Monday, April 29, 2013

Anna Silver, author of Otherborn, Interview

Today I have Anna Silver on the blog answering some of my burning questions. In case you missed it, I reviewed (and LOVED) her book over here. You should take the time to check it out, you won't be sorry.

Kay, did you? Are you back? I knew you would be!

Check out what Anna had to say about which character she identified most with and what three items she'd bring if she were stranded on an island.


1) Can you describe OTHERBORN in 140 characters?

Awakening under the sedated monotony of a reprocessed world, London and her friends must dream their way to a New hope.

2) If London had a best friend from another YA book, who would it be?

That’s tough. London’s edgy and she doesn’t make friends easily but she also doesn’t take her friends lightly. I recently read PURE by Julianna Baggott and I think London would have a lot of respect for a character like Pressia, because she’s a survivor and London admires strength in others and cultivates it in herself.

3) Can you share one of your favorite scenes or sentences you wrote and why?

“It wasn’t her first kiss, but it was the first one that mattered.”

This may be my favorite quote in the whole book. (Mine too. I read it twice!) It’s simple and poignant. And haven’t we all been there? How many of us married our first kiss? Very few, I’m willing to bet. For most people, those firsts aren’t the ones that stick. For most of us, we have to kiss a few frogs to reach our prince. But we all know the experience of that first kiss to really make us weak in the knees. And it was probably our third, or tenth, or twenty-seventh kiss. The point is, we know when it matters.

4) Have you read anything great lately?

Well, I mentioned PURE already, and it was great. Also, my daughter and I both just finished SLATED and loved it, by Teri Terry. I also just read THE FORETELLING by Alice Hoffman, which is several years old, and it was excellent and beautiful.

5) Does OTHERBORN have a playlist or a song that represents it to you?

I do have an OTHERBORN playlist which you can listen to here! Just scroll down for the link; it’s on the right hand side. But I think one song in particular represented OTHERBORN to me, and that’s Bastards of Young by The Replacements. The chorus reads, We are the sons of no one… And that’s really the predicament for London and her friends. They have families, but they are kind of forgotten and orphaned by society. Plus, as Otherborn, they come from somewhere else entirely, not really belonging to either world anymore.

6) What is your best piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Cultivate persistence! This is not an easy road, but it is a wonderful journey. Hang in there, keep writing, submit until your fingers bleed, and get out and mingle at conferences, conventions, and signings. Teach yourself to keep going in spite of the rejection.

7) The setting of OTHERBORN plays a huge role in the novel. What was the most fun discovery you made about your world while writing?

The Astral is such an interactive setting that it becomes almost like another character. I loved that.

8) Which character in OTHERBORN do you most identify with?

Probably London. I’m not nearly so brash as she is, but I get her. I get her vulnerability and her need to protect herself. And, coupled with Si’dah’s wisdom, I get the full circle of her character.

9) If you lived in the world you created what item would you most want to have to survive?

Books! Or a book, if I had to do just one, but I don’t know how I’d ever choose which one. I cannot imagine a life without books. To me, a world without books is the ultimate dystopia.

10) If you were stranded on an island and could only have three things, what would you want to have? 

My iPhone, a cell tower, and one electrical outlet. Because then I’d still have access to books, and music, and the web! But that’s cheating, isn’t it? (I allow cheating!) Okay, in all seriousness, one good book, one big box of matches, and duct tape. My son says you can survive anything with duct tape. ;o)

There you have it folks! And I'd like to encourage you to snap up a copy of Otherborn. I went out and bought one to support the author because the novel is really that good!

Here are the links:

1 comment:

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