What inspired you to write The Compound?
I was always very intrigued by the subject of nuclear war, and always drawn to movies and books about survivors after a nuclear attack. I'd been reading a lot about the uber-wealthy, and that some of them had fallout shelters. So I decided to make up my own tale about a wealthy family that survives a nuclear attack.
How long did it take to write the book?
The first draft of the book was written for NaNoWriMo 2005. www.nanowrimo.org It took me six months to get it in a state where my agent was willing to try and sell it, which included a very bad week in March when I dumped the entire manuscript and started over. The manuscript sold in July 2006, but then there were 14 months where I did editorial revisions before it finally was finished in late 2007.
Why do you go by S.A. Bodeen?
My first name is Stephanie, and when they were doing the cover art, they realized that the feminine name detracted from the sinister cover art. I was fine with using my initials, because I write picture books as Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen and would rather keep the two genres separate.
Are any of the characters based on real people?
Not a one...
Will there be a sequel?
Yes. The Fallout was released in September 2013. The story begins about a month after The Compound ends.
Were you always going to write a sequel?
No way. I thought the story was done. But after doing so many school visits and Skypes, and everyone always asking "What happens next?" I began to wonder myself. So I started writing the sequel six years after I wrote the first. I don't think I could have written it earlier than that.
Why is Eli a twin?
I've always been fascinated by identical twins. I wanted to explore what might happen when a twin has a fairly stable role in life, but then that's upset when his "second half" is ripped away from him. I felt it would give me much more to work with than just a non-twin.
What grade level is this book?
I've done school visits from fifth grade to twelfth grade for this one. And I've heard from a lot of adults who have liked it too.
Would you want to live in The Compound?
Nope.
What does this book mean to you?
The Compound is my first published novel, but it is actually the tenth I've written. The other nine are rotting in a closet somewhere, because they are unreadable. I went through a lot of ups and downs writing The Compound, and even quit more than once, thinking it was never going to happen. So for me, this book is a symbol of how never giving up helped me realize a dream. So the book means a lot to me.
I was always very intrigued by the subject of nuclear war, and always drawn to movies and books about survivors after a nuclear attack. I'd been reading a lot about the uber-wealthy, and that some of them had fallout shelters. So I decided to make up my own tale about a wealthy family that survives a nuclear attack.
How long did it take to write the book?
The first draft of the book was written for NaNoWriMo 2005. www.nanowrimo.org It took me six months to get it in a state where my agent was willing to try and sell it, which included a very bad week in March when I dumped the entire manuscript and started over. The manuscript sold in July 2006, but then there were 14 months where I did editorial revisions before it finally was finished in late 2007.
Why do you go by S.A. Bodeen?
My first name is Stephanie, and when they were doing the cover art, they realized that the feminine name detracted from the sinister cover art. I was fine with using my initials, because I write picture books as Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen and would rather keep the two genres separate.
Are any of the characters based on real people?
Not a one...
Will there be a sequel?
Yes. The Fallout was released in September 2013. The story begins about a month after The Compound ends.
Were you always going to write a sequel?
No way. I thought the story was done. But after doing so many school visits and Skypes, and everyone always asking "What happens next?" I began to wonder myself. So I started writing the sequel six years after I wrote the first. I don't think I could have written it earlier than that.
Why is Eli a twin?
I've always been fascinated by identical twins. I wanted to explore what might happen when a twin has a fairly stable role in life, but then that's upset when his "second half" is ripped away from him. I felt it would give me much more to work with than just a non-twin.
What grade level is this book?
I've done school visits from fifth grade to twelfth grade for this one. And I've heard from a lot of adults who have liked it too.
Would you want to live in The Compound?
Nope.
What does this book mean to you?
The Compound is my first published novel, but it is actually the tenth I've written. The other nine are rotting in a closet somewhere, because they are unreadable. I went through a lot of ups and downs writing The Compound, and even quit more than once, thinking it was never going to happen. So for me, this book is a symbol of how never giving up helped me realize a dream. So the book means a lot to me.
