Here is your chance to ask the author of Guerrilla Season a question. Go ahead and leave a comment - she is answering any question you have. We know you have a question so go ahead and ASK PAT!Please leave your answer below by click on the "comments" link and then responding using your pen name under your comment and then selecting "anonymous" Please use correct grammar and remember to not include your first and last name.
98 comments:
Who is your favorite and least favorite character in the book?
-Lang Chow
Are there any characters in the book that are like you?
-Lang Chow
I was wondering why you chose to write in that Susie pushed Matt off the branch? I assume that she did because she has a crush on him, however I think that this might be a foreshadowing of the events to occur with Susie having a passion to fight. What was the inspiration for this section?
Hally O'Riley
Why did you choose the main character, Matt to not be a real person?
~G1mizzougirl145
Why did you end the book not telling if the two characters, Matt and Jesse would ever meet again?
G1 121
Are there any characters in the book whose names are not their actual names.
JAC
Where did you get your inspiration from in this book?
G164158
did you have a family member in this time that you are explaining?
G1Bossman1
Why did you decide to have the timeline take place during the Civil War? Also, did you grow up near Liberty, MO.
G1gnome548
Is this a true story? If so how did you find it?
G1Bean5397
Is this a true story? If so, are they real characters?
G1dance03
the part where matt and ma were arguing was my favorite part. i liked it so much i cryed.
-G1dorky
To Lang Chow -
I don't think any of the characters are really too much like me.
I think Matt is about my favorite character. Least favorite ... Jesse's ma.
How about you?
- Pat
To Hally -
Did you get to the party scene yet? In that scene she explains why she pushed Matt out of the tree.
- Pat
G1mizzougirl145 -
Jesse James is a big part of my Missouri obsession. My brother and I used to play "Jesse and Frank" when we were little.
At some point I started wondering what Jesse was like before he became an outlaw - what his young teenage years were like. I imagined a friend for him and decided to tell the story from the friend's point of view.
- Pat
To G1 121-
Well, for now I will just leave it to your imagination, but I have often said that I have three more books planned for these characters, if only I could find the time to write them.
- Pat
To JAC -
All of Jesse's family members, I used their real names. Jesse did have a neighbor named Dan Askew, whom I only mention a couple of times in the book (when Jesse and Matt shortcut through his property, for instance), but who was to become an important figure in Jesse's later life. Putting him in was just a little Jesse James in-joke for my own amusement and that of any other readers who know a lot about Jesse.
Everyone else is fictional, except for historical figures mentioned, of course.
- Pat
To G164158, G1Bossman1, G1gnome548 -
Look at Week 1's "Ask Pat" for the answers to your questions.
- Pat
To G1Bean5397 -
Depends what you mean by true! All the history is, of course, true. And much of the stuff regarding Jesse and his family is very close to how things happened.
Matt's family story, and everything with Matt and Jesse, is fictional.
- Pat
Oops - G1Dance03 - pretty much the same answer as to G1Bean.
-Pat
To G1Dorky -
Here's something I don't tell a lot of people: It's one of my very favorite scenes, too, and I would choke up every time I worked on it!
- Pat
Did anyone inspire you to write "GURILLA SEASON" or did you just like this time period and wanted to share it with eveyone else?
-Ladyjay#2
When does an author know when he/she is done with the book?
Mister Awsomeness
Would you ever change the ending of the book if you were given the chance to or would you keep it the way it is?
~kaylee bear
Have you always been interested in war type things? Or even history events for that matter?
-Poccahaunas-
Ms. Hughes;
As I am just joining this blog, please forgive me if this question has already been asked.
I was curious as to why Matt curses at various times throughout the book. Is this to off-set Jesse's religious beliefs? Perhaps it has come about has Matt has assumed more "manly" duties since his father's death. The language is not an issue, just something I had noticed and was curious about.
What is your favorite book (besides yours)? I always want to ask authors this question, but I've never really gotten the chance till now.
Toussaint L'Ouverture
how did you get info somthing that happened in Kansas and Missouri and you have never visted those places when you was writing the book.
Michaeljordan23
Where were you when you thought of writing this book?
Pippylongstocking
Which charater are you most like? I would probably be like Matt. Kinda shy but hard working.
Softballgrly
Why did you write this story about Jesse James and fictional character?
Meep
Dear Pat,
I was wondering what made you want to name the book Guerrilla Season? I also was wondering where you the one that illustrated the cover or did you find someone else to do it for you?
-Chance
What problems did you have when writing the book? What did you do to overcome those problems?
Pizzman
When you write books what is the most important thing you put in your book?
Pizzaman
Dear Pat,
There are a ton of places that you mention in this book. I was wondering if you got to visit these places to learn more about them.
#7
Did you base any of the characters on yourself or your family?
AnimalLover
Is Mr. Stone a real person?
If not, was he based on someone?
Blue Chair1
Can you relate to any of the characters in this book? If so, how?
Wayne Gretzkey
In the book Matt's grandparents are from Philidelphia. Does that have any relation to you?
sawyer02
Dear Mrs. Hughes,
Did you base any of the appearances or attitudes of the characters in your book off of people in your personal life?
MacDaddy-Luv
What your favorite part of the book?
B-BallGirl15
Did you base any of the characters on someone you know?
G8 delias14
What made you want to write this book about the civil war. why did you choose write about missouri and kansas. Do you have any connections to kansas and missouri.
G8Tate
If this book became a movie, who would you cast as the characters and why?
--arashii
and
~ AuroraPhoenix ~
Are the names of the characters in the story based off of real people or people that you know?
gymnst
Was it hard having to write a book from back then. And writing about a place you haven't ever been to? Also, in Mr. L's room we heard your stories about you feeling Jesse's presents. Do you still feel that today?
Softballgrly
What is the most challenging part about writing a book?
ping pong
What was the most difficult part about writing the book?
Nahomatic
Did you have any relatives in the war that are in the novel Guerrilla Season, or that any characters are based off of.
Milhouse
Hi to all -
I'm just a bit (!) behind answering q's so bear with me!
Some of you, if you don't see your question answered, please go back to week one's Ask Pat and see if I have already answered it there!
If you STILL don't get your question answered, give me a shout again because I might have just missed it by accident! I would NOT intentionally ignore anybody, no matter how difficult the question. If I don't know how to answer it, I'll say that. If for some unimaginable reason I don't want to answer it, I'll say that too!
But if you don't see your question answered and you go back to Week One and I haven't already answered it for someone else ... then holler.
- Pat
Kaylee Bear -
I would definitely not change the ending of Guerrilla Season! I always knew this was exactly how it would end, and besides, if I were to change it that would render the next two books about the characters impossible to write!
- Pat
Mister Awsomeness -
How do you know when the book is finished - you mean when to stop working on it or when to write the ending? Those are two very different things.
The ending is easy, at least for me. I almost always know how my books are going to end before I start writing. I kind of can't start writing until I know how it will end.
As far as when to stop working on it, rewriting, editing, tuning up, etc ... well, that's completely the opposite. A very tough thing because my tendency is to keep wanting to make it better, better, better. Even now when I read "Guerrilla Season" I see all kinds of little things I want to change!
- Pat
Poccohaunas -
I was a tremendous tomboy as a child. My older brother and I were constantly playing war (World War II) and cowboys and outlaws.
For a long time when I got older I wasn't interested in war or history all that much. It really wasn't until a few years ago that I started getting interested in it again!
- Pat
Toussaint -
I just can't say that I have a favorite book. There are so, so many that I love. But when I was your age my favorite authors were J.D. Salinger and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Salinger (who wrote "Catcher in the Rye") doesn't have many books but Vonnegut kept me busy for years!
- Pat
MichaelJordan23 -
Books, mostly, for the historical stuff. Many, many books have been written on the Kansas/Missouri situation. I also found as many primary sources as I could. Primary sources are things like diaries, letters, newspapers from that time. These can be found online, in libraries, and also in books.
- Pat
To Pippylongstocking -
It was the middle of the night. I woke up with my heart pounding, and felt like somebody had just said out loud, "Jesse James." I remembered the short story I had written about 25 years before about Matt and Jesse and suddenly just knew I had to make it into a book.
- Pat
To Anonymous, regarding Matt's cursing:
Good question. But I think you answered yourself, having intuited pretty well why Matt curses a little bit. Here's this 15-year-old, basically taking care of his whole family, but in a lot of ways his mom and his older brother still treat him like a little boy, don't they? I think Matt does a couple of things to kind of assert his independence and to rebel a little bit: Cursing is one, and occasionally telling lies is another.
I guess I fell that Matt sometimes seems almost too good to be true. I don't believe anybody is really that good, and if Matt were too perfect I don't think he'd be believable as a character. And really, his cursing is of the mildest sort. Correct me if I'm misremembering my own book, but I don't think he ever says anything stronger than hell or damn.
The worst cursing in the book, I think, is done by the various militia, North and South, and I think once by Mr. Stone.
- Pat
Do any of the characters in the book relate to anyone that you are related to
Mohammad Smith
Chance -
I answered the question about the title elsewhere - either higher up on this thread or in Week One.
As for the book jacket - the publisher assigns someone to do that, and the writer has very little input into how it's going to look. The man who illustrated the "Guerrilla Season" jacket is named Michael Hays.
- Pat
Do you have any interest in trying to make a movie that is based on this book
Mohammad Smith
Dear #7 -
I visited almost none of the places in the book. But don't forget - most of them exist only in my imagination.
- Pat
Blue Chair1 -
Mr. Stone is a fictional character; no, he is not based on any real person.
- Pat
To Gretzky -
I can relate to a lot of the characters, because really, you have to be able to relate to your characters when you're the author! The one I have the hardest time relating to is Jesse's ma.
- Pat
Sawyer02 -
There's definitely a reason why Matt's grandparents are from Philadelphia, but I can't tell you until you finish the book.
- Pat
To B-Ball Girl:
I don't have one specific favorite part, but there are a number of parts that are particularly dear to me. Three of my favorites are the scene where the kids go berry picking; where Matt & Jesse fight; and where Buck & his friends come and scare Matt & Jesse.
- Pat
To arashii and AuroraPhoenix ~
Show me an author who says they've never imagined their novel as a movie, and I'll show you a big fat liar.
I've pictured many scenes, many times as a movie. But I can honestly say I've never thought of who could play Matt, Jesse & Susie. That's because I feel that if the book ever were to be made into a movie, I would really want the actors to be the actual ages the kids are in the book. To have a 19-year-old playing Matt or Jesse would just be wrong, because I would want people to see how truly young a 15-year-old would be, having to make these terrible decisions and having such awful things happen in their lives.
And any 15-year-old actor or actress I would come up with now would be too old by the time the movie would be made!
I have thought of the actress Mary Louise Parker as Ma. And Paul Newman as Mr. Stone!
Now that won't mean much to you young'uns, but the adults on the blog will get me!
- Pat
Gymnst -
The names in the book are really just names that I liked or thought fit the characters.
Here's a funny story: The character of Sam Wright originally had the name Sam Mallory. My husband's name is Sam and his middle name is Mallory. At first when my husband read the manuscript he liked having a character named after him. But then when Sam turned out to be a jerk he objected! I said "But you have to wait to see what happens later!" (I meant about the work detail, when Matt & Sam become friends) but he didn't care. So I changed Sam's last name to Wright ... which is the last name of a former boyfriend of mine!
- Pat
How did you stay focused for three years writing Guerrilla Season? What kept you motivated?
Shoe Lace
Have you ever had to make a dicission that could jeoperdize a relationship with a loved one or a friend?
Bratdoll
What was the hardest part of the book that you had to right about? Which character did u think was the least important in the book?
LaDainian Tomlinson
I really liked the ending, it wasn't the best happy ending ever, but it wasn't too sad either!
G1Bean5397
Why is the character, Jesse really Jesse James?
~G1mizzougirl145
Who are your characters based on?
G164158
were Mrs.Stone and Mr.Stone real people?
G1Bossman1
Why did you choose Matt to be the main character in Guerrilla Season and not Jesse who was famous criminal?
-G1gnome548
Who did you base the chara cter Matt on? Was it hard to come up with the main character Matt?
~HEY Arnold
Who/what was your influence to write this book? Were any of your family member in the Civil War? If so, then which one.
G2lmp08
Where did you get all of your information? Did you have any ancesters that relate to this book?
Your friend,
G2Mooo8
Why'd you decide to write a book about the civil war?
G3NormaJean!Jakeshatisawesome
Did you have any family members fighting in the war during those times?
G3cheer
I was wondering if you based any of the experiences in the book some of the characters have, on your own experiences?
Jam Master A
What influenced you most to write the book? Did any other books or articals interest you in this subject? How did you come across the idea for this book?
G5Volleygirl
I was wondering, why did you only include one real character? He was Jesse, and I would have liked you to include more.
Joe Hawk
Dear Pat,
I was wondering if you would write a sequel to the story and if you did what would it be about? Also, would you change anything in Guerilla Season, add, or take out anything.
Sincerley,
lucky101
To Joe Hawk -
Actually, all of Jesse's family members are fictionalized versions of real people: His ma, Pappy, sister Susie, little brother and sister, and Buck, which was the family's nickname for Frank.
- Pat
If you write a sequel...will Matt come back and him and Jesse become friends?
And why did you have Matt give up his horse at the end instead of taking it?
G6puma12
Are you Like any of the characters in the book? If so, who and how?
G8520Ninjas
I think that the main similarty in the 2 wars is that many of the soldiers are untrained and dont do this for a living.
-G8mizzou7
Why did you choose to have Matt's family without their dad? Do you think it was more appropriete for their situation to be that way? Or do you think it didn't matter too much?
-G8VanJourney
To G6Puma12 -
Hmm ... I can't tell you what will happen in future books!
As for Matt giving Jesse his horse ... Puma, I bet you know the answer. Tell me what you think.
- Pat
Lucky 101 -
My ideas for more books in this series are "Growing Season," which follows Matt through the rest of the war; "Killing Season," which follows Jesse through the rest of the war; and "Harvest Season," which is told from the point of view of Tyler, 12 years after "Guerrilla Season" ends, when Tyler is 13.
- Pat
To G1Gnome548 -
I like the idea of telling stories from unusual perspectives. There are many books that put Jesse James as the main character, but not many that have him as the secondary character. I thought it would be interesting to tell the story of Jesse's life before he became an outlaw, and to tell it from the point of view of his best friend, who saw him not as someone who would be famous some day, but just another kid like him.
- Pat
G1Bean -
Thanks for letting me know your thoughts about the ending! I really didn't think it could end any other way.
- Pat
Shoe Lace -
Good question. What kept me motivated was just the idea that I HAD to tell this story. It's kind of hard to explain, really. Just very important for me to get this story out into the world, send it on its way and see what it would make of itself!
- Pat
Softballgrly -
I don't really feel that intense connection to the characters at this point. You can't hang onto all the characters from all your books in the same intense way as when you're writing the book ... I will say that Jesse, and all the characters in "GS," and the Civil War Missouri era are the subjects that still hold the most attraction to me, and when I get a chance to start writing about them again I imagine it will rekindle those intense feelings.
- Pat
Why did you choose to end the book that way? Are you going to write another?
WCAjazz♥
who is your favorite author?
-WCANate
What was the hardest part to write about in this book?
Kobe Bryant24
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