Today I have author Meg Medina here to talk about her book The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind and about writing.
1. Describe The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind in a tweet. (140 characters or less)
Sonia Ocampo escapes the mines & life as a fake saint. Finds tru love, danger, death. When should we run from r lies & when should we face them?
2. What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Plot. It’s a four-letter word for a reason. My approach to writing is pretty organic. I write with no outline, only characters and a sense of their biggest problem. When you write that way, you open yourself up to lots of wild goose chases in terms of the plot. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve written myself into a corner with plot twists that amount to nothing. Still, I have no regrets. I like to be surprised by a story – even one that I’m writing. I can’t imagine composing any other way.
3. The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind deals with special powers. What super power do you think would be the coolest to have?
I’d be partial to invisibility. I love to observe and eavesdrop as a writer. It would be so handy not to have to explain my staring and note-taking.
4. Nice! I would love to be able to read minds! Do you have any writing snacks or drinks that you have to have?
Coffee! I am unable to write a single word unless I’m properly caffeinated. But, let’s not forget Milk-Duds. Something about that jaw-cementing treat allows for lots of concentration in writing.
5. I love Milk duds and coffee is a law school staple!! What do you do when you have writers block?
Oh, I fall into despair, like everybody else. When I’m being silly, I keep picking at my work…writing and re-writing a single sentence until I’m nearly broken. It’s such a waste of time. When I am feeling wise, however, I get up and do something else – even something mundane like doing a load of laundry. My mind takes a rest and somewhere in the back recesses, a solution marinates. Another strategy I use is to think about my project as I’m going to sleep. There’s something really magical about that in-between state of consciousness that helps me solve thorny problems. (This applies to life problems, too, but that’s another matter.)
6. I totally get that. I take short breaks too when I am working on a big project for work or classes. It’s needed sometimes- so, what is the best book you have read this year?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Chilling and sad, but beautiful graphic YA novel. I adore the illustrations.
7. If we had an author talent show, what would your talent be?
I would salsa dance for all of you. (Are you listening, Dancing With the Stars???)
Nice I wish I could dance. I am so clumsy! Thank you so much for being here!
Be sure to check out the rest of the blogs on the tour:
Sonia’s entire village believes she has a gift, but it’s only in leaving home that she finds out who she truly is. A compelling tale from a rich new voice in young adult fiction.
Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl’s protective powers began. All her life, Sonia has been asked to pray for sick mothers or missing sons, as worried parents and friends press silver milagros in her hands. Sonia knows she has no special powers, but how can she disappoint those who look to her for solace? Still, her conscience is heavy, so when she gets a chance to travel to the city and work in the home of a wealthy woman, she seizes it. At first, Sonia feels freedom in being treated like all the other girls. But when news arrives that her beloved brother has disappeared while looking for work, she learns to her sorrow that she can never truly leave the past or her family behind. With deeply realized characters, a keen sense of place, a hint of magical realism, and a flush of young romance, Meg Medina tells the tale of a strongwilled, warmhearted girl who dares to face life’s harsh truths as she finds her real power.
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