GUEST POST: This or That with author Ellen Hopkins!

 

This or That: Getting to know you….

Favorite Authors

Stephen King, Ken Kesey, John Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Hunter S. Thompson

Favorite Books

Sometimes A Great Notion, Hotel New Hampshire, Catcher in the Rye, Fahrenheit 451, Little Big Man

Favorite Literary Characters

Mac McMurphy,

Things That Inspire You

The little oasis I’ve created, the view from my front windows, people who conquer obstacles, early morning runs, being alone in the wilderness.

Books That Made You Want To Become A Writer

Sometimes a Great Notion, Of Mice and Men, The Lord of the Rings, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird


Bookish Pet Peeves

Plot in favor of character, jumping straight into an action scene on page one, motiveless characters, overabundant dialect, unsatisfying endings

Pieces of Advice you have for aspiring writers.

Don’t write to trends. Character in favor of plot. Don’t write for fame, money, reviews or awards. Write courageously. Write the stories that keep you awake at night thinking about them.

Favorite Movies/TV Shows

Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Mad Men, Modern Family, Vikings

Things you wish you knew before you published

The value of early platform building; that publishing one book is rarely life-changing; how hard it is maintaining balance between career and family; the stress involved with touring/promotion; never to leave promotion completely up to your publisher.

Places you would consider paradise

The Gold Coast of Australia, Costa Rica, The Virgin Islands, Greece, Italian Wine Country

Foods you wish you could and never gain a pound

French fries, Haagen Dazs (almost any flavor), thick crust pizza, Kettle Chips, lobster mac and cheese

Things that bring a smile to your face

My kids’ accomplishments; my goofball German shepherd pup, Wyn; the smell of sagebrush after it rains; quarter-sized snowflakes; my garden in full bloom.

Words you try not to use.

Dude, fabulous, totally, dimwad, f**k (though you wouldn’t know it to read some of my Facebook posts)

Words you love.

Copacetic, capricious, delectable, pogonip, emanate

Places you'd like to take your laptop to and write.

Big Sur, Cape Cod, Yosemite, Lizard Island (Au), Sequoia National Park

Favorite desserts

Crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, gelato, éclairs, cherry pie

Cities you want to visit or your favorite cities?

Sydney, Paris, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Prague

Words that describe yourself

Outspoken, engaged, funny, compassionate, strong

Games you like to play

Monopoly, Sudoku, Scrabble, Solitaire, Yahtzee

Things you have in your purse/bag/wallet now

iPhone, sunglasses, keys, $20, heart-shaped piece of agate

Pet peeves

Rude drivers, Fox News, people on their phones in inappropriate places, airplane seatmates who invade my limited space, the newly-coined term “religious liberty”