tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post4941232222962350222..comments2023-10-09T14:42:23.094-05:00Comments on The Freak: Book 3: Welcome Grade 5 Students of Gray Academy!Carol Matashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05747604119807265177noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-88591009929352097402008-02-27T11:49:00.000-06:002008-02-27T11:49:00.000-06:00What inspired you to write about freaks?What inspired you to write about freaks?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-35556947809827931642008-02-27T11:40:00.000-06:002008-02-27T11:40:00.000-06:00Are you gonna make a whole series of freak books?Are you gonna make a whole series of freak books?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-85249661705675663522008-02-01T13:20:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:20:00.000-06:00Dear class,This has been lots of fun. You asked gr...Dear class,<BR/>This has been lots of fun. You asked great questions. <BR/>And just to tell you that in a few months my friend Perry Nodelman and I will have a new book out called "The Proof That Ghosts Exist." It's a ghost story!<BR/>Cheers!<BR/>CarolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-59550484386949469442008-02-01T13:18:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:18:00.000-06:00Hi Jarod,I started writing about WW2 when I wrote ...Hi Jarod,<BR/>I started writing about WW2 when I wrote Lisa. My husband's family are Danish and they inspired Lisa and Jesper. For the long answer to that story read about it on my web site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-70916312502049652362008-02-01T13:17:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:17:00.000-06:00Dear Carol Matas,Thank you very much for taking th...Dear Carol Matas,<BR/>Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Also we would like to thank you for sending us copies of your book to read.<BR/><BR/>From: The grade 5 classes at the Gray AcademyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-48112459384026850412008-02-01T13:16:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:16:00.000-06:00Hi Missy,I picked a disease that could make her si...Hi Missy,<BR/>I picked a disease that could make her sick quickly, could be fatal, and that she could almost die from- also something that she could catch here in Winnipeg.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-88925465858867161782008-02-01T13:15:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:15:00.000-06:00Hi Taliah.I usually do about 5 or 6 drafts per boo...Hi Taliah.<BR/>I usually do about 5 or 6 drafts per book. The second draft is often a really big one, like the one I just described where the plot can change and even some of the characters can change. Further drafts have fewer changes but often concentrate on making things clearer, and making the writing better. Some books, like The Whirlwind took lots more drafts than 6 though- that one took over 20!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-71990021676244308962008-02-01T13:12:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:12:00.000-06:00From Jarod:Why are many of your books about World...From Jarod:<BR/><BR/>Why are many of your books about World War II?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-82090383444925238312008-02-01T13:11:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:11:00.000-06:00Hi Samantha,I wanted to write a sequel to The Frea...Hi Samantha,<BR/>I wanted to write a sequel to The Freak because I felt I hadn't finished investigating all the questions around the idea of people having psychic powers. What does that mean? If You've read Visions you'll see that they spend quite a lot of time trying to figure that out. Is there a scientific explanation? Is there a spiritual one? And this makes an interesting dilemma for Jade who is a scientist. Does she now have to accept the idea of fate or is there another explanation? And the plot is pretty hair raising and was fun to figure out too- I wanted it to be a real thriller.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-13785538928916412322008-02-01T13:10:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:10:00.000-06:00From Missy:How come out of all sicknesses you pick...From Missy:<BR/><BR/>How come out of all sicknesses you picked meningitis to be in "The Freak"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-59563408668709377392008-02-01T13:06:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:06:00.000-06:00Hi Will,I think the author Frank l Baum was my big...Hi Will,<BR/>I think the author Frank l Baum was my big inspiration. He wrote The Wizard Of Oz books and I just loved them. But I wrote my first story after listening to a story a friend had read - so maybe he was my inspiration to write fiction as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-90124115757538292672008-02-01T13:04:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:04:00.000-06:00From Taliah:As an author how many rough drafts do ...From Taliah:<BR/><BR/>As an author how many rough drafts do you do before a book is finished?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-84814028862278552332008-02-01T13:03:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:03:00.000-06:00Hi Jeremy,Thinking of a plot line is different tha...Hi Jeremy,<BR/>Thinking of a plot line is different than thinking of an idea. An idea will come to me very quickly, just out of the blue- I might be reading something, or watching something, or even just talking to someone and I'll get the initial idea. Then it could take months of thinking to flesh out the idea. And right now, for instance, I'm writing "Far" the 3rd Freak book. I sent in a draft and my editor realized that there was a problem with the plot. She was right. So i've re thought it and will rewrite it changing it quite a bit and hopefully making it better. So it can take a long time for the entire plot to come together.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-29816905871689687462008-02-01T13:01:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:01:00.000-06:00From Samantha W:What inspired you to write about r...From Samantha W:<BR/><BR/>What inspired you to write about reading people's minds in "The Freak" sequel?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-30312729255789574492008-02-01T12:59:00.001-06:002008-02-01T12:59:00.001-06:00Hi Emily,I like being an author very much, most of...Hi Emily,<BR/>I like being an author very much, most of the time. As with all jobs, there are parts I like better than other parts. I like to write the first draft and I like thinking up ideas. I'm not crazy about copy edit and going over every single comma and sentence to make sure they are as good as they can be but I have to do that to make a good book. So some of the work is fun and some is just hard work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-24436889420714947132008-02-01T12:59:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:59:00.000-06:00From Will:Who or what inspired you to be an author...From Will:<BR/><BR/>Who or what inspired you to be an author?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-63001445748360526962008-02-01T12:57:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:57:00.000-06:00From Jeremy How long does it usually take you to t...From Jeremy <BR/><BR/>How long does it usually take you to think of a plotline for a book?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-75322855417247124342008-02-01T12:56:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:56:00.000-06:00Hi Sydney,I don't really have a favourite book, th...Hi Sydney,<BR/>I don't really have a favourite book, they are all like children to me. However, I do have a "baby" who is a temporary favourite, the newest addition, and that would be The Freak and Visions right now. I love writing the character of Jade and investigating the philosophical issues surrounding her psychic powers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-14509755377693869362008-02-01T12:54:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:54:00.000-06:00Do you like being an author?From EmilyDo you like being an author?<BR/><BR/>From EmilyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-26861152291106700252008-02-01T12:53:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:53:00.000-06:00Hi Alexa,I couldn't have written these books when ...Hi Alexa,<BR/>I couldn't have written these books when I was your age, because I didn't have the experience of life, the knowledge of how to write and the reasons for writing then. But that doesn't mean you can't write- it will just be very different from the things you write when you are older.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-33727409516335679392008-02-01T12:52:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:52:00.000-06:00Dear Carol Matas,What was your favorite book that ...Dear Carol Matas,<BR/>What was your favorite book that you wrote and what made you think of that topic?<BR/><BR/>From SydneyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-86406107562800000622008-02-01T12:51:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:51:00.000-06:00Can a kid like us write a book like you?From Alexa...Can a kid like us write a book like you?<BR/><BR/>From AlexaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011532877567626888.post-10775246754940513402008-02-01T12:50:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:50:00.000-06:00Hello everyone!Ready to go?Hello everyone!<BR/>Ready to go?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com