#even your bestie said you had a ‘pattern of problem’ (direct quote) and that you were in the wrong

[jeonqkooks]

[realmaradyer]

Michelle Hodkin answers readers questions

(may or may not contain spoilers)

Q: When does TSC take place? Are they in college or is it before that? 

Michelle: The first book in The Shaw Confessions picks up not long after the end of The Retribution of Mara Dyer—before what would’ve been the beginning of Noah and Mara's senior year of HS (spoiler alert: they're otherwise occupied). 

Q: Is the new book called The Becoming of Noah Shaw? It appeared in Goodreads. Is it coming on November 7?

Michelle: Good questions that I wish I could answer! I'm not being coy--I honestly don't know. I tend to end up working on my books right up until the moment they're on shelves--this is terrible, by the way, and I don't recommend it, and so everything else is in the publisher's hands. When I know anything for sure, I'll try and share it as soon as I can.

Q: What kind of state is mara and noah's relationship in? Will TSC have the same level of maturity that the mara dyer series did?

Michelle: I’m not sure if I’m getting your question right, but I will say that in some ways TSC is a more mature book (thematically, at least—Noah has a history of suicidal ideation and I tried to do his experience justice by exploring that as deeply and meaningfully as possible given my own history with depression). On the other hand, Noah's not quite as developed as Mara is, emotionally. She's experienced so many things that he hasn't, and the trilogy leaves her in a radically different place from where she started, but Noah wasn't on the same ride. He's going to realise that he has to go back before he can move forward. 

Q: When will we see the cover for the becoming book? 

Michelle: I know they did a cover shoot for it recently, but I wasn't there for it. As soon as they give me something to share, though, I will! 

Q: Will we see a substantial amount of Daniel in TSC? I hope so! Noah and Daniel better end up besties

Michelle: Yes! Daniel has a really important role in Noah’s books. The two of them are in this space where they both love the same very deeply flawed person and aren’t completely aware of the extent of her flaws, so that actually brings them together in an interesting way, and it's been incredibly fun to write. 

Q: Any advice on how to cope after the 2016 election? How do I keep active and aware without completely losing my sanity? 

Michelle: God, I’m still coping with the 2016 election, and probably will be for the next three years. For me, fiction really helps—writing it and especially reading right now, and high fantasy more than anything else. I actually had Name of the Wind with me on election day when I was volunteering at HRC’s campaign headquarters, and I’m finally tearing my way through Game of Thrones right now. Also, it’s probably cliché to say it, but being offline and spending time with my family and friends helps quite a lot. I feel like I need to carefully manage my daily dose of reality, so I’m trying to do that in a way that will have the most meaningful impact.

Q: Will Mara's real name ever be revealed? 

Michelle: Never! (The whole series is premised on her anonymity, so revealing her name would spoil the conceit--and plus, it would inevitably be disappointing, wouldn't it?) 

Q: What music has helped inspire you when writing TSC? And what are you listening to at the moment?

Michelle:This first book of Noah’s might as well be the Halsey book—I’ve had the Badlands on repeat for over a year, basically. But it’s actually always helpful for me to go back to music I listened to at different moments when I was a teenager—like Fiona Apple and Marilyn Manson, specifically. Music really fuels certain memories for me.I missed Moana when it was in theatres so I only just saw it, and that’s the soundtrack I’ve been listening to. Lin Manuel Miranda is a perfect person. 

Q: How much of Noah's old life before Mara will we get to see in tsc? 

Michelle: A great question, which I'm still working out! The first book introduces some people from Noah's past, but since it takes place after Mara's trilogy and I didn't want it to be all flashbacks, all the time, it's filtered to the moments that are having the biggest impact on him at that particular moment. I'm working on the second book now, also, and it has a completely different structure... 

Q: Is the Mara we'll see in TSC different from Mara's own presentation of herself in her trilogy? And will Noah's perspective contradict previous events?

Michelle: I think other people tend to see a different version of ourselves than we see (or consciously present to the world), and that’s definitely true for Mara and Noah. One thing I’ve really loved about writing this new series is going back to certain moments from the first trilogy and getting to filter them through Noah’s completely different perspective. Memory is so subjective, it's a really interesting device to play with. 

Q: will you ever post any deleted scenes from the mara dyer trilogy?

Michelle: In a way, this whole series is kind of a deleted scene from the trilogy—I started writing Noah’s POV in Retribution, as he was originally in the first draft from the opening pages. When I realised how much his story diverged from Mara’s, I mentioned the idea of him having his own trilogy to explore that and now here we are! 

Q: When you say In the synopsis for the Shaw confessions that Noah thinks he knows Mara dyer and he doesn't like what does that mean? And I had another question~ does Mara want darkness and will she turn the world into darkness and death and why would she if she did? Will Noah try to stop her if she does and thank you so much I can't wait for TSC AND IM OBSESSED WITH YOUR WORK!!

Michelle: Thank you so much! I haven't written a synopsis for this first book so I'm not sure what that quote refers to, but Noah's relationship to everyone, including Mara, changes as he's confronted with certain things about himself that he's tried to avoid dealing with up until now. As for what Mara wants, they do actually want the same things, but have completely different philosophies and approaches toward achieving those things. And since aspects of their personalities are externalised w/ their abilities, that's where things get rather twisted...

Q: Hi Michelle! One of the things I love about Noah and Mara's relationship is that he values her bond with her family, it's super nice to see that their relationship doesn't isolate her from them (as much as possible anyway, given what goes down later in the series). Will be seeing more of Mara's brothers in TSC? And since it's from Noah's point of view, any chance we'll get more background on what his family life with his sister and stepmom was like?

Michelle: This question makes me so happy! I love Mara's relationship with her family too, and it was important for Noah's character to value that in her--it's something he so specifically lacks (for reasons that become plain in Retribution, and even plainer in the first book of The Shaw Confessions). Daniel's starting college in New York at the beginning of TSC, so he plays a significant role in the development of Noah's story--they have a bit of a bromance going on. It's one of my favourite aspects of the new series!

Q: What was wrong with jude besides what was described in the book? Like did he have different personalities because I remember he said something like do it before he gets back and he was refering to himself

Michelle: Good catch! I don’t think anyone’s asked me this before. He has dissociative episodes stemming from his history (spoiler alert)with Dr.Kells

Q: Are the characters going to go to London in the new book? I assume they are... :)

Michelle: They never go to London, actually! The book starts in England, but they never end up in the city...

Q: Are Mara and Noah based off people you know or did you just create them from qualities you like? Its really crazy how similar Noah and Mara are to me and my boyfriend I was totally shocked to see my soul written on those pages. Granted I don't have super powers but the personalities and what they have gone through have major similarities to my own life.

Michelle: Great question--I can definitely say that Mara's brothers have exaggerated traits I stole from my own brothers, but I never really set out to create characters with certain qualities or characteristics. For me, writing is a way of answering questions I've been asking myself, so Noah, Mara, and Jamie have all spiralled off of aspects of my own personality--I actually never realised how alike Noah and I were until I was neck-deep into this story. It means a lot to hear that they've resonated with you in that way--I'm still these books for the outsidery, misfit teen that I was, so knowing that they have an audience makes me feel like I've found my people.

Q: is Jamie going to get a boyfriend or a girlfriend in confessions?

Michelle: Oh, he's interested in someone, definitely...

Q: How would Mara and Noah feel about the current politics and movements (for example Women's March) that are taking place nowadays? Would they take action?

Michelle: Love this question! My zero draft (written long before the election) actually featured Mara using her abilities to...address…real issues--along the lines of how she dealt with her problems in Retribution. Having the kind of power she does, it would be easy to fall into a trap of thinking that if you eliminate an obstacle you can eliminate the problem, but so many problems, like violence against women, for example, are the products of deeply entrenched thought patterns and cultural issues that one person alone can't change. That's a long way of saying: Mara's definitely direct action oriented, but her methods would put her at odds with basically everyone else.

Q: Any advice for girls who struggle with appearance and personality issues?

Michelle: I’ve been struggling with those things since I was ten, so I would give them the same advice I give myself: keep going. But as a teenager, I wish I'd been given less advice--I wanted to be listened to, not talked at, and I think that's one good thing to have come out of the internet and the rise of online communities--wherever you are in the world, there's someone out there who will listen to you, if you want to talk.

Q: So is Mara going to be the enemy/villain in tsc?How does David die ? Did you purposely have Maras And Noahs names spell of madness?

Michelle: Last to first: 1) Yes! 2) You'll find out if you tune in to the Pixel Project Google Hangout on March 5th! 3) Who's to say there's only going to be one?

Q: So where are you moving next? (just so I know where your next books will be set)

Michelle: I only speak English and Hebrew (terribly, but still), so I'm rather limited, but I've completely fallen in love with many things about the UK. We'll see...!

Q: is there a time jump?

Michelle: There is, but not a significant one--the two series' take place within the span of less than a year (so far, excepting the flashbacks). But there are two books left to write...anything can happen!

Q: are you planning on releasing short stories or books about other characters? Maybe Jamie,or Daniel?

Michelle: So I started writing Mara's story in 2009, and the last book of TSC will probably be out in 2019...and I think ten years is quite a stretch. I have a project I started working on pretty recently that I'd love to spend more time on--it's so completely different from anything I've ever written. But there's always a chance I might come back to Mara & Noah's world in some other way--I've learned never to say never.

Q: What is your preferred method of writing? Do you use any of the computer writing programs such as Storyist and Scrivener, or does Microsoft Word do the trick? I try to handwrite first and then transfer everything into Word, but sometimes I find it hard to keep everything organized. I've debated buying a software program but I can't tell if any of them are worth it. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Michelle: So I am a huge Scrivener evangelist--I bought a Macbook Pro in 2009 just so I could use it (they hadn't made the Windows version yet), and it's so worth it, if only for the fact that you don't have to keep switching between windows and applications when you're writing (though I use it for more than that). I've also been using Scapple (made by the creators of Scrivener)--it's like having a whiteboard on my laptop, in a way, and I love how I can create a flowchart with it out of absolutely anything. My writing process is chaotic and disorganised--I wish I could outline, but every attempt has resulted in total failure. The way I write, I sort of create these mental bins for things--one of them contains things I like, the other contains bits I want to use for the mood I want my stories to create, and out of the two, I somehow, eventually, end up with a plot. Not the most efficient way to write, but it would all be so, so much harder without Scrivener.

Q: Will you be getting twitter back?? WE MISS YOU!!! -your besties/biggest fans Britt and anna

Michelle: You're too sweet! I might end up going back eventually, but I have to say, I don't miss Twitter...I miss all of you guys, but Tumblr is a much better medium for interaction with fewer distractions for me right now.

Q:Noah Shaw confesses all in this chilling new series from Michelle Hodkin, author of the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy!Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance. He does.Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions. There is.Noah is convinced that he knows the real Mara Dyer. He does not.Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred.Let the confessions begin.       ------>>>>>> so is this not coming from you?

Michelle: Nope!

Q: What's your Hogwarts house?

Michelle: Dyed-in-the-wool Ravenclaw here.

Q: Did you read any books in particular to help prepare you to write The Mara Dyer Trilogy or TSC?

Michelle: For TSC, I reread and took quite a few notes on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Which probably doesn't make much sense right now...but I hope it will, someday!

Q: Is the reoccurring numbers in the trilogy like 213 and 1821 have to do with foreshadowing or is the more of a mystery to them? Or have I just over analysed?  

Michelle: You didn't overanalyse! They're repeated intentionally. Daniel says this about it in Retribution:/ Daniel looked at me with a curious expression. “Those numbers I was talking about? The sequence? Lenaurd, the author, kept referring to them as genetic markers—the numbers of the genes that carry the anomaly that makes the subjects different. One of the studies he self-published determined that subjects with the anomaly see those numbers everywhere. The sequences stand out to them. Whenever they see a cluster—any pairing of one, eight, two, or three—they notice. It’s like an obsessive thought, or a form of OCD counting. They start seeing patterns where there are none, but they may not even realize they’re doing it. It’s one of the earliest symptoms.”/

Q: Silly question: We know Noah is not good at drawing, but is he good at dancing? I swear it's not for fanfiction. :)

Michelle: Noah could dance, but he doesn't. He's more of a watcher than a joiner.

Q: Hi Michelle! Thank you so much for your support for The Pixel Project and our work to end violence against women. Here are our questions:

YA books tell some of the most female-friendly and female-centric stories in modern fantasy today. Why do you think this is so and where does Mara fit in the spectrum of YA heroines?What do you think authors can do to support the cause to end violence against women and girls?

Michelle: Thank you guys so much for having me. I’m not sure I can do this question justice, but I think YA has the advantage of speaking directly to an audience that is open and interested in reading female-driven stories, even from unlikeable or unpopular perspectives. When I first started writing Mara’s story almost eight years ago, all I really knew about her then was the type of character she would end up becoming—just this completely unrepentant and unapologetic anti-heroine. I really hadn’t read any stories featuring a female protagonist like her in any of the books people were handing me as a teen, so I ended up writing my books to fill the empty space on my own shelf. I hope that, as an author, I can give voice to perspectives readers maybe haven’t been exposed to before. I’ve been sexually assaulted myself, and one thing I wanted to do when I first started writing was to write a character who didn’t react to that experience in a way that’s considered typical. I think helping to dispel the idea that women who have been victims of violence are only allowed to react in specific, prescribed ways is terribly important, and that’s something I lean into pretty hard with my own work. I went to law school because I wanted to help those who were voiceless be heard, and I never dreamed that I would be able to do exactly that on a larger scale than I could’ve imagined by writing fiction. So that’s what I keep aiming for. There will always be more work to do, and I plan to keep showing.

@michellehodkin : Thank you so much for stopping by to ask questions. I'm being dragged away but I will do my best to check in later to see if there are any stragglers. Back to work, and I hope to see you on Sunday for the reading!

link to the whole thing