7 Questions For: Author F.T. Bradley

F.T. Bradley is the author of Double Vision (Harper Children's, Oct. 2012), the first in the middle-grade adventure series featuring Lincoln Baker and Benjamin Green.

Her husband's Air Force career has F.T. and their two daughters moving all around the world, but for the moment the family lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

To find out more about F.T and Double Vision, visit www.ftbradley.com, www.doublevisionbooks.com; or find F.T. Bradley on Twitter @FTBradleyAuthor.

Click here to read my review of Double Vision.

And now F.T. Bradley faces the 7 Questions: 

 


Question Seven: What are your top three favorite books?

From my childhood: The BFG by Roald Dahl

Recent children's: Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

For adults, recent: a tie between The Black Box by Michael Connelly and Suspect by Robert Crais

Question Six: How much time do you spend each week writing? Reading?

It kind of depends on where I am in the writing/editing process. When I'm working on a first draft, I spend about two hours writing a day; when I'm editing, about the same on that. More if the deadline is tight, obviously. 

Reading... At least an hour a day. I think the best part about being a writer is that you can claim your reading time as work. You know, research and all.

Question Five: What was the path that led you to publication?

Mine is a strange one... 

I'd been writing YA mysteries for years--there are about five unsold manuscripts in a drawer somewhere. I even had two agents represent a few of these, but it never lead to a contract. I sent my current agent (Stephen Barbara with Foundry) a YA manuscript, and we spoke on the phone. He suggested I write middle-grade based on my writing and voice, and eventually, the Double Vision trilogy sold to Harper Children's. 

It took me a long time to get here, but now I can't imagine not writing middle-grade. It's just such fun.

 
Question Four: Do you believe writers are born, taught or both? Which was true for you?

Both. 

I always loved a good story--I think writers are storytellers first. I actually didn't read much in my twenties (a shocker, considering I'm a writer now), but then someone gifted me a paperback thriller. Eventually, my rekindled love for mysteries and thrillers led me to want to write them. 

Then there were years and years (and years) of learning the craft.I still consider myself a student, to be honest. Reading great books is a huge part of getting better with each story I write.

Question Three: What is your favorite thing about writing? What is your least favorite thing?

Favorite thing: reading back something I wrote, and laughing at my own joke, or being surprised to find it's pretty decent. While you're writing, it's hard to tell if you're being awesome, or if it's just garbage.

Least favorite: that feeling while you're writing the first draft, wondering if you've still 'got it.' It's exhilarating to discover the story, but terrifying at the same time.   

Question Two: What one bit of wisdom would you impart to an aspiring writer? (feel free to include as many other bits of wisdom as you like)

Keep learning. You really do get better as you go. But don't listen to every bit of writing advice out there (though I'm kind of contradicting myself here, since I'm giving you advice...). I had to un-learn some writing rules that are still being taught as gospel. Worry about being a great storyteller first--all the mechanics you can learn, edit, whatever.

Story trumps everything.

Question One: If you could have lunch with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

Roald Dahl. I would probably be all star-struck, though... I just loved his books as a kid (and still today). It's a pure fan-girl wish.

www.ftbradley.com