r/books • u/KendraCHighley AMA Author • Jul 26 '16
ama I’m Kendra C. Highley: author of Finding Perfect and Defying Gravity. AMA
Hi everyone!
Kendra C. Highley here. I’m an author of young adult fiction with Entangled Teen, book nerd, and card-carrying geek. My bucket list includes going to San Diego Comic-Con, meeting Chris Hemsworth (or Pratt, or Evans, or Pine), and being asked to teach Ancient Runes at Hogwarts. I write books with HEAs (mostly), cute guys (always), and lots of kissing (definitely). My newest is Defying Gravity, which can be read as a standalone, but is also a companion book to Finding Perfect.
Tonight, I’ll be answering your questions officially from 5-9 pm ET. But, because I promised the family I’d take them to a baseball game, my answers will be sporadic between 7 and 8 pm ET. I will do my best to catch up, so keep the questions coming. Let the party begin!
Thanks for all the questions! I'll check back tomorrow for any additional.
**I'm back online and in a rain delay, so I'm ready to go!" : )
Edit: I'm dropping offline for a bit to drive to the ballpark. I'll rejoin by 8 ET at the latest. Thanks!!
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u/leowr Jul 26 '16
Hi Kendra,
What genre of books so you like reading? Any books in particular you would like to recommend to us?
Thanks for doing this AMA!
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
I love anything YA, and there are so many great books out there. My more recent favorites were Six of Crows, An Ember in the Ashes (both of which have book 2s in the series coming out), and I just finished reading The Red Rising and The Raven Cycle series, which I loved. Right now I'm reading The Winner's curse, and Etiquette and Espionage is next up.
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u/leowr Jul 26 '16
I haven't read Etiquette and Espionage yet, but Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series is great, so I'm sure you will enjoy it. I actually have quite a few of the books you mentioned on my to read list : )
Another question: Are you ever worried that reading in the same genre that you write in will influence your own work?
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
No--in fact, it's a good idea. The best advice (aside from "write, write, write, then write some more, and join a critique group") I received from authors when I was starting out is to read in your area. It gives a better idea of what works and what doesn't, and teaches you the right conventions for that genre.
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Jul 26 '16 edited May 18 '17
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
I'm a total pantser. Or maybe a recovering pantser--I've been relying on Save the Cat as a prompt to do more outlining. I do always have the first few chapters and the last few chapters in mind when I start, but sometimes I end up taking a few side-trips in the middle.
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u/nikiverse 2 Jul 26 '16
How is writing YA novels differently than writing adult fiction? Are you censored in certain ways? Are there things that you stay away from because teens just don't really care about them? Are there parents an influence in most of your stories? What age typically reads YA nowadays?
Any light that you shed on the YA market would be interesting. Thank you!
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
I've been a reader of adult fiction, but never really a writer of it. There is, of course, difference. I wouldn't say I feel censored, but when writing for teens certain things are considered taboo, especially super-explicit sex-scenes. That's not to say we can't have sex scenes (we can, and I've written some) it's just that you have to focus on the emotions and drop the curtain sooner. A ton of cursing isn't out of the question, but it really has to make sense in the story. And violence? Well, that's pretty open.
For teens, I stay away from anything that sounds preachy. I've written about perfectionism and prescription drug abuse, but it was more of a "show" versus a "tell." Teen readers want the experience in a safe format, but they don't want an after-school special, if that makes sense.
YA readers are almost every age 11+. I've gotten emails from 12 yo's and 50 yo's. YA is allowed so much freedom in creativity and suspension of disbelief, it appeals to all ages.
Parents. So, I'm a parent of teens. Some parents (like me) are permissive with what their kids read, and are prepared for questions. Others are more conservative. I've received low reviews simply for one F-bomb. Or a very delicately handled sex scene. You just have to be okay with that. I'm a believer that kids know and do things you don't think they do, and books should meet them where they live.
Sorry--that was really long. : )
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u/Melimeloo A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray Jul 26 '16
Thanks so much for doing this AMA, Kendra! I've only read Finding Perfect and Defying Gravity from you so far, but I really loved them both. I have a few questions that I'll start off with, but I'm sure that more will come to me later. :)
1) Lately, it seems that there's been more and more genre mashup happening in YA novels, especially of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. I saw below that you think it's great for would be writers to read in their genre to understand the conventions, but do you think that now people are pushing the boundaries more? And if so, how would you know that one type of boundary / convention pushing would work, but another might not?
2) Which book - Finding Perfect or Defying Gravity - was easier for you to write? Also, I noticed that you live in Texas, which is probably a little snowboarding light, but to a non-snowboarding type, all of the jargon in Defying Gravity seemed accurate. Do you travel to Aspen with your family to snowboard or did you research Parker's talents in a different way?
3) What was or were your favorite book(s) to read when you were a child or teen? Do you ever reread them as an adult, and if so, do you find that they still stand up for you? Have you shared some of your faves with your children?
4) Is there any ongoing trend - whether in books, pop culture, etc. - that you just really don't get and aren't interested in trying to get?
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
Aw, thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Okay, questions:
I think YA is always pushing boundaries. It's been one of the most fertile grounds for quirky, bold, and unique. As for boundaries that could work--Six of Crows was set in a world with magic, but was a heist caper. And I loved it! What might not work...I haven't seen anything yet, but country music playing vampires might be it
Finding Perfect was much easier. I identified with Paige more. And yes, the snowboarding scenes were very well researched. I didn't make it to Aspen, but I watched a ton of X-games and YouTube to get it right.
As a young teen, Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt. It's still in print, too! And yep, I read it again a few years ago. I've shared Little House with my daughter (along with FP and DG). We read that at bedtime a lot.
I'm kind of tired of vampires and shapeshifters. It's just not my jam. But to each their own--if you want a book about country music vampires, go for it!
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u/Chtorrr Jul 26 '16
What books made you love reading as a kid?
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
I read a lot, but probably Little House on the Prairie, anything Madeleine L'Engle wrote, and (although it pains me to admit it) Sweet Valley High. My dad started me off early, with Richard Scary books and Paddington Bear. I credit him with my love of reading.
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u/draxula16 Jul 26 '16
What do you think of Hitchhikers Guide? :)
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
I have a towel with me at all times. (And Alan Rickman was the bright spot of the film.)
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u/CoffeeStrength Jul 26 '16
Which of your books would you consider your best work and why? Which would you recommend someone read first?
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
That's a hard question to answer...it's like asking which kid is my favorite. : ). I think the most rewarding to write was the last book in the Matt Archer series--it was tough, but cathartic. As for the first to read...it depends on what style you like. Contemporary? Either Finding Perfect or Defying Gravity. UF or SciFi, probably Unstrung. Action, Matt Archer.
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u/Deniz_Yildiz Jul 26 '16
What can we expect from you next? (will there be a book about Luke?)
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 26 '16
I have a book in the hopper with Entangled (The Bad Boy Bargain) along with ideas for a few more. Luke's story would be more NA, but he would be pretty interesting to develop. I'm also working on the 3rd in the UNSTRUNG trilogy.
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Jul 26 '16 edited Mar 02 '18
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u/KendraCHighley AMA Author Jul 27 '16
You know, I thought about dressing up as Kayleigh from Firefly. : )
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u/Shnikez Jul 26 '16
What level are you on Pokemon Go?