Author Interview: Jason Ancona

What was your favorite thing to do as a child?

Loved to build Legos. Also enjoyed playing with my sisters' Cabbage Patch Kids -- with them of course. ;)

Was writing something you were always good at?

No, I'm always trying to improve. I've taken a lot of screenwriting classes at UCLA. It's been a big transition trying to write novels instead of screenplays, which is why C.Y.A. is so dialogue heavy. The pacing is fast, though. I think I have a good sense of story; the subtleties of novel writing is where I'm hoping to gain a lot of ground.

When did you start writing, The Case Of Tangled Love?

The book started out as a TV pilot I wrote in August of 2008. It was originally called SYSOPS, for System Operators. Changed it to Covert Youth Agency (C.Y.A.) when I turned it into a novel in the summer of 2009.

Do you have any more books coming out?

Have another YA novel called Debugging Tori Redding, which should be available in January of 2011. The next C.Y.A. book should be out in March of 2011. Not releasing the title yet.

I have a blogger friend who just received her first rejection for her book a couple of days ago, do you have any advice for her?

Keep writing. And re-writing. I've been doing it for over eight years and every time I thought the script I was working on was going to be "the one." We all want success now, but the reality is that it takes time. And a lot of work. I'm hoping to be the next 10-year overnight success story.

Also, self-publishing is increasingly becoming a great option. You can digitally distribute your novel through so many channels. Every book you create is "content." I see it as running your own business, where you have a product to market and sell. Many brick and mortar bookstores are closing, and more will shut down going forward. As digital e-reading devices decrease in price, book-lovers will switch over to buying e-books. I'm a convert. ;)

For more about this option, I recommend checking out JA Konrath's blog. He's making a living by self-publishing. However, he does have 29 books. He offers a lot of wonderful advice. Here's a link to his site: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

If you guys would like to find out more about Jason, feel free to visit his website and/or follow him on Twitter!
http://www.covertyouthagency.com/
http://twitter.com/CYAgent

Thanks for letting me interview you, Jason!