There was much, much rewriting of almost every scene because of that. Macey herself! She’s such a strong, tough, kind of character and I was afraid that in making her sympathetic to the reader that I’d lose the essence of her. What was most difficult aspect of this story to write? Many other things changed as the story evolved.Ĥ. That said, there were tweaks and slight changes, but I ‘saw’ it in my mind as soon as I started fleshing out a plot. Did you know how this novel would end before you wrote it? Or did you consider any alternate ending?īasically I knew where and how it would end, right from the beginning. Of course that’s certainly not a title that would have worked well here in Oz.ģ. But I suppose in expanding upon this question it was initially three words splashed sideways across a teen magazine that began it all: It’s a Bitchfest! I was immediately intrigued and spent the night playing out all kind of scenarios where this might apply. Was there a particular incident, place or monument that first sparked your thinking for this novel?īecause ALMOST DEAD is linked to ‘Dead, Actually’, I already had my main character, so really it was a case of digging deeper into her psyche. Macey is the unforgettable side-kick in the first book and the lead in Almost Dead.Ģ. Of course, after I had my characters from the first book, ‘Dead, Actually’, then it as a case of finding Macey’s story. I know it’s much more grown up to say character, and in truth, sometimes that’s the case, but for what I call my Dead Books, it was most definitely plot.

What comes first for you character or plot? Thank you so much for allowing me to hang out on your blog, Dale.

Dead, Actually by Kaz Delaney