brings me to my question:
What’s the latest news on that?
I have heard that the option has been cancelled because the producer moved out of the country..
But my sources are not the most trustworthy.
Scott, I just want to know what is up with the series and if there is any more talk on when a movie will be released?
@95: Really? Now I feel like a Dummkopf. I was so sure I had it right this time. I only learned about its existence last year at CalShakes Conservatory, so….Thanks. 🙂
@96: I have the same problem….Or is it a problem?
I don’t get hurricanes or snow. 🙁 And if there was a tidal wave in my area or anything like that, the Golden Gate Bridge would protect us, as weird as that sounds. People used to talk about it a lot. The bridge would be destroyed, but most of the bay would be okay. Unless the wave didn’t hit the bridge directly, I guess….But we have had two big earthquakes, in 1906 and 1989 (I think). Anyway, we’re pretty low on natural disasters and interesting weather here.
My school system is goes from kindergarten to first grade, then that continues onto middle school. Middle school here is grades 6-8, but if you go to a junior high school, that’s grades 7-8. High school is grades 9-12. Then college.
(Is it just me or is ‘kindergarten’ totally a German word?)
@98: I agree.
PRETTYPICTURES
Okay, so this is the third time posting this comment, but the other two are “awaiting moderation.” Probably because I posted links. 🙁
Let’s try again.
@97: It’s because they’re unmanly. Female authors, “girly” covers, and female protagonists all constitute “girl book” to most guys, so they either embarrassed to read them, or scorn them for being feminine (which, most of the time, they’re not).
I actually just read a few articles on the subject. It’s really interesting. Shannon Hale’s “Why Boys Don’t Read Girls (Sometimes)” post is good. So is Maureen Johnson’s, along with her awesome coverflip challenge, in which people design covers for popular books if they were written by the opposite gender. You all should Google these, because apparently I can’t post links without it taking DAYS to approve.
Hope I helped! 🙂
@101 “kindergarten” is purely German. the word Kind means child, and kinder as a noun is children. i think it can also be like an adjective, used as kinder(insert word here) making it child’s- or children’s-. garten is easy, that’s garden. i’m not sure why whoever named the grade levels chose to call it “children’s garden”, but English is just plain weird at times.
and also you live near the Golden Gate Bridge? that’s cool! of course i live on the complete opposite coast so i’ve never been there. not much travel.
@101- it’s so cool that you live near the Golden Gate. I actually went to San Francisco last year, it’s such a cool city.
Where I live we don’t get much natural disasters either. The city’s surrounded by mountains, so they’re supposed to protect us, although when a hurricane DID come around about two years ago they didn’t do us much good. In fact, some of the most damaged places are still being cleared up. It’s just that we have a river that runs through most of the city, but it’s dry, and when the hurricane came it flooded, destroying nearly everything that was in or near the river. It was awful, but kind of amazing seeing how water can have so much power.
Apart from that one, I don’t think any other disasters have happened in like 20 years or something.
@103: See, that’s what I was thinking. I was like, “Hmm, this sounds a lot like the German word for children….” But my German cannot be trusted; I know very little. Thanks. 😀
Well, I live in the south bay. The Bay Area is huge. There’s lots of us here. 😀 San Francisco itself is actually pretty small, or so I’ve heard. It just has a lot more culture and history than the rest of us. There is literally no space between cities….But yeah, Golden Gate. The most popular place in the world to commit suicide. Smiles all around. XD …. [i’m not funny >_<]
I’m so jealous of you guys being all cool and knowing different languages! All I know is English (woop woop, go English!) and about 7 words in Maori… 🙁
I’m going to sound totally dumb say say I have NOOOOO idea what the Golden Gate is :O
K I actually did know what it is!
@106&107: You are amazing! It’s so refreshing to meet someone who has no idea what this thing is, lol. So, basically it’s a bridge across the mouth of the San Francisco bay. If you go look at a map of California, you’ll notice the bay; it’s hard to miss. It connects San Francisco to Marin County. It’s painted “international orange”; basically bright orange. It’s name apparently comes from the strait it crosses, Golden Gate Strait. I didn’t even know that had a name until I decided to verify a few things and went on the bridge’s website. I’d previously thought it’s name had something to do with the gold rush (when everyone ran over to California to get gold XD). Maybe the strait does? Or was I just under some weird delusion?
Anyway, it’s like the landmark of California (other than the Hollywood sign, I guess). It’s also an extremely popular place to plunge to death. The most popluar, last I heard. Sorry, but it’s true.
Here’s the info I was looking at if you want more detail:
http://goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php#Name
And you can just google ‘the golden gate bridge’ and hit pictures and get a million, so, yeah….
It’s a bridge. 😀
@105 my dad took German in school for a year so he’s passed on a little basic vocab to me. i’m not fluent or anything but i can stumble my way through.
@106 that’s so cool that you know Maori! where did you even learn something like that?
ME ON CLEVERBOT: (invades vital regions)
CLEVERBOT: Prussia has invaded Austria’s vital regions.
ME: HOLY SHIZ THIS THING REALLY IS CLEVER….
This actually happened. NO FREAKING JOKE.
I am in the same room as you middy joe!!!!!!!!!!!:3
HOLY SH*T YOU CREEPER
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Summer is almost here and I have promised myself I would finish Specials by the end of the school year. We only have 16 days left and I am on chapter 10!!!!!!!!!:0
READ!READ!READ!READ!READ!
I’m bored.
ANYONE HERE?! HELLOOOOOOOO?! CAN YOU HERE ME; IS THIS THING ONNNNNNNNNN?!
*teeeheee*
ME: Gerita.
CLEVERBOT: Alfred loves Arthur.
ME: ????? No, Alfred loves Matthew.
CLEVERBOT: Okay.
I love Cleverbot!!!
ME: France is sexy.
CLEVERBOT: Francis Bonnefoy is scary!
…-_- No. Just no.
What the heck is CLEVERBOT?
@108 I googled the bridge just after I posted that comment and realised I did in fact know what it was! I just didn’t know its name… It looks more red than orange to me! Haha
@109 well it’s the second official language here in New Zealand 🙂
Some of the words (greetings, thank you’s) are spoken in everyday conversation. Kia Ora <— daz hello
@118: Hehe okay. It does look rather red, I suppose. But not at all gold.
And I’m with you: what is CLEVERBOT?
I don’t really know how to explain cleverbot. But it definitely is funny!
@Liz
You are an EXTREME fan?! (Sorry, I just read all the comments TODAY. I am so late) I am an EXTREME fan tooooooooo!! they are just the best books on the whole entire planet ( except for the Leviathan series. I am also an EXTREME Levia-fan)
i was rereading Goliath today for the ninth time.
I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.
REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS, RIGHT BEFORE IT CAME OUT?
There was a new blog post everyday, and fan art friday was actually a thing.
There were always like a million people on here at once so we could have awesome comment conversations.
i spent so much time on here that I seriously got no homework done.
but i didnt even care because it was so awesome here.
good times.
that said, i also really support Scott’s no wi-fi thing.
AMERICAS YOUTH IS BEING POISONED.
and by americas youth…. i mean myself and all my friends.
I looked up Cleverbot and spent an hour talking to it! Uggghhh, I want to beat this thing haha
Hellooooooooooooo? Anyone else out there in cyber world or is it just me?
Mr. Scott Westerfeld,
Me and many others would like to present to you an argument. You are no doubt a literary genius and have written many amazing books, but lately we’ve been missing something. Fan Art Friday. We loved seeing all the beautiful art your fans sent to you, and it all disappeared after the publishing of The Manual of Aeronautics. Please, please bring back our beloved Fan Art Friday.
Sincerely,
Middy Joe and All Your Admiring Fans
Middy Joe @126
I would ‘like’ that if this was facebook 😛 but I AGREE WITH YOU!! We’re lucky to get even get a post from Scott let alone FAF…
Middy Joe: I agree!!!
I miss FAF and the posts there used to be every week and everything.
Scott! Where are you?
Someone fundamentally help make significantly articles I would talk about. This can be a new I went to your internet site website so way? My spouse and i surprised with all the homework you have made to generate that set up unbelievable. Impressive procedure!
Hi! I know that is kinda off subject on the other hand I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be considering trading links or perhaps guest writing a blog post or vice-versa? My web-site covers a lot of your very same subjects as yours and I feel we could considerably advantage from every other. If you are interested really feel totally free to shoot me an e-mail. I appear forward to hearing from you! Great weblog by the way!
????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????