We Do Write is pleased to have Apryl Baker here to discuss her newest novel, THE GHOST FILES, and her writing process.
Thank you for joining us, Apryl. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Well, in a nutshell, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that
never shuts up. Seriously, sometimes I
can be mid-sentence and I’ll get an idea and stop talking so I can write it
down. Terribly rude, I know, but my
friends and family are used to it!
At least your friends and family are understanding. How
long have you been writing?
According to my Dad, since I was old
enough to hold a crayon. He says I used
to draw scribbles and then tell him these outrageous stories about those
scribbles. I do remember writing all
sorts of scary stories with my friends as the main characters growing up and
now I take that outlandish imagination I was blessed with and do my best to
entertain people.
Tell
us about THE GHOST FILES. What’s the story about?
For sixteen year old Mattie
Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts
since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does
she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard
enough without being labeled a freak too.
Normally,
she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost
of her foster sister… Sally.
Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s
dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it
alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman,
Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind
Sally’s disappearance.
Only to find
out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be
the next victim…
Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?
Very cool premise! And, OMG, what an awesome cover! How
did the idea of the story come to you?
I was lucky enough to get to know
some foster kids. It took me the better
part of a year to get them to open up to me.
They are a breed of kids like no other:
tough as nails, closed off, defensive, supportive of only each other,
and so very brave. They are also
heartbreaking. Some of the stories they
told me made me want to cry. There are
tons of great foster homes out there, but there are just as many bad ones.
I have this insane imagination that
rears its head at the oddest of times. I
was doing dishes when I saw the strangest thing. One of the kitchen window curtains was
fluttering like a madman. There was no
wind that day and my AC wasn’t on. I
stopped mid wash and just watched it. My
first thought: a ghost. Well how do you know it’s a ghost, I asked
myself and then I started thinking and Mattie was born. She became my ghost girl and then I knew it
was a perfect opportunity to tell the story of so many foster kids who don’t
get those wonderful homes. I wanted
people to see Mattie as the vulnerable girl she was underneath the veil of
tough kid. And I think I did that.
I love that you're main character is a foster kid. I was a foster kid. Lucky for me, I was in one of the good homes, but I know a few that weren't so lucky. Do
you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?
I was extremely lucky enough to be
directed to The Next Big Writer. It is
an online writing group for aspiring writers and readers. You have to be able to take criticism,
though. They will rip your work to
shreds. I cried when I first started
getting reviews on my work…lol. Those
people are awesome, though. They will
help you turn your mediocre work into something wonderful and brilliant.
I met my writing group on that
site. They are other YA authors whose
work I critique as well. If you love YA,
then you have to check them out. I don’t
know what I’d do without them.
These are my girls:
Margie Redmond or Ceri as we like to
call her!
I agree. Crit partners are the best people EVER! Are
you a plotter or a pantser?
Definitely a plotter. I find myself twisting and turning my
characters in so many different ways, I think they might eventually turn on me
and come find me one dark and stormy night for all the terrible things I’ve
done to them!
What’s
the hardest part of writing for you?
At any given time I am working on a
minimum of three books. Sometimes, I
forget what I’m writing and end
up writing Mattie into Cassie’s story. Cassie is the main character from The Coven
series. You have no idea how frustrating
it is to look up three hours later and realize you can’t use a word of what
you’ve just written, but I do get some incredible plot twists out of it.
What
do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?
Fall Out Boy playing in the
background and a can of Coca Cola. Two
things I have to have when writing. Fall
Out Boy is my all time favorite band (even when they broke up for a little
while!) and so many storylines have come out of their music. In the words of Dean Winchester from Supernatural, “They’re awesome!”
Coca Cola…enough said.
If
you could have any super power, what would it be?
That’s easy! I would want to be able to be invisible. I mean, how many times have you absolutely
NEEDED to hear what someone was saying…face it girls, we are awful gossips and
we listen in on things we shouldn’t! If they can’t see you…all bets are off and
you get the dirt!
Ha! Very sneaky... What's the weirdest thing you've
googled?
Quick
writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: ghost, filing, and random.
Mattie stepped into the filing room
of the morgue and saw a ghost randomly floating above the sleeping orderly, his
ghostly hatchet swinging over and over through the poor guy.
Ooooh... Creepy! Finish
this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...
If I'm not writing, I'm probably
playing KOC and plotting who’s castle to rob blind!
Here’s the part where you thank the
people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.
There are so many people I owe so
much to.
First and foremost, my writing
group: Sheree, Ang, Susan, Linda, and Mags.
You guys keep me honest. Also a
huge thanks for Lawrence, who helped with all the CSI stuff for the book.
Family and friends put up with so
much nonsense from me while I write. I can completely zone out and they just
shake their head and make sure that a plate of food finds its way to my
desk.
All the wonderful people at
Limitless Publishing who have loved and supported The Ghost Files since they
saw it on Wattpad. The authors at LP are
amazing.
My
agent, Ricia Mainhardt, for believing in my writing when so many others didn’t!
But
mostly, I want to thank all my fans, especially those on
Wattpad. The Ghost Files
wouldn’t be where it is today without all of you and I appreciate each and
every one of you. Thank you so much from
the very bottom of my heart.
And
finally, where can people find you and your books online?
Thanks for joining us today, Apryl!
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