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You mean you kept it short? Oh, my! I’ll do my best, Jade.

1. Mr. Hamilton specifically said w were going to write “a novel”. I knew that meant a book, so that’s what I tried to write.

2. You may not know this character — he’s from the early series THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING AT MACDONALD HALL. The character I relate to the most is Boots. He’s the observer, the cautious one, the guy who worries about getting caught.

3. My characters may have bits and pieces of real people, but they’re basically all fictional.

4. Most interesting plot? Probably the MASTERMINDS series. Or THE HYPNOTISTS.

5. THE FORT was the most fun to plot, because it had the least detail plotted ahead when I started the actual writing. And the movies and music they discovered in the fort was actually part of my youthful favorites way back when.

6. The funniest. Probably one of the earlier ones, like THE CHICKEN DOESN’T SKATE or THE TOILET PAPER TIGERS, both re-issued in a single volume as GAME ON.

7. You can’t get more outlandish than the NOSEPICKERS FROM OUTER SPACE series. It was really fun to write because “anything goes.”

8. I never considered using a pen name. Hey, if I did that, people wouldn’t know it’s me!

9. The hardest part of outlining is coming up with believable events that move the story along to a satisfactory end. As for the hardest part of writing, I don’t think there is one, if you plan thoroughly.

10. Of all my books, the hardest scene, etc. to write was the ending of the MASTERMINDS series. I didn’t want the kids to appear to be just normal folks, but I also wanted to give them a chance at ordinary happy lives. It was tough.

11. I wouldn’t say any of it is actual fun. It can be very frustrating, and it can be satisfying when it goes the way you wanted and expected it to go.

12. I don’t come up with all the titles. My editors do that, assisted by their editorial and sales people. They’re the ones who understand what’s currently of interest — in short, what sells.

And if that doesn’t keep you satisfied at least for a little while, I don’t know what will!

Thanks Jade.                                                                                      —–Gordon Korman—–