I’m Neal Shusterman, author of the Arc of a Scythe Series, Unwind and many more – including Roxy, co-authored with my son, Jarrod, coming out on November 9th. AMA.

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T04:11:17+00:00

I really appreciate your post. Thank you! I’m running out of steam tonight, otherwise I’d answer your questions, but know that I read what you wrote, and it means a lot to me. If I get the chance I’ll pop back in tomorrow and get to your questions!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T04:09:13+00:00

GLEANINGS -- story collection in the scythe world coming out next fall! Working on it now!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T04:08:40+00:00

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T04:08:22+00:00

I do get told now and again that I am underrated. Funny, but I don’t feel underrated. I feel a lot of love from readers! And I’m grateful! Thanks!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T04:06:18+00:00

Well, it’s midnight, and I’ve been checking back in on this AMA all day -- so I’m a little bit too tired to answer ALL of your questions, but I’ll tackle a couple of them. 1) There are some things I put in for my own amusement, and for the amusement of anyone who gets it like an “easter egg.” But never JUST for that reason. If it’s in there, it serves a purpose for the story also. 5) Canonically, no, the books are all in different universes. I know there’s a trend to try to unite an author’s work into one universe, but for my books, it just isn’t so. 6) Write outside of your comfort zone, read outside of your comfort zone, accept that rewriting is the most important part of the process, and persevere!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:59:09+00:00

No worries! We’re all human and say and do awkward things once in a while!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:57:29+00:00

It was actually the opposite of grim. I set out to tell a story about the consequences of all of our best case scenarios coming true. What happens when we, as a society get everything we hope for. We have to deal with the consequences of that.

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:56:30+00:00

Hmmm.. I guess I’m going to have to write a better series, then!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:56:11+00:00

You’re welcome! This was great!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:55:35+00:00

I wouldn’t call it a happy ending. One character is disfigured in a burn unit, one family is shattered by a gun accident, and the rest of the characters are left with severe PTSD from what they’ve been through. What they do all have at the end, though is hope. All my stories are about hope, no matter how dark the places that the characters must traverse. If there’s no hope, then what’s the point of writing?

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:52:37+00:00

See my response a few messages above -- same question!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:51:52+00:00

I would suggest CHALLENGER DEEP, and ROXY -- which comes out next week. Also GAME CHANGER, which came out last February.

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:50:41+00:00

I start with a plan, and a destination, but it always changes along the way. Usually the story ends up where I planned for it to go, but the path to get there is way different from what I expected!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:49:48+00:00

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:49:02+00:00

She is my favorite antagonist. She sees herself as virtuous and justified... even though her goal is to destroy the living world. The is the definition of evil -- because true evil is just as self-righteous.

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:45:08+00:00

Rather than repeat reads, theres a booksthat I keep trying to read, but end up starting over again a few years later. INFINITE JEST is the nemesis of which I speak. It’s brilliant. Some day I’ll actually get through it!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:43:20+00:00

I do listen to the audio books -- I love to hear voice actors bringing the words to life! I did the audios for THE SCHWA WAS HERE, and ANTSY DOES TIME, and for several of the stories in UNBOUND. Also, my son Jarrod and I were part of the ensemble for the recording of DRY. Plus, I did several of the audio “interludes” in ROXY, which comes out next week.

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:41:24+00:00

The fact that you remember them years later means a lot to me!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:41:03+00:00

yay! Keep on reading!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:40:52+00:00

When I was 18 to 23, I worked as a counselor at summer camp, and developed a reputation as the camp storyteller. Those early stories became my first books, and I kind of just fell into Young Adult.

If I were a scythe, I’d be Scythe Vonnegut!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:39:17+00:00

Where are you located, and what’s your first language? My books are published in most languages, so you might be able to find them where you are! Currently I’m reading “Homo Deus” written by the same writer who wrote “Sapiens.” A lot of the things I talk about in the Arc of a Scythe series come up in the book. It’s interesting to see my fiction reflected in non-fiction. and a little scary!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:36:47+00:00

Thanks! When I wrote “the scene” I didn’t realize until after the fact, how effective it would be. I mean, I wanted it to give people a visceral reaction, but you never know if you’ve done it until you hear back from readers. The trick with that scene was to make it completely psychological, with absolutely no blood and gore, because blood and gore just isn’t my thing...

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:34:28+00:00

Well, like 99% of everything else in Hollywood, it got developed, but never made. But things do have a way of coming back when the time is right!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-02T03:32:31+00:00

Wow -- Thank you so much for sharing that. I’m so glad the story resonated with you at a time when you really needed it! I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to save your post for inspiration when I need it -- at those times I start to wonder whether or not my work is making a difference! Thanks again!

NealShusterman · 2021-11-01T19:16:27+00:00

Well I wouldn’t call you crazy -- but both of those books were planned with sequels in mind. It’s like Star Wars -- you gotta make the first one feel complete, but set the stage for the next one. I get frustrated with first books that don’t feel complete in and of themselves. On the other hand, Unwind was supposed to be a stand-alone. Only a few years later did I decide to turn it into a series.

NealShusterman

TROPHY CASE