by Mindy McGinnis
This past Friday, January 3, 2014, Marcy and I posted our answers to Mindy’s
fantastic debut novel, Not a Drop to
Drink. Today, you get to read Mindy’s favorite's. She's obviously given a
lot of thought to her answers, which isn't surprising since the novel addresses
so many thought-provoking topics. We hope you enjoy reading Mindy’s answers as
much we enjoyed reading the novel.
1) What is your favorite line or paragraph from the novel
as it relates to the main character's development and/or growth?
This might be too obvious but my favorite line is
the first one -- Lynn was nine the first time she killed to defend the pond.
If you've already read the book, I recommend comparing the first and last lines
to get a complete picture of how much Lynn changes over the course of the
novel.
2)
What is your favorite chapter ending or cliffhanger?
Chapter endings are always tough. You want them to
close out the chapter solidly, lead into the next one, and resonate enough to
keep the reader plowing on to the next one. With that in mind, I think my
favorite ending line would be from Chapter 11, with Lucy speaking to the
wandering homeless man: “Good luck, Mister,” she said, her words filled with
the hope of a child. I think it's interesting to consider the sacrifices
Lynn makes so that Lucy can continue to have a childhood, something Lynn
herself was stripped of.
3)
Who is your favorite secondary character and why?
Stebbs. Easily. He took over the second he showed up
in any scene. I didn't write Stebbs. He just happened.
4)
What is your favorite line or paragraph of description?
That's tough because in general I don't like a lot
of description. I want my reader to see things their own way. However, it was
important to me to set up Lucy as a child in desperate need of help, and so I
think the scene when she's first on the page is a good place to break my own
rules and allow description: She was filthy, her face streaked with grime
except for two clean rivulets streaking from her mouth where she’d drank from
the stream. Her tattered shoes sucked at the mud as she tried to lure the
squirrel closer. The sharp corner of her elbow poked through the worn crease of
her sleeve.
5)
What is your favorite line of dialogue?
Easily when Lynn, who has no sense of humor, is
accidentally hilarious when telling Eli she's not taking a chance on walking
across the country in the hopes of finding a working desal plant. I'd rather
shoot people in Ohio than walk to California.
Congratulations to Mindy on her first YA novel, Not a Drop to Drink. Mindy has recently
signed a two-book contract with Katherine Tegen Books of Harper Collins for
untitled YA novels to be published in 2015 and 2016. We can’t wait to read
them!
To
read more about Mindy McGinnis’ debut YA novel Not a Drop to Drink please go
to:
Website:
http://www.mindymcginnis.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MindyMcGinnis
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13112869-not-a-drop-to-drink
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