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Penguin Young Readers Live Chat

Join us any time between 5 and 6 p.m. today.

Live Blog Live Chat with Django Wexler, THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY
 Live Chat with Django Wexler, THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY(06/23/2014) 
4:38
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Django Wexler in about 15 minutes
Monday June 23, 2014 4:38 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book…
Monday June 23, 2014 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
 Nora - EarlyWord
Published by Kathy Dawson Books, Penguin Young Readers
Monday June 23, 2014 4:39 
4:40
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And an outline of the plot (from publisher):

"When Alice’s father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon—an uncle she’s never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it’s hard to resist. Especially if you’re a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within. It seems Geryon is more than he says he is. But then, so is Alice."
Monday June 23, 2014 4:40 Nora - EarlyWord
4:41
Nora - EarlyWord: 

It’s had good response from reviewers:

Booklist -- "It's a joy to watch the dutiful Alice develop her innate curiosity and become a proactive, resourceful heroine, matching wits with snarky cats, dangerous beasts, and a certain smug boy. This is a charming, adventuresome fantasy from a promising new author."


Horn Book - “By giving the richly textured literary adventures "teeth" and by placing subplots both inside and outside the books, Wexler dexterously avoids the "it's only a story" pitfall that might distance readers from the action, while the wondrous Library will gratify book lovers and fantasy experts alike.”

School Library Journal -- "Wexler ingeniously creates an inventive world with interesting creatures and frightening situations."

Monday June 23, 2014 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord
4:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I see chat participants gathering!

You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to the author before the end of the chat.

Don’t worry about typos – we’ll make them too!

Monday June 23, 2014 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Here’s our moderator Lisa Von Drasek. Say hi, Lisa!



Monday June 23, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
lisa von drasek: 
Hello, everyone!, I greet you today from the University of Wisconsin Student Union. Its a beautiful day here on the water.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:00 lisa von drasek
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Madison
Monday June 23, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

You're a long way from home -- on your way to ALA?



Monday June 23, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
lisa von drasek: 
Not yet...just had a visit today with a Kerlan Friend, Lois Ehlert in Milwaukee and we are on our way home to the Twin Cities. Stopped at the U for our on-line chat.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek
5:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see Django is in the house -- say hi!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:02 Nora - EarlyWord
5:03
Django Wexler: 
Hi!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:03 Django Wexler
5:03
Django Wexler: 
Welcome, everybody!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:03 Django Wexler
5:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Those of you joining us -- say hi to Django.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:03 Nora - EarlyWord
5:04
lisa von drasek: 
Hi Django. How do you pronounce your first name?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 lisa von drasek
5:04
Django Wexler: 
Like Jango, without the D.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 Django Wexler
5:04
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Hi Django and Lisa, glad to be joining in today!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 Guest
5:04
Django Wexler: 
(Just like in the Quentin Tarantino movie.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 Django Wexler
5:04
[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ] 
Hi Django -- from the shores of Lake Michigan!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:04 MI Librarian
5:05
lisa von drasek: 
Django,

can you say a little about why as a published writer for adults that you turned your talent to a a solid middle grade fantasy?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:05 lisa von drasek
5:05
[Comment From school librarianschool librarian: ] 
And hi from Maryland.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:05 school librarian
5:05
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
Hi from Ohio
Monday June 23, 2014 5:05 Cat Lover
5:06
Django Wexler: 
Sure. So, I started writing The Forbidden Library back before I *was* a published author for adults.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:06 Django Wexler
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
you were writing both at the same time... can you timeline that for me?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
Django Wexler: 
I'd gotten an agent for The Thousand Names, and he was shopping it around to publishers, but I needed something else to work on while that was happening.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:06 Django Wexler
5:07
 Nora - EarlyWord
Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 
5:07
lisa von drasek: 

Why did you write a kids book?

Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 lisa von drasek
5:07
Django Wexler: 
Let's see. I signed with Seth (my agent) in fall 2012. Rewrote Thousand Names that Winter. We submitted it in January 2013, and that's around when I started writing Forbidden Library.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 Django Wexler
5:07
Django Wexler: 
Part of the reason I went with a kid's book was that it fit the idea I had, but part of it was because I wanted to write something shorter.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:07 Django Wexler
5:08
lisa von drasek: 
can you talk about who you liked to read...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek
5:08
Django Wexler: 
Thousand Names is gigantic, and I was planning sequels, so I needed something that wouldn't take up quite the same amount of time.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 Django Wexler
5:08
lisa von drasek: 
what books influenced you?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek
5:08
lisa von drasek: 
kids and adult?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek
5:09
Django Wexler: 
Lets' see. For kids books I've always liked a bunch of good fantasy MG and YA authors.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:09 Django Wexler
5:09
Django Wexler: 
I love Phillip Pullman, Phillip Reeve, JK Rowling obviously, Jonathon Stroud, and Terry Pratchett.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:09 Django Wexler
5:10
Django Wexler: 
On the adult side, I love guys like George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, and China Mieville.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:10 Django Wexler
5:10
Django Wexler: 
I'm really attracted to things with an ambiguous morality -- that's a big part of Forbidden Library, filtered into the world of a kid's book.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:10 Django Wexler
5:10
lisa von drasek: 
Librarians, I see a lot of humor in the FORBIDDEN LIBRARY. any favorite moments for those who have read?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:10 lisa von drasek
5:12
lisa von drasek: 
one of mine was .."You don't get to say what's creepy , your a talking cat....you're creepy..

do you make yourself laugh when you write?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek
5:12
lisa von drasek: 
I was on the edge of my seat...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek
5:12
Django Wexler: 
Sometimes, or at least smile. If it makes me laugh when I come back to it later, I know it's a good line.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 Django Wexler
5:12
Django Wexler: 
Ashes gets most of the good lines.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 Django Wexler
5:12
Django Wexler: 
But then he's a cat, so he obviously would.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:12 Django Wexler
5:13
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
The cat SHOULD get the good lines!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Cat Lover
5:13
lisa von drasek: 
You really captured cat personalities with Ashes and Mother. Do you have any cats?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 lisa von drasek
5:13
Django Wexler: 
Clearly!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Django Wexler
5:13
Django Wexler: 
Yes, I have two cats.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Django Wexler
5:13
lisa von drasek: 
picture please?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 lisa von drasek
5:13
 Django Wexler
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 
5:13
Django Wexler: 
They are Sakaki and Tomo.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:13 Django Wexler
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
Nice
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:14
Django Wexler: 
The thing about cats is that it seems so obvious, if they COULD talk, what kind of personality they'd have.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 Django Wexler
5:14
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
You DO know what you're talking about!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 Cat Lover
5:14
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
What beauties! and inspirations!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 Guest
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
can you tell me a little about your writing day?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:15
Django Wexler: 
They are awesome. I think Ending looks like Sakaki, although Sakaki is scared of everything.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:15
lisa von drasek: 
Do you have a day job?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 lisa von drasek
5:15
Django Wexler: 
Usually I try to get two sessions of writing in, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:15
Django Wexler: 
So it's like, morning writing, lunch, taking care of misc. stuff like twitter, publicity etc, then more writing.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:15
Django Wexler: 
Then computer games and whatnot.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:15 Django Wexler
5:16
lisa von drasek: 
what is your twitter?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 lisa von drasek
5:16
Django Wexler: 
I quit my day job (at Microsoft) about two years ago.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 Django Wexler
5:16
Django Wexler: 
@DjangoWexler -- come say hi!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 Django Wexler
5:16
Django Wexler: 
There's a lot of good stuff on my website too at http://www.djangowexler.com
Monday June 23, 2014 5:16 Django Wexler
5:17
lisa von drasek: 
I was just reading about the lack of "strong women characters" Alice is not only smart and brave but also a bit snarky for the time.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek
5:17
Django Wexler: 
In particular check out the Forbidden Library art page, I love that stuff! http://djangowexler.com/for...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:17 Django Wexler
5:17
lisa von drasek: 
the art in the book was done by a friend...how did that come about?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek
5:18
Django Wexler: 
See, people misunderstand what "strong" means there. I see a lot of fantasy authors think they're making their women characters "strong" by letting them kill hundreds of orcs or whatever.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:18 Django Wexler
5:18
Django Wexler: 
That's not what "strong" means in this context. It's about strong *characters*, which means they have to have their own story. If a woman can kick ass, but her role is still "the hero's girlfriend", that's not a strong character.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:18 Django Wexler
5:18
Django Wexler: 
Hmm. My friend didn't actually to the art that's IN the books.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:18 Django Wexler
5:19
lisa von drasek: 
oh, I misunderstood
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 lisa von drasek
5:19
Django Wexler: 
The US art was done by Alexander Jansson, and the UK art by David Wyatt.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 Django Wexler
5:19
lisa von drasek: 
The characters are the opposite of two-dimentionals, do you have full biographies and backstory written for each?....

….do they surprise you as you write?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 lisa von drasek
5:19
Django Wexler: 
But several friends of mine have been kind enough to do art for me based on the book, which you can read here: http://djangowexler.com/for...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 Django Wexler
5:19
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I was just looking at the U.K. cover on your Web site-- So different.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 Nora - EarlyWord
5:19
 Nora - EarlyWord
Monday June 23, 2014 5:19 
5:20
Django Wexler: 
I love the UK internal artwork, very wood-cut style. It has a great old-fashioned feel.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Django Wexler
5:20
Django Wexler: 
I wouldn't say I have *full* biographies? I generally make up what I need as I go along.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Django Wexler
5:20
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'll post some of those.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Nora - EarlyWord
5:20
Django Wexler: 
I feel like if you have a good sense of who a character IS, you can tell the kind of backstory he or she might have.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:20 Django Wexler
5:21
lisa von drasek: 
can we talk how your fairy is really creepy and scary,...where did that come from?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 lisa von drasek
5:21
Django Wexler: 
I do have notes on the backstory of the older characters, like Ending and Geryon.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 Django Wexler
5:21
Django Wexler: 
When I started the book, I decided I didn't want to use any "stock" fantasy creatures. Fairies, elves, dragons, etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 Django Wexler
5:21
Django Wexler: 
So any time I included something like that, I would put some kind of a twist in it to make it unique.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:21 Django Wexler
5:22
Django Wexler: 
So Vespidian, the fairy, is creepy and scary looking, with a bunch of wasp-like characteristics. (I hate wasps.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:22 Django Wexler
5:22
 Nora - EarlyWord
From the U.K. edition
Monday June 23, 2014 5:22 
5:22
Django Wexler: 
The Dragon, which you can see in that picture, has eight legs and six eyes, and is kind of alien-looking.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:22 Django Wexler
5:23
lisa von drasek: 
Alice's empathy is as much a strength as her quick wits. Was that an attribute from the start?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek
5:23
Django Wexler: 
The elves had needle-like hair which stands up into spikes when they get startled. Etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:23 Django Wexler
5:23
Django Wexler: 
Alice really evolved as a character during the book. I always knew I wanted her to be intelligent, hard-working, and a little bit cynical and smart-alecky.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:23 Django Wexler
5:24
Django Wexler: 
But as I went along, her empathy became more important. It's really one of the biggest points of the series -- it's what makes Alice different from the other Readers.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 Django Wexler
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
it seems that you have a gift for the cute and threatening at the same time. Anything like that in your real life?f
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:24
Django Wexler: 
Hmm. I have a stuffed animal collection that includes various cute monsters.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 Django Wexler
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
Hah
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:24
 Nora - EarlyWord
This one gives me the chills -- like TRUE DETECTIVE!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:24 
5:25
Django Wexler: 
I have a cute Cthulu and Darth Vader
Monday June 23, 2014 5:25 Django Wexler
5:25
Django Wexler: 
Cats are a bit like that to be honest. They are adorable, but also full of sharp bits.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:25 Django Wexler
5:26
lisa von drasek: 
I could see these adventures translating easily to other medium...movie and/or game...plans?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 lisa von drasek
5:26
Django Wexler: 
None at the moment, but we're certainly out there. I have a film agent, etc
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Django Wexler
5:26
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Thanks for the UK art Nora--beautiful!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Guest
5:26
[Comment From Cat LoverCat Lover: ] 
Well said!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Cat Lover
5:26
Django Wexler: 
people kept asking about Thousand Names and when it was going to be a movie.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Django Wexler
5:26
lisa von drasek: 
The protagonist was not aware of her powers is not unusual start. What is unusual is the magical powers are attributed to her being a Reader. Can you describe what that is?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 lisa von drasek
5:26
Django Wexler: 
But I think Forbidden Library would be better suited to it.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:26 Django Wexler
5:27
Django Wexler: 
So, in Alice's world magical powers are based on the ability to activate magical text inscribed in books.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:27 Django Wexler
5:27
Django Wexler: 
Which they called capital-R Reading.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:27 Django Wexler
5:28
Django Wexler: 
The most basic ability of the Reader is to open these special books and use them, either to go to a world inside them or to pass through a portal to another place.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:28 Django Wexler
5:28
Django Wexler: 
Eventually they learn to create them, too, out of little bits of raw magic they fish out of other books and cram together.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:28 Django Wexler
5:29
Django Wexler: 
A particular type of book, called a prison-book, lets them bind magical creatures and use their powers.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 Django Wexler
5:29
[Comment From MD. school LibrarianMD. school Librarian: ] 
I love the idea of the Reader literally entering the book. Where did that come from?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 MD. school Librarian
5:29
Django Wexler: 
I'm not entirely sure! It's something I've always wanted to do something with.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 Django Wexler
5:29
Django Wexler: 
The idea of a library where the books contain worlds has been kicking around in my head for a long time.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:29 Django Wexler
5:30
lisa von drasek: 
The world building in Forbidden Library is detailed and unique yet it is easy to suspend disbelief ...

Would you be able to say to a kid if you liked __________ book, you will like mine.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 lisa von drasek
5:30
[Comment From MD. school LibrarianMD. school Librarian: ] 
it's a great metaphor -- books can change you.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 MD. school Librarian
5:30
[Comment From MD. school LibrarianMD. school Librarian: ] 
"there is not frigate like a book"
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 MD. school Librarian
5:30
Django Wexler: 
There's an anime (Japanese cartoon) called Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito (roughly "Travellers in Darkness with Book and Hat") that has roughly that theme, which I saw a long time ago.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:30 Django Wexler
5:31
Django Wexler: 
Lisa, hmm, I'm not really sure? It's hard to compare books directly that way.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 Django Wexler
5:31
lisa von drasek: 
okay
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 lisa von drasek
5:31
Django Wexler: 
When I was writing it I thought of "Harry Potter Book 1" as my target demographic in terms of roughly the kind of people I was writing for.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 Django Wexler
5:31
Django Wexler: 
But that was more an age group/vocabulary thing.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:31 Django Wexler
5:32
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Are you bothered when the book is compared to others? I've seen it compared to Harry Potter (isn't EVERY fantasy) and INKHEART.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Jersey Librarian
5:32
Django Wexler: 
Bothered, not particularly?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Django Wexler
5:32
Django Wexler: 
I mean, comparing something to Harry Potter these days, as you say, doesn't mean much because everything is.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Django Wexler
5:32
lisa von drasek: 
I would say that you achieved that! What they have in common for me is - fast paced adventure, great story AND a pleasure to read aloud.

And I don't say that lightly
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 lisa von drasek
5:32
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Are you influenced by Anime?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Jersey Librarian
5:32
Django Wexler: 
There's definitely some similarity with Inkheart (which I actually haven't read)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:32 Django Wexler
5:33
Django Wexler: 
But I think the point of the story is very different.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:33
Django Wexler: 
Yes, I'm definitely influenced by anime.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:33
Django Wexler: 
I did some Japanese in college, and that's always been one of my hobbies.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:33
lisa von drasek: 
yes, I would agree....
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 lisa von drasek
5:33
Django Wexler: 
They do children's TV *way* better than we do, at least until recently.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:33 Django Wexler
5:34
Django Wexler: 
Especially in the MG age range.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 Django Wexler
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
Is there an Anime series you would recommend to librarians who may not be familiar with the genre?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:34
Django Wexler: 
Ooh, that's tough.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 Django Wexler
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
yes indeed, tough questions here!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:35
Django Wexler: 
The Miyazaki movies are always a go-to. (Spirited Away, Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke, Totoro, etc.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 Django Wexler
5:35
lisa von drasek: 
Oh yes! Totoro! Spirited away!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 lisa von drasek
5:35
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Love those!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 Guest
5:35
Django Wexler: 
A lot of the stuff I consider favorites is a bit dark for kid.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:35 Django Wexler
5:36
Django Wexler: 
I actually write a column called "Lost in Animeland" at SF Signal about anime for non-anime-fans: http://www.sfsignal.com/arc...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 Django Wexler
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
Dark! Dark! you don't consider Forbidden Library dark???!!!!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:36
Django Wexler: 
The Forbidden Library is as dark as I could get away with in a book for ten-year-olds.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 Django Wexler
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
thanks for the column link..
Monday June 23, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:37
Django Wexler: 
Like I said, I tend to be a fan of stuff that's at least a little ambiguous.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:37 Django Wexler
5:37
lisa von drasek: 
It is dark as childhood is dark but you have a thread of humor that saves it from being oppressive.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:37 lisa von drasek
5:37
Django Wexler: 
For me one of the most fun things about The Forbidden Library is that Alice doesn't really know who the good guys are.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:37 Django Wexler
5:38
lisa von drasek: 
ambiguous! Alice doesn't know?!! I don't KNOW! When is the sequel!!! I am dying here!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 lisa von drasek
5:38
Django Wexler: 
It always bugged me in kid's books where the Wise Old Mentor comes on and says, "By the way, this is who is good and this is who is evil."
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 Django Wexler
5:38
Django Wexler: 
How come Wise Old Mentor gets to decide that? Who appointed him judge?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 Django Wexler
5:38
Django Wexler: 
The sequel (The Mad Apprentice) should be coming out in March of next year.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:38 Django Wexler
5:39
Django Wexler: 
It's basically done, they're working on cover and other art.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 Django Wexler
5:39
lisa von drasek: 
and of course we find it is our own actions that could make us good /evil
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 lisa von drasek
5:39
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
Were you "dark" as a kid? Should we worry about such kids?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 School Librarian
5:39
Django Wexler: 
The series is intended to be five books, and I've got it mapped out to a definite conclusion. (Hopefully!)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 Django Wexler
5:39
Django Wexler: 
Do you mean "dark" as a person, or did I like dark stuff?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:39 Django Wexler
5:40
lisa von drasek: 
what did you read as a kid?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:40
Django Wexler: 
The latter was definitely true. I was reading adult books by age 10 or so (just whatever they had on the SFF shelf in the library.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 Django Wexler
5:40
Django Wexler: 
And I played a ton of role-playing games, etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 Django Wexler
5:40
Django Wexler: 
I was more of a total nerd than any kind of cool dressing-in-black with silver jewelry type though.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 Django Wexler
5:40
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
I mean liking "dark" stuff. But that probably also carries over into the kids personality.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 School Librarian
5:40
lisa von drasek: 
did your parents support your extra curricular choices?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:41
Django Wexler: 
I think liking "dark" stuff is not something to worry about. All the kids *I* know are pretty good about the difference between fantasy and reality.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:41 Django Wexler
5:41
Django Wexler: 
And I really believe in the idea of letting kids pursue their interests and what they like in terms of books, movies, etc.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:41 Django Wexler
5:42
Django Wexler: 
Trying to sanitize everything just makes it worse.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:42 Django Wexler
5:42
Django Wexler: 
My parents were very supportive of me. I didn't require much work as a kid, I spent a lot of my time either reading or playing quiet games.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:42 Django Wexler
5:42
Django Wexler: 
Sometimes they would encourage me to, like, play soccer or otherwise get out of the house.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:42 Django Wexler
5:43
Django Wexler: 
But I come from a very bookish family, so by their standards I wasn't too far from normal.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 Django Wexler
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
you were a career changer....can you say something about that?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:43
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
I agree. Besides, what are you going to do? Force them to go to Nicholas Sparks movies?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 School Librarian
5:43
Django Wexler: 
Meaning, that I changed careers?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:43 Django Wexler
5:44
Django Wexler: 
Haha, anything but that!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:44 Django Wexler
5:44
Django Wexler: 
I learned from my parents, I think, that you're not locked in to whatever it is that you do. They both had very strange career paths.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:44 Django Wexler
5:44
Django Wexler: 
My dad went from math teacher to opera singer (for 20-odd years) to computer programmer and bank executive.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:44 Django Wexler
5:45
Django Wexler: 
My mom did photography, advertising, non-profit work and marketing, and ended up as a Presbyterian minister.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 Django Wexler
5:45
lisa von drasek: 
meaning that you had a regular job and then became a writer full time. was this a leap of faith? how long were you writing before your first book sold?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 lisa von drasek
5:45
Django Wexler: 
So I had good examples that changing careers was something you could do.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 Django Wexler
5:45
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Woa! Amazing about your father.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:45 Jersey Librarian
5:46
Django Wexler: 
I started writing when I was in high school. I wrote a little bit about it here: http://www.powells.com/blog...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Django Wexler
5:46
Django Wexler: 
I did some fan-fiction and other stuff, but I finally wrote a fantasy novel and tried to sell it in my last year of college.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Django Wexler
5:46
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
And your mother, too! Glad they served as good examples, rather than making you feel unstable.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Jersey Librarian
5:46
Django Wexler: 
I sold two novels to a small press, Medallion, which was gratifying but didn't count for much financially.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 Django Wexler
5:46
lisa von drasek: 
have you done many school or library visits?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:46 lisa von drasek
5:47
Django Wexler: 
So I decided to try and get an agent so I could write a book for the big publishers.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:47
Django Wexler: 
That took a while.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:47
Django Wexler: 
I didn't quit my job until I had enough contracts to live on, though, so it wasn't really a leap of faith.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:47
Django Wexler: 
Only a few school visits so far, but I love doing them!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:47 Django Wexler
5:48
Django Wexler: 
I'm part of the Skype in the Classroom program, if anybody uses that. I always love talking to kids.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:48 Django Wexler
5:48
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
How can I get you for a school program?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:48 Jersey Librarian
5:48
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Do you have any other writing projects going on right now (besides the rest of this series) that you can tell us about?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:48 NM Librarian
5:49
Django Wexler: 
Jersey Librarian -- Depends on if its in person or over Skype. Send me an email (there's a form on my website) and I can put you in touch with the right people at Penguin.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:49 Django Wexler
5:50
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
Great, thanks.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:50 Jersey Librarian
5:50
Django Wexler: 
NM Librarian -- well, between my adult series and kids series, I'm kept pretty busy! I do have a humorous urban fantasy series with a small press called Ragnarok: http://djangowexler.com/sto...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:50 Django Wexler
5:50
lisa von drasek: 
This from an on-line participant

how long did it take for you to get this book published?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:50 lisa von drasek
5:51
Django Wexler: 
And I've been doing a few short stories that should start showing up in various anthologies next year. But mostly trying to do one enormous adult book and one kids book a year takes up most of my time!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:51 Django Wexler
5:51
Django Wexler: 
Getting The Forbidden Library published was actually pretty quick, all told! I sent it to Seth, who sent it specifically to Kathy Dawson at Penguin, because he thought it would be a good fit. She liked it, so we were set.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:51 Django Wexler
5:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The next one in your adult series is coming out in a few weeks...
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Nora - EarlyWord
5:52
Django Wexler: 
Maybe a couple of months all told. (Then of course more than a year of waiting for it to actually come out.)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Django Wexler
5:52
 Nora - EarlyWord
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 
5:52
Django Wexler: 
The hard part was getting an agent and my first sale. That took ... maybe five years?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Django Wexler
5:52
Django Wexler: 
Depends on when you start counting.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 Django Wexler
5:52
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
What differences to you see between writing for children and adults.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:52 NM Librarian
5:53
Django Wexler: 
I try not to write TOO differently. I don't like the idea of writing "down" to kids.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Django Wexler
5:53
Django Wexler: 
Basically, I think of it as leaving out the sex, swearing, and extremes of violence, but otherwise not too different.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Django Wexler
5:53
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
So glad to hear you say that!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Guest
5:53
Django Wexler: 
It's a little simpler in terms of narrative structure -- there's only one POV character, and we follow her story in a pretty straightforward way.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Django Wexler
5:53
[Comment From Jersey LibrarianJersey Librarian: ] 
That explains a lot -- I thnk that is true for all really good children's authors.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:53 Jersey Librarian
5:54
Django Wexler: 
My editor took out some vocabulary she thought was too exotic. "Gnomon", is one I remember.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:54
lisa von drasek: 
We have only a few minutes left....any burning questions?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek
5:54
Django Wexler: 
But otherwise it's pretty much just the way I always right.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:54
Django Wexler: 
There's even a Shakespeare quote in book 2!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:54
Django Wexler: 
I always write, haha.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:54 Django Wexler
5:55
Django Wexler: 
(If I don't get to your question, btw, please feel free to ask me on Twitter or Facebook!)
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 Django Wexler
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
which brings me to a question I had....this is historic fiction as well as fantasy... why this time period?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
Django Wexler: 
Ah, good question.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 Django Wexler
5:55
Django Wexler: 
My editor asked me early on, "Why is this set in 1931? Can't we set it in modern day?"
Monday June 23, 2014 5:55 Django Wexler
5:56
Django Wexler: 
And I said, well, the problem is that their magic is based on printing and books. So I don't know how that would work with computers, cell phone, scanners, and whatnot.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:56 Django Wexler
5:56
Django Wexler: 
Makes everything WAY more complicated.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:56 Django Wexler
5:56
Django Wexler: 
So, I wanted a past setting, and I'd been reading a bit about the Depression, and I went with that.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:56 Django Wexler
5:57
Django Wexler: 
It's also close enough to WWII that it gives it a little Chronicles of Narnia feel.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 Django Wexler
5:57
lisa von drasek: 
oohhhhh, I didn't think of that... and the loss of money and the decline in their standard of living played a big part in the beginning
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 lisa von drasek
5:57
Django Wexler: 
Right, exactly. The whole "being shipped off to live with a distant uncle" plot seemed more likely in those days.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 Django Wexler
5:57
Django Wexler: 
Today you'd just keep in touch with your friends on Instagram and complain on your blog.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:57 Django Wexler
5:58
lisa von drasek: 
with the understanding of losing everything to "the bankers" and having no where to turn
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 lisa von drasek
5:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I hear many writers, including those for adults, say modern settings are difficult. Things can happen too quickly -- difficult to create tension.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Django Wexler: 
It definitely can be difficult.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Django Wexler
5:58
Django Wexler: 
ONe reason I like fantasy.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Django Wexler
5:58
Django Wexler: 
The real world, especially for kids, also changes so fast that things become dated very quickly.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:58 Django Wexler
5:59
lisa von drasek: 
Final thoughts?
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 lisa von drasek
5:59
Django Wexler: 
If I'd written about the world of fifteen years ago, with dial-up modems and myspace, it'd be unrecognizable today.
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 Django Wexler
5:59
 Nora - EarlyWord
Before we go, I wanted everyone to see this photo Lisa sent of where she was chatting from today -- the U. of Wisconsin Student Union in Madison -- pretty gorgeous!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 
5:59
Django Wexler: 
Thanks to everyone for listening!
Monday June 23, 2014 5:59 Django Wexler
6:00
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Thanks so much! I really enjoyed the book (as did my 7th grader!)Can't wait for the sequel!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 NM Librarian
6:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The hour has flown by -- thanks everyone!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Django Wexler: 
Again, feel free to get in touch, either by social media or emailing me through my site. http://www.djangowexler.com I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Django Wexler
6:00
lisa von drasek: 
Thank you Django- THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY was a grand adventure and I am looking forward to further adventures with Alice
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 lisa von drasek
6:00
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
Thanks so much!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Guest
6:00
Django Wexler: 
Thanks for having me on!
Monday June 23, 2014 6:00 Django Wexler
 
 

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