Friday, September 16, 2011

Interview with Erin Morgenstern and Giveaway - September 16, 2011

Please welcome Erin Morgenstern to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews. Erin's debut, The Night Circus, was published earlier this week. You can read my 5 Qwill review here.


TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Erin:  Oh, I have a lot of writing quirks. I don’t write in order, I love adverbs, I write pages and pages that I never end up using. I listen compulsively to the same music over and over again while I write. I’m not sure if any of these are particularly interesting, but there you go.

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers?

Erin:  Margaret Atwood, Douglas Adams, Donna Tartt, Nick Bantock, Tom Stoppard, Dashiell Hammett, Jhumpa Lahiri, Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Tom Robbins, Diana Wynne Jones, Shakespeare.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Erin:  Traditionally I’m a pantser but having gone through so many revisions I’ve become something of a hybrid, I still write free-form to come up with material but then I try to work within a structure.

TQ:  Describe The Night Circus in 140 characters or less.

Erin:  It's about a singular circus & a competition held within it. A tale of love & choices & the shades of grey between the black & white.

TQ:  What inspired you to write The Night Circus?

Erin:  The Night Circus actually began as a tangent in a different novel, since I was never much of a planner I got bored with what I was writing and sent all the characters to the circus. The circus was a lot more interesting than anything else in that novel so I focused on that instead, developing it first as a location and then building the story into it.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for The Night Circus?

Erin:  I didn’t research much, I mostly took a love of the time period and an overactive imagination and made things up. I would occasionally check to make sure elements weren’t overly anachronistic but I didn’t bend over backwards to make it historically accurate. I was delighted to discover after the fact that Barnum & Bailey’s circus did at one point have acrobats perform in evening wear, I’d had no idea when I dressed my own acrobats so formally.

TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Erin:  Poppet and Widget were the easiest, they were the very first characters created so in a lot of ways they’re the most familiar and I understood their personalities and their relationship with each other almost immediately.

Celia was the hardest, though now she’s the one I’m probably the closest to. She's a complicated character and she changes a lot during the course of the story so getting that right was a struggle, but a very worthwhile one.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in the book?

Erin:  It’s very difficult to choose, as I love a lot of scenes but I am particularly fond of all the scenes that Celia and Marco share and of those the anniversary party is likely my favorite, with that burst of color and passion within all the black and white.

TQ:  What's next?

Erin:  Next up I’m about to embark on a whirlwind of a book tour, but after that I hope to get back to working on my next novel, which is still in exploration stage and I’m looking forward to figuring out its secrets.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Erin:  You are very welcome, thank you for having me!


About The Night Circus

The Night Circus
(Doubleday, September 13, 2011)

US Cover
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.



UK Cover

About Erin

Erin Morgenstern is a writer and artist. Most of her writings and paintings are fairy tales, in one way or another. She lives in Massachusetts.


Erin's Links

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter









The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of The Night Circus from The Qwillery.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

If you could work at a circus, what would you like to do? 

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, September 23, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

48 comments:

  1. Thank you for this opportunity.
    If I could work at a circus for sure I'll be an acrobat.
    Comment √
    Follower √
    Twitter RT √
    http://twitter.com/#!/BookaholicCat/status/114644183683309568

    ReplyDelete
  2. i want to be the magician in a circus :)

    punkme15 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. im a blog follower =)
    GFC: Jel

    punkme15 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/jelaiii_x/status/114686266615939072

    punkme15 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. First of all, I love your contest guideline 'The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address.'

    I would like to work in the 'Lost and Found' area of the circus. A circus needs a magician who can do a great disappering act and then WOW people by reappearing. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would want to be an animal handler!
    Thank you for the interview and giveaway!

    I am a follower

    ssosborn atgmail dotcom

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think I would have liked to become the Magician's apprentice in a circus as you are an inside look to their tricks.

    Seemasmilz(at)Gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would love to be a magician in the circus:)
    Thanks for the giveaway!

    +1 comment
    +1 I'm a GFC follower-Janhvi Jagtap
    +1 i tweeted-http://twitter.com/#!/justjanhvi/status/114690565676871680

    Janhvi
    justjanhvi at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh god, if I worked in circus, I would have been one of those weird and mysterious dancers, you know? Like in Cirque du Soleil?
    Thank you for the giveaway! This book is on my wishlist :)
    +1 comment
    +1 follower
    +1 shared on my blog
    http://nocturnalbookreviews.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. I want to be clown.. Love to make people laugh! ^^

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    +1 comment
    +1 follower
    +1 Retweeted : https://twitter.com/#!/r3n87/status/114693210298785792

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    sawamura_foxman At yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  11. If I could work at a circus, I'd want to be a tightrope walker.

    GFC follower: Nakoya

    alias.known.yo at gmail dot com.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  12. This sounds so good! Putting it on my TBR list. If I were in the circus - animal trainer, but probably not the big cats. Maybe monkeys or something.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well it would have to be a circus with no animals (circuses are abusive to animals), but I would love to be a clown. Making kids laugh by being silly would be awesome! :)
    cegluna(at)Gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would love to be an animal trainer :D

    GFC follower.

    lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. If I worked at circus I would want to be an acrobat. I'd love to swing from the trapeze. That has always looked like so much fun.

    csolinda(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. If I worked in a circus I would want to work with the horses- maybe be one of the trainers who got to run around with them and ride them through their show...I think it would be kinda cool! Thanks for the giveaway

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC Follower
    +1 Twitter
    http://twitter.com/#!/crazymidwestgal/status/114727914498572288

    junegirl63(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. If I could work in a circus I would be a mysterious magician's apprentice...the one who disappears and gets sawed in half! Thanks for this wonderful giveaway!

    I am also a follower.
    kalan108 at yahoo dot ca

    ReplyDelete
  18. thanks for the giveaway ! I would love to read this book ! If I could work at a circus, I would love to be a tightrope walker, it could be amazing !

    I'm a follower

    ellana_(at)hotmail(dot)fr

    ReplyDelete
  19. If I would be in a circus - which, totally random fact, I have done once! A little grounded acrobatics and balancing, fancy enough for a 10-year old - I would go for some magic things. I'm not a big fan of animals in the circus, nor clowns - It! - and big stunts are way above me, so yes, gimme some high hats! ;)

    Thank you so so so much for this giveaway! It's been on top of my to-buy-list since I noticed it earlier this month. Should be awesome!

    +1 comment
    +1 follower

    jannickv[at]hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Trapeze artist! Woot :)
    +1 comment
    +1 follower

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would be... a knife juggler! even though I'd probably lose some extremities lol. Thanks for the giveaway!

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC follower
    +1 Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/lesleyboogie/status/114755366335684608
    +1 blog mention: http://les121.livejournal.com/16979.html

    drakeLa90 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. https://twitter.com/#!/Icecream1891/status/114761765891485696 tweeted
    GFC Krystal Larson
    edysicecreamlover18@gmailDOTcom
    I would love to be a tight rope walker or acrobat-I'm pretty good in real life and I'm extremely bendy. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  23. If I could work at a circus, I would want to be an acrobat because I've always thought that it'll be amazing to be able to do what they do.

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC follower

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'd read tarotcards. And minds. Maybe even sell candyfloss.

    +1 GFC: Frederikke Reimer

    frederikker.jb@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for the giveaway, I have seen this book reviewed alot this week and it sounds so good. If I could work at a circus I would want to walk the tight rope.

    +1 Comment
    +1 Follower (RachaelM)
    +1 Twitted
    http://twitter.com/#!/ERachaelM/status/114773718303129601

    rachaelmccully@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I have always admired the acrobats so that is what I would pick if I had the choice.
    +1 comment
    +1 GFC Follower
    +1 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Book-Flame/190685457638977
    +1 posted on blog sidebar (bookflame.blogspot.com)

    bookflamereviews@ gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I would want to be one of those people that do the animal tricks! I think it would be so cool! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/theblogginbook/status/114792596269834241
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aMarie821/posts/287015007979080
    GFC Name: Ashley Barker

    Thanks!

    BloggingBooks @gmail .com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Definitely the trapeze! Although I would have to get over my fear of heights first!

    -comment
    -GFC follower
    -tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/jwitt33/status/114798190552809472

    jwitt33 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. If I woked at the circus I would be a trapeze artist, they look so graceful. Thanks for the giveaway, crossing fingers

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC follower
    +1 tweeted- http://twitter.com/#!/joleneallcock/status/114804136926654464

    june111(at)att(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  30. I would want to be a stunt horse rider.

    GFC follower
    Cambonified (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I would like to be an acrobat or dancer. Please enter me in contest. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would love to be a magician-- though I wouldn't be very good at it, haha! :-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I'd love to be a clown: freak people out.

    I follow.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  34. If I am going to work in a circus I want to go all out. Meet the new lion tamer!

    +1 comment
    +1 follower

    thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks for the giveaway.

    I would love to ride horses in the circus, doing amazing tricks to wow the audience!

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC follower - Nicki J Markus

    nickijmarkus AT y7mail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  36. If I could work at the circus I would love to do the trapeze
    follow via gfc
    drakebdog@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I would want to be the animal tamer! (:

    +1 Comment
    +1 Follower (Blissfulrains)
    +1 Tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/Blissfulrains/status/115304181698543616

    blissfulrains(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  38. If you could work at a circus, what would you like to do?
    I would like be an aerial acrobat to style acts on aerial silks, aerial rope.
    GFC : Adriana
    Tweted: http://twitter.com/#!/Adrianaec7/status/115990655804780544

    ReplyDelete
  39. I'd love to be an acrobat because I can hardly do a small jump without getting myself killed!

    aliasgirl at libero dot it

    GFC follower

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thank you for the giveaway!
    I would like to be someone who cares for the animals.
    GFC follower as Diana
    I shared it on FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1522821560

    artgiote at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. awesome giveaway! I've heard such awesome things about this book :)

    GFC ~ erin
    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

    total-2

    ReplyDelete
  42. I would like to do acrobatics or be a knife juggler !

    Thank you so much for making this awesome give-away international !

    +1 Following your blog via GFC : Ifrah
    +1 comment
    +1 tweeted : https://twitter.com/#!/Twinklesmile023/status/117173212105801729

    Best,
    Ifrah

    starlight023(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  43. I was stage manager in high school and I love the idea of doing the same for a circus, getting all those personalities through a "smooth" show. What a challenge!

    +1 Follower

    ReplyDelete
  44. Definitely a trapeze artist/acrobat.

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC follower (as Allie)
    +1 retweeted :

    https://twitter.com/#!/QQwill/status/114644183683309568

    email: icecreamavalanche (at)gmail (dot) com

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks for the giveaway! If I worked in the circus I would just simply want to be a clown!

    BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  46. Already follow via GFC (MamaHendo3).

    BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  47. Tweeted giveaway: https://twitter.com/#!/MamaHendo3/status/117403813207482368

    BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  48. I would be a trapeeze artist!!
    cejbguymon@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete