Any House Hunters fans out there? You know how they have the “Where Are They Now” series? It’s been five years since I started doing Creative Spaces interviews, and I thought it might be fun to take a cue from HGTV and check in on some of the authors and illustrators interviewed in the past and see what’s new with them, and if anything has changed in their workspace or creative process.
Michelle also has a new, suspenseful YA out as an ebook titled Mac/Beth. Her book is available for the can’t-be-beat price of $2.99! I’ll let Michelle tell you more about it, and fill you in on what else she’s been up to lately . . .
Barbie house still in my workroom. Yup, I still share the room with everyone. Note the papers I should grade by my feet. |
My newest book is Mac/Beth, which is a re-imagining Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It’s set in Hollywood and focuses on ambition and guilt, and the challenges of fame. I love turning classics into something accessible to modern audiences who are either afraid of the original piece or love the original and want to experience it a new way.
More papers to grade on the couch. There’s always something I should be doing, but when I have time, I sweep it to the side and write. |
I’m also trying to celebrate things as they come along, even if the victories are small. When Falling for Hamlet came out, I was so nervous about everything that I didn’t celebrate each moment enough. I was anxious about reading at a signing instead of thinking, “People are here to support me. Smile and enjoy.” I worried about what people thought, how it would sell, and what was coming next instead of living each moment as a victory. I realize, too, that I like sharing my work with people I know, that their compliments matter a lot, and that having my friends as fans is fun. When The Royals was going through the optioning and pilot process, I tried to remember to appreciate each positive thing that happened since any step might have been the last. It was all out of my hands, so I tried to celebrate each unexpected positive and hope for more. When The Royals premiered and I had friends send champagne and call and text and tweet and post, it was like having my funeral before I was dead. When in life do you get to hear so much nice stuff and know how much people love you?
To learn more about Michelle visit her website, or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
MacBeth was my first and favourite Shakespeare work and I'd be interested in finding out how it has been retold as a contemporary story. It's good to learn about Michelle from this interview!