How I Write: Lauren Gibaldi (AUTO FOCUS)

By Jen On June 10, 2016 · 1 Comment · In Author Feature, Blog Tours

Please welcome Lauren Gibaldi, author of AUTO FOCUS! She’s visiting A Book and a Latte today for a How I Write feature as part of her blog tour. Check out my Q & A with Lauren below, and be sure to enter the giveaway!

About Lauren Gibaldi

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Public librarian and author of THE NIGHT WE SAID YES, MATT’S STORY (a Night We Said Yes novella), and AUTOFOCUS (out 6/14/16), all with HarperTeen / HarperCollins. Fan of dinosaurs and cheesy jokes. And you.

Are you a planner (outline, etc.) or do you “pants” it?

A mix of the two. Mostly a pantser, but when I get stuck I figure out where I want to go and then backtrack. I create a mini-plot along the way.

Do you write daily or sporadically when you’re inspired?

Ideally daily, but sometimes that isn’t possible (due to work, being a mom, etc.). So…most days? Let’s go with most days. J

What inspired you to want to become a writer?

I’ve always written! I have journals from when I was in elementary school that are adorable and embarrassing all in one. I never knew I’d become an author of books, but I knew I always wanted to write.

What time of day do you find you write best? Or you enjoy more?

First thing in the morning. I’m most inspired then.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I write either at my kitchen table, a coffee shop near my house, or behind the library where I work. I think the last is my favorite, because my co-workers like to spy on me, and mostly it’s funny.

What tool(s) do you use to write? Microsoft Word, Pages, Scrivener, typewriter, pen and paper, and/or napkins/toilet paper?

A mixture of a few things. If I plot anything, I plot in a notebook with pen. I’ll write character biographies and stuff in there, too. Then, I write the book in Google Drive, this way I can load it while on break at work. Then I edit in Microsoft Word.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received for writing?

From my agent and editor, both have advised me to ensure all characters give something to the plot. If I mention them, make sure there’s a reason. It’s helped tremendously.

What types of writing events have you participated in (NaNoWriMo, conferences, workshops, etc.)? Which was your favorite?

My first book, THE NIGHT WE SAID YES, was a NaNoWriMo book. I love NaNoWriMo—it’s such a great way to get a book done. Aside from that, I spoke at the Florida SCBWI conference, and I go to ALA each year.

What aspect of writing is most challenging for you? Easiest?

Right around 20,000 words you hit a spot where you think your book is the worst thing that’s ever been written. Getting out of that mindset—that’s probably the most challenging. The easiest is starting.

What do you use as inspiration while writing? (Music, pictures, etc.)

Music most often. While driving to work, I listen to songs I liked in high school to get back into that teenage mindset. I read my old journals, I look at old pictures. Stuff like that.

Thank you for answering my questions!

It’s always been a loaded word for Maude. And when she is given a senior photography assignment—to create a portfolio that shows the meaning of family—she doesn’t quite know where to begin. But she knows one thing: without the story of her birth mother, who died when Maude was born, her project will be incomplete.

So Maude decides to visit her best friend, Treena, at college in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maude’s birth mother once lived. But when Maude arrives, she quickly discovers that Treena has changed. With a new boyfriend and a packed social calendar, Treena doesn’t seem to have time for Maude—or helping Maude in her search.

Enter Bennett, a cute guy who lives in Treena’s dorm. He understands Maude’s need to find her mother. And as Bennett helps Maude in her search, she starts to find that her mother’s past doesn’t have to define her own future.

Lauren Gibaldi has crafted a beautiful and timely coming-of-age story that poses the question: Is who we are determined at birth, or can we change as we grow?

Readers, follow the tour (schedule below) for more chances to win, and be sure to enter the giveaway! You can find more How I Write features by clicking the image at the bottom of this post.