The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing, soul-searching questions. In the hot seat today: Lorien Lawrence, author of the MG series, THE STITCHERS, Book 1 in the FRIGHT WATCH series (Abrams Kids/Amulet Books, August 18, 2020).
What is your idea of perfect happiness? My family all sprawled out on the couch and reading books on a rainy autumn day.
What is your greatest fear? Non-book related fear: Needles! Ugh – I can’t even talk about it because I’m already feeling sick just typing that! Book-related fear: nobody EVER buys any of my books.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I can be insecure and extremely anxious.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Can I say two? Arrogance and ignorance.
Which living person do you most admire? Cheesy but true: my mom.
What is your greatest extravagance? Creating a home office. I still can’t believe I have my own space to write!
What is your current state of mind? There are so many stories I want to write, but it’s hard to carve out the time for all of them.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? HA! Patience. Something I struggle with.
On what occasion do you lie? Very rarely. I’m awful at it.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Seriously?!”
Besides writing, which talent would you most like to have? I adore Bake Off and would probably like the talent to bake some type of “showstopper.” But you need patience for that type of thing (see earlier answer about virtue!).
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Selling two books!
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A friendly ghost who lives in a library.
What is your most treasured possession? A necklace that my dad gave me before he passed away.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Not wanting to – or feeling unable – to get out of bed.
What do you most value in your friends? Laughter and loyalty
Who are your favorite writers? Neil Gaiman, JK Rowling, Shea Ernshaw… So many more…
Who is your hero of fiction? Hermione. I know a lot of people probably say her, but I think she is a character who deserves the hype. She’s loyal and fierce and sends such positive messages to girls about embracing and celebrating their intelligence.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? I don’t know – maybe someone like Louisa May Alcott? I like that she was a writer and a feminist.
What is your motto? I’m always repeating “OK, OK, OK…” when I’m feeling stressed. Does that count??
LORIEN LAWRENCE graduated with creative writing degrees from Wheaton College and Bath Spa University in England. After college, she lived abroad in the UK for a few years, before returning stateside and becoming a middle school English teacher. On weekends you can often find her exploring New England haunts with her family, gathering more inspiration for her novels. Learn more about Lorien on her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
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