Julie Kraut is the author for this Thursday's Author Tales. This is my last day for an author tales post! Julie is the author of Hot Mess and Slept Away. Slept Away was released earlier this week, May 26, 2009! For more information about Julie and her novels, you can visit her website
How do you pick the character’s names?
This is such a great question. I love hearing how other authors choose their character’s names. For me, it’s not too scientific of a process. With my female characters, I pick names that I like a lot, but don’t like enough to name my daughter if I ever have one. Something would feel wrong about having a main character and a daughter with the same name. For guy names, the potential kid naming doesn’t bother me for some reason. I just try and avoid the first name of anyone I’ve ever dated.
What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
I was recently in Africa for a few months and wound up doing a book reading and Q&A for an all girls high school in Tanzania. One of the students there asked me my all time favorite question that I’ve gotten about my writing. “Do you tell your mom and dad that you write?” It was just so sweetly naïve and also telling about how bizarre my presentation and career choices must have seemed in this place where writing can’t make for a livelihood and there is no publishing industry. The question made me recognize another reason to consider myself fortunate. Plus, it gave me a chance to talk about how incredibly supportive my parents are, which I love.
Did you notice a change in your writer's voice from your first novel?
Most definitely. Writing a book for the first time is totally confusing and nerve-wracking. I spent a lot of time sweating the small stuff, like obsessing over semi-colons and how my bangs looked in my author photo. This time around I was much more relaxed and sure of myself. I was able to unclench and let the writing flow a bit more. Plus, I grew out my bangs…so that helped a lot too.
What did you enjoy most about writing Slept Away?
Reminiscing about my summers at camp. Slept Away definitely isn’t the love letter to sleepaway camp I’d write if I were telling my own story, but it still allowed me to think about a lot of the fun I had back then and prompted a ton of Facebook stalking of camp friends.
What's next for you?
In the immediate future: About to sit down to an avocado and brie sandwich that I can’t wait for. In the more general future: Writing, taking it as it comes, more avocado and brie sandwiches.
Thanks Julie for that great interview! I'd like to thank all the author's who participated in Author Tales and made it fabulous!