AAA: Interview with Kirsty Eagar, author of RAW BLUE

Kirsty Eagar may have only been around for a few years but she has quickly become a beloved author among Australians, along with a rapidly growing international fan base, ever since her debut, Raw Blue, released in 2009. Since then, Saltwater Vampires and Night Beach have released and it doesn’t look like Kirsty’s slowing down anytime soon! It is with great excitement, that I bring you this interview. Please give a warm welcome, to the wonderful, Kirsty Eagar!

What’s it feel like to have such a wide fan base, not just in Australia but also in the US?
It blows me away, because I know how hard it is to get hold of my books! Hopefully that changes a little with Raw Blue coming out in the UK, but still, I really appreciate the effort people have gone to. Also, I know it's due to the blogging community spreading the word, so I have nothing but gratitude in that department.
 

What’s the hardest part about writing a book?
Ahhhh, definitely the first draft. I'm usually in a world of pain for most of it. The only way I get through it is by having a deadline, or self-imposed daily word limits.

So far out of your books I’ve read Raw Blue and it was such a powerful, beautiful book. What inspires you to write?
Thanks Rebecca! Usually there's just this pressing, insistent urge to discover the story. I'll start with an idea, and a vague feeling for what I think the story will be, but often when it's done it's different to that, and more what it's meant to be. And the thing is, writing it is the only way I can know it. That might make the whole process sound romantic, but actually it's irritating and uncomfortable. Like there's this bloody thing in my subconscious and I just want to get it out.

How do you decide what your next book should be about? Do you keep a journal full of ideas?
How do I decide? With great difficulty, is the short answer. I always seem to have a couple of things that I'm deciding between. Eventually I'll start the one that holds the most appeal, and I'll be really happy with the choice until about 15,000 words in, at which point things will start to get hard, and then I'll wish that I'd chosen something else. Never do other projects seem more interesting to me than when I'm having trouble with the thing I'm working on!

I don't keep a journal any more. Now, I just trust my memory. Besides, it's a good litmus test for the strength of an idea. If you're still thinking about something a year or two after you first came up with it, it means that you're probably interested enough to want to write about it.

People always comment about Aussie YA and that there must be something in the water Down Under because the books are so fantastic. What are your Top 3 Favourite Aussie reads that you absolutely love and completely recommend?
Oh, cruel question. There are so many great reads. But today I'll go with The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta (okay, that's three books right there but let's not get caught up in details), The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky, and The Shiny Guys by Doug Macleod.
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Find Kirsty on: Goodreads | Website | Blog

A huge thank you to Kirsty for taking her time to answer my questions! If you’re a fan of Kirsty and her books, take the time to appreciate her, via your blog, facebook or twitter, just as long as you spread the love!

Giveaway!

Don't forget to go enter the AAA giveaway! It's open internationally, and there are DOZENS of books to be given away!