We had the opportunity to interview Chris Colfer via e-mail.
Chris Colfer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a Golden Globe-winning actor. He plays Kurt Hummel on Glee. He was honored as a member of the TIME 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world, and his books include Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns, and The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning.
MACI & ZOE:
Where did you get the idea for The Land of Stories? Did it end up the way you intended it to?
CHRIS COLFER:
I got the idea for The Land of Stories when I was a very little kid. I loved fairy tales and was never satisfied with the way they ended, so I elaborated each story in my mind. The first book, The Wishing Spell, is exactly the same story I came up with as a kid. It was much easier to write as an adult though.
MACI & ZOE:
Do you miss your characters when you finish writing a book?
CHRIS COLFER:
The characters are all loosely based on people I know, so they feel like family to me! I miss them a lot when I’m not writing. Luckily, they’re only a thought away.
MACI & ZOE:
What is your favorite bookstore?
CHRIS COLFER:
I tend to like antique or used book stores. I always hope I’ll find a magical book that transports me into another dimension, like the characters in my own books. No luck yet.
MACI & ZOE:
What is your favorite dessert?
CHRIS COLFER:
I love chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream. It’s always my first choice, but if I’m feeling adventurous I may go for some strawberry ice cream.
MACI & ZOE:
Do you like to read during meals, if so a book, newspaper, or something else?
CHRIS COLFER:
Usually it’s a newspaper or a magazine. Hearing or reading about business always makes me hungry, so I usually make sure I have a snack when I do.
MACI & ZOE:
What do you like to use as bookmarks?
CHRIS COLFER:
Whatever is close! I’ve used receipts, headphones, ribbon, and ripped up pieces of paper before. I actually have hundreds of bookmarks but they never seem to be in reach.
MACI & ZOE:
Do you prefer to read with real books or an electronic device?
CHRIS COLFER:
It depends on where I am. I love the touch and smell of books, so if I’m home I like using the real deal. If I’m traveling I like to read on my iPad. Even if I’ve read a book on my iPad I still like showing off a real copy on my book shelf. It’s like a trophy.
MACI & ZOE:
What is your favorite genre?
CHRIS COLFER:
I love autobiographies! I’m also a sucker for historical and mystery. Sometimes I find something that is all three. The older I get the harder it is to read fantasy because I write so much of it. I find myself constantly wanting to change the “rules” of the story.
MACI & ZOE:
Do you have a special procedure that you do when you write?
CHRIS COLFER:
Usually I’m writing in the corner of a soundstage, a trailer, or backstage at an arena. However, if I get a day or two to just write, I usually stay up all night writing. I’m a major night owl.
MACI & ZOE:
Is it hard carving out time to write with writing not being your primary job?
CHRIS COLFER:
It’s very difficult and sometimes impossible to find time to write with my Glee schedule. Thanks to The Land of Stories though, I think writing will become my primary job once Glee is over. I love that I can do it in my pajamas at home.
MACI & ZOE:
How many books do you read a year?
CHRIS COLFER:
I used to read a dozen or so a year, but these days I’m lucky if I get through five or six. The only problem with writing is that it takes time away from reading.
MACI & ZOE:
What books are you reading right now?
CHRIS COLFER:
Right now I’m reading four classic novels simultaneously as research for The Land of Stories 4. I won’t say the names just yet because I don’t want to give anything away. I have a high pile on my coffee table of current titles I’m hoping to get to soon.
Comments