Introducing 2011: Sarah J. Maas

Introducing 2011 is a new feature where I will interview a YA Author with a novel releasing in 2011!

Sarah J. Maas lives in Los Angeles, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the coastline of Southern California.

Her debut novel, QUEEN OF GLASS, will be published by Bloomsbury in late 2011.

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What was your writing process like?

For QUEEN OF GLASS, my writing process was way different than it is now. Nowadays, I can write every day for several hours, and get through a manuscript in five weeks to three months. But with QOG…Well, long story short, I began writing QOG when I was sixteen, and it took me six years to write all three books in the QOG trilogy. Then it took me two more years to do a few massive rewrites, then find an agent, and then…land a book deal.

It took so long to write QOG because I was in high school, and then college. AND I somehow got it into my head that I wanted to write all three books before even trying my hand at getting published. I’m glad I did, though—in taking all of that time to write, and rewrite, and rewrite some more, my writing definitely improved. Plus, I was writing QOG during my teenage years, when I did a lot of growing as a person—so when I now read through QOG, I see those transformations mirrored in the book.

In what ways do you relate to your main character?

A bunch of ways, actually. I think Celaena absorbed more of my faults than anything else—she’s impatient, and stubborn, and impulsive. She’s also a bit of a shopaholic.

But I can relate to her determination to accomplish her dreams, and her loyalty to her friends—and her passion for reading! That’s pretty much where the similarities end, though. I definitely wish I had a bit more of her bravery and intelligence. And her kick-butt fighting skills.

Who has been your biggest inspiration to write and keep writing?

Definitely my fans from FictionPress.com. I had the (very) rough draft of the book on FictionPress for several years, and gained a pretty huge following from it. The fanmail I received—expressing how much QUEEN OF GLASS touched their lives and encouraging me to get published—really kept me going.

When I’d get a particularly crushing rejection, I’d read through those letters and not only feel better, but remember that I had people all over the globe rooting for me. I can’t properly describe how much my FictionPress fans mean to me—and the fact that they are still sticking with QUEEN OF GLASS after so many years just blows my mind.

What other 2011 YA Release are you most looking forward to reading?

What an unfair question! There are SO many releases that sound incredible! I could seriously go on for paragraphs about them all. The Elevensies (the community for 2011 debuts) has so many amazing-sounding releases. I’m going to be buying a LOT of books in 2011.

But if you were to make me pick one right now…I’d say MY SOUL TO REAP by Courtney Allison Moulton. It seems like it has everything that I adore: awesome action, swoon-worthy guys, and a butt-kicking heroine. Plus, the concept is just so original and intriguing—I think it’s gonna be a huge hit!

How did you come up with the title QUEEN OF GLASS? Has that always been the title, or has it changed?

Well, when I originally began writing the series, QUEEN OF GLASS was just a placeholder title. I wasn’t particularly wild about it, but I needed to call it something. Somehow, over the years, the title stuck, and I grew to love it. Now, I can’t imagine ever changing it, especially because it also holds a lot of meaning/symbolism in regard to my heroine, Celaena.

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Thanks so much, Sarah!

Click here to visit Sarah's blog!