Author FAQs
Q: How do you pronounce your last name?
A: It's actually pretty close to the way it looks. Hop, as in jump, and cuss, as in saying a four letter word that would have to be bleeped out on TV. I like to imagine the last name Hopcus is a foul mouthed rabbit that is hopping through a field of glass instead of grass. (Painful mix-up, no?) He would hop and cuss, hop and cuss.
Q:Where did you grow up?
A: Austin, TX
Q: What's your astrological sign?
A: Libra
Q: When did you first know that you wanted to be an author?
A: I've wanted to be many things in my life, but the basis for every one of those aspirations was story telling. I've always wanted to tell stories, whether it was through acting, writing movies, or being John Hughes. (That was my dominating dream from the age of six...until I realized I was not an immensely talented gentleman with an ear for comedic dialogue and a close relationship with Molly Ringwald.) I was in my late teens/early twenties when I decided on writing novels for young adults.
Q:How long does it take you to write a book?
A: A first draft takes me about two to six months, but rewrites can make that initial time far longer. I wrote the first draft of Shadow Hills in two months, but it took five months of revision to get it to submission quality.
Q: Can you read my work?
A: The short answer is: sorry, but I cannot. The long answer is that if I said yes to one person, I'd have to say yes to everyone---I'm very big on fairness---and I'd end up spending all my time reading other people's work instead of creating my own. My agent also tells me I’m unable to critique unpublished manuscripts for legal reasons. So, apologies that I can’t accommodate these requests.
But here are a few books and websites that helped me when I first was writing: Absolute Write. It is a great site to check out; on there you can find other writers that are looking for critique partners and beta readers. And while there are a lot of great books on writing, structure tends to be my main problem area so the ones that helped me the most were: Beginnings, Middles, & Ends by Nancy Kress and Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell.
Q: What influences you?
A: Ideas and inspiration can come to me from anything I’ve read, seen, or experienced in my own life. They all affect me and my ideas.
Q: Do you have any tips for authors that are just starting out?
A: Read and pay attention as you do. Are you loving this book? Why? Then write down your answer. Are you hating a certain scene? Why? Write down your answer. Do you totally believe in and connect with a character? Why? Write down your answer. And pretty soon you've written a 'how to' guide perfectly tailored to your own interests, tastes, and opinions. No one else can teach you to develop your own unique voice or style, but you could certainly learn something about it from the writing guide you came up with yourself.
And finally, if you want to be a writer, be a writer. Don't listen to anyone who tells you it can't happen, and don't listen to yourself when you're thinking it can't happen, and most of all, don't give up. I thought about giving up several times, and now I’m just so grateful for my stubborn personality. I’m living my dream, and it was worth every rejection letter, every sleepless night, and every tear shed along the way.