Author Interview: Antony John

One thing that is unimpressive about me is my taste in – and knowledge about – music.  Yet, I love YA books about music and Rock-N-Roll. It could have something to do with the fact that these books get the coolest covers in the history of book covers, or it could be that I perceive the authors to be cool as hell. If I ever get a book published I hope the band book authors will let me sit at their lunch table, wherever that is in the school of published books. Until I find it, I’ll hope to enjoy their company over here at Sparks and Butterflies.

Today, I’m thrilled Antony John has stopped by to talk about his YA band book, Five Flavors of Dumb, published by Dial Books. In this funny and feisty book, Piper finds herself managing the school’s coolest band, Dumb. They are somewhat aptly named, as it turns out; and the fact that Piper is deaf, only complicates matters as she attempts to earn the band paying gigs and notoriety.

I loved that the main character was a girl, which in my reading experience is unusual for the band books. And I would have liked to have been friends with Piper in high school. I also would have liked to have been friends with Antony John. Here are his answers to my interview questions:

Jody: So, why a girl for a main character? I assume that your being a dude would make it easier to write a guy main character, and the story could have been just as good with a male lead. So, I’m curious about that choice. I want to also say thank you for writing a strong lead female! I loved that there wasn’t a hint of mamby-pamby in Piper.

Antony: First off, I’m delighted you found Piper strong. I think she is, of course, but I’m also kind of biased. As
for why a girl . . .

The honest truth is that Piper literally presented herself as narrator of this novel. I’m not the kind of author who has dreams about my characters, or long conversations with them in the car when nobody’s looking, but Piper arrived more fully formed than any character I’ve ever written. I knew her voice, her attitude, her background . . . everything. It was kind of freaky, to be honest. And she really didn’t change from first draft to last.

Not that everything was smooth sailing. I had to ask my wife to explain some things: What’s it like to kiss a guy? What makes a guy attractive? etc. The good news is that she gave me VERY detailed answers . . . which made it into the book.

By the way, I won’t be writing from a girl’s perspective again any time soon. A lot of people have said I did an okay job of it, and I’m not keen to push my luck!

Jody: I loved the scene where Piper played the air guitar. When was the last time you played air guitar? Be honest.

Antony: Honestly? Uh, that’d be this morning, I think. Unless we were running late — oh yeah, we were running late; we’re always running late — in which case, it would’ve been last night. I’m not a very demonstrative air guitar player — I go more for the occasional strummed chord — but rarely a day passes without a moment of air guitar glory.

Jody: And I know that you studied music in college, so what instruments do you play for real?

Antony: Started with the piccolo (weird, huh?), and moved to flute. Then added piano. And started singing in choirs and taking lessons. And added double bass, because I wanted to be a composer and felt that my string writing was weak. When I got to Oxford, I began conducting choirs and orchestras. I think that’s everything. (Yes, I was a music geek. Well noticed.)

Jody: Describe your teenage self.

Antony: You know, I actually had quite a lot in common with Piper. I was highly opinionated, sometimes to a fault; I cared deeply about everything and everyone, but wasn’t always sure how best to communicate it; I hated being wrong, and was too competitive for my own good. But like Piper, I was also energetic, determined, passionate, and very, very loyal when it came to family and friends. I’m still very close to a lot of friends from my teen years — even though all of them live in England — so I guess I wasn’t completely insufferable.

Jody: What was last thing you were grounded for? If you don’t remember tell us a story of something you did that earned you a good grounding.

Antony: I know you won’t believe this, but I was never grounded. Not even once. This has something to do with the fact that I was generally very well behaved (and not at all rebellious), and also the fact that my older brother had been a bit of a handful at times, and so I think my parents were too exhausted to keep tabs on me.

In fact, when I look back, I realize I really ought to have rebelled at least a little. It’s assumed that everyone goes through some kind of teen rebellion, and I feel like I missed out. Now that I’m twenty years out of high school, it’s a little late to do anything about it.

Jody: Did you know that if you Google “random questions” you will end up on a site that asks, “have you ever sniffed an animal’s butt?” Well, it’s true. I will not ask you that question, but I did pull a random question for you from that list. It is, Have you ever been cow tipping or snipe hunting? I’m particularly interested in your answer because you haven’t lived in the States your whole life.

Antony: Are you suggesting that Brits don’t pass the time cow tipping or snipe hunting?

Jody: Maybe.

Antony: Oh, that’s right, Brits have no idea what those two things are, and neither did I until now.

*pauses so he can go look them up on Google*

Oh! Well, I can’t say I’ve done either of those. But I’m all for impossible tasks, so now I have something to do this weekend!

Jody: Okay, back to your book. We should end the interview with something book-related, no? What’s the best/most interesting thing someone has said about it?

Antony: Oh, golly. I must admit that DUMB has received a lot of reviews, and they’ve been a lot of fun to read. But I still vividly remember the first trade review (from Kirkus). Getting that first review is always a gut-check moment, and I thought Kirkus’ was both very generous and extremely well-written. Here’sthe link:

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/antony-john/five-flavors-dumb/

I also loved a review by a 7th grader, Beatrice Drew, that appeared in (I think) the Denver Post. She loved the book, and thought it was ideal for 4th-6th graders! Given how many eyebrows have been raised by my single use of the F-word, I don’t think I should be pushing it on elementary school students just yet!

Jody: Well, I’ll definitely be pushing it to my 7th grader. Congratulations on your success with this book. I look forward to your next one. And thanks so much for stopping by!

Antony: Thanks so much for having me along today, Jody. And a big hello to your readers!

Dear Baby Jack

We’re family now.  Maybe we’re not the coolest hipsters on the block, but I think you’ll be happy here.

I hope you don’t mind some friendly words of advice and encouragement from your auntie. Words are my thing. And, there are a few things you may want to know about us.

Being the baby of the family has its perks. Take advantage of being the cute little guy who needs a few extra winks and a little bit more elbow room in life.

Marbles: Don’t steal them. Don’t eat them. The former didn’t work out for your mom. The latter didn’t work out for your cousin. It’s a weird family temptation. I don’t know….

Sometimes life makes you “Mad As A Pirate!” Some pirates are pretty awesome though, even when they’re mad. Feel free to tell the world to shove it. You’re Captain, Jack!

Despite their appearances, green witches have heart. Still, your mom can’t watch the Wizard of Oz. And, personally, I don’t think you should miss out on seeing it. So we can watch it together, okay?  Actually, that goes for any movie!

Run hard and fast at life. Papa always says, “Work Hard and Be Loyal.” It’s the family motto.

Mimi’s backyard is the best EVER! You’re going to love it.

Some of the best meals you’ll have in life will be with your dad. The food, the conversation, the hospitality: wonderful!

Books, stories, and using your imagination may be the closest thing there is to magic in this world. I’m going to buy you books. I’ll also buy you toys, but books are better. You’ll see.

A word about shenanigans: your uncle Josh loves them! In all things with him (EXCEPT for medical advice), seek a second opinion. Namely, Magnolia’s.

Love your brother. He’s endured some crappy stuff while your parents learned how to be parents. Also, he’s just a good guy.

Play the air guitar. Or the real one. No matter what, you’ll always be a rock star to us! Welcome to the family.

Please Advance To Search Engine Journal

Today I had the pleasure of writing a guest blog post for Search Engine Journal. The subject is actually guest blogging for Search Engine Optimization purposes. That being said, it also focuses on good writing practices, so even if you don’t know what the heck search engine optimization is, you may still find a few take-aways. Likewise, if you want to know more about search engine optimization, this is most definitely the place to do so, as Search Engine Journal is highly regarded.

Thank you to Search Engine Journal for inviting me into your domain. Thank you to Slingshot SEO for the introduction.

Off My Printz Game

I’m off my game, people! I normally try to predict the Printz winners and honors for the year, but the awards have been given and I haven’t posted! The Micahel L. Printz Award (< click for the complete list) is given annually to the best young adult book — like the Newbery Award, but for books about teenagers. I try to read at least two of the past winners or honors every year, as well as predict what will be nominated. Last I predicted five, and only one of the five made the list, but it was the winner, Going Bovine by Libba Bray. Great read. I definitely recommend it.

This year I would have predicted:

1. The Sky Is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
2. Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
3. The Cardturner, by Louis Sachar
4. The Freak Observer, by Blythe Woolston
5. A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend, by Emily Horner

And I would have failed miserably. Not one of those titles made the list. Was anyone else kind of surprised by this year’s list? I’m not sure why the books that were honored were not on my radar. Does this mean that I’m overly influenced by blogs and tweets? And um, does this mean that my Twitter and Goodreads crowd have a different taste in books than the ALA? Just what influences their ideas of literature with merit? I’ll probably never know. Now, I’m off to finish my current read, Five Flavors of Dumb; and next up I think will be Please Ignore Vera Dietz, by A. S. King. I was excited to see that one on the list!

My Life As a Book Cover (4)

I think this would be a rad book cover. I’m totally this guy right now: A dopey-grinned, coffee-drunk, cartoon penguin. Mmmmmmmm.

I have finally finished the…let’s call it…the Landing Zone draft. The one where you know the story is finally in place. For me this one took three false starts. I’d get 45,000 words or so into it, and think to myself, nope, I don’t really care how much my main character has suffered. This is not right! I’d think on it for days, weeks even. Then I’d start again and go for 45,000 words, and the same thing would happen. Again for a third time, the same thing. Apparently for me, the fourth time is the charm.

How long did it take for me to get to this point? Well, I wrote this post back in October of 2009, indicating I was starting to put some pieces of the plot together. So that’s fifteen months. Present word count: 50,500. That equals 200 pages on the mark. It’s actually slimmer than I’d envisioned, so maybe when she’s all polished up, she be a little fuller. And if not, that’s fine too. I’m happy with her.

It’s always a bit strange, and a lot of fun, to go back to my original notes, and see how far I’ve veered from that original path. Maybe some day I’ll start a section of posts called Manu-scraps, to include deleted scenes from drafts of young adult books and ideas of where I thought I was going, and why it didn’t work. It’s also strange to think how much the manuscript will continue to change once agents and or editors begin to get involved. But this story–this draft–is mine for the moment. It’s the story I want to celebrate having finished! So, you’ll pardon me while I walk around looking befuddled and in love for a few days, right?

Book Review: Gender Blender

I was really slow getting on the Blake Nelson train. I just read Paranoid Park last year. Didn’t even know it had been a movie. Still haven’t seen that, but I was in love his writing from the start. When I think of edgy YA fiction, I think of Paranoid Park. That book was dark, met with concepts I hadn’t seen in Young Adult works, and the ending wasn’t tidy. For such a slim book, it hit me in just the right way. So, after I read that, I went to my Goodreads list and marked a few more of his books to read, including Gender Blender.

I dig this cover so hard, I didn’t even read the jacket copy to what this was about. Kenny Holcomb, I hope you design a book cover of mine someday. So, knowing Nelson’s dark and edgy YA style, imagine my surprise when I opened this book to find a middle-grade comedy. Now, it’s not as if the cover I’m so in love with screams or even smirks of darkness, so I’m not sure why I was so surprised. But I was. I normally only read one or two middle-grade novels in a year, and usually it’s out of some sort of duty to a recommendation or because it’s a Newbery winner. So, I was kind of like, huh. But that cover!  And it was Blake Nelson!

I ended up reading it quite happily, as it was intended to be read. And I was very pleased and even more impressed with Nelson for being so versatile a writer. The book is a junior high version of Freaky Friday, and the body switching occurs between a boy and girl who are classmates. Yes there is a boner scene. Yes there is a period scene. Yes they are awkward. And funny. And there’s no way this book could have happened without them. I’m still amazed that any dude would tackle the voice of a junior high girl, and Nelson has done it successfully in this book.

I’m looking forward to more books by Nelson. And I won’t be going in with any subject matter or stylistic expectations next time.

One Of My Favorite Moments of Marriage

I haven’t blogged about family recently, and I truly think my best posts are the family stories. This one is about Josh and me, last year. I believe he had just matched for his medical residency and our time was winding down in Michigan. We were out at the pub with Lisa and Evan, our best “couple friends” who had just married fairly recently. The way Evan was still googly-eyed over Lisa was adorable as hell, and admittedly I was a little jealous.

Our dinner had nearly come to a finish, and Josh had escaped to the bathroom when the waitress approached and asked us if we’d like dessert. Lisa and Evan passed. I was pretty sure Josh would want something, so I asked her about the chocolate cake on the menu. “It’s Amazing!” She explained.

Well, of course it was, I thought. “I know,” I said, “But can you describe it? Is it a really dense cake? Because Josh likes his chocolate cake fluffy and light.”

She hedged. “Mmm, I’m not sure. It’s rich, I guess, but it’s sooooooo good. He won’t be disappointed.”

I looked at Lisa and Evan while they simply looked back at me. Then I told the waitress we’d wait for Josh to return.

When Josh returned, so did our waitress. She said, “Your wife wasn’t sure whether to order dessert for you, or not.”

He consulted his menu. “What’s the chocolate cake like?”

“It’s soooooo good,” she said. “Everyone loves it!”

Josh said, “Yeah, but can you describe it? I don’t like my chocolate cake to be super dense. Is it dense, or is it more fluffy?”

We all just cracked up. Even the waitress. Poor Josh. He was like, “Uh, what?”

The waitress said, “That’s exactly what your wife asked me!”

When it was all over, Josh passed on the cake. But I’d like to think that Lisa and Evan were just the tiniest bit jealous of Josh and I in that moment.

Response To: A Question of Character

Over break, one of my college friends tweeted me this link to a snippet from an interview with Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, regarding character and likability in literature. Go ahead and click over and read it. It’s short. And it should open in a new tab so you can easily come back when you are finished.

If you were too lazy to click over, basically Handler is ranting that a character need not be likable in fiction. Here’s the short version: “Characters are in books; you’re not going to have lunch with them. Moreover, the best books are full of trouble, so the characters are either in trouble or causing it. Most people aren’t likable in such situations.” And I think we can all agree that Count Olaf was as despicable as villain as there ever was. Now the short segment of the interview with Handler doesn’t make clear whether he is talking about some characters, all characters, heroes, or villains,  or if a character needs to be likable at all times in order to be deemed “likable.” But having read 10 of the 13 books in the Series of Unfortunate Events, I would argue that his three young Baudelaires were quite likable. Troubled, yes. Faulted, yes. Unfortunate,  yes. But all remained moral during their kerfuffles with the Count. So while Handler may say that likability doesn’t matter, he still achieves it — at least in the main characters in the works I have read.

And so as a young adult author, I will choose to do as he does and not as he says. And as a reader, I will seek books with a cool-sounding plot or a fantastic cover because I’m betting I’m going to find a likable main character. A hero may be ugly on many levels, but I’ll bet he or she will also be someone hopeful. Someone somehow special. Someone who I like to watch figure things out. In fact, I’m not sure I can name a book with a unlikable main character that did not in some way become redeemed. I CAN name quite a few who started off as a complete bitch, but then turned around. Those aren’t my favorite books, but I’d still call a character who has a whisper of a hope for humanity, and changes for the better, a generally likable character, simply because there is SOMETHING to like. I believe we as readers are constantly and fervently looking for that as we go along our bookish ways –that we have high threshold for pain — that we are forgiving of obstacles, flaws, and unfortunate events. Especially if we readers are children.

The Hunger Games series: Why It Worked (For Me)

I’ve been trying to write a blog post about this series for over a week now. The problem is a) my YA author friends have all read this and are probably exhausted from so many posts concerning this series and really what could I possibly have to say that hasn’t been said, while b) my non-YA author friends are actually looking for opinion on this series because they may want to read it, and I’m afraid I’m going to say something altogether spoilery in nature. So, we’ll see where this blog post lands.

*Okay, yeah. This got spoilery when I started talking Character, but not in a way that would ruin it. Anyway, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

I am naturally interested in books that explore how youth deal with, or are consumed by, war, loyalty, duty, and courage. This may have something to do with how much I detested the books I read in high school about war, namely Red Badge of Courage, while going through the ROTC program and questioning career possibilities in the military. The idea of throwing kids into an arena to fight til the death for sport, which leads to unrest and rebellion? Yes! I would have loved to have read this in high school. So there’s that. Captivating plot.

The series was swift, full of action, and the most suspenseful book(s) I read all year. I read them all together, one after the other in about the span of five days. Each one was equally hard to put down; and I made the right decision to wait until all three were out before I read them. I was more than satisfied with the level of “WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN-ness” that the author created. It was thrilling. So, there’s that. Amazing suspense.

Now, character. Collins ranges in how she, character-by-character, shows the effects of war. I was most impressed with Gale. His character was perfectly complicated and changed accordingly as the series progressed, (though I agree with the folks that say his ultimate destination was too quick an ending). But for all the effects of war on the characters that Collins gave us, she puts Katniss (the main character) in a tricky position (writing-wise) by the third book. The hunger games have opened into something far bigger, bigger than the teenage cast could “control.” The main character is no longer fighting her own battle–among peers, but is in the midst of a full scale war. There becomes an adult influence in the book that is not in the others. It is still Katniss’s story, but to me it felt pressed down or stifled somehow, and I think it was because she was teenage character outside the arena, and in an adult-run world. I wanted her to burst free of this, but at the same time, it wasn’t inauthentic that Katniss would not be included in many of the major plot points (adult forces at work) in the book. I was talking about this with E.M. Kokie, (follow her on Twitter) one of my author friends, whose book, Personal Effects, is due out in 2012, from Candlewick Press. (Goodreads description: A teenage boy discovers evidence of a secret love affair among his dead brother’s personal effects shipped back from Iraq, and embarks on a cross-country trek to find the mystery woman and deliver a last, unsent letter, with surprising results.) She said when we were discussing The Hunger Games series, “I liked seeing other characters emerge as more powerful, intelligent, etc. because often it isn’t the young person who knows what to do.” She adds,”I agree that I would have loved to see Katniss burst free of her PTSD and childhood and emerge from the ashes the strong leader – I would have cheered for her. BUT, I think it was more organic to Katniss and to reality that she couldn’t shake the PTSD and grow that fast. And I applaud that Collins let war overtake and change her characters, and not generally for the better.”

While I think that true, I’m still not fully convinced that being a pawn should have been Katniss’s story by the time we get to book three. She is the Mockingjay. I keep asking myself, Did Katniss take from both her upbringing and what the capitol threw at her and emerge a new kind of creature? And if so, who or what is that? I’m still thinking about it.  Sometimes I think yes. Sometimes I think no.

E.M. Kokie also said that Collins never once took the easy way out in any of her writing of this series. I absolutely agree. So, no matter Katniss’s role in the story, the series was ultimately very very good. Thought provoking, gripping, and in the end, hopeful. I highly recommend it. And I am super excited about the movie, scheduled to release in 2013. Hope the world doesn’t end before then!

Book Review: Virgin Territory

This is the first book I’ve read by James Lecesne. Now that I know his first one, Absolute Brightness, was a Morris Award nominee, I’ll be hoping to read that, as well.

Virgin Territory is rich with metaphors and layered with imagery I enjoyed. That probably makes it seems purply-prosey, but make no mistake, the voice of the book is strongly male, and swift in it’s descriptions.

I love young adult books that brush up against religion, which this one did, making it seem like setting, but actually being more. If you are a believer in reality and science, don’t let that scare you off from reading this. The “religion” aspects are more about finding faith in yourself, your memories, learning to engage with your community, and making truth out of what may or may not be fiction.

I would have liked to have seen a little more development with the minor teen characters. I didn’t love the teen girl characters, but I’m not sure I was meant to. The adults in the book were well-formed, especially Marie, who is the main character’s gram. I remember disliking reading about old people when I was a teenager. I love it, now. Specifically, I love seeing how teens interact with the elderly. When it’s done well, as in this book, there’s sweet, sad satisfaction about the circle of life that washes over me.

My favorite idea from the book is that most of life is a big mess with a few clean and clear spots among them. You may find yourself in a moment of clarity or satisfaction but it always go back to messy. It wasn’t as simplistic and pessimistic as I have probably made it sound. So, I recommend reading this one, which is more enjoyable than my review.

Really dig this book cover, too. Egmont USA has a good thing going, not only with their covers, but I’ve really enjoyed a few of their books in the short time they’ve been producing them.