[00:00:01.18] – John Knych
Hello everyone ! Thank you for being here today. We are talking with Mary G. Thompson and the book one level down and to begin Mary we like to ask the author about the origin of the idea. But I saw in the afterward that the origin for this book came in 2012 at a conference where you heard about the simulation theory. Can you talk with us about how it went from that idea to publication?
[00:00:31.21] – Mary G. Thompson
Yeah, I mean, I didn’t start writing anything about it at that time. I mean, I was writing the other stuff. So I mean I started writing that I can’t remember what I started by this is because this is so, but I was much later than that. But that you know that I went to this conference the North East conference and science and skepticism. I’m not sure. I don’t think this is still doing that they were doing it virtually during Covid. I don’t think that done it for the last years, but if they are doing it again. I highly recommend that you have to have talks about random and you know about science and skepticism. But there was a panel people were talking about this. The theory that if we ever create a genuine simulate the universe with all the information needed to create a real universe that that would be an indication that we are in the simulation, because then that would mean that there are more than real universe. But I mean it speculations you could nobody can prove that you are in the block.
[00:01:27.02] – Mary G. Thompson
If you write it you, you realize how I postulate how we might prove that we are in the simulation and you know that has none of this saw that has happened in the book is ever happened to me. So as far as I know you can’t prove it it, but I had it in the back of my mind for a long time and eventually that’s how things happen. They just kind of light and suddenly they turn into an idea years later.
[00:01:51.18] – John Knych
Excellent. Thank you. And also Mary this will be a round-table discussion. So will move to The brand and buy real quick before he has his question. There was a lot of he’s got it good for. There’s a lot of world. There’s a lot of southern world building for such a small novella like so that religion politique, but we could get into that later in you.
[00:02:20.14] – Brandon
Yes ! Yes ! Thank you. WE really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. So I did I did enjoy this it pretty quickly. So it’s only at the level, of course, but that it was quickly past, and I had some really interesting ideas. So I guess my first question is since it is kind of what ? What would you like I mean ? How long does it take you to write this ? And could you just gonna gonna take us to your Writing process and all that.
[00:02:59.06] – Mary G. Thompson
I mean it started with it was gonna be a short story. It started with a short story that was gonna be about it was gonna be about a colony that went into a simulation and it was the story the short story was going to be about somebody who was outside and had to take care of it like everybody else want to be somebody had to be left behind that was my first idea for story, and then I wrote a longer piece, which was like about ten thousand words and I was called the technician and it was about Nicholas and it was from his perspective and he went into the simulation and math, and I said that the company is and I couldn’t I couldn’t it and so I decided to write the concept from L.A perspective and that turn it into a completely different. I mean the story is pretty similar all the others that he has a much happy ending than the other piece in the short piece, which has never been published he leaves without help in her, but you know that there was a good work for I feel like the blog or something is the more like hope and happiness.
[00:04:06.15] – Mary G. Thompson
You have to have this kind of like a little bit of a rule. Maybe not totally, but I feel that way. So yeah. I mean, I think the reason that I really learned from this is like to explore and try different things and think about which is the most compelling. You know I still loved Brian from the perspective and I thought about potentially really different thing from his perspective to but you. So I don’t think this is how long to write it’s kind of hard to say, because it went to somebody I mean I I I think I started it like I don’t even remember it may have been like twenty twenty one or something like that twenty And then you know I don’t know. I can’t I can’t tell you exactly how long but I can tell you. I went through a bunch of different hydration.
[00:05:03.06] – Brandon
So you’ve been working on it for several years before it would.
[00:05:07.13] – Mary G. Thompson
Not like full time right ? Yeah yeah. But you know what goes to my group. And then you know and then I was trying to sell the short story, and then I wrote it and I had people reading it and you know all of that stuff.
[00:05:22.02] – Brandon
Thank you.
[00:05:24.05] – John Knych
Thank you, Mary Jane, and if you don’t have a question of you can always pass, but and.
[00:05:33.05] – Jenn
Thanks for being here with us. I thought it was really interesting how you sort of just give these tantalizing hints and what else is going on in the colonies of how that he is keeping people online with the people who are. You talking about how you different from Nicholas perspectives. I wonder if if you could write a bonus chapter from someone else perspective would it still be Nicholas or would you someone in the quality of life round and what else is going on there ?
[00:06:06.24] – Mary G. Thompson
I mean, you know I expanded on the character within the calling from the story, so he. Wasn’t really in the the story version. So I mean, I think her situation is interesting cases like when I wrote from Nicholas perspectives. It was all about his moral dilemma of like the contract requires this and like all this problem what happens if you was to do this and so she has an interesting moral dilemma and that she knows that she helped, but she doesn’t help as much as she could write and that I love those kind of dilemma. So maybe I would write from her perspective, but.
[00:06:51.09] – Jenn
Thank you. That’s really interesting.
[00:06:55.11] – John Knych
And again. If you don’t know you can put it up to you.
[00:06:59.17] – Virginie
I have a little question. But I I hope my English is not too too bad to do so much. Thank you very much for being with us tonight. I wanted to know I’m ninety one of the book. You will care what the universe is like it only matter if you can explore it and I wanted to know what are your thoughts on space travel, especially and in particular, Uh. Mars colonisation. I would like to know your opinion about this if you are.
[00:07:38.18] – Mary G. Thompson
I think that it would be great if we could colonise mars, but like everything else that we should do. we should do it with intelligent and purposes, not just to do it. I I don’t know I mean, I know there’s a lot of debates about whether we should be going out personally and we should be just friends and better robots to do our exploration and I as a sci-fi writer and of course I want to see people go, but it’s not a replacement for nothing is gonna be a replacement for earth, right ? I always get frustrated when I see when I read stories where are like people go out and leave earth for like unbeatable plant because earth has been destroyed and I’m like what was God ? I don’t think it’s better than earth, right ? UM so I know I’ll be back, of course. Magically. There’s have plenty of whatever it. I don’t know. I guess I think we should do it. But I don’t think we should do it just do what I think we should be careful what you could I mean, I don’t think it’s that and reasonable to imagine everybody that goes there for a colonies like with Elon Musk dying with year, whatever it.
[00:08:59.03] – Mary G. Thompson
So I don’t know I used to think that I would go. But I don’t think I would go anywhere.
[00:09:08.14] – John Knych
Thank you. Thank you for being here. I know if I said that before, but I would like to the Nicholas Carter and in the afterward you rock that you had this idea for the Nicholas prospective universe of a couple of men and their dogs who can’t leave on the planet and I red and afterwards, and I would have loved to have had that side plot in the story of my question is I agree with with Brandon that the past was really good and but at the there were so many things that I wonder if you wanted it to be a novel. It was it with your editors was there any conversation like you want it to do more, but they said no keeping the novellas.
[00:09:58.09] – Mary G. Thompson
Of the opposite. Well I originally like after I decided that I was gonna rewrite the story from Alice perspective. I thought this is gonna be a novel and so I wrote basically to have to where the end of the novella is and then I had kept going and then it just felt completely different because the turn of the book is completely different after she escaped. And so it was like almost it really was like a completely different, but it was about her like it was gonna be about her training to be a technician yourself in all this, so that happens to her outside right. And I was like this is not. This is no longer a story about somebody who is suffering from this depression and has to escape its now It’s just complete, it was just completely different and don’t feel it and so I wrote the ending made it and so that’s.
[00:10:49.20] – John Knych
What is your decision to go.
[00:10:52.06] – Mary G. Thompson
Yeah yeah. And I know like that some of the criticism. I’ve got in his people. Think it should be right and there is to be. There is the beat like this is the perfect link and should have been there is too many threads or whatever. And so I don’t know like I think it’s always. It’s just kind of her sometimes to decide what’s best like I feel like if I had done it as a novel the way I was thinking originally which would have been this would have been part one or two would have been life outside and I would have been what she came back. That’s what I was thinking and then it just it just don’t feel right and I feel like the reader would have been told from being in the world of L.A. To been confused about how everything have changed and so yeah, It was a decision that I made to do it that way.
[00:11:39.11] – John Knych
And so you still have part two and part trois. Just around right.
[00:11:43.17] – Mary G. Thompson
Now. I had started writing it and you know I just felt I I stop it that I thought this just doesn’t feel right and that’s what I went back in the end. So that it worked as a whole piece.
[00:11:56.11] – John Knych
Okay, Thank you if you have a question.
[00:12:02.10] – Brandon
Um yes, we know you can hints that at the world building beyond the story like there’s this I feel like there is this could be kind of a history of the. Things and other plants and there is some history with the world and so I wonder like the do. I know you said. You did this from a short story, but did you like some worldbuilding that you down ? But you had no intention to put in the story of just like an encyclopedia that you have to refer to his That’s it. That’s all you have come up with.
[00:12:43.18] – Mary G. Thompson
All I don’t. I definitely don’t do like a big world, bubble and like that I know some readers do that they do like a big a whole lot of world building before they right. I don’t really do that, but I mean, there is definitely stuff that I thought of that you know it’s not. Maybe you didn’t make it on the page, but not like a whole big giant other piece of world building. I don’t think thank you.
[00:13:15.05] – John Knych
Thank you back to gen.
[00:13:18.23] – Jenn
Yeah. I know I’d love to read more of L.A. Story. And he would you like to continue on with part two and three and maybe one day, we’ll see that in print or your kind of satisfied with that and that’s it or maybe return to this world like a different part of this world.
[00:13:42.11] – Mary G. Thompson
I mean, I would love to. But you know I sold out as one, but right. And so it’s not really that common are like useful to write this. It’s so as a series because then you don’t really have a publish or for it. So I definitely had to have thought of concept for school and I wasn’t really thinking about going back to that. That now, but it’s something that I’ve certainly thought about cause as they said I do have some of that return and there’s a lot in the world regarding the the world of the technicians and the company has been so yeah, I would like to know, but I don’t really see the path to it right now, because I don’t have the publisher for it. I mean, I have an even talked about it would be so it’s not like you know it. Just this is something that because it was so good as one book.
[00:14:36.03] – Jenn
Off. Okay. Thank you.
[00:14:40.22] – John Knych
Like you give back to Virginie.
[00:14:46.02] – Virginie
Yes, I had enough. It’s pretty related to my first question because on the page night of the book you. You know if people found out what was possible there would run the entire universe and I’m was wondering. Whether you were optimistic or pessimistic. About humanity future.
[00:15:10.22] – Mary G. Thompson
That in the context of that line. She’s talking about people. I’m taking things out of simulation that like make everything crazy and you know suddenly like you’re the river next door is popcorn or whatever you know. But but I’m optimistic. Yeah. I’m optimistic. I don’t think that we’re gonna. I don’t think there is gonna be the kind of a pop up that you are often sit and books for your end up like with people who have or whatever it CAN I mean things get bad and things get better it like I think that we’re gonna make it. But you know, unfortunately, people are still people so and I like to write like dark right and. But I think it’s kind of my way of getting out like baby. It’s my way of working to my. If you are getting out the stress of some real life events or whatever, but I. I actually I’m much more optimistic in reality than I am in my book. Human nature.
[00:16:13.19] – John Knych
Thank you so much and before Mary that you. You first have the side of the idea at the conference in two thousand twelve, and then I was a short story and I grew up at this time. Are you are there any books or movies or are about simulation that informed this world because I felt when I was at first attracted me to this book was I just like thinking about simulation and reading about Syfy that has to do with simulation, and I thought you did a good job of making it Believable and how the how the people living with in the simulation where there are where there are movie their books that you thought of creating the world.
[00:17:02.18] – Mary G. Thompson
I don’t think so I mean yeah, I don’t know I mean, I think that is sometimes it’s hard to tell like what you’re influence ? Are you don’t really know ? What’s in the back of your mind ? But there was not like a specific book or movie or anything.
[00:17:20.18] – John Knych
Because I would like to take like the whole idea of like the technician in the corporation like creating it and and even the sort of the ability of data to create and by have that much power like that was your own imagination, not like pulling from from specific places.
[00:17:40.16] – Mary G. Thompson
I’m not that I’m aware of. As I said like you. You know I read a lot of stuff like so who knows right ? Who knows what kind of influence me but. Yeah, I mean the regional idea for just it came from like trying to set up a moral dilemma for Nicholas. And what you know what he would find there that would be expected expected to just come and find. People basically just living their lives right like they plan to and so I just thought it was more. It’s just more interesting and emotional to think about the person that there and led to me thinking about him like somebody mentioned that one About how if you, if you can’t leave that it doesn’t matter it like you can create all the simulation that you want people in human can create any simulation they want if they have the many to do so but if you’re trapped inside and none of that matter and I think we all feel that way sometimes maybe I feel like we’re all trapped in our little simulation that we have much less control over, then we like to think.
[00:19:00.05] – Mary G. Thompson
You but it’s really hard to talk about influence because I usually I usually would not be able to tell you as far as like my fictional influence like I could tell you sometimes functional influence for a lot of stuff, but yeah. I don’t know it all just around my head and turn it up.
[00:19:18.11] – John Knych
I think it’s in the computer. That’s controlling all right.
[00:19:23.12] – Mary G. Thompson
Yeah. I mean who knows what It doesn’t matter from my perspective right. It doesn’t matter to us, whether where you are not in this week and somehow level up and get out of it and you know by the mortal which would be great.
[00:19:41.08] – John Knych
Thank you. If you have a question.
[00:19:46.03] – Brandon
With so you said, You didn’t really have any specific influences for this story, But can you talk about like your favourite authors like like you do have ? Peter ? What is here ? He said. That in the matrix ever did so I mean ? Do you like Peter ? What do you have other ?
[00:20:10.02] – Mary G. Thompson
I do like Peter what ? Yeah, I read the revolution and all the like that went along with that. Yeah. I mean, I like I like I like all of you know I right in children two and so I I And I really quit. I guess you know. It. And. I don’t know it’s hard to say whenever people ask be with my favourite books or authors. Are I just like free like I like and. I don’t know I don’t know I’m having trouble coming up with something. I’m sorry.
[00:20:50.20] – John Knych
That’s what he was actually talk with him before and how you have.
[00:20:56.03] – Mary G. Thompson
I don’t know him personally, but I get you know I got that blurb, but yeah, I mean that the freeze-frame evolution. I thought I was really interesting and so that’s the the series that are red and his, and you know I like that high concept, you know it even if if it’s sometimes a little bit confusing are difficult to understand. I would rather be that than than something that more simple just because it makes you think about stuff and say ? Yeah ! I mean a lot is like you know I read about the nonfiction. So I do read a fair amount of science fiction. Just kind of randomly a lot of like. I feel like a lot of what you read is pretty random, but.
[00:21:39.13] – Brandon
So that they don’t read science-fiction while there writing do you read Science-Fiction while you are reading.
[00:21:48.19] – Mary G. Thompson
I I I I won’t read a book that wasn’t the same topic like I wouldn’t read like if I was writing the book about the simulation, I wouldn’t go out and read other books about the simulation like you know, and you know what time I wrote the book of contemporary book about a girl who were two girls were kidnapped during the time was that there was a new story about some of the Cleveland clinic. My story came out and I was like well, I’m not gonna read about this story like I didn’t want any more information like once I start reading, you know so, but I don’t feel, I don’t feel like that matter the other science fiction because there is so many different concepts and stuff like it’s not going to really matter what I’ve been and that it was like the exact same topic. Yeah.
[00:22:33.12] – Brandon
Thank.
[00:22:37.04] – John Knych
You if you have a question.
[00:22:39.19] – Jenn
Hum hum. So do you ever feel protective of your caractère or if readers are particularly hard on them. Let me explain like I’m thinking about that. He does pretty monstrous things he’s the villain. But also he’s gone through this really unimaginable loss that kind of sparks. This is there is part of you that things like we should feel little bit bad for him or not.
[00:23:14.12] – Mary G. Thompson
I mean.
[00:23:14.22] – Jenn
You.
[00:23:15.16] – Mary G. Thompson
You feel I’m interested to know what you feel about that I mean, I think it’s always whenever somebody like in the real life to you. It’s like that. Maybe it’s not an excuse for your behavior. So I feel you gonna hate that you can take that if you want I have sympathy for him. Then you can I mean, he is probably not happy either right. But I don’t have that much sympathy for him. I guess.
[00:23:43.12] – John Knych
It is that why you start to jump into the way you choose to have the reveal of his the loss that the experience was at the end like that you are not have sympathy for him because as it I thought as the reader if I had known in the biggest in the beginning. He’s like the right this. This war of the faceless monster right. He’s just this antagonist. That’s like him. And you commented on in the in the question and the in the afterward. Did you have that decision ? The do you want to keep the reveal of his lost to the end, because you want to him to remain that. That the antagonist that he was.
[00:24:26.13] – Mary G. Thompson
I don’t really remember thinking about it earlier. I mean if I’m thinking about it now like because it’s all from this perspective. She doesn’t know that and I’m not sure it would make sense for her to know that earlier because Samantha was delighted when she was like I can’t even if there’s something like that so. I don’t. Yeah. I don’t think I really thought about putting earlier, but that’s interesting that you say that like I now I’m thinking about it. I don’t know if it would be better to have him be more sympathetic from the beginning. I don’t know, but I guess when I was thinking from her perspective. What information it would make sense for her to have at the beginning.
[00:25:15.04] – John Knych
T’inquiète. I jump the the circle and you have a question. Where do you want to pay as ? You can hear you can hear me now.
[00:25:28.15] – Virginie
I don’t have any questions. I’m.
[00:25:32.23] – John Knych
Okay, okay. So marry you ? I saw in your bio that you received the MFA in in in why writing correct like your meaning of your writing courir. You were writing for for children. How did you make this transition to writing a novel ? That’s for adults was it smooth did it was at first for kids. And then you know you changed what was that and also the two of you can expand and what what is it like to get it in and sort of children’s writing like what was that programs like.
[00:26:16.11] – Mary G. Thompson
You would just start with like the first, my first book that was published with which is the horrors for children about a boy was trying into this world like and when I started writing I didn’t that was before I was published. I didn’t know anything about the job. I thought I was really just the levels and I I learned about the rules and I learned that because of the age of the character in the town that it was right. So that’s how I got into it and my agent suggested what I was. I was gonna go to the program when I was applying to a bunch of programs and she said how does this program in writing for children at the new school and so I ended up going there and it was it was great. I mean one of the great things about that program is that it’s more commercially focussed than the traditional MFA. So like that the traditional MFA in fiction like it’s you know I mean, I don’t want those of us in the children program to think that they’re just like they are not on plot and being published right and so in this program, we had instructors who were published authors and who were who knew about the industry and they have good feedback and we all are interested in being published in children and so we give good feedback to each other and really busted all of our skills, and so it was a really good experience and so what people are thinking about doing ?
[00:27:43.17] – Mary G. Thompson
I would definitely just like a girl like they think there’s one size fits all where it is as I don’t know how good. It is like. It’s the one that when you’re doing something like people are focused on getting published as opposed to like. I don’t know some people who were doing the production of pictures program is kind of think that that’s like. I don’t know it’s like beneath them to worry about that or something like we all want to be published right. So when not all of it because I wish you were here is something. I don’t want to trash people who do it ? But I just thought it was really helpful to do that the children when there’s a couple other one to the people who have good experience with so yeah, I’m glad I did that one. And so there are more of the questions than that you want.
[00:28:34.05] – John Knych
And then the transition to one level down.
[00:28:37.22] – Mary G. Thompson
Decided to start reading some sort fiction inside and always been interested in doing sci-fi. And now I was always the Syfy reader has the kids and I was you now, I started out trying to write which turned out to the children’s bucks and I wrote children’s sci-fi and so I was always interested in in safety and so I started riding the short fiction which has developed into my longer function in adults, and you know I just I loved just reading different ways like there have different conventions in town and content and with cities, of course. There’s something you can do that you can’t do in children and vice-versa and so so different outlet.
[00:29:25.09] – John Knych
Thank you. If you have, I have a question.
[00:29:30.01] – Brandon
So if you are going to create a simulation. What would it look like what you ? What’s your ideal Simulated world ?
[00:29:40.21] – Mary G. Thompson
No. I’m not about this a little bit. I think you are one of the things I explore in the book and I think I talked about this. The afterward it’s like we like to think we’re creative and interesting, but like I said I did the same thing for breakfast every day and I do and it’s hard to imagine like how crazy do you want your life to be ? Especially because you’re in something. You’re gonna be in for ever right ? So do I want it to be my life, but just like glow up. Or do I want like a world with flying unicorn and chocolate ripper ? And you know who knows what I don’t know right ? Every robot is around the world handing out flowers. I don’t know what. I don’t know I was say it. If it was me. I would not create a world where there was still like physical pain the way that the calling you and I won’t let you down, but I feel like you get bored with anything if you’re there for ever, which was why you know you and the the the the people with their dogs that get sick of each other.
[00:30:42.15] – Mary G. Thompson
After a while and it’s like that was the idea that people in this world can just create. If they can pay for it, they can create the universe basically retire and instead of dying and you know it. I don’t know if you would get sick if your dog after two hundred years, but. I are your husband or your wife or whatever I feel like it’s hard to pick something that you would want to be in forever. So I guess if it was able to me, I would pick something that you could change, but I also feel like you need like we need challenge like we can’t just. Like if if you created a utopia, you would have it right, You would have having no challenges and nothing to work for our care about when you get up in the morning. Kind of like the last week. I’ve been stuck in my house. Cause of the snow white. Yeah like like I feel like we’re back in Covid times and I’ve had already and it’s only been so.
[00:31:50.01] – John Knych
I was gonna ask you to stuck as well in the us. Yeah.
[00:31:56.04] – Brandon
It’s now, but there’s a few days where you are.
[00:32:02.21] – Jenn
Now we still History of over here and yeah. The dogs are struggling the duck won’t come out of the house. It’s not above freezing. So I’m in Pennsylvania.
[00:32:17.02] – Mary G. Thompson
I’m so we don’t get that much. But it’s still not really possible to go out.
[00:32:29.13] – John Knych
All right back to change if you have a question.
[00:32:34.08] – Jenn
I’m gonna pass it all this time.
[00:32:37.02] – John Knych
Virginie. You’re good the I’m good.
[00:32:41.21] – Virginie
Thank you. John. Even it’s pretty late in Paris. It’s midnight now. So I’m.
[00:32:49.11] – Mary G. Thompson
Appreciate your dedication and coming in.
[00:32:52.20] – Virginie
My little sun is a little take my four years old sun. So it’s very excited to be with you tonight. So I want to. thank you again.
[00:33:04.14] – John Knych
For the simulation of. The this is similar to the children’s your background. I’m reading books also read that you were here for seven years five of which you were at the eyes of you being. You’re in for your writing at all of you pulled material from those experiences or.
[00:33:31.05] – Mary G. Thompson
You know a little bit like I mean one of the things that you do is where is the right the law and so I think it helped somewhat with that with him like reading clearly. I guess our cet argument. I guess in a way actually my next book has bit of contracts in it. So that’s the first time I’ve like like really used it so and so I guess I can say yeah. Now I have used it and I think you know and make my book. I’ve heard about the kidnapping. Amy Chelsea staci d and I thought about the legal aspects of this situation, you know that so informed what I wrote and in the other contemporary the world. I also thought about that I probably think about it every time I write something you know I thought about in this book. I thought about the contractual issues about you know how he’s they’re not supposed to highlight the contract. They’re not supposed to move people and they’re paid for it all those were legal issues. But yeah, I mean I kind of a kind of have had fun like definitely my next book is called precious children’s but clones and.
[00:34:55.14] – Mary G. Thompson
It’s coming in september first and it’s There’s a contract involving the production of the clones and the adoption, and so I had some fun with that, so it’s nothing. It’s over wasted that you learn and your life is the.
[00:35:17.01] – John Knych
Way back to Brendon if you have questions.
[00:35:22.22] – Brandon
About like the whole publishing process so like you. You write this you finished with you. Do you said it ? And then they are there in between like you can’t go through the whole process of getting published.
[00:35:40.15] – Mary G. Thompson
This one is a little bit different than normal, but the normal process I mean it’s not that before I guess the process is you write it if you have an agent. Yeah, you get to keep a step. If you don’t have an agent, then you have to carry agent and find somebody to represent it Usually who work on it with your agents. And then they send it to the publisher in this particular case. I have worked on it with like a lot of my friends. I had others you know other friends. Read it worked on it and so I didn’t work on it with my agent and she said it is up to date, but yeah. I mean usually you got to for me. My friends, my better readers are are really important. I think it’s really the most important step for me is having people from my friends in community that are willing to read and I read their work to and we give each other feedback, cause those other authors are really the people that know the joy of the best and can help you the most and my agent usually help to but this and it is a novel.
[00:36:47.09] – Mary G. Thompson
It’s like not, you know usually it’s not a big deal for agency. So I’m just like I can you and this after I have worked on it for all right Time before we send it.
[00:36:59.21] – Brandon
So does the publisher, send it back for any it or do they do They just take it as is where.
[00:37:07.01] – Mary G. Thompson
There is usually always. I think all my books are at least one round with the editor. This one was a little bit lighter than the usual. But I did it now usually there’s one round where they give you some of the next round. It’s like a little bit few things and then you go through the proofreading process. Copywriting content editing and copy editing, then proofreading. So it’s like yeah. That’s it. That’s long. It feels very long. But that’s the process.
[00:37:43.01] – Brandon
That you get the title for it.
[00:37:47.19] – Mary G. Thompson
This title came about like the original title was constrained element. That’s it. That’s the title. It’s the The publisher didn’t like that and so I had to come up with the new title, and I had it coming up with the different title than then when they were down and when we won’t go to the time to make the cover and I wasn’t super happy with it, but I wasn’t really what else to do when it came time to do the cover. The cover designer was coming up with the cover for that title, and so then we can’t have changed the title like close to like and publishing timeline. It was close to the last minute right before we had to have the cover down and this was one of the titles that I had brainstorming when I was brainstorming titles and I was like what I went down and everybody was like yes, that’s it and I’m very happy with it. In the end, it work out great, but I came down to the wire kind of to find the right title for it.
[00:38:39.18] – Brandon
I think I like it.
[00:38:44.18] – John Knych
And the cover looks good to eat that was was.
[00:38:47.21] – Mary G. Thompson
And that’s what I was super happy is like something about Having the different title made it better made it. You know I guess easier to come up with the great designs that she and up coming out with.
[00:38:58.23] – John Knych
Even the constrained element is good though I like I like that one as well.
[00:39:03.08] – Mary G. Thompson
I’m glad you like that one two, yeah. There was a place in the book where she they should be referred to them self. There’s something that it was that I was made in the book and I ended up changing it now it’s the title changed so. So what are there any more ?
[00:39:21.04] – John Knych
The jump in case. I don’t think you have any questions where there any other push back with the editor was a pretty smooth meaning things you wanted to add or or or take away. Was it was fairly smooth with the process with the editor for this or you.
[00:39:42.08] – Mary G. Thompson
I was pretty smooth. I didn’t I don’t remember the beginning with any of the comments that wasn’t like a lot. It wasn’t that much. That means that she had on this one. So yeah. I don’t remember when I usually don’t have any disagreement like usually when somebody be a book from you. It’s because they get it right. And so if they have comments usually they make the book better like I think it’s. I think it might be one time when I had somebody were I really disagree with their comments and I wondered why the person about the book in that case because you know usually the experience is like you, they like it because they get it whatever so yeah. It was a good experience.
[00:40:27.13] – John Knych
Thank you. The I know we talked before about you know how they were different sparks their different parts that might have been able to be expanded if you wanted to the one at first started reading it and I learned that I was stuck as a As a fifty fifty fifty years old and in the. Apartment me wonder like that I mean that you’re right to be in this little girl’s body for the years that you did you think of some of some expressing that torture with like more like more sins of just like her just being trapped. I guess like the. I ask ask it because I just thought the. That’s it right and and or did you feel so in the pool of the plate that like. OK, she’s got to be, she’s got to get out.
[00:41:37.01] – Mary G. Thompson
And I think this is there has to be a balance because people get depressed and tired of like somebody constantly being there has to be a balance between seeing, what’s wrong and seeing how they’re gonna get out of it. So yeah, there is certainly other things I could and put in there. But it, I didn’t think I was necessary this song, I was able to show what about it was and that she really need to get out of it.
[00:42:06.01] – John Knych
All we have one more one more question. And this is also a sort of career slash informed writing questions, but so you have got it and children’s writing and your love, but I’ve had that you’re also like a librarian now. Correct.
[00:42:23.09] – Mary G. Thompson
Yes. Yes.
[00:42:24.17] – John Knych
Does your work help your writing ? Do you learn things on the job that you applied or is it fairly partitioning that you have.
[00:42:33.15] – Mary G. Thompson
I mean I have and I don’t think that I’ve really used anything. I think that kind of tips into my work like when I am I used to work at the end of trust division. I thought I don’t work there any more but I used to. I wrote something which has not been published in which I made it was like near future and I made like jokes about company stuff and like I don’t think I would have done that if I had never worked with the business of this kind of tips and you’re into your mind. So yeah, It’s like I was like I know that you really wasted. But I don’t see that I don’t see that are particularly in my writing. It’s more like you know. It’s something I enjoy doing that leave me time to do my writing basically.
[00:43:21.16] – John Knych
Thanks. Thank you and you mentioned before that your next book is coming out in september about clothes. Are you really staying in the city ? Who’s that is that.
[00:43:34.24] – Mary G. Thompson
I mean You want to keep reading ? If you know I’m still trying. I’m still trying to write some young adult As well. But yeah. I mean, I have this book coming in september which I’m excited about I’m not just because I got to write contract for it. But I was going to something I’ve always wanted to do.
[00:43:58.17] – Brandon
So that was gonna be adult or is that I’m gonna be.
[00:44:02.17] – Mary G. Thompson
It all yeah. It’s also good to be september first. And yeah, and I’m working on full length. All right now that sci-fi and I’m trying to get it. It’s like super close to the point where I’m gonna send it to my friends to read. So I definitely keep plans to keep doing adult sci-fi. Because it’s fun and yeah.
[00:44:32.14] – Brandon
It is science-fiction. You’re your preferred, John. And you said you want some before you like sci-fi or what What’s your favorite ?
[00:44:42.04] – Mary G. Thompson
I think you know I can see my next book to be sci-fi. So it’s got the concept. But the town is more and I like both like. I’m not really fan of light Mystical type. I like things to be explained within the world. You know I don’t this doesn’t have to be real. But I think I’ve always wanted, I’ve always wanted and I don’t want it to just be like you know. WE don’t know what’s happening right ? So I always I like that kind of him. So I plan to keep reading some of that. And. Hum. Yeah. But I mean that I really like playing with the concept. I feel like and see if you get to you get the kind of things on and the way that you don’t get to and others right now, she’s trapped in the body of the five year old, and she is in the simulation and the whole world of simulation, and you know space travel and right and everything. And so you get to really packed full of ideas where if I’m reading the contemporary which I also enjoy.
[00:45:57.24] – Mary G. Thompson
But you are stuck with the real world, which makes it easier to write because you don’t have to make up the world. But then you also don’t get to make up the world. So there’s.
[00:46:10.23] – John Knych
More constrained elements.
[00:46:13.14] – Mary G. Thompson
Yes, we are. Currently are.
[00:46:19.20] – Brandon
Yeah yeah. I’m I’m a big hard reader. So I thought this book was really interesting. Because you can get around that hard sci-fi because if it’s in a simulated universe, you can do whatever you want.
[00:46:35.12] – Mary G. Thompson
You cope me. Oh yeah, I mean I enjoy like real hard sci-fi where there is real and stuff to it because I’m not that I don’t know. I don’t know that so so that makes it interesting to me. But for me as long as it makes sense within the world. And I mean if you’re making up for future technology. Is it easier than if I was trying to make up what is gonna happen tomorrow with. The space travel or whatever I’m not. I’m not, I’m not the person that is gonna write the space travel to use in five years, but because I feel like for that I would need to really know all of the right, and I don’t know and I don’t want to write something that it’s like totally out of my league. So my strength is like speculation and thinking about fun stuff and like the ideas and not so much the hard So I hope people who like the hard sci-fi kind of joy, but I guess.
[00:47:44.14] – John Knych
Great lakes Mary any other questions before we go.
[00:47:52.17] – Jenn
With one, we talked about the cover for this book. How much input do you have with the cover design ? Do you have any ideas or can you suggest change or is that just sort of presented to you ?
[00:48:09.07] – Mary G. Thompson
Well, well, thank you. I’ve been great about asking my opinion like for my precious children and they gave me several different mockup. So I picked the one that I like the best and to me. It was obvious. I was like Oh my gosh like this is the one right. And so with this one what they send me the cover with the previous title and I didn’t really like it and I was I don’t think this gets the turn right. And that’s what we start talking about the title everything so I appreciate that because not all publishers are willing to do that like sometimes they just give it to you and I’ve been really fortunate in that I’ve always gotten that I liked just given to me. But you know you see that are bad and you’re like. Oh my gosh, you did that the author and so so I feel very lucky that I’ve had the good experience and I’m the designer and it’s really good and yeah. So if you are, I don’t know where you guys readers as well no, I’m not.
[00:49:20.09] – Mary G. Thompson
Usually when I use and I talk to people like people are like readers. So that’s it. It’s kind of cool to talk to people that are actual readers like.
[00:49:31.10] – John Knych
We are The. Word for its only. Leaders that we just for readers have read and don’t write.
[00:49:47.17] – Mary G. Thompson
That was before I am so I don’t know if you can become a writer without reading. But I know some of my friends say that they don’t read that many books. So I don’t know.
[00:49:59.18] – John Knych
You know, but it is there is the quality lower like amongst the.
[00:50:05.00] – Mary G. Thompson
I don’t think so I mean we everybody red books where we were younger and then people like you know, which is kind of sad, but I feel I mean, I have to put fr and to making the time now it feels way more than I used to when I was younger. But I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but I feel like I have to really work to set the time and like I have my good reads goal every thing Tu peux me to make sure. I get those are all just feel like. I’m a bad reader or something I feel like it reflect on me. You as the reader to if I have already books, so I try hard to read.
[00:50:48.13] – John Knych
It that’s all I got anyone else if any questions.
[00:50:53.01] – Brandon
So you said you had it coming out September first can you reveal the title for that one or have your.
[00:51:00.14] – Mary G. Thompson
Children and we’re doing the cover all in like a which are two awesome when it’s easy and yeah, It’s about it’s about parents riches parents, It’s the near future, they and their children like for thousand times and farm out the the extra the other family and the future like people and children are they need children, But then when they can copy, they just take another body and copy the memory into the other body. So it’s about the mother who is morally justifying that she is doing this and then you have the perspective of the kid who are thinking something completely different than what you think they are thinking, which is one of the theme of the book that you might not know what your child was going on and your children mind, and it was really want to be able to write kids and teenagers from the perspective from the perspective of a novel, because there’s something that you have in the way, so I was able to kind of run with the the voice of the teenagers. Perspective in the adult book and I enjoy the writing the more you because she is she think she is a good person and he’s morally justified, but I hope that you’ll think that she is right for you.
[00:52:22.22] – Mary G. Thompson
Oh yeah. So I’m excited about that.
[00:52:28.18] – Brandon
And you all I’ll be on the lookout for that.
[00:52:34.22] – John Knych
It’s alright. Well, thank you very much Mary. You will share it will share this video with the group and I’ll share it with you, two and all time about children and appreciate you’re taking the time and and the best of luck and happy reading and writing.
[00:52:51.15] – Mary G. Thompson
Thank you, I really appreciate it. It was fun, I hope you. I don’t know I hope you get out of the snow of you that are dogs in and where Jack. Where are you ?
[00:53:02.20] – John Knych
I’m. I’m in Paris. So I’m not know now.
[00:53:06.20] – Mary G. Thompson
Just thought it also really cool that we have people from different areas where I didn’t know I didn’t realize that was going by people from Paris. That’s really cool.
[00:53:20.11] – John Knych
I think you have have a good. Have a good night. Bye bye.
[00:53:23.21] – Orateur 6
Bye bye.