An Interview With Writer Madeline Wahl, Winner of "Tunesday: Volume 2"

I'd like to take a minute to introduce blog readers to writer Madeline Wahl. Madeline is the recent awesome winner of the name-that-tune "Tunesday" contest I hosted several weeks back. She, like many readers of this blog, is a cool writer looking for an agent and for her writing to find a home. Learn more about her and connect with her on Twitter.

Read the interview with writer Madeline Wahl below.

Speaking generally, tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing.

I’m a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida with a B.A. in Advertising/Public Relations, a slight obsession with Battlestar Galactica, and a love for reading and writing. I manage social media accounts and act as the Oz-like voice behind the brand. I spend my free time at farmer’s markets, watching a variety of TED Talks (if you haven’t seen one, you need to do so ASAP. You’ll thank me later) and traveling. I tend to skim Pinterest for new recipes and am determined to learn how to crochet both a TARDIS beanie and Jayne Cobb’s beanie from Firefly. I also love watching old television shows.

What are you working on right now? Are you writing something or promoting something that's available?

I recently completed a novel and I’m in the process of querying literary agents. Authorship is a YA fantasy about a sixteen-year-old girl who attends a school for authors and wants to visually create her written novel but is unable to because a character assassin is after her protagonist.

Favorite book?

There are so many wonderful books out there which have influenced and shaped who I am today. If I only had to pick one, it would be The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I've re-read my old copy several times and it has a special place on my bookshelf. I know it sounds like something out of a cheesy romantic comedy, but it allowed me to explore the extraordinary in the ordinary, and that each day matters.

Another book I adore is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Her writing is a work of art. I want to print out poster-size prints of some of her paragraphs and put it on my wall.

Other authors with books I enjoy reading include: Philip Pullman, J.K. Rowling, Patricia C. Wrede, Lauren Weisberger, F. Scott Fitzgerald and, most recently, D.J. MacHale.

You won the Tunesday contest. You're obviously a musical whiz. What's your musical background?

I started playing the clarinet when I was in middle school. Little did I know that until I became adequate at playing the clarinet (which meant high school) I had to practice in the far corner of the house, in my mom’s bathroom, with all doors and windows closed. Eventually, I stopped squeaking out notes and managed to play in-tune. I competed in marching band for four years, had solos in the wind ensemble, and participated in the school orchestra for spring musicals.

Favorite band?

My taste in music is all over the place. It ranges from Il Volo to Florence + The Machine to Elvis Costello to Mat Kearney, who reminds me of a modern-day, singing Jack Kerouac. Currently, I enjoy listening to Two Door Cinema Club and they give an incredible live show. Also, I give kudos to my Pandora station, which somehow knows my taste in music better than me.

Websites where people can learn more about you and connect?

My website is www.MadelineWahl.com. I tweet about books and social media via @MadelineWahl. Feel free to get in touch!

Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book, movie or TV show?

Perfectly, like an exact clone? No. But I have seen a small portion of myself in other characters, two of which are Rory Gilmore and Hermione Granger. I find it amazing that authors and screenwriters can create characters that can mean so much to me. That’s one of the main reasons I love writing. I’m given an opportunity to make connections with people I don’t even know using words. For that, I’m extremely thankful.

Thank you talking with me, Madeline!

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