1. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became a writer.
I’m a YA librarian in a very rural community, and a lot of the things that Lynn would call survival techniques are hobbies where I live Knitting, canning food, hunting… we’re pretty much fine when the apocalypse comes. As far as how I became a writer, I don’t know if I became one or have always been one. I won’t say I’ve been writing since I could walk or anything like that, but when I was a kid if I didn’t like the way a book ended I’d change it in my head, then think, “There. That’s better.”
2. Sounds like you have a lot in your own life that you drew on in writing NOT A DROP TO DRINK. Where did you get the idea for your story?
I watched a documentary called Blue Gold, which is about a projected shortage of potable water on our planet due to overpopulation. It was a horrible thought - we all need water to survive, and it's something we can't make. I went to bed very grateful for the small pond in my backyard, and that night I dreamt I was teaching a young girl how to operate a rifle so that she could help me protect the pond. I woke up and thought, "Hey... I wrote a book in my head just now."
3. Awesome how a documentary + dream = story idea. One of the things I loved about NOT A DROP TO DRINK was the characters. Lynn, the not trusting main character who had little interactions except with her mom, Stebbs, the self-reliant neighbor, and Eli, the guy from town who had no clue how to survive in the wilderness, were all memorable characters and a lot of the story was about Lynn’s emotional growth. It had a contemporary feel to it for me. Share about your character development process and any tips you have for the rest of us.
I knew I wanted the transformation of Lynn from an isolationist to a human being with feelings to be
believable, but not at the expense of pacing. I needed every character to represent a new branch in Lynn’s growth, but with all of them sprouting at once. So, she learns from Stebbs how to have a father, from Eli how to have a relationship, from Lucy how to be a mother, and from Neva how to have a friendship (although an admittedly slightly awkward one). After I realized that each of these character represented one aspect of being a human being, Lynn’s growth in response to each of them could happen naturally.
4. You did a good job showing those characters each impacting on Lynn’s growth in a different way. I read that you’d been writing for ten years and NOT A DROP TO DRINK was the story that came very easily for you to write. What was the process of working with your editor like? Was it just as easy?
Working with Sarah Shumway of Katherine Tegen Books has been awesome. We see eye to eye on the big things, and the littler things I was always willing to give something different a shot – and more often than not her suggestions opened up the text more than what I’d originally had in place.
5. I hear from lots of writers that you have to be open to editor suggestions like you were. I heard you talk about your writing ritual, which is unusual. Tell us about it.
Ha, well basically I just sit down and write. I don’t plot or outline or anything. I always seem to know the first and last line of the book, and while I have a general idea of where things are going to go in between, I mostly just let it happen on its own. Big things – really, really big things – sometimes happen and I’m like, “HEY YOU! HEY STORY! WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!??!”
6. That’s cool that you know the first and last line, two hard lines to get right. Adriann Ranta is your agent. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?
As you said, I’d been writing for 10 years and pretty much doing awesome at failing. The book I’d written prior to DRINK received over 130 rejections. Yep. When it was time to query DRINK, I was pretty confident in what I had to offer. I sent out about 15 queries, had 8 full requests and 2 offers of representation in about a week. I was pretty stunned. I was so good at failing I didn’t know what to do with success.
7. Okay everyone. We need to remember Mindy’s experience. Don’t give up when you get a ton of rejections. Your next story may get you an agent quickly. I know you’re part of the Dark Days tour with Rae Carson, Madeline Roux, Sherry Thomas, Michelle Gagnon, and Michelle Kahaney. How did that come about and what does the tour entail?
I’m not sure how Harper chooses who goes on the tours, but I found out I was on the Dark Days tour earlier this year. Pretty awesome news to get! The tour entails Vegas, Denver, Dallas and Austin in the first leg, and then Dayton and Cincinnati in Ohio for the second leg. (Dark Days can be linked here, my other OH stops are listed as well: http://www.mindymcginnis.com/news.html)
8. What other plans do you have to market your book?
Harper is taking really good care of me, but I also have a presence on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest, along with my personal blog, Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire, PLUS I blog for a bevy of group blogs – From the Write Angle, Friday the Thirteeners, Class of 2k13, The Lucky13s, Book Pregnant, and the League of Extraordinary Writers. So… I think my bases are covered. If anything the internet will be sick of me soon.
9. Yeah, I can’t believe you’re able to write and blog so much. And I saw on your blog that you have some book signings set up on your own.
Here’s a question I’ve been dying to ask you since I know you’re also a librarian. What’s the best way we can let librarians know about our book before it releases and hopefully get them excited about it? Are there any resources we should use to find librarians to contact?
Honestly it depends on the library / librarian. Some like to be sent postcards or fliers, some would rather be emailed. I know it’s a horrible answer but you have to find a way to stand out from everyone else… much like the publishing world in general.
10. Darn it! I was hoping for an easy answer. That's okay though. What are you working on now?
Keeping my sanity.