📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Wooded Discovery' B.B. Swann | Author Interview | #AuthorInterview
BB Swann is a twenty-seven-year retired elementary teacher who writes books for children and young adults. Her issue-driven stories focus on characters who face difficulties most readers can relate to, and how they succeed through perseverance, ingenuity, and hope. She is also a literary agent at FinePrint Literary Management in New York representing a diverse group of authors that write picture books through adult manuscripts mostly in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, or speculative fiction. You can visit her at Facebook, Instagram and TicToc.
Wooded Discovery offers newly awakened magic, teenage angst and the supernatural world. Which of these was the most fun for you to write?
Definitely the magic. I mean, who doesn’t want to have a little magic in their life, right? Science fiction and fantasy have always been my go-to for books and movies, so when I started writing myself, it was a given that I would write about characters who could blink away their troubles with or without a wand in hand. (There are no wands in Wooded Discovery though.) Creating a world of magic is harder than it looks sometimes. It seems like everything has been done before so trying to come up with something new can be a challenge. On the flip side, sometimes readers are purists and want their magic to be done “the right way.” Writers run the risk of upsetting those readers if we try to create a magic system that might not fit the norm. In my book, I decided to create a system that would feel natural to my character and his needs. I think this makes it feel more believable to the reader, too.
Which of the characters from Wooded Discovery do you most closely identify with and why?
I think most writers probably put a piece of themselves into almost every character they write. It’s hard not to when we get inside their heads to create them. In this case though, I would have to pick Piper. She’s a bit of a tree hugger, not a conformer, and definitely knows what she believes in and where she’s not willing to compromise. I think I made her (and me) sound kind of hard-headed, but she is a bit vulnerable, too. The trauma she faces in her life is what made her that way. It’s understandable for her to be a bit guarded. We have that in common as well.
What do you think sets Wooded Discovery apart from other books of the same genre?
I wrote it. It’s my story. Like I said, writers put pieces of themselves into the stories we write, and I think that’s what sets each story apart from each other. If I asked ten authors to write a story about a group of teens who solve a magical mystery, there would be ten different stories. They might have some of the same elements. Fantasy readers like certain things and that’s what draws them to the genre. But the flavor of each story would be unique. Like other urban fantasies, mine has the heroes who use their powers to try and save the day, the villain who thinks they can get away with their dastardly plan, and the magic system set in a familiar world that will empower the characters to do what they need to do. But the way I portray them is different from what anyone else would write because they aren’t me. So, if a reader is on the fence about reading my story, I hope they give it a try, especially if I am a new author to them.
Surprise me. What is something that happens in the book that would make my mouth drop without giving too much away?
Well, let’s just say that not everything—nor everyone— is as it seems. It’s a mystery. I can’t give any spoilers!
Who is your favorite YA fantasy author?
Oh, too many to pick one. I think whichever book I am reading is my new favorite. But if I have to pick one, I’ll give a shout-out to Shami Stovall. If you like high fantasy, her Frith Chronicles series is to die for!
Do you think writing a YA fantasy novel is more complex than writing books of other genres?
In the words of Chuck, “Writing is hard.” (IYKYK) All stories need to be complex because there are so many parts to a great story. If I’m honest though, the most complex story to write is a picture book. Seriously. A novel can have 50,000 or more words. That’s lots of room to hook your reader or build your world and characters. A picture book gets about 500, give or take fifty words or so. That’s it. I once had three or four emails with my editor over ONE word in my picture book, Katie Comma. I don’t want to deter anyone from writing though. Sometimes the words flow and sometimes they get stuck, though. If anyone reading this is trying to write their story, a novel or picture book, just keep plugging along. You’ll get there!
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m writing an adult paranormal horror. It’s ghosty and scary and so much fun to write! After that, who knows? Whatever my muses send my way, I’ll take it.
His senior year just turned magical. Now if only he can win his crush’s affections without getting killed.
Seventeen-year-old Zaidyn Mitchell would rather not be weird. But nothing can be stranger than when the self-proclaimed bookworm wakes up one night, floating several feet above his bed. Still desperate to fit in after his parents unceremoniously unlocked his abilities, all Zaidyn wants is to date the girl of his dreams.
With his magic a little uncontrolled, the budding wizard finally makes a move and promises his beautiful classmate to help stop a construction project from destroying the nearby woods. But when an unknown force attacks and tries to separate them, Zaidyn fears this supernatural world is about to send them to their doom.
Can the teen would-be hero find a way to save them both?
Read sample here.
Wooded Discovery is available at Amazon.
The Writer’s Life
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