Marissa Meyer's "Renegades" Book Discussion

***This event occurred on November 15, 2017, from 7:00-9:00pm at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA.***

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• Marissa Meyer talked about how Renegades was a long but rewarding journey. She had many good days but many bad days.
• She likes to read in her free time to inspire more writing. She told the group, "There are times when I am reading a book and I feel like the writer makes it looks so easy. But, I know logically that it doesn't work like that." At least I don't feel alone when it comes to my struggles with writing. I'm sure that other writers feel comfort after her comment.
• Marissa started talking about the process of writing Renegades. She first came up with the idea that during her Lunar Chronicles Scarlet tour in February 2013. She passed a construction zone with a location sign in view, but she thought it said "Coming Soon Hero School." The idea came to be a similar structure as the Lunar Chronicles where a male superhero would fall in love with a female super villain, but they wouldn't know that they were arch enemies.
• The novel continued to fall flat on her expectations so she set the book aside a few times so she could finish the Lunar Chronicles and Heartless for the next 3 years.
• After four drafts of different plots and use of characters that fell flat and her deadline vastly approaching, she said she had a moment where she had to wallow in a little self-pity and watch Pride and Prejudice before calling her agent to explain the original idea.
• She got the permission to make a stand-alone novel instead of a trilogy like she had originally signed her contract.
• It cleared her head, which allowed her to finish her novel while making the book into a duology at the least.
• When she was asked about her influences for the novel, she said, "All superhero books, movies, and TV shows, but more specifically X-men." She also said that Sailor Moon had a big impact in making the book because she loves the idea that enemies fall in love but also have secret identities.
• We were able to ask some questions...someone asked what her go to snack was and she said wine. I say that sounds great!
• I asked her what she does when she has writer's block and needs to clear her head. She told me that she likes to "Take a walk, bath or nap and even stare out the window as she draws what the characters in my book are doing."
• She then signed our books!

Some pictures from the event

My view from my seat was pretty good.

I told her that I had a very hard time reading 3rd person POV until I read her Lunar Chronicles series

She said selfies were welcome! I was so happy!

My signed copy of Renegades. It says, "Do you have it takes?" And my answer is, "Heck yes!"

I am so happy. I have many of her books signed but this was the first time I met Marissa Meyer.

Amy Tan's "Where the Past Begins" Book Discussion

***This event occurred on October 25, 2017, from 7:00pm-8:15pm in the Seattle Public Library in Seattle, WA***

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• Amy Tan builds her credibility as a writer from the very beginning (on page 3) of the novel by writing in the novel that the things she may remember may be inaccurate.
• This may seem like we shouldn't read it because it may not be completely true, but she follows what she has written with the fact that we revise how we see things as we get older and change. This is simply a matter of perception and perspective vs. reality.
• To continue to the idea of perception and perspective vs. reality, Tan continues to talk about how photographs also do the same thing. A photograph is indisputable and simply a snapshot of time, but there is no context to the photo. Questions come up: What happened to the photo? Why is the photo really taken? Who requested the photo? If it's posted, what were the feelings of the subjects before and after the picture was taken?
• Amy Tan primarily writes fiction, but Where the Past Begins is her first nonfiction or memoir.
• When asked whether the memoir was easier or harder to write she responds, "Writing this memoir is the hardest thing I have ever written but eventually became natural...it came pouring out of me."
• "This book I started out feeling insane but eventually I went on to enjoy the ride."
• Amy talks about how there is no set Asian American culture because every family is different especially as a different generation of Asian Americans live. She is a first-generation Asian American and remembers how her parents really wanted the best for her by expecting a great future. They wanted her to become a concert pianist or a neurosurgeon. Amy admitted that she didn't measure up in intelligence for being a neurosurgeon and didn't have the skill or passion to be a concert pianist. Her failure to live up to her parents' expectations has followed her in every little failure, even as a writer. I completely understand where Amy Tan is coming from.
• She gives advice to struggling writers:
• "Novelists need to lose their consciousness and write off the top of their heads. Then, they can revise it or toss it."
• Writers have to give 15-30 pages a week of their new work and must arc. The arc means a beginning that leads to a climax eventually ending with a resolution to that chapter or section of what you're writing.

Here are some pictures from the night.

My seat which is a row above the VIP section. I saw a seat empty next to an older couple and asked if it was taken. The man's response was perfect, "Yes, it's yours." Don't be afraid to ask for something like this for a popular event. I've definitely learned that after today.

I am next in line! She looks so happy to be seeing such a large turnout. I think Amy Tan was the perfect author to be my first meet and signing.

She is signing my book. I told her I finished it on Tuesday and thought it was really great. Her response was, "Thank you and that was fast."

Isn't it great?1 It says "Joy and Luck" which is a reference to her book The Joy Luck Club.

I am one happy reader and writer!