Author Feature: Holly Bennett

Author Feature: Holly Bennett

What image/scene/character did you start this book with?

This doesn’t often happen to me, but the first scene actually did come to me almost as if I was watching a movie. Dare I admit I was driving at the time? I came home, wrote it down, and it stuck. Finding the rest of the story took a whole lot longer!

What kind of research did you do for your book?

I did some research about Hans Christian Andersen’s life and times. I also needed to find out something about the life of the lower classes in mid-1800 Europe. What I didn’t have to research was Jack’s diabetes; one of my kids has Type 1 so I did that homework some years ago!

Do you write in chronological order?

For the most part, but I will write out-of-order scenes that don’t want to forget. So for Drawn Away, I had a good chunk from the end of the book quite early on. My first draft of this book was almost finished before I realized that there was a big chunk of the story missing. So Sigrid’s story didn’t emerge until quite late in the game.

What’s the hardest part of writing?

Oh, getting a really good idea. An idea good enough that you want to live with it and wrestle with it for, well, maybe years!

What’s your favourite form of procrastination?

Oh dear. I waste SOOO much time playing computer Scrabble. Also cruising “puppies for sale” pages. And no, I’m not actually planning to buy a puppy. Well not yet.

What is your favourite aspect / part of your new book?

I enjoyed “growing” Lucy from a seeming bystander/distraction to the main drama, into a key part of the puzzle. And, of course, it was fun to have the girl do the rescuing, for a change!

 

Holly Bennett’s new novel, Drawn Away, is on shelves now!

Holly Bennett, author


Holly Bennett is the author of numerous young adult novels, all published by Orca. She lives in Peterborough, Ontario, where she enjoys singing, being in nature, hanging out with her three grown sons, Scrabble and, of course, reading. For more information, visit www.hollybennett.ca.

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