Author Interview: Hannah Harvey
Posted in author, interviewAbout the Author:
My name is Hannah, I'm 20 and I live in England. I've been writing since a young age. I published my first book in 2012 and I hope to have another one published in 2013. I also started my own blog, www.thebooktower.webs.com in 2012, where I talk about my writing and review the books I read, along with competing in reading challenges and other stuff. I love reading, I do it all the time and I have a large book collection.
Interview:
What made you want to become a writer?
I've always like writing ever since I was a kid, I was home educated and I used to write a lot of stories for my English homework. However, it wasn't until I discovered NaNoWriMo in 2009 that I really started finishing novels. Once I got started with NaNo, I realized how much I love writing, and I wanted to try and make a career out of it.
Where do you get your inspirations from?
I actually get my inspiration from a lot of places. I'm influenced by the music I listen to, pictures I see, TV shows and movies. The most influential thing though, is probably just dreaming. You have no idea how many times I will wake up in the middle of the night with a new scene, or story idea and I'll grab a notebook and write it down.
Other than writing books, what else do you do in your free time?
I read, a lot. I've recently become obsessed with the YA genre so I read a lot from that, but I also love classics. I like exploring different genres. Other than reading, I like to go to the library, or go for walks along the beach I live near.
If you could work with another author, who would it be?
I would love to work with John Green. His work is amazing and I love the characters he creates.
What are major themes of your work?
Love - I pretty much have a love story going on.
Issues - I like to tackle big issues, like in "How I Got Here", I tackle bullying along with some other issues.
Growing up - I like to do character development in my books, having my characters grow.
What do you think people look for in a book?
Interesting characters, a strong plot that doesn't feel rushed or too slow, and a strong narration.
Are there any recent works you admire?
"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. Besides Jane Eyre, this is my favourite book.
Questions About the Book (How I Got Here):
Which character in the book do you think you can relate to the most?
I guess probably River, because she's interested in writing.
How did you come up with the character's names?
I've always loved the name "River", so I knew I wanted to use that name for one of my stories, and I just thought it worked with this one. As for Oliver, I was trying to come up with a male lead name, and I happened to glance at my bookshelf, see Oliver Twist, and I couldn't get the name out of my head.
How did you come up with River's Quiet personality?
With all the problems that River has, I kind of knew that she'd have to either be angry at the world and fight everyone, or really withdrawn from everyone, and for me, it felt like withdrawn and quiet worked better for this story. I wanted to show how much she'd been hurt by the bullying, and how it had an influence on her life. I'm a very quiet person as well, and I suppose that may have played a role.
What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I had decided to write a book in dual narration, so I started thinking up ideas that would work with that, and I decided on letters. From there, I just started developing characters, and came up with the plot. I didn't have a lot planned out before I started writing. I just sort of kept writing and I ended up with a novel.
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Great interview! I always love hearing interviews with authors as I one day hope to be one! And yes, wouldn't everyone work with John Green? John Green is one of my favourite authors! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Then one day I shall interview you! XD
DeleteLoved the interview. Been a while since I read a bullying story. I like the withdrawn and quiet character types. Most times they're unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteWish you the best, Hannah.
Thanks :) The story was amazing and inspiring
DeleteHer story is an inspiration to us all! To be so young and already have accomplished a lot is awesome! Wishing you all the luck in the world, Hannah!
ReplyDelete