Q&A With Marissa Meyer 

Today’s Q&A is with New York Times Bestselling author Marissa Meyer. Some of Marissa Meyer’s work includes, The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, & The Guilded Duology. 

Q: When in your life did you realize your calling was to be an author?

A: I realized when I was really little that I wanted to be a writer. I had a big imagination and started telling stories to my family when I was maybe three or four years old. My mom would write my stories down and put them into little books for me to illustrate. Pretty much as soon as I was old enough to understand that all the books I loved were written by people, and that this was a job that people got paid to do, I knew that’s what I wanted to be.

Q: What is it about fairytales you love writing retellings to?

A: For a writer, there’s a really fun challenge inherent in doing retellings. You get to play with things that are already familiar – to you and to the reader. You have a built-in story structure, a couple of given characters, themes, these wonderfully iconic moments that we all remember from childhood. So there’s already a lot of fun in taking these things that we already know and love. But on the flip side, you have to try to figure out what is going to set your version apart from all the others. What is the twist that will make it uniquely yours? What is the version of this tale that only you can write? I love trying to recreate something that readers will have some nostalgia for, while also finding new ways to surprise them.

Q: If you’re writing a new novel now, can you reveal any details?

A: My next novel is called WITH A LITTLE LUCK and it’s a companion novel to INSTANT KARMA about Prudence’s twin brother, Jude. It’s a story about first love and friendship and discovering our own worth… and what does it really mean to be lucky? Oh, and also D&D!

Q: Does Hollywood have the interests or rights to any of your work?

A: Yes! Currently the rights to The Lunar Chronicles are with Locksmith Animation, and they are looking to adapt it into an animated TV series. My fingers are crossed! I would LOVE if that happened!

Q: What is your advice to new authors on how to deal with online trolls, negative reviews, & family and friends who are unsupportive of their writing goals?

A: The first two are easy(ish) – avoid them at all costs! I never read reviews of my work, good or bad. They will live in your head forever, and make you doubt yourself and your voice at every turn. Find editors and critique partners you trust, and after that, try to focus on the readers that do enjoy your work, knowing that it’s all subjective and not every reader is going to love what you do. You’re writing who will!

As for an unsupportive family, this is really tough, and I will admit that I was extremely lucky to be surrounded by supportive people my whole life, from my parents to my teachers to my incredible husband. If that isn’t your situation, look outside that circle to find your people. Join a writing group or visit forums on NaNoWriMo.org or other writing websites. There are lots of people out there who are on the same path as you and will happily cheer for you when you need them.

Q: If you were to collaborate with another author who would it be with and why? 

A: In fact, I very recently started working on a co-writing project! It is too early to announce anything officially, so I will just say… There are many writers that I adore and respect and would love to work with. In this case, I am excited to see where this new venture takes me!