FAST FORWARD FRIDAY – Gracie Dix

Welcome to MG Book Village, Gracie! I’m so happy that you could be part of our Fast Forward Friday feature. Your debut novel, Welcome to Superhero School, comes out this Tuesday, April 28th. Could you please let our readers know what it’s about?

Thanks for having me! Welcome to Superhero School is about a group of teenagers with superpowers, who all attend Superhero School. One day, they find out an evil organization called Vork is threatening their very livelihood. The teens must work together through perilous, life threatening situations to save not only themselves, but also the world.

Wow! That sounds exciting. I love a good action adventure novel, and who can resist one that involves superheroes? This is the first book in the Vork Chronicles series. Are you working on the next one, and are there any details you can share with us?

Yes, I am working on the next book in the series. The sequel features the same group of friends as Welcome to Superhero School, plus a few new characters. They’ve been selected to compete on a game show but aren’t aware yet of an underhanded twist lurking behind the scenes.

I’ve also written a short prequel, called Journey to Superhero School, featuring twins Oliver and Jessica Fletcher. If you would like to learn when Oliver and Jessica got their powers or how they were selected to go to Superhero School – this prequel is for you! You can download it on Amazon Kindle.

That’s a lot of writing! You are a high school student, right? How do you fit in time for writing with schoolwork and extracurricular activities?

Yes, I am currently a Junior in high school. I mostly write whenever I have free time during my classes or study halls. I wrote the entirety of Welcome to Superhero School on my school computer. Now with staying at home due to coronavirus, I have a lot more time for writing.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned on your writing journey?

The editing process is grueling! When I first started to edit Welcome to Superhero School there were so many edits to go through, even though I thought the book was ‘done’ at the time. Editing really opened my eyes to mistakes that I had made and to information I could add to help my story develop. Then, after finishing the first round of editing, I had to go back through a second round, and a third round, and many more rounds. Editing took much longer than I had expected but it was worth it in the end. I’ve learned that to be a good writer requires a lot of patience, flexibility, and editing.

What advice do you have for aspiring teen authors who read this interview?

Just go for it! Don’t let anyone or anything hold you back. Be yourself and write about what you love. If you get stuck, take a break. Something will come to you if you are passionate about it.

Don’t feel like you must have every detail of the whole story planned out to get started. I know some authors write that way, which is great, but believe it or not, once I had the basic plot I wrote the entirety of Welcome to Superhero School by letting the story evolve as I went along.

However, if you make things up as you go along, remember what you wrote previously to avoid plot holes. In fact, I keep a chart going as I write. The Welcome to Superhero chart includes information on all the characters, such as their powers, the order in which they appear, and where they were at certain moments in the story while I focused on another character. Also, if you are writing a book or novel with a larger number of main characters, remember to give each of them time in the spotlight throughout the story, so the reader doesn’t forget who they are.

I see that you are donating a portion of the proceeds from each book sold to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International? I love that you are giving back with your debut novel. What inspired you?

I really love animals. They are a big part of my life. In fact, they are such a big part of my life that I put one of my dogs, Snowball, as a character in the book. I love that people buying my book can also help  animals all around the world with their purchase.

The characters in your book all have superpowers. If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

Super agility – because agility includes strength, resistance and speed.

If you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?

Don’t be embarrassed about your differences. The things that make you different also make you special. For example, I have ADHD and it has become one of my superpowers. Embrace who you are!

Where can people go to find out more information about you and your writing?

They can go to my website, graciedix.com

Also, follow me on social media: 

Instagram: @gracie.dix.author

Facebook: GracieDixAuthor

You can also follow my dogs on Instagram: @Sandy_and_Snowball

Thank you again for joining us today, Gracie, and best of luck with your book’s release!

Thank you for having me!