Author Interview + Giveaway: Liz Rudnick

Making an appearance today here at my lovely blog is Liz Rudnick, author of the cute book set in the virtual world Tweet Heart. Check at my interview that's part of her blog tour and stick around for your chance to win a Tweet Heart prize pack!


How challenging was it to write the majority of the conversations in tweets, particularly since there is the character count limit anyhow?

I was about to write that it was “more challenging than trying to ace my math SATs” but then realized that wasn’t actually correct. Yes, writing the novel as a whole was way, way hard. I had to figure out when to include e-mails, how to balance out the blogs, make sure that nothing was repetitive, etc. But the actual act of writing the conversations in tweets? That was pretty darn fun! The hardest part was actually making sure that each character had their own “voice”. With only 140 characters to use and no chance to use “he said, sarcastically” or “she asked, raising an eyebrow with bored interest”, you really have to rely on the language itself to get across the emotion. That, and the characters‘ reactions to what is said. It took a little while, trust me. In the first draft, I am pretty sure my editor was just being nice when she said that there was little differentiation between the boys and girls. I think she really wanted to say--”they are all the same, Liz!! What were you thinking?!” The funny thing is that where I was originally nervous that I would have trouble writing the “guys” POVs, I ended up writing all the characters with more boy sensibilities. So I had to go back to the drawing board and really tweak the tweets. But I think, despite the hard work, writing quick thoughts in tweet form is really how most of us talk anyway. While I love my Shakespeare, we aren’t much for long monologues these days. Well, except when I’m answering an interview question apparently! :)

If you could pair Claire and Will with any characters from any book, what would be your picks for them?

WOW! That is such a cool--and hard--question! It’s funny -- I was on tour with a group of authors earlier this summer to promote our various books (it was called the UnRequired Reading tour and it was an absolute blast) and two of the authors, Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin, were there promoting the book they had co-written--The Half-Life of Planets. And Emily told this story about how she basically tracked down Brendan because she thought that the characters in her books would date the characters in his books. I loved that story but never thought of it in terms of Tweet Heart. So hmmm...who would I have them date? I think Will, after he and Claire break up of course, would rebel and probably date someone not altogether appropriate for him. I’m thinking he would go for someone a bit wild, or maybe just a bit misunderstood. I’m torn between him being paired with Grace from SHIVER or Kitty Pryde from the X-Men comics. Is that too weird? As for Claire, she would definitely go with someone older, and would maybe fall back into wanting to date the stereotype of the perfect guy. I’m thinking Damon from VAMPIRE DIARIES or Mr. Darcy (but only if she were much much older as otherwise that would just be creepy). And okay, maybe I want her to date them because then I could live vicariously through her, but who wouldn’t want to!?

You're stranded on a desert island. What piece of sports equipment would you want for company?

Here’s a question to your question--would you consider a horse a type of sports equipment? After all, in order to horseback ride, you do need the horse so technically, it is kind of like a bike which is sports equipment. Or do horses count as like, apparel? If I couldn’t go with a horse, I think I would like a golf club. This is for a variety of reasons--one, it can be used as a weapon in case a band of “others” show up and try to take me to the Hydra station. Two, you can place it in the sand and put coconut hats on it and pretend it is a person (if you are suffering from severe hydration). Three, you can club fish, sharks, and even the lone white whale you might encounter. While that may sound severe, I’m stuck on an island. I can’t be too nice. And finally, fourth, you can use it to play air guitar...or a round of golf if you are stuck there long enough.

What is the most private thing you're willing to share here?

My mother always teases me and says that I would tell a complete stranger my life story so apparently I’m not very good at keeping things private. But let’s see, I guess I would say that the most private thing I would share is that I’m still pretty scared of the dark. If it is late and I have to walk my dog. I get totally freaked out...because I sort of believe that a vampire or werewolf is going to jump out of the woods. Yeah, a vampire. Or a werewolf. I’m thirty. It is silly but you know what, I always say better to be prepared for the unexpected!

What kind of cookie would you describe yourself as?

I’m probably a white chocolate chunk cookie. I’m pretty much your average kind of person but I do have some odd streaks in me (like believing in vampires) so people who want the familiar and comforting chocolate chip with a bit more bite, are the types of people who would hang out with me. Jeez, now I want a cookie!

Thank you, Liz!

If you want the chance to win a Tweet Heart prize pack that includes a signed copy of the book, a water bottle and a bookmark, fill out this form! This contest is international so go crazy! Contest ends Tuesday, August 17 at 6 pm CST.