A tiny, tiny town in Ohio.
Is your name a pen name? If so what inspired you to pick that name?
Totally a real name. I have an awesome name, so I use it :)
3 facts about yourself?
I try to get to the gym 3 times a week
I read about 80 books a year
I have many, many cats
What are some of your favorite things in general?
Good movies and good TV.... but I mean REALLY Good. I'm very picky. I'm a sugar hound but I'm 40 now so I've got back up on that. I love to get dirty. I'm a farm girl, so serious physical labor has always made me happy. Getting dirty, being sweaty and exhausted - that's how I know I've accomplished something.
Now let's talk about you as an author...
When did you start writing and what was the first thing you ever wrote?
I was always writing, even when I was young. The first thing I wrote was probably My Little Pony fan fiction back in the 80s.
What inspired you to start writing?
Nothing in particular, it's a compulsion.
What is your writing process? Do you make a timeline first? Or just write what comes to your mind? Do you do a lot of research?
I'm a complete pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. I don't outline or anything. However I do a lot of research, more or less depending on the topic. For A MADNESS SO DISCREET I researched fro 18 months before I felt confident enough to begin the book.
What are some of your favorite authors/favorite reads?I'm always looking forward to discovering new authors, and I'll read just about anything.
What do you have planned for the future? Any other book or series ideas?
HEROINE - a novel about a female athlete and the opioid crisis in the heartland releases 3/12/19, followed by BE NOT FAR FROM ME, a novel about a girl lost in the Smoky Mountains will release in the winter of 2020, both from Katherine Tegen Books.
I recently read Not a Drop to Drink and I loved it! It's one of the more unique takes on an apocalypse, and I think we need more books that are this unique.
Where did you get the idea for Not a Drop to Drink?
I watched a documentary called Blue Gold, which is about a projected shortage of potable water on our planet due to overpopulation. It was a horrible thought --- we all need water to survive, and it's something we can't make. I went to bed very grateful for the small pond in my backyard, and that night I dreamt I was teaching a young girl how to operate a rifle so that she could help me protect the pond. I woke up and thought, "Hey... I wrote a book in my head just now."
What is the most terrifying way the apocalypse could happen, in your opinion? Zombies? Goverment take down? Etc.
People are the scariest thing out there, period. Any situation where people can behave in an unbridled manner is he scariest thing there is.
Which book was your favorite to write?
Probably NOT A DROP TO DRINK because it wasn't contracted, there was no deadline. I was writing a book I had confidence in, without the pressure of hoping it would sell.
Do you have any favorite characters?
Stebbs from NOT A DROP TO DRINK and Brooke from THIS DARKNESS MINE.
Is there any chance that this book would become a movie? Or a tv series?
Yes! It has been optioned by Stephenie Meyer's Fickle Fish Films. There is no release date or casting at this time, but it's an exciting step.
I was always writing, even when I was young. The first thing I wrote was probably My Little Pony fan fiction back in the 80s.
What inspired you to start writing?
Nothing in particular, it's a compulsion.
What is your writing process? Do you make a timeline first? Or just write what comes to your mind? Do you do a lot of research?
I'm a complete pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. I don't outline or anything. However I do a lot of research, more or less depending on the topic. For A MADNESS SO DISCREET I researched fro 18 months before I felt confident enough to begin the book.
What are some of your favorite authors/favorite reads?I'm always looking forward to discovering new authors, and I'll read just about anything.
What do you have planned for the future? Any other book or series ideas?
HEROINE - a novel about a female athlete and the opioid crisis in the heartland releases 3/12/19, followed by BE NOT FAR FROM ME, a novel about a girl lost in the Smoky Mountains will release in the winter of 2020, both from Katherine Tegen Books.
I recently read Not a Drop to Drink and I loved it! It's one of the more unique takes on an apocalypse, and I think we need more books that are this unique.
Where did you get the idea for Not a Drop to Drink?
I watched a documentary called Blue Gold, which is about a projected shortage of potable water on our planet due to overpopulation. It was a horrible thought --- we all need water to survive, and it's something we can't make. I went to bed very grateful for the small pond in my backyard, and that night I dreamt I was teaching a young girl how to operate a rifle so that she could help me protect the pond. I woke up and thought, "Hey... I wrote a book in my head just now."
What is the most terrifying way the apocalypse could happen, in your opinion? Zombies? Goverment take down? Etc.
People are the scariest thing out there, period. Any situation where people can behave in an unbridled manner is he scariest thing there is.
Which book was your favorite to write?
Probably NOT A DROP TO DRINK because it wasn't contracted, there was no deadline. I was writing a book I had confidence in, without the pressure of hoping it would sell.
Do you have any favorite characters?
Stebbs from NOT A DROP TO DRINK and Brooke from THIS DARKNESS MINE.
Is there any chance that this book would become a movie? Or a tv series?
Yes! It has been optioned by Stephenie Meyer's Fickle Fish Films. There is no release date or casting at this time, but it's an exciting step.
About Mindy from her website:
Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy.
While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us.
To learn more about Mindy’s books and purchase them online, click here.
To visit Mindy’s blog, Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire, for tips on writing and the publishing industry, click here.
Fantastic interview! Researching 18 months that's serious!
ReplyDeleteI really love Mindy McGinnis! Not a Drop to Drink is such a fabulous book---this reminds me that I have to read the sequel. And her website is a treasure trove of knowledge for writers.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Awesome interview!!
ReplyDeleteErica | Erica Robyn Reads