Feature & Follow #95 (featuring ME!): One Thing to Tell My Favorite Author

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It’s an exciting day!

[Why is it an exciting day, Lauren?]

It’s exciting because I discovered that I was selected to be (i.e. volunteered/begged to be) the Feature for this week’s Feature & Follow Friday, hosted by Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read! Huzzah!

I’m sorry. I’m not normally quite this cheesy, holding imaginary conversations with myself and all. I do actually yell “huzzah” pretty regularly, though.

Please don’t be sorry you’re following me.

Anyway, to Parajunkee and Alison, thanks so much for hosting and using your powers for good to drive traffic over here to my little blog.

If this is your first time here, welcome! I hope you like what I have to say. And if you’re one of my established followers (or The Elite, as I refer to you in my head), thanks for bearing with me through my rambling.

Follow via whatever method you’d like: email, RSS, LinkyFollowers, Networked Blogs. They’re all over there in the sidebar like a little follow buffet. Be sure to leave me a comment letting me know how you’re following so I can return the favor. If you’re feeling really promote-y, you can also grab my button from the sidebar and put it up on your blog. That would be rad.

BEHOLD, THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

Oh my word. *headdesk* This isn’t fair. It’s too hard. I don’t even know who my favorite author is, much less what I’d tell them. Who came up with this question so I can glare at them menacingly?

[glares at Ali]

*sigh*

Okay, step one is picking my favorite author, which is not so easy. Some of my favorite books are written by authors who have only written a couple books, or only one series. So how do I know if I like everything they write or just that small sampling? Some of my favorite books are written by authors who have written other books I didn’t like, so I guess that means they’re not my favorite authors. And how do I compare authors who write adult sci-fi to authors who write YA fantasy? Both are genres I love, but it’s apples and oranges.

You know what? Screw this. I’m not picking my favorite author. The question doesn’t actually say I have to reveal who my favorite author is, and in the spirit of living by the letter of the law (that’s an oxymoronic statement if there ever was one), I’m not going to. Let’s just say there is a whole slew of authors that I adore and whose brains I would pick to smithereens if I could.

(Can you pick something to smithereens? Let’s just assume that’s a thing).

They include J.K. Rowling, Lauren Oliver, Orson Scott Card, Robin Hobb, Suzanne Collins, Myra McEntire, Michael Crichton, and probably many others that I’m forgetting. I love the stories they tell, the characters they introduce, and the worlds they create; but what’s more, I love the way they use words to accomplish this. Lots of books can be enjoyable and have good characters and an interesting story, but not all are actually written in a way that draws me into the world. I don’t always care about the characters I read about. I don’t always feel immersed in the world they live in. I don’t always put down a book wondering what happened next, even though I know the characters aren’t real.

But these authors have all created worlds and characters that I miss when I finish the book. I wonder about them. I care about them.

So to take the question literally, “what do you wish you could tell your favorite author,” there’s actually not much I’d want to tell them, besides “You’re awesome.” But that’s probably nothing they haven’t heard before.

If I can modify the question slightly to “what do you wish you could ask your favorite author(s),” I would ask them, how do they write characters and worlds in a way that makes me care? How do they get inside their characters’ heads? How do they write a world that completely absorbs my senses? (I know, that looks like 3 questions, but it’s really just one: “How do you make readers care?”)

Maybe it’s just one of those intangible gifts, where there is no technique; it just comes naturally to them. But if there is a method to their glorious madness, I would like to know what it is.

Thanks for stopping by!

79 thoughts on “Feature & Follow #95 (featuring ME!): One Thing to Tell My Favorite Author”

  1. *smiles brightly* See that wasn’t that bad now was it! I love your answers and the questions you would ask all those authors. It’s hard to pick a fav, I know! I love the questions that make you think and it looks to me like you did a lot of thinking on this one!

    I didn’t really know you before today and I’m so glad we were featured today, congrats!!! I hope you get new followers and lots of comments. You have a new follower in me!!!

    Ali

    Reply

  8. Congrats on being the Feature. It’s funny I was actually just checking out your blog earlier today! Those would be awesome questions to ask the authors. I feel like there is a lot of questions I would like to ask but I always get dumb struck when I talk to an author.

    Reply

    • Yay! Glad I could get you sucked back in 🙂

      And I haven’t actually met any yet (although I’m going to my first author signing in a week and a half…I’m really hoping I don’t drool on myself or something), but I can imagine I too will be struck mute. Maybe I should do preemptive therapy or something.

      Reply

  9. Great answer. I love the part about missing characters because it’s so true. We do miss them when books end and continue to think about them. And that’s what makes all the authors you mentioned so great, that they make us care about fictional characters. It is a gift.
    I’m an old follower 🙂
    Here’s my FF

    Reply

  14. Wow girl! How’d you get to be a feature blogger so fast?!?! Haven’t you only been blogging for a few months? You rock and totally deserve it but I’m still jealous! :-> I loved your answer! I liked The Little Sisters series with Karen a lot too but I was also a BSC fan too!

    Happy Friday!
    DT from Dead Trees and Silver Screens

    Reply

  19. SO hard to pick a favorite author! And I’d much rather ask them things than tell them things. I just want to hear them talk and tell me everything.

    Congrats on being the feature!

    New Linky follower

    My FF

    Reply

  21. I scratched my head when I saw the question of the week as well, but I still love it. Because although I have so many authors that I love, there is always one that stands out. Nevertheless, your post was awesome and funny. I like how you battle out what you say every time, because I’m like that too. I like contradicting myself too much, I have to refrain myself from putting a close and open parenthesis in every sentence that I right. I just can’t seem to direct my thoughts in one direction.

    Anyhow, congratulations on being featured! I have also followed your blog via NB. Your blog name rocks as well, I do that all the time much to the irritation of my mom. 🙂

    Sarah,
    Here’s my FF post!

    Reply

  27. Lol. I can guess from your blog title that we’ll be kindred spirits… and then I’m not surprised at all (after laughing in complete surprise) that you had so much to say to a rather short question. (You did notice it was brief?) CONGRATS on being featured!! I’m a new follower!

    Reply

  28. Yay for you being Featured! I love the title of your blog! It is SO true! It would be nice to know how authors create worlds we can fall in to! I tried NaNo last year, and think I fell short of grabbing the reader into the world I wrote about….

    Here is my answer! Stop by when you have a chance!

    Reply

  29. I love when books are written so well that they just draw you in and you can picture the entire world so easily. I don’t like having to strain my brain to imagine places so its nice when its just there.

    Congrats on being the feature! I love that you talked to yourself during the post, its what i do all the time in real life haha. New follower via email!
    Becky

    Reply

    • Exactly! I hate having to re-read sections of a book over and over trying to figure out what the author is trying to describe. I love it when I just feel completely immersed in the world.

      Thanks for following!

      Reply

  35. Yay! Congrats on being featured! I understand how difficult it is to pick a favorite author, though for me, there’s one person that will always be my favorite…

    Here’s my FF!

    Reply

  36. {if i’m commenting i’m a follower}

    I like how you would ask how they pull the reader into the story. I have often wondered that myself. The other thing I have wondered is how they do the conversing between characters in a way that it makes sense and it is an actual conversation without confusion.

    {http://www.justonemorechapter.net}

    Reply

  37. Ahh! It took me forever to find your comment thingy. (But now that I have, DUH)

    I completely agree with you. I glared at the powers that be/Ali as well when I saw that question…. What book blogger can chose ONE favorite author? (Though I eventually conceded and picked someone… I am impressed that you held out!)

    I read a few of your reviews, and am very happy to be a new follower!

    Reply

  39. LOL You’re hilarious. I really enjoyed this post, and please do interview yourself regularly:)

    If it makes you feel any better, I couldn’t pick a favourite author either.

    I am a new follower and would love you to visit me in return.

    My FF

    Reply

    • Thanks! At least if I stuck to interviews with myself, I wouldn’t have to worry about availability or scheduling. And I wouldn’t get nervous or sweat uncontrollably and embarrass myself.

      On the downside, I’d have to rename this blog “The Sanity Can Wait.”

      Reply

  40. Congrats on being one of the featured bloggers! Loved your answer. I have too many favorite authors to pick just 1. I hope you’ll drop by and see what I would ask them.

    New follower 🙂

    Reply

  41. I know EXACTLY what you mean about not being able to pick a favorite author… it’s soooo hard. And there are so many amazing books and authors out there. 🙂

    Reply

  47. Congrats on being featured! I had trouble picking WHICH author to address it to. I started with JKR but thought no, there was also Enid Blyton and Melina Marchetta and so many other amazing authors and finally ended up addressing all of them. Following your blog via Linky followers. Have a great weekend 🙂
    Ajoop. S recently posted..Follow Friday #8: To my favourite authorsMy Profile

    Reply

  56. CONGRATULATIONS on the feature this week! I am now following via Linky: Reader’s Edyn!

    I am not very familiar with the authors you listed, though I have heard of them – with the exception of Rowling of course *winks* I will have to check them out. 🙂
    Kendra Edens recently posted..Follow My Book Blog Friday – 13My Profile

    Reply

    • LOL, yes, if you hadn’t heard of Rowling, I’d be concerned. And of course Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games!

      The others are from all over. Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall and Delirium series) and Myra McEntire (Hourglass, Timepiece)are both YA authors. Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park and plenty others) and Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game and all its many spin-offs and sequels) are science fiction. And Robin Hobb (Farseer series and many sequels/spinoffs) is fantasy. It’s an eclectic mix!

      Reply

  57. Hi there,
    I had a hard time choosing as well. I’ve found a lot of great authors since Rowling, but I had to go with my first 😀
    Congrats on the feature!
    Ninja Girl
    Oh, and I’m following you by email 😉
    Ninja Girl recently posted..FOLLOW FRIDAYMy Profile

    Reply

  58. It’s always hard to come up with just 1 favorite author.. I read so many books and I make so many friends, that it’s hard to pick one. I could find myself in your line saying that you miss the characters in the books. I feel so.. empty sometimes when I finish series. It sounds so stupid, haha.
    Melanie @thedailyprohecy recently posted..Feature & Follow (4)My Profile

    Reply

  59. Hey! I so get what you mean! Some authors just make me forget this world and actually care more about characters in books than for what happens in real life! It’s just so amazing how they do that and how you never really stop caring about books like that 🙂
    I’m a new follower stopping by.
    Hope you have an awesome weekend!

    Reply

  63. Congrats on being featured! 🙂
    We’re the same, I don’t have one favorite author either.
    Great question! I’d love to hear the answer to it.

    New Linky follower,my FF

    Reply

  65. Congrats on the feature! I’m a new follower.
    My favorite part of your post is at the end when you mentioned the glorious madness an author can possess. That peculiarity or innate ability it’s what sets a great author aside from the rest.

    Reply

  67. I would say that the word ‘awesome’ is an understatement for J.K. Rowling. She was a genius writing the Harry Potter series, a realm wherein a lot of people got fascinated by magic and sorcery.

    Reply

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