Interview with Ellen Jensen Abbott

http://ellenjensenabbott.wordpress.com

Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I seem to be one of the few writers around who didn't always know I wanted to be a writer! I always loved writing, but I wanted to be an actress. As a kid, I would constantly be narrating my life as if I was starring in my own bio-pic. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I realized that by narrating I wasn't actually acting but writing—writing the script of my life. Given this background, I naturally first started writing non-fiction. But I almost never read non-fiction. It didn't take me long to figure out that I really wanted to be writing fiction, particularly fantasy.

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

Once I had realized that I wanted to write stories, I began going to every writing conference I could find. One of the best was the One on One conference, hosted by the Rutgers Council on Children's Literature. It's called the "one-on-one" because every new writer there is paired up with an experienced writer, agent or editor. I was accepted three times and was paired up with really accomplished, generous writers: Gail Carson Levine, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, and Clara Gillow Clark. At this conference, I also met Ginger Knowlton who is now my agent, and Margery Cuyler who published Watersmeet, my debut novel. Margery didn't buy the first book I submitted, but she spent a lot of time talking to me about what was working and what wasn't. And she did buy my next book.

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?


This is NOT your classic blonde, blue-eyed heroine! Abisina, the heroine, is persecuted in her home for her coloring: dark-skin and hair. When the village turns on her, she has to flee, looking for a legendary place called Watersmeet, where her unknown father is supposed to live. Accompanied by the dwarf, Haret, she faces mythic creatures, benevolent spirits, challenges to her survival, her own prejudices, and dreams that look like nightmares. She has lots of adventures and learns a lot about herself and the world.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

I'd have to say CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia. I read and reread the Chronicles when I was in fifth and sixth grade, my favorite being The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which I read 13 times. (I have since read it to both of my kids so I'm now at 15!) That said, I don't think someone reading my book would necessarily feel like it was a Narnia book, but it was Lewis who introduced me to the power of fantasy and I never looked back. Given the choice, I will choose a fantasy novel over a real-life one nine times out of ten.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

I have two children, a boy who is 13 and a girl who is 10. We have always read to them at night before they go to sleep, even when they started reading for themselves. I loved introducing them to books I love: Narnia (of course), The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars, Artemis Fowl, The Witch of Blackbird Pond¬—oops! Am I getting carried away? My kids and my husband are very proud of me. My whole family put up with a lot as I've been working on this book! My kids are sick of hearing "I have to work now," when they want me to play cards with them or bake a batch of cookies, and my husband has been doing much more than his share of house chores because of the book. I think all of them are looking forward to the release—don't tell them I've already started the sequel!

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

Tea with milk. English Breakfast, preferably. Nothing green, white or herbal.

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

Roll over, roll over and roll over again. Anything to get a few more minutes in bed!

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

I'm an avid skier who skis almost every weekend during snow season—in Pennsylvania. I know—when someone says "skiing" you think Colorado or Vermont. Nope. I ski in Pennsylvania.

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

I would be the color of my eyes. My eyes change color depending on what I'm wearing—there are days when they are more green, others when they are more brown. They have flecks of yellow, too. Have you ever looked at your iris closely? It's pretty cool! Anyway, I can't imagine locking myself into one color. I like the changeability of my eyes.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Bugs Bunny. I still laugh out loud when I see some Bugs cartoons, especially if they involve Elmer Fudd. The ones where they enact famous operas are my favorites!

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I'm going with Mulan here. First of all, she's a bit of a spaz. Not a ton of grace, which, (cough, cough) I can relate to. But when she puts her mind to something, she can do it. And I've always loved the whole "woman warrior" legend which Mulan is based on. In Watersmeet, my main character is a woman warrior, too, looking for a society where she can be who she is.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

Well, if I'd had all my shots, I'd like to go back to Medieval England. For fantasy writers, this seems to be time we are most fascinated with: castles, sword fighting, knights, witches, a true belief in fairies. Then again, maybe I don't want it to be real; I prefer the fantasy so many writers have built!

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

I don't listen to music while I write because I love to sing along and pretty soon I'm belting out the tunes and not getting any writing done! I listen to a wide mix of music: U2, REM, k.d. lang, Rickie Lee Jones, Lyle Lovett, the Cranberries. My son just got me into the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Modest Mouse, and G. Love.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

I watch The Princess Bride over and over again. I love the quirkiness of it. And if you ever mention Inigo Montoya, you find out just how many other people love the movie too! ("My name is Inigo Montoya! You kill my father! Prepare to die.")

OH! I hate the "last movie in a theater" question! It's so embarrassing! I am a dedicated movie review reader so I always know what’s out, who's in it, and how it's been received, but I almost never get to the movies unless I am taking my children. (The students in one of my English classes thought this was so lame that they were offered to babysit for free just so I'd see a movie—any movie—while it's still in the theater!) The last one I saw was Adam Sandler's Bedtime Story. When my kids are grown, I'm going to see two movies a week, every week.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

Don't wish your life away. This doesn't particularly pertain to my book or to writing, but I work with kids (I teach high school English), and I hear them saying so often, when spring break comes, –okay, I say that, too—when I get my license, when I'm a senior, when I'm in college, when I'm finished with SAT's or ACT's, etc. We all need to enjoy the moment more, I think, instead of seeing every day as something to get through so you can be closer to some goal. Once you get there, you're so focused on the next horizon, you forget to relish the moment you're in.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

As I said above, I am working now on a sequel to Watersmeet. It's been exciting to take up with my main character again and watch her start her next journey. I also have ideas for a couple of historical novels and a contemporary fantasy.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!

I had fun, Jen! These questions got me thinking. Now, I want to go back and watch more Bugs Bunny reruns!