Interview and Giveaway with Victoria Schwab, author of The Archived!

It's the release day for The Archived by Victoria Schwab!

 

 

I've had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing Victoria! Stick around - at the end of the interview there is a lovely swag giveaway!
 

But first, the interview!

A: How does it feel to be a published author AGAIN?!

V: It feels AMAZING. And terrifying. But mostly amazing. Having a year off (no new book out in 2012) was HAAAARD.

A: How was the publication process different, the second time around?

V: I think in some ways it’s much scarier, because I understand the industry and the business and the number and and and…and then I drink tea.

A: What has been your favorite thing or event, leading up to the publication of The Archived?

V: Oh, that’s tricky, because normally I’m asked my favorite event AFTER release, but I’ve really enjoyed doing the MAKING HISTORY video tour. It’s pushed me outside my comfort zone, and it’s been a fun way to talk about TA without actually talking about it.

A: What was different about writing The Archived, in contrast to writing The Near Witch?

V: Well, the main difference is in the sheer SIZE of the world. NW is a fairy tale in the truest scene, with a small, insular world, but the Archive is massive, so much so that it’s often hard to articulate. One of the tricks has been finding a way to make this infinite place fathomable. Due to the size of the world and the size of the story (and the potential that comes with that size) it’s been an adventure discovering and bringing the world to life, knowing as I write that I’m only showing the thinnest sliver of it.

A: What’s your writing schedule like, on a daily basis?

V: Right now, it’s HECTIC. I have three books due this month. Yes, three. So I wake up, and immediately beginning working on one of them. I make tea and I make notes. That’s my process. Tea. Notes. Repeat.

A: You have SIX books coming out in the next TWO years! How do you balance writing and/or working with so many books?

V: Right now, not very well (when Victoria agreed to do this interview, there were 8 days until the release of The Archived, and she was under the stress of a triple deadline!)

A: How is writing a Young Adult book and writing a Middle Grade different, for you specifically?

V: Well, first of all, I didn’t have any real experience with MG, so there has been a large amount of discovery, trial and error, finding my voice and then figuring out what to do with it! So lots and lots of writing and deleting. Not that I don’t write and delete and write again with YA, it’s just for different reasons. I feel so hyper-aware of when something’s working or not in YA, probably to a self-sabotaging degree, but with MG, I’m still kind of figuring it out. It’s scary in a different way.

A: Are you planning to write in different genres within the different age levels?

V: I have no idea. I don’t ever really plan it. I know what I like to write—strange stories, ones with magic—but beyond that, who knows! One day there might be a Schwab contemporary YA, though I doubt it. My inclination is always to add magic.

A: Do you ever read reviews of your books?

V: I shouldn’t. I pretend I don’t. It’s very, very detrimental, when writing, because a good review can make you doubt what you’re working on now, and a bad review can paralyze you.

A: What book or book series has been particularly influential to you? What’s your favorite book or series?

V: Authors become more influential to me than their books, only because every book impacts me in some way, whether I love it or not. Neil Gaiman is an author that I adore not only because I love his books but because I love the way he comports himself online and in person. He’s been an immense influence.

A: What do you do (or would like to do) when you are not writing or editing?

V: These days, when I get asked this question, I laugh nervously.

A: What’s your least favorite part of the publication process?

V: The waiting. And the fact that so, so many things are out of your control. I mean, as with all creative industries, your success lies in your reception. You are only as good (from a business perspective) as people judge you to be. That’s terrifying.

A: After all of the hubbub of your newly released book has died down, what do you plan to do?

V: I’m going to Europe for a month. Of course it’s to research another book :p but it’s also to breathe. I feel like I need to breathe.

 

(can I come!? lol)

How about some non-book-related questions!

A: Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever been?! What made it strange?

V: Probably in a cramped little sleeper car in Italy with my best friend and two Nigerians who were dead silent until the lights went out and then chatted loudly all night long.

 

A: What were your thoughts on the alleged “Mayan Apocalypse”, back in December?

V: I was NOT amused. I didn’t buy into it at all, but people kept telling me not to worry about the two books I have coming out this year because we weren’t going to be around that long, and when you’ve spent years on books, that’s the LAST thing you want to hear.

 

(me either! lol)

 

A: If you decided to stop writing, and could get paid to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?

V: I would run a bakery.

A: I’ve got to know: who is your favorite sexy movie villain?!

V: Loki, from Thor/The Avengers ;)

 

Thor. YES. HEMSWORTH!!!

 

 

Thank you so much for the fun interview, Victoria! And the giveaway! Here it is!

 
Win an awesome swag pack from Victoria Schwab! It includes a tote bag, bookmarks, and a book plate!

Rules:

- US ONLY (sorry to all the international folks!)
- There will be ONE winner
- Winner must respond to the email within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in me choosing another winner
- DO NOT CHEAT

Good luck!



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