My next book comes out September 29, 2015. Eight months from now!
It’s called Zeroes. Like heroes, but not. It’s about six kids with superpowers that kind of suck. It’s the first of a trilogy.
I wrote it with Margo Lanagan and Deb Biancotti, two Australian writers who are close friends of mine. We were all keen to make our writing a more social process, so we started meeting at a pub every Thursday, where we talked about superpowers and how to make them fresh and interesting. For us anyway.
Two years later, Zeroes is the result.
Collaborating on a novel with other writers was a new thing for me. I’ve worked with illustrators, of course, and with another writer to produce the Uglies graphic novels. But this was different and fascinating, and I think I learned a lot. I’ll leave it to others to judge the results.
Here’s an article on Tor.com about the book.
We won’t have a final cover yet, but it’s coming along. It will appear here and elsewhere in a couple of months. It’s pretty cool so far.
Zeroes will be published simultaneously in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. (By Allen and Unwin in Australia and S&S in the other territories.) Rights have been sold in several foreign markets as well.
Okay, that’s all I got. Do you guys have any (non-spoilery) questions?
First comment!
Wow this sounds exciting, Scott. You’ve said before that you are not a collaborative writer. What were the challenges and advantages of working with other writers on a book. Did it increase your personal creative process? Was it competitive?
Why don’t make a comic book out of all this super hero ideas, since you’re already up to something in the graphic novel market?
Do you got inspired by something in particular? Or have other YA book about super powers to recommend to the readers?
I just added Zeroes to my goodreads tbr. Can’t wait! I feel like I haven’t read enough of your work, but Uglies has been in my top 3 series since 2006 and I suspect it will stay there for life. I actually just picked up Afterworlds to book club with my best friend who actually introduced me to Uglies. Here’s to your continued success and epic stories.
One question: How much time do you spend writing or editing each day? You seem to publish something new every single year..
Will ARCs be given out for Zeroes? (and I’ve been wondering about Ellie’s question too). Looking forward to September!
I just read the synopsis and was like ‘born in 2000? that’s a bit young for YA novel characters’ because I am so used to being younger than characters in the books I read but now I’ve caught up. Finally!
Margo Lanagan posted on her blog that each of you cowriters are responsable to write the point of view of two characters and then you all edit them so they make sense together, can you reveal to us which characters do you “write for”?
Hi, Scott! I just wanted to tell you that I am a HUGE fan of Afterworlds. I’m sixteen years old and have written a manuscript I hope to get published soon. I was feeling rather overwhelmed with all the decisions I’m going to have to make and all the things I’m learning but Darcy’s story inspired me to keep going. I would appreciate any advice you ma have for me and would like to congratulate you on your upcoming book, Zeroes.
-Sincerely
An aspiring ‘sister deb’.
Hi, Scott! I just wanted to tell you that I am a HUGE fan of Afterworlds. I’m sixteen years old and have written a manuscript I hope to get published soon. I was feeling rather overwhelmed with all the decisions I’m going to have to make and all the things I’m learning but Darcy’s story inspired me to keep going. I would appreciate any advice you may have for me and would like to congratulate you on your upcoming book, Zeroes.
-Sincerely
An aspiring ‘sister deb’.
Scott you’ve been my absolute favorite author since middle school (I’m only a senior in high school now but that’s a long time for me.) Uglies still remains my favorite series of all time and I just finished Afterworlds and am now in that phase after finishing an amazing book where nothing seems right anymore. As a senior in high school I can totally relate to Darcy and imagine how life changing it would be to go straight from high school to NYC and make all new writer friends. In the final chapter about Darcy when she gets all of these free books and signatures, is that a real thing? That would be like my dream come true!!! I’m hoping to see you on your zero’s tour or ASAP Mr. Westerfeld 🙂 keep us updated!
Zinni: Creating with other people is great, because it uses the social part of your mind. And us humans are social creatures, after all. So a whole set of brain bits, like the part of you that wants to impress other people, or make them laugh, or tease someone, or be crazier than them, all come into play. And I guess competition is a part of that, but with Deb and Margo, it was certainly in a healthy way.
Maria: Superpowers in comic books sometimes bore me, because that medium has done so much with them. Novels, less so. And I really like the way that superpowers affect point of view. Writing a character who possesses superhuman awareness changes the way you write, down at the level of the words themselves.
Ellie and Jo: I write about four to six hours a day. (It was more when I was younger.) And yes, there will be ARCs for Zeroes.
Jo: Yes, all the characters were born in 2000, but the book is set in 2017, so they’re all sixteen or seventeen.
Abby: Thanks!
OOOH! this is so exciting!! it’s coming so soon!! 😀 We should have a meet up on the forum some time before it comes out! or after (though, we still haven’t had one for Afterworlds)
does this mean another tour!??
Hey Scott,
I was just wondering how you did the whole collaboration thing. Like, did each of you write from a different point of view, or is the book all from the same point of view and you all just wrote different parts of it? Also, is there any chance of you writing more Leviathan stuff? Because that would be amazing.
Thank you for writing so many freaking amazing books,
-Nova
P.S. Can we officially be homies?
Does anyone know how to get their hands on ARC’s? I’d love to be part of the “test group” before the actual book comes out!
Hi Scott,
Are you familiar with “Misfits”, a British TV show about a group of teenage offenders who obtain (weird and not really helpful) supernatural powers after an electrical storm? If yes, did the show inspire you and in what way?
Is this supposed to be anything like Imogen’s series of books in Afterworlds? Maybe not, but it made me think of some of the crazy powers Imogen and Darcy come up with for her next book.