Thursday, May 19, 2011

Rock This! Thursday with Amy Fellner Dominy

You're walking down the street - what song is following you?
Firework, by Katy Perry. The song is reminding me not to hide in the crowd, but to let my colors show. “You're original, cannot be replaced” I feel good with that song following me.

How does it feel being a debut author?
The first word that pops into my head is SCARY. Because everything is new and unknown. It’s a two-sided coin and excitement is the other face of it. I know that part will take over once my book is launched, but right now I’m nervous because I want everything to go so well.

What drew you into the young adult genre?
If you want to write about conflict, drama and upheaval, is there any better time? J Those years were so important to me, figuring out who I was, who I wanted to be. Those are the issues that still interest me, so it just feels like teen fiction fits. Also, books have been a huge part of my life—at every age. But the books that have made the biggest impact on me are the ones I read when I was a teen. I’d be crazy not to want to write for that age!

I know some writers like to make music playlists for their books. Did you do this for OyMG? If so, could you share a few songs from it?
I’m one of those authors who writes in complete silence or with the background sounds of Muzak from the coffee shop. I talk to myself as I write and I think the sound of music would distract me. I’m kinda sad about it though. A playlist always sounds so cool.

Have you been to a summer camp like the one Ellie goes to?
I loved camp when I was a kid, but I never went to a speech camp like Ellie. My best camp memories are Girl Scout camps and s’mores. Lots of s’mores.

You're given two golden concert tickets to go see any band or singer from any decade. The only catch is that you have to take one of your characters with you. Who do you take and who are you two going to go see?
I’d go back to the 50s and see Buddy Holly. That guy could ROCK! And I’d tell him not to get on the plane (which eventually crashed), because it would have been incredible to hear the music he would have made over the years. I’d take Ellie with me, because I think Buddy’s piano playing would have left even her speechless.

OMG I LOVE BUDDY HOLLY!!! *clears throat* So did Ellie's voice come easily to you while writing OyMG?
If only! Ellie and I disagreed for a long time about who she really was. It’s ironic in a book about listening to your own voice, that I wouldn’t listen to the voice of my main character. I kept trying to make her insecure, like I might have been in her situation. But she resisted and the book ended up shoved into the bottom of a drawer for months. Finally, after time away, I was able to “hear” Ellie. The story came together quickly after that.

If OyMG became a movie, who do you think should be casted as some of your main characters?
Zeydeh, Ellie’s grandpa, would be played by Ian McKellan. Ian played Gandalf in LOTR and was so wise and powerful but also mushy-hearted for his hobbits. Need him, definitely. For Mrs. Yeats, scholarship benefactor and potential Evil Queen, I’d say Meryl Streep because she was so awful-good in The Devil Wears Prada. For Devon, resident hotty, I need someone dark and handsome. Smart. With a sharp sense of humor. And blue, blue eyes. Any names? And for Ellie…no one seems exactly like Ellie. The model on the cover of my book looks the way I imagine her. I wonder if she can act?

Have you experienced any 'rock star' writing moments?
I went to visit a class of sixth graders a couple of weeks ago. I passed out bookmarks and ended up surrounded by a hoard of kids with pens all asking for autographs. For three minutes, until the bell rang, I felt like a rock star.

Thanks for stopping by, Amy! Wanna know more about Amy and her book? Then check out the links below:
Website | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

6 comments:

Allison said...

I love Firework too. So catchy...I love when new authors are interviewed and their interviews are fun! I can't wait to read this.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed the part where she talked about disagreeing with her main character. I often struggle with this when writing, and sometimes time apart is the only way to really listen to what your characters have to say.

Thanks for this post! I can't wait to read this book.

Unknown said...

Great interview! The book sounds great, and it is always fun to hear some from the author!

Vivien said...

Camp is great! I went to horse riding camp and just had a blast. Wonderful memories.

Hoot aka Jessy said...

Amy I appriciate the honesty that some books are hard to write. I think that too often us readers may think that the book just magically flowed from your fingers. I look forward to reading the book.

prophecygirl said...

I'm totally down with the Ian McKellen choice. Cool!