Hey Guys,
Its been a crazy new year for me from school to trying to get a headstart on my 200 book reading challenge! Recently I had the immense honor of interviewing Anna Banks, author of the Syrena Trilogy and upcoming novel Nemesis! So without further ado, here it is!
Are there any qualities about yourself that you reflect in your protagonists?
I definitely write my heroines with a lot of snark and sarcasm, which I’m totally guilty of.
What was the inspiration behind your new book Nemesis?
I’ve always been fascinated with ancient Egypt, and one day I was watching a documentary on the young King Tut and wondered what it would be like to be such a young ruler of such a vast empire. And of course, my books will always have a romance in them, so I began to find him a love interest. 🙂 Plus, I really love stories where the characters start out as enemies and fall in love against their will.
Have you ever had writers block and if so, how did you work through it?
I call this writerly constipation–because if you push hard enough, something will come out, you know? But I have dealt with this in the past, and I’ve found that the best way to ummmm, loosen things up, is to read. Reading motivates me to write. To do better.
Did you have the ending in mind while writing the first Of Poseidon book?
I did have the ending in mind when writing Of Poseidon. In fact, the whole book for me was centered around arriving at that ending because I loved it so much. When I write, I usually have a beginning and an ending in mind, but sometimes getting from point A to point B is not so clear.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
The first time I watched Anne of Green Gables. Anne Shirley was always aspiring to be a writer and she was my favorite book character (aside from Scarlett O’Hara). I was always good at writing growing up, but somehow adulting got in the way of it. But one day I was reading the Twilight series and I thought, “If this chick can get published then maybe I can get published too!” Now I know that makes me sound like a butthole, but let me explain. I enjoyed the Twilight series, truly and deeply enjoyed it. The thing that made me think I could get published was how easy it was to read. But as it turns out, making a book easy to read is actually very difficult writing. So I have to hand it to Stephanie Meyer–she challenged me to do better without even knowing it.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
If I’m not writing, I’m reading or playing around on Twitter. There are not many hours of the day that I’m not writing, or doing something that has to do with writing. I wake up at 4:30 each morning and write all day. I take a break for dinner, then I answer writing emails or post things on my Twitter account or on Pinterest. I practically eat sleep and breathe for writing.
What was your favorite book growing up and what is your favorite book now?
My favorite book growing up was Anne of Green Gables, but my favorite book now is a tie between the Splintered series by AG Howard and The Graceling books by Kristin Cashore.
