Friday Five -- Marissa Burt

Marissa Burt is a sister member of the 2012 debut collective called the Apocalypsies.  I only know Marissa online, but I know her to be kind and generous with her words and a keen supporter of other authors!  Her middle grade novel, STORYBOUND, was published by Harper Collins in April.


THE FIVE:


1.  Who are your real-life heroes?

My real-life heroes are always those people who demonstrate exemplary courage.  I’ve recently been reading about the life of William Wilberforce, the famous abolitionist, and I so respect people like him who weren’t daunted by the magnitude of the societal ills around them.  He could have been dissuaded by his own smallness; instead, he gave everything he had to the fight for justice.  Lately, I’m learning more about modern day slavery and human trafficking, and I just read a story of a woman who quit her job in her thirties and ended up establishing an orphanage in war-torn Sudan.  That combination of bravery and compassion is stunning.

2.  What intrigues you?

People’s stories.  Love of story is what makes me a book-lover and a fiction-writer, but I also find the accounts of real-life experiences to be captivating.  Biographies.  The quiet chapters of well-lived lives.  Dramatic, unbelievable, true tales.  All of it.  So intriguing.  

3.  What other profession would you like to learn?

I would love to be involved in the theatre.  I’ve done a few community theatre productions – both as an actor and as a backstage helper – and I loved my experiences!  I think this has to do with my obsession for living out the imaginary worlds I so love, and there’s something magical about the vitality and energy of creative people on stage.

4.  What profession would you never, ever want to have?

Tough question!  I would have to say anything to do with heights.  Whenever I see footage of people hanging from harnesses, washing skyscraper windows or operating cranes on towering structures, everything gets all tingly.  I’ll keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, thanks!

5.  What is your favorite writing motto/mantra?

Just do it. We all have our tricks for encouraging creativity or brainstorming plot ideas, but the reality is that one’s capacity to write is directly related to the ability to sit down and crank the words out.  The surest way to writer’s block is to wait for the muse to strike.  Instead, I’ve found that forcing out those first few sentences – as horrible as they seem at the time – is the only sure way to a productive writing session.

ABOUT STORYBOUND:


When Una Fairchild stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, she thinks nothing of opening the cover and diving in. But instead of paging through a regular novel, Una suddenly finds herself Written In to the land of Story—a world filled with Heroes and Villains and fairy-tale characters.

But not everything in Story is as magical as it seems. Una must figure out why she has been Written In—and fast—before anyone else discovers her secret. Together with her new friend Peter and a talking cat named Sam, Una digs deep into Story's shadowy past. She quickly realizes that she is tied to the world in ways she never could have imagined—and it might be up to her to save it.

You can order STORYBOUND here.

ABOUT MARISSA:

You can find Marissa

On her website.
On Twitter.
On Facebook.