Denver Host Signing Report

Where did you come up with your idea for the other planets, and where did you come up with the idea of alien souls and the characteristics they have?

I always have a bunch of crazy roles in my head, I happen to let my imagination go crazy, like, let’s see, what if we had a world of blind creatures that could sing and fly, or what if they were plants that were stuck in the ground with a million eyes, that’s pure fun for me and I don’t have to work at it; so it’s hard to give advice for that. If your mind works that way, then maybe science fiction is for you, but if it’s harder, then maybe something more human might be the way.

What was the most memorable thing about writing the host?

That would be Ian. My favourite characters are the ones who decide for themselves who they want to be. It’s the characters who stop doing what you want that make the story feel special and out of your imagination, something that seems to exist on it’s own, and that’s an interesting experience. With Ian in the beginning drafts, Ian was Kyle’s backup guy, but the first time Ian spoke he was curious why Jeb didn’t kill Wanda instantly, and his curiosity set him apart, and then he spoke with Jared and thought about what was going on because Jared refused to.

How old is Ian?

About twenty-five, and Kyle is thirty.

Is Melanie Stryder an anagram for your name?

No. Our initials are the same. She’s named after a cousin of mine, I was looking for an ordinary earth name that wouldn’t stand out a lot, I wanted hers to sound human. I didn’t realize it sounded close to my name.

Are you going to write a sequel and when will it come out?

I don’t know. I don’t know. I’d like to, but I’ve been working on the Twilight saga and it takes a while. (Screaming cheers) I’ve been doing a lot of editing, which isn’t my favourite thing, but the Host was finished months ago so I haven’t been in that world for a while. Now that I’ve been on tour and answering questions, it makes me excited about the sequel. People want Midnight Sun first, so I’ll get that one done first. The Host eventually, it takes a while, though. So it’ll be years, not Months.

Who is your favourite character in the Host and why? (This was my question!!!!)

 Ian, but I’m really fond of Jeb because he was himself from day one. I don’t know anyone like him. He was another character that when he fit in the outline he didn’t deviate from that. He was a voice in my head that I didn’t know. I liked Doc a lot, he’s like my little brother, Seth, from my website. He’s a very cool guy and a very tall guy as well.

About the covers:

A lot of people think that’s my eye. It isn’t. It’s a model’s eye. The hands on the Twilight cover aren’t mine either.

How do you feel about your book being turned into a movie?

I’m pretty excited. If I was out there, I’d be cheering too. It’s pretty exciting. I see things visually, and when I was writing Twilight, I saw it as a movie in my head. You guys have all seen movies based on books that are bad and one or two that are decent, so I struggled with it. I had a brush with that, we had a different movie company, and I got to see the other scripts: the first one was like Vampire CSI. They could have called it anything else but Twilight and no one would know that they were the same. I lucked out on the second time with a movie company who wanted everyone to be happy. They have great actors and a great director and lots of dedicated people. It’s not going to be the same, if people go in with their books and are like: "Wait, on page 234 they didn’t say that." They’re not going to have a great experience. This is a different medium, it has a different feel. But everything that is in the movie could happen, like with the tree controversy, Edward could do that, so I’m cool with it. But I think people that come out of it will have a cool experience.

Do you have any advice for young writers about publishers?

First, if your book isn’t done, forget the publisher part. Work on the story. You have plenty of time for that. Keep yourself happy and write. Don’t think about what other people want. Don’t think about people looking over your shoulder, that has a stage fright experience. I had a hard time with New Moon, because I knew people were going to read it. I didn’t have that problem with Twilight because it was all mine. But with New Moon I knew there were fans and editors with red pens. I got online and researched stuff. When you find a publisher, follow their rules. Do what they say and they’ll be more likely to publish your books. But don’t get discouraged, keep trying. Someone will read your books; don’t feel like it’ll be lost in a void. Believe in yourself, if you love it, other people will too.

Do you write everyday?

Almost. When I’m working on a book I work all day and night. I’m editing right now, and I really miss writing. A true test of a writer is if you cannot go a week without writing. If you don’t miss it, then maybe that isn’t your calling. I miss it a lot.