An Inside Look - With Mike Grosso
Author of I Am Drums
*Another Monday, means another "inside look" with an author.
*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" with them about their novel, the characters, and their thoughts about the story.
*I have had such fun connecting with authors and "picking" their brains.
*Here are the links to my first TWELVE interviews…
Interview #9 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Counting Thyme)
Interview #10 with Claire Legrand (Author of Some Kind of Happiness)
Interview #11 with Lynn Plourde (Author of Maxi's Secrets)
Interview #12 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley)
Interview #10 with Claire Legrand (Author of Some Kind of Happiness)
Interview #11 with Lynn Plourde (Author of Maxi's Secrets)
Interview #12 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley)
*One of my favorite things about Twitter is finding out about new authors and their novels.
*This summer there was lots of Twitter chat online about this book.
*I got in on the conversation (like I tend to do) and got to know Mike.
*He was gracious enough to send me an ARC. I read it in one afternoon and absolutely loved it.
*After reaching out to Mike to share my thoughts about the book, I asked if he would be willing to share his "inside" thoughts about the story.
*This summer there was lots of Twitter chat online about this book.
*I got in on the conversation (like I tend to do) and got to know Mike.
*He was gracious enough to send me an ARC. I read it in one afternoon and absolutely loved it.
*After reaching out to Mike to share my thoughts about the book, I asked if he would be willing to share his "inside" thoughts about the story.
I Am Drums by Mike Grosso (Released September 6, 2016)
How did you come to know Sam?
I came to know her
the same as most characters I create. I start with a picture of them in my head
or a single moment in their life and write from there. My best work happens
when I jump into the story and see what happens.
What do
you think is Sam's most admirable quality?
Her determination!
She thinks anything is possible, but recognizes that some things are
really hard and take a lot of work.
Is there
anything you wish Sam would have changed or done differently in her story?
This is a hard
one because I'm a bit torn. I wish Sam had been more honest with the adults in
her life, but I understand why it was so hard for her. I've always been
fascinated by stories where a character does the wrong thing and still keeps
the reader on their side. That's not to say Sam's choices are excusable, but
it's a lot easier to make bad decisions when you can't properly communicate
what's important to you.
What do
you think Sam can offer to other children that are experiencing similar
situations to what she went through?
I would like to
think she offers a sense of hope. With all the negative news bombarding kids
right now I'd like to think Sam shows that hard work, determination,
and simple kindness pays off in the end.
How did
you “research” Sam and the circumstances she found himself in?
I come from a
musical family and have a background in music, so the technical stuff didn't
require a lot of additional research. Of more importance was talking to kids
about drum technique and seeing what got their attention. I wanted the scenes
where Sam learned about drums to feel less like instructional text and more
like action scenes.
Do you and
Sam share any similarities?
She's not
autobiographical, but I was also a kid who couldn't sit still. I hear drums in
everyday sounds and objects like she does, and have a tendency to tap on
everything within reach.
What was
the hardest scene to write about Sam?
Chapter
twenty-three is a single scene that I was really afraid to screw up. It's a
conversation between Sam and her teacher where Sam says something really
important. It plays out the same in the final book as it did in the first
draft, but I was constantly refining the dialogue to make it feel real and not
come off as preachy.
Who do you
think was Sam's biggest supporter and why?
I actually think it
was her brother. He can be annoying at times and a lot of his support is
misdirected, but he always has her back, even if Sam doesn't always notice.
Then again, I'm the youngest of three brothers so I may be a bit biased. :)
Why do you
think some children have such a passion for one thing (drums) and will go to
any lengths to achieve their goals and/or get what they desire?
There are a ton of
reasons, but for a kid like Sam, it's about finding something that makes you
feel good about yourself. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but a kid
who's bombarded with experiences that play to their weaknesses will believe
that weaknesses are all they have. When they discover something they have a
passion for, it's like finding out they're not a mistake. They have value after
all.
What do
you think Sam is doing as the present time?
I'll bet she's
looking for band mates. Somewhere out there are the perfect guitarist and
bassist for her first band.
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