Justine Larbalestier, author of LIAR and other YA novels, talks about her process in this interesting post: The Book You Thought You Were Going to WriteWhen I first got the idea for Liar I thought it would be a comedy. I thought it would be a goofy, screwball comedy with a protag who was lying... Continue Reading →
Writing characters of a different race
Justine Larbalestier, author of LIAR, HOW TO DITCH YOUR FAIRY, and other novels, posted this weekend about the issues that arise when you're white and you write about a character who isn't. She has good advice on why you might do this and how to handle the inevitable criticism.Every single book I’ve published has displeased... Continue Reading →
On judging a book by its cover
You might have heard the brouhaha about Justina Larbalestier's book, LIAR. Many people say the cover--of a light-skinned girl hiding behind her hair--doesn't match the protagonist, who is black.Here's Justina's take on it, on how much say the author really has on a cover, on working with Bloomsbury, and the disturbing notion that covers with... Continue Reading →
How to Write a Novel
By Justine Larbalestier, author of five novels:First of all you need a computer. (Yeah, yeah, I know in the olden days they made do with quill, ink and paper, and typewriters—aargh! don’t get me started on how creepy and scary typewriters are—plus, whatever, this is not the olden days.)More secrets revealed on her blog (including... Continue Reading →