Author Interview with Ellen Hopkins!

Hey guys, I have another author interview for you guys! This time it is with Ellen Hopkins, the author of IMPULSE, which I reviewed on my blog a little while ago. I hope you enjoy!


1. What was it like growing up in adopted family?

My parents were older, so any differences between an adopted family and a birth family stemmed from that. We didn't do things like ski, for instance. But I had a great childhood.

2. Why did you decide to write your novels in verse?

I started CRANK in prose, but the voice was too angry. It was my voice, not “Kristina’s” voice. I’ve always written poetry and when I saw another verse novelist, Sonya Sones, speak at a conference, I knew it was the right way to tell the story. Verse is about how the poet views his or her world, and I wanted to view Kristina’s world. Verse allowed me inside her. Then I discovered a talent for it, and that many readers do like it.

3. What is your favourite colour?

Please see my FAQ page on ellenhopkins.com

4. Any new projects you can tell us about?

Please see my FAQ page on ellenhopkins.com.....news on upcoming projects is on the home page.

5. Did you have any say in your beautiful cover art?

Not really, except for some input on color. My cover designer, Sammy Yuen Jr., is brilliant. I'm happy with his choices.


6. How long did it take you to write Impulse?

Answers in 8.

7. How long did it take you to write Crank?

'' ''
8. How long did it take you to write Glass?


CRANK took me about a year and a lot of that was developing the format. The others took around 6-8 months.

10. Thank you so much for the interview. One last question, what is your biggest advice for aspiring authors?

To read, read, read. And read cross-genre. And to write, write, write. And to write cross-genre. You won't know where you belong as a writer until you try lots of different kinds of writing. Not everyone is a novelist or a poet, or belongs writing Dystopian. Experiment!

Thanks so much to Ellen Hopkins for the wonderful interview! I love your novels and I can't wait for upcoming projects!