Ten writers for children. All with something to say.

2/18/13

The Next Big Thing

For this round, we'll all be answering the questions from The Next Big Thing. I'll be answering them about the forthcoming paperback of my novel The Raft, which came out in hardcover last August.



1)      What is the working title of your next book?

The next book I have coming out is the paperback version of The Raft, my young adult novel that was released in hardcover in August.


2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

I spent about three years living out on Midway Island. To get there, we took a small turbo-prop plane, which took about five hours over nothing but ocean. I was always worried the thing would go down.
3) What genre does your book fall under? Young adult
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Wow, well, there are basically two characters: 15-year-old Robie, and twenty-something Max. There are flashbacks to Max in high school, so an actor who could do younger and bit older. For the girl I could imagine someone like Elle Fanning or Abigail Breslin. For the guy, someone on the order of Taylor Lautner, who could look older or younger if needed. Dreaming here, of course: I would love to see the novel be a movie and there are any number of people who would be perfect for each part.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Robie takes the flight to Midway, which crashes halfway there, leaving her in a raft in the middle of the ocean.
6) Who is publishing your book?

Feiwel and Friends, a Macmillan imprint
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

About a year, I think. It was painful, I didn’t think I was ever going to finish. But I always go through that stage with my books.
8)What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I had a friend tell me, “Hey! You’ve written a female Hatchet!” Not that I would dare put my book in the same category as Hatchet, but for fun we did start calling it Hatchette after that.


9) Who or what inspired you to write this book? My experiences on Midway contributed a lot to the story. I didn’t have to research the setting because I had lived it. All the flora and fauna and wildlife was second nature to write about.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

The book is on the 2013 TAYSHAS high school reading list in Texas and was named a 2013 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers.

4 comments:

Christy said...

Stephanie, you have a wealth of rich experiences to draw from for your writing. I remember your beautiful slides from Midway Island when we both spoke at the Charlotte Huck festival.

Did you tag someone (outside our group to continue the blog tour?)

Lauren said...

Stephanie, I read Raft and could not put it down-- great read! And it would be a fantastic movie-- sort of a YA version of Castaway. I had forgotten that you lived for three years on Midway Island-- I would love to see the slides sometime.

Stephanie said...

Yeah I have a pretty good Power Point;) Christy I had a hard time finding anyone who wanted to do it. Had one but he backed out, so oh well....

Edie Hemingway said...

The Raft is definitely a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat -as-you-read book. I loved it and am glad it will now be out in paperback, reaching an even wider readership!