Interview
How do you develop your plot and characters?
The plot most often starts with a Patty having a crazy dream, and then she calls me to sort through whether it is a good book idea or not. Then we have a very long phone call where we rough out the basic plot leaving ourselves some room to change and let the story evolve. When we do this, the conversations always sidetrack into character development. We start with attitude and personality first and then work our way out to what the character would look like and we throw random names out at each other till we find ones that fit. Once we have a basic chapter outline, Patty let’s the dialogue run in her head and then get’s it down on paper. She then goes back in and fills in movement and body language and then I go over it looking at logistics and flow and I sometimes add a little angst.
Tell me about your protagonist. What's your favorite trait and/or weakness?
Shelby is an everyday girl until she gets hits with life’s worst curveball, losing her family and her leg. Her strength and courage had never been tested and now they are forged in fire. Her likeable sarcasm, loyalty to her friends, and devotion to nutella make her adorable.
What are your current/future projects?
We have more contemporary teen books about teens overcoming trauma and disability to find their happily-ever -afters. One called Lovefool, about a bullied girl who hides behind a persona to stay safe. We have a book plotted out about a girl struggling with depression who finds that baking for others can be a safe way to depression called Cookie Therapy. Another titled Me, Myself and Ian, is about the struggle of hearing people to accept deaf people as equally capable people. We have a few more that are not titled yet.
In the young adult genre we have been working on a massive series of books for several years called the Blood Code Saga, at this point we believe it will end up being at least nine books all based in a world where a person's blood controls their future.
Do you have a routine you follow when writing?
It varies between the two of us but is revolves around talking to each other on speaker phone and eating lots and lots of chocolate and peppermints and gallons of tea.
What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you?
You can get in touch with us whichever way is convenient.
Check out our website https://www.pattycarothersandamybrewerbooks.com/
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pattyandamyauthors/ If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?
Not to take ourselves or our writing too seriously. Things change, writing improves, and rewrites are as certain as death and taxes!
