Interview: Megan Crewe

Megan Crewe is the author of Give Up The Ghost, her YA debut title. Give Up The Ghost is now available for purchase on Amazon and in bookstores near you.

Questions on Give Up The Ghost:

Tainted Poet: First off, could you please give us a brief summery of Give Up The Ghost?
Megan Crewe: An outcast at her high school, Cass uses the dirt her ghostly friends dig up to expose the crimes of her fellow students. But when the popular student council vice president comes to her for supernatural help, she realizes that the living might deserve another chance.

TP: If you had to label you book in three words, what would they be?
MC: Ghosts, revenge, friendship.

TP: Was the title Give Up The Ghost your novel's original title? Or did you have something else in mind?
MC: The original title was IN MEMORY OF (like you see in grave stones--"in loving memory of so'n'so"). But my agent felt that was too vague (and she was right) so we changed it before it went on submission. I love the current title because it works on a couple different levels. It's a metaphor for death, which is a major part of the story. But you could also see it as referring to Cass having to decide whether to give up her dependency on her ghostly friends, give up her hurt feelings over what happened in the past.

TP: Will there be a companion novel to Give Up The Ghost?
MC: There is not one currently written, but I am a firm believer in "never say never." :)

TP: While reading Give Up The Ghost, the characters felt so real to me. Did you put any of yourself in them?
MC: Definitely! Cass's sarcastic humor is much like mine, just turned up a few notches, and in some ways her personality is mine taken to its most cynical extreme (I'm actually an optimist--but even optimists have cynical thoughts!). I also dealt with depression when I was younger, and I'm sure that helped as I was writing Tim.

TP: In the novel, Cass had been hugely betrayed by her best friend. Has anything like this ever happen to you?
MC: Thankfully, no! But I saw it happen to other people--not as extreme as in Cass's case, but mocking behind people's backs, spreading rumors, that sort of thing. And I did have a somewhat close friend who suddenly decided to stop being my friend in my first year of high school. She didn't do anything mean to me, but she wouldn't talk to me at all, and I was pretty hurt and confused.

TP: Any ghost stories to share?
MC: One time, when I was in my teens, one of my family's cats started acting really scared in my bedroom. When I picked him up he freaked out and scratched me so hard I dropped him (very unusual), and then ran into the hall and sat there staring at the space under my bed for a couple hours. He used to love hiding under the bed, but after that he always avoided it. The best explanation I could come up with was that he'd seen a ghost under there! But who knows...

Other Questions:

TP: Have you always wanted to write Young Adult, or did it just turn out that way?
MC: I started writing seriously in my teens, and then I wrote for teens because that was the age group I knew. But when I got into my twenties I found I still enjoyed writing about teenagers, and for teenagers, more than adults, so I stuck with it! The teen years are such a turbulent and emotional time for most people, and it's exciting writing about characters in the process of figuring out who they are and who they want to be. And I also think there are no greater fans of books than teens. :)

TP: Are there any particular foods or drinks you like to eat or drink while you write?
MC: I don't usually eat or drink when I'm writing because I need both my hands to type! LOL. And also I'm afraid of spilling stuff on my laptop.

TP: Music or no music while writing?
MC: No music when writing unless I'm trying to drown out some other noise, in which case I use instrumental. But I listen to a lot of music when I'm brainstorming and outlining and have playlists for all my books. The soundtrack for GIVE UP THE GHOST is up on my website (http://www.megancrewe.com/gutg/soundtrack.html ).

TP: What is your favorite book? And what is one book everyone should read before they die?
MC: You expect me to have just one!? :) My favorite book when I was growing up was THE CHANGELING by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, which I still love. One book everyone should read... Mine! Heh. Speaking seriously, I'd say TUCK EVERLASTING by Natalie Babbitt, because it is a wonderful book, beautifully written and emotionally resonant--and if any book's going to make you feel okay about the fact that you are going to die some day, it's probably that one.

TP: Do you have any projects you are working on right now?
MC: I'm always working on something! I'm taking a break for a few weeks to focus on GHOST's release, but I have books waiting for me to revise them afterward.

TP: What is one question you wish readers would ask, but never gets asked?
MC: You know, so far readers have asked some really great questions. I'm stumped trying to think of anything important that hasn't gotten covered!

TP: Any last statements?
MC: I hope you will all come visit me at my website (http://www.megancrewe.com ) and blog (http://www.megancrewe.com/blog )--I always welcome comments and e-mails from readers!

END
Thank you Megan for the interview! My review for Give Up The Ghost is also available if you are curious to learn more about Megan Crewe'c book. Click: HERE.