Author Interview: Ransom Riggs

It’s almost YALLFest time, celebrating all things YA and authors and readers and everything in between. To help celebrate, The Hodgenator is hosting author interviews.

The Hodgenator welcomes Ransom Riggs to the blog for today. Woot!

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

Silence. My noise-cancelling headphones have become almost essential.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

The first. I rewrite and rewrite it a million times. The last comes easy.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

I’m six foot four. I lived on a working farm until I was five. I used to know how to cook Indian food but now I’ve forgotten. I love documentaries. One day I will conquer the moon.

What are you working on now?

A novel for Little, Brown the plot of which is SECRET! (Sort of, for now. But I’m really excited about it.)

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?

Oh, definitely YA to write in. I read everything, lots of YA, lots of adult, nonfiction of all sorts. I even read poetry when I’m feeling ambitious. I think it’s crucial to have lots of different influences. If you only read in the genre you write in, your writing will sound like everything else that’s already out there.

Okay, may I just say that I absolutely love Ransom Riggs? Is that allowed? I know he is now married, but still…

For fans of ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,’ you might be interested to know that there is a sequel to this novel. Yes, you read that correctly, a sequel. It is due out January 14, 2014. SQUEE! Learn more about it here.

To learn more about Ransom Riggs, his writing, and/or where you can catch him on his ‘Miss Peregrine’ paperback tour, visit his blog. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Happy Reading!

- The Hodgenator