Questions for Mary Hoffman

[Todaydream]

Originally Posted by Mary Hoffman

What I DIDN'T know, and this will seem bizarre, is that the five main characters from Book One - Luciano, Arianna, Rodolfo, Silvia and William Dethridge - would all insist on coming into Book Two as well! And then Georgia and Falco/Nick had their own views about being in Book Three. So by the time I wrote City of Flowers I had a huge cast to handle.

Starting again with a new trilogy, although the Big Five and the Barnsbury Comp Stravaganti are all there, I am trying to be careful to keep some people in subsidiary roles.

Mary

Haha! Funny, isn't it, that you can never predict a characters move I once wrote a story in which the two main characters were supposed to hate each other, but they ended up getting engaged (and then I killed one of them, but that's another story...)

[falling2slow]

mary, i am working on novel and i have had many of my friends and family read and they tell me it great but i dont know if they are telling the truth, i mean, i woulndt want to hurt a friend b telling they stink. who do you give your stuff to read over for the "goodness?" another question on another point, do you ever find your charas. taking on a life of there own? at the end this one part in my novel two people kiss and i was like 'where did that came from?' i was very surprised but it worked. does that every happen to you?

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by falling2slow

mary, i am working on novel and i have had many of my friends and family read and they tell me it great but i dont know if they are telling the truth, i mean, i woulndt want to hurt a friend b telling they stink. who do you give your stuff to read over for the "goodness?" another question on another point, do you ever find your charas. taking on a life of there own? at the end this one part in my novel two people kiss and i was like 'where did that came from?' i was very surprised but it worked. does that every happen to you?

To answer your first question, I read each chapter aloud as it gets written, to my husband. It's not for validation - I've sort of reached the point where I know whether it's any good, but it makes a huge difference firstly to read it aloiud (you pick up lots of errors that way) and to have the response of an active listener who can't be expected to know the plot as well as you do. So I know if something needs more explanation than I've given it.

To answer your second point, yes, all the time! That's a good sign. It means your characters have a life of their own and aren't just puppets being manipulated by you. Some chracaters are more troublesome than others - they do terrible things and yet you still feel sympathetic towards them.

It sounds as if you are doing OK but if you want to, you could look at my Writing Tips at the end of my FAQs on Mary Hoffman - Children's writer

Nice to meet you here!

Mary

[Violet_Frangipani]

Dear Mary,
I read your tips for writing and you say that beautiful people are boring, yet almost all of your characters are either beautiful on the inside or outside, or both! can you please explain? and also in your opinion, what makes a successful novel?

Violet

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Violet_Frangipani

Dear Mary,
I read your tips for writing and you say that beautiful people are boring, yet almost all of your characters are either beautiful on the inside or outside, or both! can you please explain? and also in your opinion, what makes a successful novel?

Violet

Perhaps I should have said "perfect people are boring"? I meant people who are beautiful to look at and have no personality. You will be attracted to them initially but after a while feel there is no substance. This happens in real life too, though some people are lucky enough to have it all.

When one first starts writing, the temptation is to describe every character's physical characteristics in great detail - also what they are wearing. This tends to prevail in certain types of published fiction too.

But if you think about some of the most interesting characters in novels, you don't necessarily have a sense of what they look like, except sketchily. What you have is a powerful reaction to the flavour of their personality, if that makes sense.

As for what makes a successful novel, if I knew that, I'd bottle it and become formidably rich!

For me, it has something to do with the writer's voice and the unique texture of their writing plus a quirky plot and characters. So there are some writers I follow even though not all their works are equally successful, like Diana Wynne Jones, Margaret Mahy and the late Jan Mark, just because of enjoying keeping company with the way their minds work.

Mary

[Violet_Frangipani]

Would you describe Arianna in the City of Stars and the City of Flowers boring? She had a fantastic personality in the City of Masks, but that kind of dissolved once she wasn't a main character. Will she be a main character in the City of Secrets? And if so will her personality be the same or slitghly weary and different because of her status of society?

Violet

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Violet_Frangipani

Would you describe Arianna in the City of Stars and the City of Flowers boring? She had a fantastic personality in the City of Masks, but that kind of dissolved once she wasn't a main character. Will she be a main character in the City of Secrets? And if so will her personality be the same or slitghly weary and different because of her status of society?

Violet

No, I would not describe Arianna as boring in books 2 and 3. Because she was in a minor role and had also undergone a huge change of fortune, she was perhaps rather subdued.

She will not ever be THE main character in the remaining books because she and Lucien were the main 2 in the first book, but she is very much there. Her personality can never be exactly the same as it was now that she is no longer an island girl, but I think you will like her.

Mary

[Violet_Frangipani]

Sorry for so many questions but I have to take advantage of the website. I was wondering if you are feminist or you just decided to give Arianna that feel. And also will the next stravangante be a girl, just to even out the gender balance? And following this train of thought, since the 4th book is going to be a new trilogy but include characters from the other books will the stravaganti still be from our world, or will they be from Talia?

Violet

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Violet_Frangipani

Sorry for so many questions but I have to take advantage of the website. I was wondering if you are feminist or you just decided to give Arianna that feel. And also will the next stravangante be a girl, just to even out the gender balance? And following this train of thought, since the 4th book is going to be a new trilogy but include characters from the other books will the stravaganti still be from our world, or will they be from Talia?

Violet

Yes, I'm a feminist and proud to be! The stravagante in book 4 is a boy, Matt, but the one in City of Ships is a girl, Emily, and if City of Swords get contracted for, that one will be a girl, too - Laura.

They are all stravaganti from our world to Talia.

Mary

[Sternchen]

Hello

I have just a small question. I read City of Masks now for the fifth time (I have to read them all again before the next book comes out ) and I am still wondering. What colours does the notebook have? I only have the German translation of the book and sometimes it says it is red and green. And than it says it is red and purple. Maybe it is just a mistake by the german translator. But I would really like to know what colours it has.
I hope this question is not too stupid and I apologise for my bad English.

Sternchen

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Sternchen

Hello

I have just a small question. I read City of Masks now for the fifth time (I have to read them all again before the next book comes out ) and I am still wondering. What colours does the notebook have? I only have the German translation of the book and sometimes it says it is red and green. And than it says it is red and purple. Maybe it is just a mistake by the german translator. But I would really like to know what colours it has.
I hope this question is not too stupid and I apologise for my bad English.

Sternchen

Your English is great and much better than my non-existent German, in spite of my surname!

The notebook is definitely red and purple - no green involved, so that is a mistake.

Mary

[Arianna932]

Dear Mary,
I read the prologue of city of Secrets on Stravaganza site. I think it is really beautiful and I am eager to read the book(although in English)
When City of Secrets will be available in England?

Sorry for my bad English

[*marian*]

Mary Hoffman

I've made a dutch site (very amateurish).
It isn't finest yet.
www.stravaganza.startje.com
(I think there's something wrong whit this site. I've tried to send this mail many times, I hope you get this one.)

marian

[LyannaWolfBlood]

I read the prologue too when I saw Arianna's post - it looks great! Looking at the list of characters, I was really excited to see Cesare listed as a pupil in Padavia. I always liked him as a character but I'd more or less assumed he wouldn't be back, so it'll be fantastic to read about him again. Also, your comments on how this was a book about words were very intriguing...

[Mary Hoffman]

Dear Arianna, Marian and Lyanna,
I am on holiday in Italy at the moment but taking a quick look at the network!

Publication day is 7th July and I won't be in England for it unfortunately. I'm glad you think it sounds interesting.

And your website looks amazing Marian, even though I can't understand it! I shall ask for a link to it when I get back.

Mary