Megan Miranda

Welcome to Jagged Edge!

Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

Sure! I’ve always loved to write, but I also loved Science. I ended up getting a degree in Biology. From there, I worked in Biotech for a few years, then moved to North Carolina and became a high school science teacher. A few years later, I had kids and stayed home with them. When my kids were 1 and 3, I started taking my writing seriously—I treated it like a job, way before it became one. I started writing every night, with set hours. Fracture is the product of those hours.

What inspired you to write?

Questions inspire me to write. Any ideas I get usually come in the form of a what if? For Fracture, I had been thinking a lot about the brain, and our DNA—how much of us is predetermined…and how much of us is something more. I’m also drawn to the unexplained phenomena in science. So far, it’s the unexplained that has produced everything I’ve written to date.

What authors influenced you as a writer?

I read a lot of Michael Crichton when I was growing up—I loved that his books typically featured a lot of science, but the plot still drove the story. I also read a lot of Edgar Allan Poe—his writing always left me unsettled, and I really took notice of the cadence of his writing. In addition, there are so many authors who inspire me (recently: Markus Zusak and John Green, to name a few)—I’m not sure that they have influenced my writing, necessarily, but they definitely make me dig deeper in my own writing.

What is your favorite Quote? Why is it your favorite?

It’s not necessarily my favorite quote of all time, but it’s a line that stuck with me since I read it in high school. From The Winter of our Discontent, by John Steinbeck: “No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.”

It really resonated with me at the time. Reading, in general, made me believe that people are very similar underneath everything else. It made me feel more connected to others.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

Great question! Also a tough question... I love a lot of darker books, but I wouldn’t want to live in them, seeing as they’re full of danger or darkness and I’m pretty much terrified of everything. I wouldn’t want to live in a dystopian world, either—so out goes that genre. I’d say Anna and the French Kiss, which was a book that left me smiling for days. 

What is at least one thing that every writer needs to have or do?

I’m not sure if a writer needs to have anything concrete…but I truly believe they need to read a lot. I recommend reading everything, not just things in your genre or comfort zone  

Are your books different to your personal favorite books by other authors?

I think there are certain elements I’m drawn to in both reading and writing. No matter what genre I’m reading, I’m drawn to characters first. In writing, I develop characters first, as well. But I think the similarities end there. There aren’t huge similarities between a lot of my favorite books—they span genres, and they’re usually ones that catch me by surprise. I can’t say there’s one type of book I necessarily prefer over another anymore.

What lead you to writing in this genre?

I don’t think there was ever a doubt that I’d be writing in the Young Adult genre, though sometimes I don’t think I realized it. My characters always seem to be about that age. There’s something both fascinating and pivotal about that time: like you can still become anything or anyone.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Discovering my characters. I love building relationships. I love the messiness of it all—of letting the characters take over and make their own decisions and screw up and hopefully eventually get it right. 

Least favorite part of the writing process?

Hmm, well it’s not exactly my least favorite, because I love when I get it right…but plot is the most difficult element for me. I have to make myself buckle down and map things out at some point.

What are you currently working on?

I am editing my next book, another standalone, which should be out in early 2013. It’s in the same vein as Fracture, in that it walks the line between science and paranormal…but it’s also very, very different. It’s about memories, the thin line between the real and the imagined, and friendship.

Where readers can find you?

Website: meganmiranda.com

Twitter: @MeganLMiranda

Facebook page: FracturebyMeganMiranda