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Curious about how I work? Here's the thread for all questions about how I develop an idea into a finished book.

I would like to know how your writing process was like when you created Marcus Flutie? Did you write everyday?

Hello Megan! I'm specifically wondering about how you plan the course of your novels. How soon in the writing process do you know how your books are going to end? Do you let the characters take over the story? Do you have a specific place you want the book to go when you start writing?

Greetings Ms McCafferty or Megan if you prefer...i was wondering how you came up with the poem and the whole 'you yes you' thing in the AWESOME Jessica Darling series. =)

Hi Megan! Which is better: to write something you know about or to let your imagination take over? If it should be both, how would you say could that be balanced?

Katya wrote: "Hi, Megan! I just want to say I loved the Jessica Darling books, especially the way she plays around with words and makes things sound so hilarious. How do you do that? Do you write ideas down and ..."

All my writing just flows as I'm in the moment. I honestly don't how I come up with most of the stuff I've written! It just...happens.

Ellie wrote: "Hello Megan! I'm specifically wondering about how you plan the course of your novels. How soon in the writing process do you know how your books are going to end? Do you let the characters take ove..."

I always need to know how the story begins and ends. And I usually have a loose outline for everything that happens in between, but nothing too specific. I like there to be a certain amount of spontaneity because that's how the most fun and creative stuff happens.

kb wrote: "Hi Megan! Which is better: to write something you know about or to let your imagination take over? If it should be both, how would you say could that be balanced?"

Both. You should always write what you know...which means you need to KNOW your imaginative world inside and out. That's why I did a year's worth of resarch before I even started to write BUMPED.

Juwi wrote: "Greetings Ms McCafferty or Megan if you prefer...i was wondering how you came up with the poem and the whole 'you yes you' thing in the AWESOME Jessica Darling series. =)"

It's really hard to answer questions about where specific ideas come from. When I write, I'm totally in the moment, in the characters' minds. Both the poem and YOU.YES.YOU. reflected exactly what I thought Marcus Flutie had to say to Jessica Darling at that point in the story.

Amanda wrote: "I would like to know how your writing process was like when you created Marcus Flutie? Did you write everyday?"

For Marcus Flutie, I thought a lot about all the boys who captivated and infuriated me in high school. The boys who made it worth showing up at school. Fortunately, I had very detailed journals from my high school years to draw upon for source material!

Ms. McCafferty,

I was wondering if you are working on any new projects? If so, might you provide us with a hint about their subject matter. Also, have you ever considered writing a poetry collection?

Faith

Faith wrote: "Ms. McCafferty,

I was wondering if you are working on any new projects? If so, might you provide us with a hint about their subject matter. Also, have you ever considered writing a poetry collec..."

Right now I'm revising the sequel to BUMPED, which I hope will go on sale no later than a year from now. After that, I'll start doing some research for a tiny germ of an idea...but it's way too early for me to talk about it yet. I hope whatever comes next, there will be readers interested in it!
Thank you for thinking I could be a poet, but I don't have any plans to publish a poetry collection.

Hi Megan! I'm curious how you went about creating Jessica's voice? I'm struggling with authentic voice in my own writing (it's hard to write a sarcastic or snarky or angry character who's likable, relatable and not gratuitous or over-the-top). Was Jessica's voice always there or did it come out in revision?

Jessica was always Jessica. Her voice came before everything else. Voice is tough to fake, that's for sure. I do a lot of eavesdropping. I think about the way people talk and behave in real life. But most of all, I think of all my characters as real people. I've always felt that it's kind of like method acting, where you try to get inside a character's head to think like she thinks. I realized that Jessica had become her own person when I made her say and do things that I would NEVER do or say, sometimes to the point that I was CRINGING while writing.