Interview Thursday! – Analee Miranda
I’ve decided to start something new on my blog!
Each Thursday, I’ve decided to interview a YA or MG author. Hopefully you’ll enjoy these introductions to authors you might not know otherwise, and perhaps even hear about a book you didn’t know you needed!
If you’re interested in being interviewed, feel free to contact me!
The Serious Interview Questions
What made you want to become an author?
I’ve always enjoyed creative writing but I also love science and mathematics. I ended up concentrating on math in college and getting a PhD in math with a focus on mathematical physics. I decided to begin writing as a hobby to get through some emotional and health issues and somehow ended up writing my first novel. I self-published it just because I was thinking of writing as more of a pastime but when my friends, family, and even some strangers read it, and they were hooked on my story, I began taking writing more seriously. I recently secured a curriculum writer contract for a company named SHMOOP and I’m also working on my next YA series, which I plan on submitting to a traditional publishing company.
Tell us about your current work in progress.
My latest story is about a young girl who doesn’t need sleep. She’s leading a double life, being a normal teen during the day and an engineering-smart detective by night. I like my heroines to be interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. I usually don’t see many heroines in YA that are brainy geniuses that do the rescuing in clever ways. I like to think of my next book series as Nancy Drew meets 21st century STEM.
What do you do to cure writer’s block?
When I open up my computer, I just write. I don’t think. It’s a good technique for me. When I begin to question my writing or stop being productive, that’s when I know I have to close up the computer and move on to a different thing to do. It’s not a cure for writer’s block but I guess it’s more of a process that I use to be as efficient as possible with my writing. I always tell myself, someone else is the editor, and I’m the writer.
Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I’m definitely not a plotter. During my day job as a mathematical researcher, I feel like I have to plan and think carefully about my decisions. As a writer, I let myself be free and simply don’t care about the consequences. It’s a great feeling to just let your words flow out without filter. I have enough of a hard time filtering my words during the day. As a writer, I’m fearless and carefree.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Aside from trying to write for at least 30 minutes a day, not really. I find that writing is more of an escape from the rituals of daily life. It’s the only time I can be honest, sincere, goofy, dramatic, and reckless. I wish I could be more like that in real life.
What is your favorite book? What about favorite book to movie adaptation?
I really love reading. I recently made a list of my top ten favorite books and they are mostly classics. The one that stands out in my mind right at this second is the play “A raisin in the sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. There’s something about that book that makes me think of myself. I have the dreamer side in me that wishes I could be different from my cautious Latina culture but there is also the western-minded scientist that believes in logic and those two identities often seem to conflict with each other. My favorite book to movie adaption is Bridget Jones Diary. The Bridget in my head as I was reading the novel was just as goofy and crazy as Renee’s Bridget. I loved the first movie and I still remember how much I loved Bridget’s antics in the book and in the movie.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve researched for a book?
Alice Universes. For my novel, “Rebirth,” the main character’s consciousness is transported into a dimension where electricity doesn’t exist. I remember hearing about a theoretical universe that held no charge once in a cosmology class and I think that’s where the idea came from. I decided to research what a Universe without charge meant and then imagine what a person would see. For one, there would be free charges bouncing around everywhere. Also, there would be no light in the traditional sense so a set of eyes had to be created that could see colors without light scattering from fields but from natural and local glows. It was weird but also fascinating. I’m a big nerd!
What is the best piece of writing advice you NEVER followed?
I took a creative writing class a long time ago and was told to plan out my writing, create a timeline, develop themes, build scenes, and work on structure first and storyline last. I’m glad that I don’t follow a traditional writing meme. It just works for me to not plan. I would much rather freestyle my way into people’s hearts. My ADHD makes my thinking scattered and I usually have to work around my disability during my research day job by making lists, assigning myself tasks, and creating structure to where there is none. My fiction writing simply follows my distractions and I find the people that enjoy my stories love distractions. It allows me to distract their mind, and isn’t that the point of reading? Entertainment and distraction.
What is your favorite genre to write in? Why?
I love science fiction and fantasy. I wish more people were full-time nerds like me. I write for people who are closeted nerds or fully committed, full-time nerds like me.
Tell us about your current book!
My very first novel is called “Rebirth” and it follow’s the story of Annie. She’s a physics grad student who dies in an explosion and is transported to Diastasis, a planet that houses the consciousness of those who died. Annie is able to find a way out of Diastasis and returns to Earth. She uses this second chance to change her life and improve upon it. But there is a secret battle going on that spins society into a post-apocalyptic scary place full of random explosions that break the infrastructure of Earth without cause or reason. Annie soon discovers that she is at the center of the mystery and it’s connected to her parents who died when she was very young. I’m almost finished with the next book in the series “The return diaries.” The second novel is called “Resonance” and we get to meet Annie’s parents and get to witness their love story. We also get to find out how Annie came to be left alone and in foster care. I’m excited about the story and hoping that people will enjoy the second book as much as the first.
The Random Questions
Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla.
Dinos or dragons?
Dragons.
What psychic power would you want?
Telekinesis because I’m lazy.
Favorite Disney character?
Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Dream vacation?
Going to Mars.
Tomatoes: Fruit or veggie?
Fruit.
Morning Person or Night owl?
Night owl!
Favorite Book Ever?
Little Women.
Favorite Movie Ever?
Contact.
Music Earworm of the Moment?
50 Shades of Grey Soundtrack.
What made you want to become an author?
I’ve always enjoyed creative writing but I also love science and mathematics. I ended up concentrating on math in college and getting a PhD in math with a focus on mathematical physics. I decided to begin writing as a hobby to get through some emotional and health issues and somehow ended up writing my first novel. I self-published it just because I was thinking of writing as more of a pastime but when my friends, family, and even some strangers read it, and they were hooked on my story, I began taking writing more seriously. I recently secured a curriculum writer contract for a company named SHMOOP and I’m also working on my next YA series, which I plan on submitting to a traditional publishing company.
Tell us about your current work in progress.
My latest story is about a young girl who doesn’t need sleep. She’s leading a double life, being a normal teen during the day and an engineering-smart detective by night. I like my heroines to be interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. I usually don’t see many heroines in YA that are brainy geniuses that do the rescuing in clever ways. I like to think of my next book series as Nancy Drew meets 21st century STEM.
What do you do to cure writer’s block?
When I open up my computer, I just write. I don’t think. It’s a good technique for me. When I begin to question my writing or stop being productive, that’s when I know I have to close up the computer and move on to a different thing to do. It’s not a cure for writer’s block but I guess it’s more of a process that I use to be as efficient as possible with my writing. I always tell myself, someone else is the editor, and I’m the writer.
Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I’m definitely not a plotter. During my day job as a mathematical researcher, I feel like I have to plan and think carefully about my decisions. As a writer, I let myself be free and simply don’t care about the consequences. It’s a great feeling to just let your words flow out without filter. I have enough of a hard time filtering my words during the day. As a writer, I’m fearless and carefree.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Aside from trying to write for at least 30 minutes a day, not really. I find that writing is more of an escape from the rituals of daily life. It’s the only time I can be honest, sincere, goofy, dramatic, and reckless. I wish I could be more like that in real life.
What is your favorite book? What about favorite book to movie adaptation?
I really love reading. I recently made a list of my top ten favorite books and they are mostly classics. The one that stands out in my mind right at this second is the play “A raisin in the sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. There’s something about that book that makes me think of myself. I have the dreamer side in me that wishes I could be different from my cautious Latina culture but there is also the western-minded scientist that believes in logic and those two identities often seem to conflict with each other. My favorite book to movie adaption is Bridget Jones Diary. The Bridget in my head as I was reading the novel was just as goofy and crazy as Renee’s Bridget. I loved the first movie and I still remember how much I loved Bridget’s antics in the book and in the movie.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve researched for a book?
Alice Universes. For my novel, “Rebirth,” the main character’s consciousness is transported into a dimension where electricity doesn’t exist. I remember hearing about a theoretical universe that held no charge once in a cosmology class and I think that’s where the idea came from. I decided to research what a Universe without charge meant and then imagine what a person would see. For one, there would be free charges bouncing around everywhere. Also, there would be no light in the traditional sense so a set of eyes had to be created that could see colors without light scattering from fields but from natural and local glows. It was weird but also fascinating. I’m a big nerd!
What is the best piece of writing advice you NEVER followed?
I took a creative writing class a long time ago and was told to plan out my writing, create a timeline, develop themes, build scenes, and work on structure first and storyline last. I’m glad that I don’t follow a traditional writing meme. It just works for me to not plan. I would much rather freestyle my way into people’s hearts. My ADHD makes my thinking scattered and I usually have to work around my disability during my research day job by making lists, assigning myself tasks, and creating structure to where there is none. My fiction writing simply follows my distractions and I find the people that enjoy my stories love distractions. It allows me to distract their mind, and isn’t that the point of reading? Entertainment and distraction.
What is your favorite genre to write in? Why?
I love science fiction and fantasy. I wish more people were full-time nerds like me. I write for people who are closeted nerds or fully committed, full-time nerds like me.
Tell us about your current book!
My very first novel is called “Rebirth” and it follow’s the story of Annie. She’s a physics grad student who dies in an explosion and is transported to Diastasis, a planet that houses the consciousness of those who died. Annie is able to find a way out of Diastasis and returns to Earth. She uses this second chance to change her life and improve upon it. But there is a secret battle going on that spins society into a post-apocalyptic scary place full of random explosions that break the infrastructure of Earth without cause or reason. Annie soon discovers that she is at the center of the mystery and it’s connected to her parents who died when she was very young. I’m almost finished with the next book in the series “The return diaries.” The second novel is called “Resonance” and we get to meet Annie’s parents and get to witness their love story. We also get to find out how Annie came to be left alone and in foster care. I’m excited about the story and hoping that people will enjoy the second book as much as the first.
The Random Questions
Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla.
Dinos or dragons?
Dragons.
What psychic power would you want?
Telekinesis because I’m lazy.
Favorite Disney character?
Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Dream vacation?
Going to Mars.
Tomatoes: Fruit or veggie?
Fruit.
Morning Person or Night owl?
Night owl!
Favorite Book Ever?
Little Women.
Favorite Movie Ever?
Contact.
Music Earworm of the Moment?
50 Shades of Grey Soundtrack.
About the Author
|
Dr. Analee Miranda was born in Lima, Peru and immigrated to the United States when she was 6 years old. Dr. Miranda earned her Ph.D. in mathematics in 2010 and she works with the Air Force Research Laboratory and is a math and computer science adjunct professor at Wright State University. Dr. Miranda loves rescuing animals. In her lifetime she has cared for several wild birds, reptiles, cats, and dogs. Currently she has five dogs and one cat.
|