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Twitterview: Nova Ren Suma

June 2, 2011 |

Written by: Kelly on June 2, 2011.

Welcome to another installment of the Twitterview here at STACKED. This month, we bring you Nova Ren Suma, author of the upcoming Imaginary Girls, due out June 14 from Penguin. We brought you a review of this one yesterday — it’s a book that impressed both myself (who has a bent to the contemporary) and Kimberly (who has a bent toward fantasy/dystopian/science fiction). Check out what Nova had to say about the book, writing, and her love of chocolate. Bonus: you can enter to win a copy of her book at the end!

Pitch IMAGINARY GIRLS in 140 characters.

Two sisters, their strong bond, and the dead body that threatens to break it. A story about love, sacrifice, and questionable magic.

IMAGINARY GIRLS is a genre-bending novel, neither fantasy nor contemporary nor paranormal. How would you classify it personally?

I think it’s more magical realism than paranormal. I’ve been calling it contemporary realistic with a fantastical, even supernatural, twist.

Why a sister story?
When I was nine, my life changed for the better. I was gifted with a baby sister. My love for her knows no bounds.

Olive, a submerged town, plays a huge role in the lore of both the story and in Ruby’s character. Is this based on anything in our world?

At 16 I stole swims in the local reservoir. Years later, I learned its history, the towns it drowned. From this, a glimmer of Olive emerged.

Perception vs. reality was a huge theme that came through for me in reading. So, answer: is Ruby as powerful as she seems?

I wrote the story through Chloe’s eyes, so those are the eyes I see through, even now. Chloe wholly believes in Ruby’s power, and so do I.

What should readers walk away with from IMAGINARY GIRLS?

That’s up to the reader. Maybe they’d find themselves taken up by the world of the town, and by Ruby, forgetting all else for a while.

What was the most surprising part of writing IMAGINARY GIRLS for you?

How exciting it is to stray from reality, explore the surreal. Once the dams open and the impossible becomes possible—there’s no stopping.

Who or what do you write for?

I write for the girl I was, but mostly for the girl I longed to be.

Your first novel, DANI NOIR, is a middle grade mystery story. Why the jump to YA?

DANI NOIR wasn’t written first; it pubbed first. I wrote two adult novels and started IG before DANI. After, I was itching to return to YA.

How has the transition been in your writing?

A big transition for me was more from writing for adults to writing for young readers. It felt exhilarating. It felt right. I won’t go back.

Who are your top three writing influences?

Jean Rhys showed me a voice. Aimee Bender introduced me to the surreal alive in the everyday. And Laura Kasischke inspired me to write YA.

Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?

I find myself especially taken with dystopians, so I’d have to say those writers reimagining our worlds and foretelling our futures.

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

“Why don’t you write a YA novel?” The editorial director at my former day job said this to me. Unfortunately it took me years to listen.

What’s your best writing advice to give?

Don’t be afraid to give up. Yes. Give up on what’s not working and start something new. Abandoning novels and starting over brought me here.

What’s next for you?

I’m deep into writing my next novel with Dutton, also YA, a fantastical, ghostly story I’m holding close. I hope it will be out in 2012.

What’s your writing routine?

Writing every day. When I can’t—too busy, too distracted—a terrible guilt descends. Writing every day is the routine I aspire to anyway.

How do you get yourself jazzed up to write?

Music and mochas. Mochas come first thing in the morning. Music loops from my novel’s carefully cultivated playlist all throughout the day.

What’s your favorite ice cream? 🙂

Chocolate chocolate chip, with chocolate sauce on top. Did I mention I like chocolate?

Filed Under: Author Interview, Giveaway, Uncategorized

Comments

  1. Sarah @ Y.A. Love says

    June 2, 2011 at 11:21 am

    I love this interview. The writing advice is wonderful; my students need to read this 🙂 I can't wait to read Imaginary Girls!

  2. Melissa Walker says

    June 2, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    I loved this book–read it over the weekend. And Nova just seems like someone amazing.

  3. thatcovergirl says

    June 3, 2011 at 2:34 am

    Love these Twitterviews. I bought Dani Noir just a few months ago and I'm looking forward to reading Imaginary Girls, too.

  4. Michelle says

    June 4, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    How could anyone deny the awesomeness? There is enough chocolate to power the world 😉

  5. The Accidental Novelist says

    June 10, 2011 at 11:54 pm

    Great twitterview — a style of interview that i've not seen before, but think it's perfect for us writers as we do tend to go on. lol.

    this looks like a great read, thanks for the recommendation.

  6. Lisa (BaffledBooks) says

    June 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    This twitterview thing is genius! Nice, short and concise. And there can never be enough chocolate, by the way. 🙂

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