Today's guest is author Mindy McGinnis, who is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy.
While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us.
She is is the author of Not a Drop to Drink and its companion, In a Handful of Dust, as well as This Darkness Mine, The Female of the Species, Given to the Sea, Heroine, and the Edgar Award–winning novel A Madness So Discreet. Find more info here at:
www.mindymcginnis.com/
Tell us about your work.
I write very gritty, intense novels for teens. I’m not scared to tackle the difficult questions, and often do so in a way that invites discussion. As a result, my books are often a love / hate situation for a lot of readers, and I’m fine with that. They’re both strong emotions, at least!
What was your favorite book when you were growing up?
Hard to say. I liked to collect series and often felt the need to re-read from the beginning if a new title in a series came out. So I read voraciously but I always returned to the Bunnicula series!
What is your favorite book now as an adult?
The Stand, by Stephen King is a perennial favorite for me.
I always reread my favorite books. Do you reread books and if so, which one(s) have you read over again?
The Stand, for sure. Also all of the Outlander books. Other than those, I’m not much of a re-reader.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
Stephen King, Matt Haig, Val McDermid, Diana Galadon, Colleen McCullough – these are all authors I can depend on.
A lot of creatives (artists, writers, musicians) have talked about how the pandemic has impacted their creativity. How has it been for you?
It’s been okay, honestly. I worked from home before, so things didn’t change drastically for me. I actually started working out more intensely than before, because I knew the possibility for my anxiety and depression to spike was there. I’ve always been able to count on exercise to pull me out of ruts, so if anything the pandemic has made me healthier.
What is your writing schedule like?
I don’t write every day, but when I am actively working on a project I aim to write 1000 words a day, or 5000 in a week. If Thursday rolls around and I’m clocking a 0 word count, the next few days are going to hurt.
What are you working on now?
Not actively writing anything new. I’ve finishing up edits on my 2022 release, The Last Laugh, which is the second in a Poe-inspired duology.
You can find Mindy and all her social media pages here: : https://www.mindymcginnis.com/
Mindy's upcoming release, The Initial Insult, releases February 23, 2021.
2020 Ohioana Book Festival YA Panel
A discussion with some of the best and brightest of Young Adult fiction writers.
Moderator: Jody Casella
Panelists: Cinda Williams Chima, Dee Garretson, Mindy McGinnis, Kimberly Gabriel
Dear Lovely Universe: A Real Look Behind the Success of Mindy McGinnis
In this episode, I sit down with Mindy McGinnis who is a writer, published author, and podcaster to discuss what really happened behind the curtains of her writing career and how she got to where she is now. This episode is for you if you are an aspiring writer, podcaster, business aspiring/owner, creator, etc that is taking the route of personally making something of yourself.
Personally, I really enjoyed this conversation with Mindy. I resonated with what she said a lot, especially when she talked about how on this path if you don’t make it the only person who is really going to get disappointed is you. A lot of other people can cheer you on, but whether you fail or make it doesn’t affect them at all. I really hope that you find the time to listen to this episode because I think you will benefit from it. This description really doesn’t do the episode enough justice.
In this episode, we discuss:
What self-starting means to Mindy and her real-life experience.
Advice that she has for writers and entrepreneurs. (Mindy said that she believes anyone can be a writer. Of course, given that you put in the work.)
What she would like to say to people who ask themselves, “Why am I this way?”.
Why Mindy thinks it is important to persevere and accept your reality.
Where her inspiration for writing comes from.
And much more!
Author Chat with Mindy McGinnis
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I'm an avid hiker and ended up in a very remote Pennsylvania forest. I had an opinion about whether or not we should take a spur of the trail, and the person I was with had a different perspective. I didn't think we could get the spur in before night fell. He definitely thought we could. We ended up losing light fast, in an unfamiliar, extremely remote area, with dying flashlight batteries and a trail about as wide as your hand. We made it out around 10 PM and found the car, but there were some dark moments, including the idea that we might be spending the night out there, with no gear for that. I never thought we might actually get LOST, but it was a possibility. He was apologetic about the bad decision, and I told him I was okay with it, because I got an idea for a book out of the ordeal.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
This is a great question because my main character, Ashley, is alone for 90% of the book. She's lost in the woods, and as a writer, there's no one for her to talk to, bounce ideas off of, or interact with at all. You get to know your character really well when it's just the two of you. In the past, people have asked me which of my characters is most like me, in real life. The answer used to be Brooke, from This Darkness Mine. Now, it's Ashley. She is very much me, in a lot of ways.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Hmmm.... let's just say there's a moment of self-surgery that made me very happy, on a visceral level.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The cover is fantastic, because it carries all the elements of the Smoky Mountains... but then if you step back and look at it, it's actually a Rohrschach. And there's a skull in there!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I'm very excited about my release coming in 2021, The Initial Insult, which blends retellings of Edgar Allan Poe stories in a contemporary Appalachian setting. You can add it on Goodreads, here: https://www.goodreads.com/…/show/49200324-the-initial-insult
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
The most trouble for this book was the simple fact that Ashley is alone for 90% of the time. Not only that, but there are only so many things you can throw at someone when they are lost in the woods - injury, weather, animals, natural disaster. That's really it. So it's hard to keep things interesting and lively, when really what you're doing is narrating someone walking by themselves for 10 days.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
Animals love me. Animals and babies. I will draw them all to me one day, and everyone else will die of loneliness.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I support a wildlife rehabilitation center that is near where I live. They are constantly providing medical care for injured wildlife, and releasing them back into their home environment after healing. http://wildlifehaven.tripod.com/
Frolic Interview
Note From Frolic: Our resident YA expert Aurora Dominguez got the opportunity to interview author Mindy McGinnis and ask her five(ish) questions. Mindy’s novel ‘Be Not Far From Me‘ is out March 3rd!]
What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?
I am an avid hiker, and often take vacations in places where I can get some hiking in. One such vacation was near a particularly dense Pennsylvania forest. The person I was with thought we could get a spur of the trail in before darkness fell. I didn’t think we could, and said so, but curiosity outweighed caution and we tried it. Hours later, with no overnight packs and failing phone batteries, we were in pitch black with a trail as wide as my hand, mostly searching for faded blazes on trees to mark our way. It was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. We did break out onto the trailhead around 11 PM. And no, I didn’t rub it in that I had been right about that spur. I was too grateful that we’d made it back to our car… and that a novel had been born while we wandered. But me being right about the spur totally came up the next day.
What character do you most relate to and why?
People ask me often what character of mine I’m most like. Ashley is definitely the answer. I grew up pretty hardscrabble, and a lot of the stories from her childhood are only slightly adapted from my own experiences.
Please describe the content of your latest book and what can readers expect from the read.
I pitch Be Not Far From Me as “drunk Hatchet, with a girl.” That pretty much sums it up. You can expect an angry, female Gary Paulsen vibe.
What’s next for you in the book world?
I’m very excited for my 2021 release, The Initial Insult, which blends retellings of Edgar Allan Poe stories in a contemporary Appalachian Ohio setting.
Who is your favorite writer right now and why?
I don’t tend to have favorite writers. I will pick up anything and give it a shot. I will say that anything by Tiffany D. Jackson has my vote!