Janet Fitch will now take your questions

Posted by Lindsay 10 months ago

Exciting news, Figgies. Janet Fitch, the author of White Oleander and Paint it Black, is accepting your questions! Every week for the month of July, she'll pick one (or more)of your questions and answer it on The Figment Blog and newsletter.

Find out more about Janet by browsing her profile or looking at her website. Janet is clearly a Figgie at heart; she had this to say about becoming a writer: "I wanted to Live, not spend my life in a library. Of course, my conception of being a writer was to wear a cape and have Adventures."

This week, ask questions about writing craft (technique, style, genres, etc.). Next week she'll be taking questions about the ins and outs of the writer's life, the following week about writer's block (what to do when things go wrong), and the final week about the artist's calling, or "what is art for?" If you write the question that Janet chooses to answer, you'll receive the (now legendary) Figment tote. So get your questions ready!

Last updated 10 months ago

10 months ago Violet C. replied:

Cool.

Last updated 10 months ago
10 months ago Savannah Ettinger replied:

How do you write? Do you plot the entire story out before you begin to write, or do you start writing and see where the story goes on it's own?
10 months ago Violet C. replied:

What genre do you think is best to write when you are in a silly mood? (As in, feeling like painting your face green, wearing a yellow suit and going crazy.)
10 months ago Aea Varfis-van Warmelo replied:

Am I the only one who read Filch?
Really? Only one? You don't think about Harry Potter every time you do something?
10 months ago Emma A, The Next Stephen King. replied:

Do you think it makes a writing more interesting to combine styles and genres within characters/books?
10 months ago Violet C. replied:

@Aea: I didn't even notice her last name. I thought about Abercrombie when I reread it, haha.
10 months ago Jordan the Boa replied:

Hi Janet! What different genres have you played with in the past? Are there any genres that you would like to explore in future stories?
10 months ago Mækir Vilemist replied:

In your opinion, is it possible to hook people in with a dark writing style, or do you think this scares too many people off?
10 months ago Zara the Shikara tara replied:

Hi, what style of writing is best; third person, second person, or first person?

Thank you.
10 months ago Ariel G. Martinez replied:

Where do you get most of your ideas? Like do you visit certain places and get inspired? Or was it other writers?
10 months ago Roberta H. Shapiro replied:

Throughout all of your adventures, while wearig a cape and the such, how do you find what you want to write in the time you have to do it? (including inspirations, incentives, etc.)

Thanks!
10 months ago ♪ KK the Dalek Honey Badger ♫ replied:

How many grapes fit up an average human nostril?
10 months ago Åɳɳḭε replied:

When you develop a character, do you prefer to have it all planned out or have the basics down and discover more about the character along the way? For example, do you make the character react to situations based on what you have decided on the character, or do you have the character react however and that now becomes what the character is like?

How do you like to describe the setting? A giant description of it is kind of boring, so would you kind of sprinkle some details in when they seem fit and slowly develop it like that?

Have you ever worked with poetry? And if so, do you prefer more descriptive and showy poetry or basic clear language in poetry?
10 months ago Victoria replied:

How do you create your characters? Do you people watch? Are they inspired by the looks/personalities of the people around you?
10 months ago Victoria replied:

If you had/have children would you/do you alter your writing style to something they would read?

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10 months ago Jordan Bisson replied:

Janet, Do you have a (now legendary) figment tote bag? And do you like the name Janet? Do you know why you're parents named you Janet? Because you seem more like a Pauline to me.
10 months ago Dashiell Graci replied:

Do you have any tips for writing a good action scene? Also, what are some things that should be avoided when writing an action scene?
10 months ago Krista Ogilvie replied:

What are your thoughts on writing scenes that interest you most at the time, instead of in chronological order? (I mean skipping over less important scenes and then coming back to them.)
10 months ago Erin McLaughlin replied:

How do you know how much information to give the reader to make him/her think but not enough to make him/her bored? I enjoy books where the author gives little clues or foreshadowing, forcing me to figure things out, yet when I try this in my writing, most of my readers tell me I need to add more detail. Where is the line between a poor reader and a great writer?
10 months ago Alex Loomis replied:

Do you write daily and, if so, how do you keep it up?
10 months ago Meredith Hilton replied:

Sentence and word variation is generally considered desirable if not downright esential for a good story/poem. On the other hand, many good stories contain motifs or other recurring images or words that pop up throughout the story. How do you include meaningful themes and motifs in your stories without compromising it's pace through repetition?
10 months ago Meredith Hilton replied:

What do you generally think of stream-of-conciousness stories? What tips do you have for those who write them?
10 months ago Regina replied:

Which genre do you think is most likely the easiest to write?
10 months ago Aly Harris -Parente replied:

Last updated 10 months ago
10 months ago Charlotte Donaghue replied:

First of all, I absolutely adore both White Oleander and Paint it Black! *Ahem* Anyway, now that I've got that out of my system.
One thing I've noticed when reading both books is that there doesn't seem to be an antagonist, of course there's someone who is the root of the problem but there isn't an outright enemy. Is this intentional or does it just sort of happen that way?
10 months ago Aly Harris -Parente replied:

What inspires you to write your stories?
10 months ago Michel Momeyer replied:

What specifically made you want to become a writer? When did you first start taking an interest? And what would/do you do outside of writing?
10 months ago Zina ♥ replied:

Do you have any tips to help us writers?
10 months ago Zina ♥ replied:

What made you want to write the kind of books you do?
10 months ago Zina ♥ replied:

What inspires you?