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On to the questions!
Every odd Tuesday (because Tuesdays aren't odd enough), I feature a different young adult fiction author YOU should know - from best-sellers to debuts. And what better way to do this than asking them TWO fun questions. Short, sweet, and sassy - just the way I like interviews.
I'm crazy excited! On December 19th the first seven titles available from Bloomsbury Spark will be released and we can all rejoice this holiday season with some epic reads. Today's guest author, Ashley Poston is one of the initial seven and is somewhat of an expert on the New Adult genre. If you're not familiar with NA or you're trying to wrap your head around the concept - I think you'll find Ashley's answers enlightening.
About Ashley:
Ashley Poston
Graduating from the University of South Carolina, she interned at Random House Publishers with Kodansha USA, where she (helped) edit the Sailor Moon manga and that was really, really, really cool. She wrote a play that won some award, and can quote every Motion City Soundtrack lyric by heart.
She currently lives in South Carolina with her cat (aka her soulmate) and a plethora of books. When she's not writing, she's going to the movies (her second favorite past time) or taking extravagant road trips (her third favorite past time). Oh, and she's naturally redheaded, and she's already stolen your soul so don't ask.
On to the questions!
1.
As the Creative Director for Generation New Adult Magazine (which is very
slick, BTW), can you give us your take on the New Adult genre?
I've
been hearing about the New Adult genre ever since my Random House internship
days. Then, they were just beginning to buzz about their FLIRT imprint. I
didn't know what to think about New Adult at first---but the more I became
involved in the community, the more I began to absolutely love the authors part
of it. I mean these men and women built this category from the ground up
through self-publishing. That has never been done before, and it's
spectacular how the publishing industry is changing because of it. New Adult is
a great category for exploring themes of fitting in, choosing your own path,
and finding out who you are outside of the constraints of high
school or a job. I mean, when you're 18 you're set loose into the world, and
when you find yourself at 25 you've probably worked a mess of dead-end jobs and
made a lot of very bad---but very memorable---decisions. I think that's the
allure to New Adult, because it can explore grittier subjects that are deemed
taboo in YA and too vanilla in Adult.
2.
You have some cool projects in the works, my friend. From your upcoming
Bloomsbury Spark title, The Sound of Us, and other YA/NA
manuscripts to the co-creation of a webcomic. (JEALOUS!) How do you divvy up
your writing schedule?
I
have a really wonky sleep schedule, to be completely honest. I write best
between 1AM and 3AM, and I edit best around 5PM with a pot of coffee in me, so
it's strange. The Sound of Us is an outlier, though. I have a passion
for this story that I can't explain. I think it's because I've been through
twelve drafts and 46 rejections with these characters. I just never gave up on
them and their story. I could wake up at 8AM and dive head-first into the
manuscript, and not come out until dinner. The webcomic, Luminoso, is a
different monster entirely. It's a co-project with my fellow friend and
cartoonist, Jarad Greene. We've been working on it
for almost a year now, meeting every week, and hopefully y'all will see the
fruits of our labor this winter! It's a really fun story.
Thank
you so much for having me on your blog, Judith! These were super fun questions
(and not one's I've been asked before, either!).
Best,
Ashley
