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Jasmic
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Shy Phantom

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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:35 am

Introduction

Welcome! Here is where you can easily access the Personal Correspondance pages originally posted at Lexicon here.

If you have a question regarding the Twilight series, here is what you can do:

1. Staying in this thread, go to Edit at the top of the screen.

2. Go to Find (on this page)....

3. Enter a word that relates to the question you have in the Find What box.
- Example: for the question "Do vampires have blood in their veins?", type in something like "blood" or "veins."

4. After entering the word, hit Enter or Find Next.

5. If the result you were looking for is not the first things that pops up and is highlighted, keep hitting Find Next until you find it.

6. If all else fails and none of the PCs have it (doubtful, but it could happen), simply go to our own Q&A thread here in the guild.

Thanks and happy searching!

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:38 am

PERSONAL CORRESPONDANCE #1

Q: What was Edward’s human last name? And are there any other details about his mortal life that you could pass on to us?

A: Edward’s full name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. His mother’s name is Elizabeth and his father’s name is also Edward. His human life in Chicago was fairly happy and uneventful. His parents were moderately wealthy (his father was a successful lawyer). The biggest worry in his mother’s life before they were all caught in the epidemic was the fact that World War I was raging and Edward was only a year away from the draft (in August of 1918, the draft age was lowered to 18–the influenza epidemic hit in September). Edward’s mother will be briefly remembered in the beginning of New Moon. When he was human, his eyes were green. He is 6′2" tall (you’d be surprised at how many people have asked me that). His birthday is June 20th.

Alice’s full name is Mary Alice Brandon. She was originally from Biloxi, MI. She was nineteen when her human life ended. She is 4′10" tall.

Jasper’s last name is Whitlock. He was human in Texas during the Civil War (his story will be told in detail in book three), so only Carlisle has been a vampire longer. He was twenty when he became a vampire (he was changed by a vampire named Maria). Alice’s nickname for him is "Jazz." He is 6′3" tall.

Rosalie’s full name is Rosalie Lillian Hale (she prefers to use her real last name rather than Cullen). She lived in Rochester, NY when she was human. Carlisle changed her into a vampire when she was eighteen years old (that story will also be told in detail in book three). She is 5′9" tall. Emmett calls her "Rose" and every now and then the others can get away with that, too.

Emmett’s last name is McCarty and he was living in Gatlinburg, Tennessee when he ran into the bear. He was twenty at the time. He is 6′5" tall.

Esme’s full name was Esme Anne Platt Evenson. She was born in 1895 in Columbus, OH. She was married at twenty-two to Charles Evenson, just before he was shipped overseas to fight in WWI. He returned in 1919. She ran away from him in 1920, pregnant with their first child. She lost that child in 1921 in Ashland, WI, and attempted to commit suicide–she was 26. She was brought to the hospital where Carlisle was working nights. Esme is 5′6" tall.

Carlisle is 6′2".

Q: Other than Debussy, what kinds of music does Edward listen to? Does he prefer classical or has he a favorite modern style of music?

A: Edward likes a wide range of music (he has a lot of time on his hands for listening). He likes classical, jazz, progressive metal, alternative rock, punk rock, and some emo. He prefers indie rock to mainstream. He doesn’t prefer rock over classical–he appreciates both. As a general rule, he doesn’t like country.

Q: Does Bella have an after school job? I imagine her making a mess at work and getting fired for it, but that’s just me! HA!

A: Bella gets a part-time job during her first summer in Forks to save money for college. When book two begins, she’s been working at Newton’s Olympic Outfitters for three months. Mike Newton is her co-worker. As son of the owners, he had some influence on her getting the job (that doesn’t come up in book two, though).

Q: I have LOADS of questions about Esme and Carlisle. That whole relationship and back-story is one that I nearly wrote about but decided there were just too many blanks. Was Esme married as a human, and if so, what happened to her husband? I can’t imagine that Esme was too thrilled to discover her attempt to end her life had transformed into an eternal existence. It’s difficult for me to accept that Esme fell in love with Carlisle right away. How long after her transformation was she able to see him as the gentle man we know from the book? Any and all information about their relationship would be very helpful.

A: To understand how Carlisle and Esme fell in love, you have to know Esme’s story.

So you’ve seen a little be of Esme’s life above–it wasn’t so great. Her marriage was all but arranged by her parents. She wasn’t in love with the man she married, though she was willing to give it a try. She wanted very much to fall in love with anyone, but she’d never met anyone that measured up to an encounter she had when she was sixteen. I’d better describe that a bit:

In 1911, Esme broke her leg falling out of a tree she’d climbed. Her family lived on a farm on the outskirts of Columbus. The local doctor was away, and it was after dark by the time they got her to the small hospital in Columbus. She was treated by a Dr. Cullen. It was his last month in town (he was already claiming to be 35). She never got over the experience.

Esme was the last of her friends to marry (they got married earlier back then). She was thinking of moving West to be a schoolteacher, but her father didn’t think it was respectable for a lady to live alone in the wilds. The son of a family friend, a man with good prospects, wanted to marry her, and her father pressured her to accept. She was indifferent towards Charles Evenson, but not opposed to him. She married him, and quickly found that this had been a bad decision. Charles’s public face was very different from his private face; he abused her. Her parents counseled her to be a good wife and keep quiet. When he was drafted, it was a huge relief to her. When he came back, it was terrifying.

The pregnancy was Esme’s catalyst to escape. She knew she wasn’t letting a child be brought into that home. She ran to a second cousin that lived in Milwaukee, and then moved further north when word of her whereabouts leaked to her parents. She blended in easily, pretending to be one of the many war widows. She taught school in a small community outside Ashland. When her baby died (lung infection) just a few days after he was born, she had nothing left. She had no idea that Carlisle was working in the little hospital in Ashland when she jumped off the cliff outside the town. Carlisle remembered her, of course, remembered her as the happy girl she had been at sixteen. He didn’t want her to die.

So you can imagine what she thought when she opened her eyes, in all that pain, and saw the face that she’d never forgotten in a decade.

Hopefully that gives you some insight into how quickly and easily Esme and Carlisle’s relationship formed. She was not really that upset to find out she was a vampire–she didn’t take it as in stride as Emmett, but she was just happy to be with the man/vampire of her dreams. She did always have that maternal ache, and, as the physically oldest of the Cullens, she fell into a mothering role.

Q: You mentioned that Rosalie and Emmett had a wedding. What about the others? Are Jasper and Alice married, too?

A: Rosalie is all about show; Emmett loves to make her happy–hence, lots of elaborate weddings. (When her history is public record, I think it will be more clear why she is the way she is.) Alice and Jasper aren’t into show, but they have the deeper relationship. They are married, but once was enough for them. Esme and Carlisle are also married, again, just the one time.

Q: How young do the vampires pretend to be and how old can they manage to pass for? Obviously, Edward looks the youngest at 17, but the other “siblings” were in their 20s when they were changed. Do they all claim to be the same age when they first arrive in a city? And how long can they stay before the humans grow suspicious? At 17, I would think Edward has a hard time passing for anything older than 25.

A: The Cullens each have their own range of ages they can get away with. Carlisle is the key, since he likes to work as a doctor; it’s his range that dictates the length of time they can stay in one place. Though he is only 23, he usually pretends to be somewhere from twenty-eight to thirty-five. If no one is getting suspicious (with Edward, they can gauge that) and they like where they are, sometime they push it. They can all get away with older more easily than younger because of their mature way of speaking and acting. Edward’s range is about fifteen to mid-twenties. He has been to medical school twice (helping Carlisle keep current), but he’s never tried to practice. He can’t handle blood the way Carlisle can. Emmett and Jasper have a hard time passing for younger than eighteen, but with their perfect credentials (birth certificates, driver’s licenses, etc.) people tend to accept whatever story they tell.

Q: Do the vampires have fangs or not? Edward flashes his white teeth plenty of times, but at no point do we ever see his fangs. Do they grow when they hunt?

A: My vampires do not have fangs. Their teeth are so sharp and strong that fangs are hardly necessary (they could bite through steel, if so inclined–a human neck is like butter, ha ha). The non-vegetarian vampires don’t leave living victims (unless they are changing someone into a vampire); this isn’t the neat-and-tidy, two-small-holes-in-the-neck kind of vampire attack that you see in other vampire mythologies.

Q: Do the vampires have blood in their veins even though their heart no longer pumps? What would happen if they were cut or injured in some way?

A: Most human fluids are absent in my vampires. No sweat, no tears, no blood besides that which they ingest–they don’t have their own blood. They do sort of have saliva–the venom makes their mouths wet, at least. When they drink blood, it runs through their body and makes them strong. It floods through their old blood ways, though they don’t have circulation anymore. It lightens their eyes* and flushes their skin slightly.

*This reminds me of a question I’ve answered recently. I thought it was pretty obvious, but then, I tend to do think everything is obvious (one of my editor’s greatest tasks is getting me to explain myself more thoroughly). Vampires who drink human blood have dark reddish irises that fade to black as they get thirstier. If a Cullen were to drink human blood, his/her eyes would turn burgundy. It takes about two weeks without blood for vampire eyes to go entirely black. If that Cullen then returned to an animal diet, his/her eyes would return to dark gold.

Another eye note: brand-newly created vampires are recognizable by their eyes, which are a vivid, bright red due to the massive amount of human blood (the blood that was already in the human at the time he/she was changed) that lingers in the tissues. That red fades slowly over the course of a year. New vampires are also immensely strong for their first year of life, also a product of the excess of blood left in the body. This residual blood does nothing to affect thirst–young vampires are always thirsty.

And since we’re talking physiology…I’ve had tons of people ask if vampires can have babies. The answer is no. When someone becomes a vampire, it’s as if they are frozen exactly as they are in that moment. His or her (and we’ll go with her because it’s more central to this discussion) body no longer experiences change. Hair does not grow, nor do fingernails (if you cut your hair, you’re stuck. That’s why Alice’s hair is so short–it was growing back from being shaved in the asylum). This applies to all changes–so a woman would no longer have any kind of ovulation cycle. If she were already pregnant when she was bitten, both she and the fetus would be frozen in that state. Which would really suck–pregnant for eternity? I’m shuddering at the thought.

If a vampire were cut, there would only be blood if he/she had freshly drunk blood (and drunk a lot). Otherwise, there would only be a bit of venom. It would be like cutting into granite.

Q: I didn’t ask any more at the start, worried that I had already asked too much, but as you can see, Stephenie had more to tell me.

A: Okay, now let’s see what random details I can remember…

The Denali coven keeps getting cut out of the story. For the record, they are Tanya, Kate (Katrina) and Irina–originally Slavic, and they think of themselves as sisters, though they are not biologically so. They are all almost a thousand years old. It was just the three of them for many centuries, and then Carmen and Eleazar joined them, attracted by their peaceful lifestyle. Tanya, Kate, and Irina had an interesting path that led them to "vegetarianism": they are the originals behind the myths of the succubus. Their fondness for human men eventually led them to feel remorse for their victims, and they slowly trained themselves to resist human blood. They still like men, though. Kate and Eleazar are "talented" like Edward and Alice, but I’m not saying more than that. (Tanya gets a brief cameo in my Twilight-from-Edward’s-perspective). Eleazar is a man. He and Carmen (his true love) are both Spanish, only three to four hundred years old, and they joined the succubus sisters later on. Eleazar has quite a history, which, right now, only shows up in Forever Dawn.

Something else that has not appeared in the story thus far: hobbies. Carlisle has his medical obsession, of course. Edward likes to collect cars. Rosalie has a mechanical gift and likes cars, too (more to tinker with than to drive or collect)–it’s one of the only things that she and Edward have in common. Esme is into architecture and restoration–she’s responsible for the house. She likes to restore historical fixer-uppers. Alice loves to shop. Emmett likes competition–in any form. Jasper is very scholarly.

One last thing–there are laws, or really, just one law, to being a vampire: you have to keep a low profile. Exposure is not allowed. And who is not allowing it? Ha ha ha–read New Moon.

Jasmic
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Shy Phantom

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Jasmic
Vice Captain

Shy Phantom

Offline

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:40 am

PERSONAL CORRESPONDANCE #2

Q: This is going to sound insanely curious but… do the vampires bathe? Given that you said the hunting is messy (no clean puncture wounds), I’m assuming that they get dirty… or at least bloody. So do they take showers? Do they comb their hair? Brush their teeth?

A: Vampires do shower, but they don’t get dirty the same way we do. Outside dirt, yes–blood and mud and whatnot (though most vampires don’t get a spot on themselves when they eat–its all a matter of practice), but not sweat or body oils. They would never have B.O., ha ha. One girl asked me why Alice had a bathroom and if vampires have to pee. No, they don’t (they use all the blood, creating no waste), but they do shower. (And of course they have to have bathrooms–houses are just built that way, and when they want to move, it would look a little weird on the real estate listing: eight bedrooms, no baths.)

They do wash the dust and rain out of their hair, too. And Rosalie particularly spends a lot of time doing hers. (Hair is dead cells–the vampire transformation doesn’t affect it. If you’ve got split ends, sorry! Not getting better. Ha ha).

Q: Now here’s a question that came to mind while discussing the book with another friend. She’s a vampire romance novel -aholic and she wondered why Bella didn’t just p***k her finger and let Edward drink from her every now and then. Personally, I thought that was a bit sadistic - like she would tease him with it. (I’m picturing Bella with a cut finger, waving it back and forth in front of Edward teasingly saying, "Come and get it!") Especially since we know how difficult it was for him to stop drinking from her the one time he had to. But still, what would happen, do you suppose, if Bella had a cut on her finger? Natural instinct is to put the cut to your mouth - at least it is for me. Edward tasted her tears in one scene. Would he be tempted to taste from a wound?

A: You picked up on the key to this question–why Bella doesn’t just let Edward have a sip now and then–in the difficulty he has stopping when he’s sucking out the venom at the end of Twilight. As Alice said, vampires frenzy like sharks when there’s blood "in the water," so to speak. (That’s why Edward was ditching Biology on the day they were blood typing. A normal vampire can’t handle being in a room with flowing blood. Carlisle is a one-of-a-kind exception to that rule. Edward is better than an average vampire, and he could probably resist a lot of finger pricks (Jasper could not handle that), but why risk it, right? The Cullens play it safe.) When Edward is drinking blood, he’s much wilder and less human than usual. That’s why Bella can’t go on a hunting trip with him. Once the blood gets flowing, all the Cullens (besides Carlisle, of course) become more like "real" vampires.

Edward can’t be around Bella when she’s bleeding without being in intense temptation–to the point of pain. A few drops would only make it worse. Like a few drops of water when you’ve been wandering in the desert for days… You’d totally suck down the whole gallon of Evian.

Several girls wanted to know if Edward would have a more difficult time being around Bella when she’s having her period. Answer: Yes, a little bit, but he would never say anything about it–much too much of a gentleman. And Bella would be way to embarrassed to ask. (It’s not the same as a cut, though. It’s sort of "dead" blood, if you get my meaning).

Q: Will you be publishing your version of Edward’s story? And if so, when might that be?

A: I have no idea if I am going to publish Edward’s version. I guess I will if the publisher wants it. I’d kind of like to have it printed up as a companion–a pretty little set. I’m not sure if the publisher will want Edward’s version. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book like that. The closest I can think of is Ender’s Shadow (Orson Scott Card’s companion to Ender’s Game), but that book tells the same story from a really minor character’s point of view, so it’s a very, very different book with huge sections that appear nowhere in the original. Edward is such a central part of Twilight that I’m locked in to following the original story extremely closely. Too closely? Is it too boring to print separately? Too much the same thing? These are the questions in my head. If the publisher doesn’t want it, I will post it all on my website. See, when I think about that though, I know that tons of people will be printing it off in its entirety. It doesn’t cost that much for a publisher to print up a small lot of books, especially if they don’t have to pay anything in marketing–I can’t imagine they wouldn’t want to print it if it would sell, whether it’s too derivative or not.

So for the answer: I don’t have a clue. And it’s going slow, so I’m not sure how much I’ll get finished before I have to focus on Eclipse BUT, I will get that first chapter up on my site regardless.

Q: Jasper is the one character I feel like I have no grip on. He’s like a void for some reason.

A: Okay, Jasper things. I love me some Jasper. Firstly, the reason Jasper has the most trouble with the Cullen diet is that he has been around since the Civil War and he has consumed a LOT of human blood. He has formed really bad habits. Also, my boy is a fighting machine (and I’m not talking about Civil War/human fights here, though he was a major in the Confederate army when he was human). The Cullen lifestyle is like an almost incomprehensibly peaceful retirement for him.

Secondly, he’s really mostly doing this for Alice. Alice is Jasper’s entire life. She is the most important thing in the universe to him, and he would do absolutely anything for her. For Jasper, there would be no limit to who or what he would destroy for Alice. Not that she wants him destroying anything. She’s the light side of their relationship–she makes him laugh (and he wasn’t much of a laugher before Alice). Jasper is the most "vampire-y" of the Cullens, and, while he’s fond of them all, he’s not bonded to them the way the rest of them are. The way Alice most definitely is. The whole high school thing really freaks him out. He’s trying to get better at being around humans, but it’s an uphill struggle.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:43 am

PERSONAL CORRESPONDANCE #3

Q: Who would you say is more conscious about their looks - Rosalie or Alice? I picture Alice as more of a tomboy, but she is the one who did all the fussing over Bella for the prom. Maybe it’s the hair. LOL! I always have to remind myself that it was Alice and not Rosalie who did all that fussing.

A: Rosalie’s true defining personal trait is her beauty. Like Emmett’s strength–they’re both more intensely physical than intellectual, which makes them a perfect match. Edward just doesn’t pay that much attention to how Rosalie looks. Can you imagine how much that annoys her?

So Rosalie is much more concerned about her appearance than Alice. Alice fusses over Bella before prom because she is, among other things, fascinated with being around a human. When she said in the prom scene that she was trying to live vicariously through Bella (that was in there, right? I keep getting stuff from Forever Dawn mixed up with Twilight rough drafts), that was a key phrase. She is trying to experience humanity through close association with Bella. Also, Bella is a very natural girl–not one for makeup or fixating on clothes. Alice sees her as a blank canvass waiting to become a work of art.

Q: I understand that Rosalie likes to keep her own last name. But why would Jasper take Hale as a last name - and even further - why do they pretend to be actual brother and sister? Why don’t they just say they, too, were adopted individually?

A: About Jasper using the name Hale–it’s just for convenience. He and Rosalie look a lot alike. They actually look like fraternal twins–both the same color blond, both tall, him muscular and her statuesque (with the same pale skin, gold eyes and flawless beauty, of course). The Cullens use many different subterfuges to try to keep people from looking too closely at them. Anything that seems to be a certain way–like Rosalie and Jasper seeming to be related–they embrace. They work within people’s expectations. People assume the two blonds are related, so they let that assumption stand. Plus, the more complicated a story is, the quicker someone gets bored trying to understand it, and gives up.

They don’t always use the same story. When it was just Carlisle and Edward, Edward pretended to be the young brother of Carlisle’s deceased wife. Then, after Esme, Edward was again Carlisle’s wife’s younger brother (only this time, the wife was alive). As the family got bigger, the explanations got more complex. Eventually, the Cullen’s home came to look like a refuge for troubled teens. (Though the best-behaved troubled teens ever).

They could be Whitlocks, it wouldn’t make any difference to anyone accept Rosalie. Jasper doesn’t care what anyone calls him. But Rosalie clings to her human past with all ten fingers.

Q: Did any of them have living family when they were changed? And was it difficult for them to accept, or did they just run off and avoid telling family? We ask because of that over active imagination wondering how Renee and Charlie would react to Bella should you decide to change her. If the Cullens have experience telling family about the change, it might make it smoother. On the other hand, if those experiences all went sour, it would only add to Edward’s anxiety over changing her.

A: You know Carlisle had his father, and that Edward and Esme and Alice all had no one, really. Rosalie, however, had two doting parents and two younger brothers. After she became a vampire, she never saw them again. Emmett was the youngest of a huge Scotch-Irish-American brood. His parents and siblings were all still living. Jasper had living parents and a younger sister. Neither of them ever saw their families after becoming vampires. There is a really good reason for this aside from the suspicion that would result (remember the brilliant red eyes? Kind of hard to disguise before the invention of sunglasses and colored contacts). That reason will be explored from several angles…in book three. smile Sorry.

Q: If the vampires don’t have blood, then where did it go? Did it just dry up? Evaporate? Or were they nearly drained of it by the one who changed them?

A: The blood left in a newborn vampire’s body is used–burned like fuel, the same way the blood they drink from others is used for fuel. Here’s an analogy: think of it as the fat stores in your body. You’re still eating, but you use those fat stores up, too, over time (though not always; more’s the pity, so the analogy isn’t perfect unless you are successfully dieting). That blood left in them is used slowly over about a year.

Jasmic
Vice Captain

Shy Phantom

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Jasmic
Vice Captain

Shy Phantom

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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:45 am

PERSONAL CORRESPONDANCE #4

Q: What is Renee and Phil’s last name?

A: Heh heh! I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to work this information in for a long time. Did you ever wonder why Bella doesn’t go by her mother’s last name, since Renee pretty much had sole custody of her since the first year of her life? Well, Renee went by Swan, too, until she married Phil. Her maiden name was Higgenbotham. (Poor girl.) Phil’s last name is Dwyer.

Q: Could you provide us with any more information about Bella’s human friends? They all have a tendency to blend together for me - especially Mike and Eric. I get the feeling that Tyler is more of a "geek" than the others, but I’ve been wrong before.

A: Nope, Eric Yorkie is the geek in this crowd. (You’ll be happy to know poor Eric finds love with a sophomore in book two—it’s such an incidental thing that I don’t feel bad mentioning it). Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley are pretty much the school catches. Mike is a little better looking, but Tyler is the better athlete. Tyler is the more arrogant of the two, and the less intelligent. Tyler is about 6′1", with brown hair, brown eyes and a bit more of a tan than the rest of the Forkians. Mike is 5′11" with pale blond hair and washed out blue eyes. Eric is a gawky 6′3" with black hair that always looks greasy, brown eyes, and a poor complexion.

Jessica Stanley is pretty well described. She has no siblings. Her mom works at the local bank and is the town gossip. Angela Weber is 6′0" tall and has light brown hair and eyes. Her father is a Lutheran minister and she has two loud younger brothers. Lauren Mallory is 5′6" tall with white blond hair and green eyes.

Let’s see, then there’s Jacob and Billy Black. Jacob is 6′2" tall (by the prom) with long black hair and dark brown eyes. His mother, Sarah, died many years ago and he has twin older sisters, Rachel and Rebecca.

The nurse’s name is Mrs. Julia Hammond. Ms. Cope’s first name is Shelly.

Q: Where did the Cullens get all their money? Investments? Property?

A: Long term investments, heh heh. Carlisle originally got some financial help from his Italian friends (remember the painting? They’ve got an astronomical amount of funds) and then was earning a doctor’s salary all those years without really having normal expenses to worry about. Edward inherited a lot of property from his parents (he did pretend to "survive" to claim that later, along with his "uncle," because he wanted his mother’s things. He still owns the house in Chicago). All this was invested shrewdly (both Carlisle and Edward are good with finances). And then Alice came along. Ha ha. She loves the stock market.

Q: How do the Cullens forge all the necessary paperwork – i.e. birth certs, past school records, etc.?

A: They buy them off skilled forgers. At the present time, Jasper has a contact in Seattle.

Q: Do they ever revisit an area they once lived in after enough time has past? Note – this was a silly question once I saw the answer. She pointed out when Jacob told Bella about the cold ones living in the area a long time ago. Duh. But Stephenie did make a few interesting additions.

A: So the answer is yes. In the late 1930s, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett lived a few hours south of Forks in Hoquiam. Before Edward joined him, Carlisle had already been through the area.

Q: They are described as being very physically alluring all the time. How much of that is a change from how they looked when they were human? There seems to be a bit of a contradiction from what you said about them looking exactly as they looked as humans and how they look as vampires and we are just wanting to clear it up.

A: Hopefully I phrased it right the first time. After the transformation, there is no more change–hair doesn’t grow, etc. They are frozen at that state. But there is a marked physical difference before and after. Everything intensifies–senses, abilities, and looks. The change into a vampire makes an average person stunning and a beautiful person absolutely beyond breath-taking. The reason Rosalie is such a beautiful vampire is because she was the most beautiful girl in Rochester, New York when she was human. Maybe the most beautiful girl in the whole state. The reason James is relatively average, for a vampire, is because he was quite unattractive as a human. This is rare, because even vampires are drawn by beauty. They tend to, when looking for companionship, choose exceptional humans. All of the Cullens were attractive humans to start with.

Q: And what’s with the breath? Can they get humans to do what they want by breathing on them? It seems that everyone Edward talks to - breathes on - gets dizzy. Well, the females at least. Is the breath soothing? Do they use it to lure prey?

A: Vampires just smell really, really good. Breath, skin, etc. It’s the fragrance of the venom that exists in various forms throughout their bodies. It’s a lure, like the beauty. It’s a smell that’s so good you want to smell it again, to get closer.

Q: How about stakes through the heart? Reflections? Photographs? Holy water? Garlic? All that traditional vampire lore.

A: Bunch of garbage. I think all of them get addressed in New Moon except garlic and stakes. But you try shoving wood through granite.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:46 am

PERSONAL CORRESPONDANCE #5

Q: Other than play baseball and hunt, what might the vampires do on a sunny day?

A: It just seems natural that they’d want to play–especially since they can’t use their full abilities most of the time. I think they’d be equally interested in football (though Rosalie probably wouldn’t play something where she’s get mud on her…), but basketball would be harder–the court would never survive!

Sunny days, they do anything we’d do–just out of sight. Do their thing at home, hang out in the city, catch a bad movie, shop (if you’re Alice), fly to Paris…

Q: About venom and kissing. Is Bella in any danger of this venom when snogging Edward?

A. I’ve had a few people wondering why Edward always pulls away from Bella when she opens her mouth while he’s kissing her (thinking I have some sort of anti-female-affectionate-aggression agenda or something, I guess). But, of course, he’s just worried about her safety. Yes, the venom does pose a danger to her. It’s not like acid–it has to be in the bloodstream to cause any problems, it won’t hurt her skin. However, say she had a sore in her mouth, or that she’d bitten her tongue…. Even if that wasn’t the case, Edward’s teeth are sharp as razors. She could cut her lips or tongue on them easily, and then the conversion process would begin–very painfully and very slowly (because it would be such a small infusion of the venom). Sadly, true snogging is out.

Q: There really wasn’t a question, but rather a whole conversation about my own thoughts on New Moon. In a nutshell, all she said was that I was wrong, but she did give me one more interesting fact. When Bella looked up vampire information on the Internet, she found a name - Stregoni benefici. I had a speculation about it, which as usual, was wrong.

A: Stregoni benefici–that would be CARLISLE, my dear friend. Yes, he created that myth all by himself.

Q: Are the old vampires weaker than a newborn, even if they have fed? And is a thirsty newborn weaker than a full one? Are human blood vampires stronger than vegetarians? Can human blood vampires go longer without feeding than vegetarian ones?

A: Here’s the deal with strength–it’s all relative, and there are no finite answers because, like humans, every vampire has a personal range. Emmett is immensely strong. A newborn vampire of average strength might be a little stronger than him, but it would be close (and, if it came to a fight, Emmett would win because he’d know what he was doing.) Emmett as a newborn must have been insanely strong.

As far as hunting affecting strength–it is a very minimal difference with physical strength. Mental strength is more markedly depleted. (Remember Carlisle’s story? How, as he got thirstier and thirstier, he knew his willpower was slipping and he tried to stay as far away from humans as possible?) If you took two vampires of equal strength, one who had recently drunk human blood and one who had been fasting for a while, the one who wasn’t thirsty would be stronger. However, the one who was thirsty wouldn’t exactly be weak. He could still lift a minivan over his head and throw it across a football field. Human blood does make them stronger than animal blood, but only fractionally. Big game (bears, wildcats, predators) makes them stronger than the "weaker" blood of herd animals. It’s not a huge difference and, given that all vampires have individual strength levels, it’s really hard to measure.

And this all just applies a straight contest of strength. So, unless we’re talking about an arm wrestling competition, it’s almost irrelevant. In a fight, skill is going to count more than strength.

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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:48 am

Personal Correspondence #6

This whole page is a list of information gathered off of the Twilight by Stephenie Meyer MySpace website. Feel free to check out the site. I asked the moderator if it was all right to post this here, and she said to go ahead. These questions come from various members of the site. Many thanks to them for their curiosity.

Q. Do Bella and Edward ever find out why Edward can’t read her mind, or will it always be a mystery?

A. It’s not exactly a mystery. It’s for the same reason that Edward can read everyone else’s minds and Alice can see the future–Bella was born that way. This will be touched on in future novels.

Q. Has Edward (and the rest of the Cullens and Hales for that matter) gone to college? More than once? What did he/they study?

A. Yes, they’ve all been through college several times, and they’ve studied a wide array of subjects. They don’t always finish a degree–it doesn’t take them four years to master a subject, so they usually learn what they want and then move on. Edward has studied many languages, and he’s been through medical school twice–this helps Carlisle keep current without having to neglect his practice.

Q. Can vampires have sex?

A. Yes. Don’t think I haven’t put a lot of thought into this one. I’m not going to get technical, but rest assured, it is entirely possible.

Q. I’m also really curious as to how no one so far has caught on to the fact that Carlisle, being a doctor (and most likely using the same name) is the same doctor from the early 1900’s. I mean, don’t you have to have medical credentials and degrees or can he just make it up? Also, what about the IRS? How are they filing taxes and things like that? or are they using fake identities which would make them criminals…?

A. The Cullens are criminals. Extensive forgery is definitely a part of their lives. They have to have new birth certificates, driver’s licenses, diplomas, passports, etc., every few years. Carlisle has to keep changing the dates on his certificates. But he does return to school occasionally. The "kids, " too, go to medical school now and then to keep him current. Edward’s been twice, Rosalie once (summa c** laude from Columbia). They do pay taxes–the IRS doesn’t check your photograph, they just want your money. Every seventy years or so, they have to fake a death to make that right. It’s very, very complicated. Lucky for them, they’ve got lots and lots of free time with the no sleep thing. And as for being criminals, well, most of them have committed LOTS of murders…

Q. Okay, this wasn’t a question, but an observation: And I really kind of hope Bella doesn’t just get a personality trait enhanced or whatever. I think that’s sort of… I don’t know, weird. Rosalie brought her ‘tenacity’, which I think seems to be sort of a suckish gift to bring into your, um, vampire life. Or the ‘capacity to love’. That was Esme, right? Hmmm… can’t remember. But I’d much rather have like Alice or Edward’s ability.

A. Yes, there is a big difference in the potency (for lack of a better word) of the qualities that vampires bring into this second life. There seems to be some confusion about this from some of the things I’ve read. I’ll try to explain it coherently, but I’m a little punch drunk from the editing, so bear with me: Okay, there are levels. Some vampires just have their personalities intensified. Esme is very loving and motherly–she becomes more so. Some vampires are unique in that they had slightly elevated abilities when they were human. Like Edward, who was always very sensitive to what other people were thinking without realizing it. Or Jasper, who was really charismatic, and could always talk people into seeing his side of things. When someone "special" like that gets turned into a vampire, that personality trait takes on a new strength, becoming more like a superpower than a trait. Some peoples’ strongest characteristics are physical rather than mental–like Emmett and his physical strength. And Rosalie with her beauty. ("AH HA!!" you are all saying. "But you said that Rosalie’s strongest trait was tenacity in the book!" To which I say, "Sometimes Edward lies." He had a reason–that will be in his version of the story.) Emmett and Rosalie are perfect for each other because they are both such physical people. But some characteristics skirt the line between "strong trait" and "superpower." Carlisle’s compassion-motivated self-control is really so incredible that it almost crosses the line into "superpower."

Now, the number of vampires with extra-special abilities (who were "special" when they were human) is disproportionately large (there is a bigger percentage of "special vampires" amongst ALL vampires than there are "special humans" as a percentage of ALL humans). There’s a reason for that, too. When vampires are choosing companions, they are drawn to the most special and beautiful of humans.

Q: How exactly to vampires die? (In more detail than just ripping them up and burning them.) Is there a type of vampire heaven?

A: They (the Cullens) don’t know. They’ve only seen other vampires cease to exist–but is it dying, really? Is there any awareness afterwards? Are you forever tied to the ashes of your body, or is there nothing, or is there an afterlife? This is, obviously, an important question to the Cullens, but they don’t know the answers and they all believe different things. This will be discussed in New Moon.

Q: Is it possible that a human could kill a vampire?

A: Er, not really. A big enough bomb would probably be hot enough to burn a vampire, but the vampire would have to agree to hold still and let it hit him.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:50 am

Personal Correspondence #7

Again I have swiped several questions and answers from the group at MySpace. Many thanks to them for letting me share this information with you.

Q. If Bella ever got a pet, would it be hard for Edward to come around?

A: No. Animals don’t appeal to my vampires at all. It’s quite a sacrifice for them to exist on animal blood. That’s why Edward compares it to living on tofu and soy. Imagine your very least favorite food. (So, for me, that’s probably something like shepherd’s pie.) Now imagine all your favorite foods on the table next to the one you hate. (Mmm! Cheesecake! Caramello bars! Filet mignon! Sour cream potatoes!) If you’re a Cullen, you have to dig into that shepherd’s pie day in and day out and try to ignore the cheesecake. Sigh. It’s like living on a diet forever, no cheating.

And, the bigger the animal, usually the better it tastes. Predators are the most tasty (though they’re still shepherd’s pie next to a human). A cat would present no temptation at all.

On the other hand, the cat would absolutely hate Edward and refuse to be anywhere near him. Animals freak out around vampires.

Q: Why do they sparkle?

A: They sparkle because they have turned to substance that is somewhat like diamond. Their bodies have hardened, frozen into a kind of living stone. Each little cell in their skin has become a separate facet that reflects the light. These facets have a prism-like quality–they throw rainbows as they glitter.

Q. What happened to the piece of pizza Bella dared Edward to eat? Would it be stuck in his system for the rest of eternity? Vampires don’t, um, go to the bathroom. Would he just have pizza floating in his stomach for the rest of his life? Ew…

A: Ew, yes. He’d have to cough it up later to get rid of it. Not the most pleasant thing, which is why the vampires only eat food when they absolutely have to in order to blend in.

Q. Does Esme have a favorite son or daughter? (What about Carlisle?)

A: Esme and Carlisle love all their "children" in different ways, but they both have a soft spot for Edward because he was with them first, and he’s such a deeply good person. The others are good, too, but Edward is special. And I’m not just saying that because I’m in love with him.

Q. Is there anything that Edward isn’t perfect at?

A: He tried really hard to always do the right thing. However, he does make mistakes and no matter what your intentions were, when you make mistakes you end up living with the consequences. This all sounds like crazy babbling now, but you’ll understand after New Moon and Eclipse.

Q. I was wondering if they could have an actual TALENT enhanced. Like if you were really artistic or musical or something in your human life, could you bring that on to your vampire life?

A: Yes, Edward’s human musical ability was enhanced in his vampire life. Rosalie’s mechanical prowess, something she didn’t use much while human, also was enhanced. They all have their talents.

Q. I was reading last night and it was the part where Edward made Bella promise not to go into the woods alone… Was it because of Edward himself or because there were other vampires there?

A: It was because the Cullens aren’t the only vampires in the world. They are often visited by old friends and newcomers (like James). Most of the time, it’s just a friendly visit, but it’s still not going to work out so well for a human who happens to be in the visitor’s path. Edward knows how Bella is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he knows that she smells better than most humans, even to others besides himself.

Q. What percent of vampires occupy America? Like 5%, 10% of the population? Or if that’s too specific, the world? Just curious on how many vampires there are.

A: Much less than one percent. It’s not easy to successfully create a new vampire (most attempts fail…and become dinner instead). Also, the population goes down as often as it goes up because most vampires don’t get along with each other as well as the Cullens do. They tend to get a little territorial, and sometimes they fight over their food.

Q. When vampires feed off of humans, do they drink out all the blood? And if they do what do they do with the bodies, do they just let bloodless bodies lie around or dispose of them?

A: They drain the bodies, and then hide them (it’s not good to draw attention to oneself). For example, if Laurent was taking a stroll through the woods and happened on a tasty hiker, after drinking all the available blood (and it’s almost impossible to stop, once you get started–that’s why so few vampires are successfully created), he might rip a large spruce out of the ground, throw the body under it, and then replant it. It would only take a few seconds and very little effort. There are lots of ways to dispose of a body when you have superhuman strength.

Q: What happened to Billy Black that he can’t walk anymore?

A: He has diabetes, which caused nerve damage in his feet and legs. He hasn’t had to have anything amputated yet, but he’ll never walk again.

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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:52 am

Personal Correspondence #8

This is for the various bits of info that Stephenie is kindly sending us for the write ups in the different sections. It will be added to again as we get more info!

Q: If someone’s bitten with loads of venom right by the heart, how quick is the conversion and is it more painful than a regular conversion? Were some of the Cullen’s transformations worse than others?

A: About the conversion process… If there is a lot of venom in the human’s system, the pain is more intense to begin with. Like fire, the venom burns through the body. So, with fire in more places, there is more pain at the outset. When Bella was bitten by James, the fire was only in her hand. Painful enough, but not as bad as if she had several bites. Of course, this is only at the outset. If James’ venom had been allowed to spread through Bella, it would have over time made its way through her whole system, and the pain eventually would have been just as intense as if she’d been deliberately infected with multiple, well-placed bites (jugular, wrists, ankles, etc.). So, all that early pain as the venom wound through her system is extra–an added portion of pain that doesn’t in anyway cut down the time or the intensity of the greater pain. The greatest pain begins when the venom is all the way through the body, through the heart, and it starts meeting itself in the veins again and then burning them dry. It moves slower than blood because it’s thicker. Each beat of the heart can only push it so far. The changing/burning process is slow. The venom has to leak through to every cell before it ends. It took Carlisle a little more than three days because his bites were not deliberate or well-placed. It can be as short as two.

Q: Do your vampires have any restrictions, like traditional vampires can’t enter a house without being invited in?

A: Almost all–well, I think ALL, actually, but I’ll play it safe–of the superstitions about vampire limitations are entirely false in my world. Vampires don’t really have any limits, other than the self-imposed guideline to keep their existance a secret. No unconscious periods, no problem with sunlight, crosses, garlic, holy water, wooden stakes, etc… These are all myths–deliberately placed in earlier centuries to mislead impressionable humans and make them feel safe. Vampires need no invitation to enter any house.

Q: Is there any more information you can give us about the Cullen house?

A: Something to remember, these rooms are ginormous. This is a really BIG house. Also, there’s a lot of unaccounted for space on the third floor euphemistically dubbed the “library.” This is where they do things that are technically illegal–like document forgery and computer hackery and all kinds of other shady stuff. There’s also a basement where they keep illicit things. It’s hard to get to, if you’re not a vampire.

It’s not a large window on the South wall–the South wall IS a window. It’s glass from bottom to top, all three stories.

Jasper and Alice do sort of share a room, but since Alice’s personality is stamped all over that room, and Jasper has his study, everyone thinks of it as Alice’s. Since no one sleeps anywhere, the room thing is a little vague.

In the living room, there is a gigantic flat screen television on the wall between the living room and kitchen/dining area. A grouping of couches/chairs faces the tv, and then there are other clusters of seats for conversation scattered throughout. There are a couple of computers along the wall that curls around the dining room to separate it from the living room.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:57 am

Personal Correspondence #9

Once again I must thank Nimir-Ra over at the Twilight MySpace website for letting me post the Q&A from her site over here at the lexicon. I am indebted to the forward thinking of the members of that site for how open they are with their questions. Enjoy!

Q. Why did Bella get that electric shock or whatever from Edward when they were in biology?

A. Physical chemistry. The jolt you get when you brush fingers with the hottest guy you’ve ever seen… sigh…Edward… Ha ha.

Q. Are you planning on writing an Edward version of New Moon and Eclipse?

A. Probably not. (Though there is at least one chapter in New Moon that I WILL write in Edward’s POV, and then post on my site or whatnot.) See, once Edward gets to tell his side, people will "know" him well enough that his POV won’t be necessary for every book. I think it’s interesting that people don’t entirely get Edward. When I read through the fan fics (which I don’t have much time for anymore, sigh) it’s clear that people "get" Bella so much better than they get Edward. I’m always shocked by things that Edward would NEVER do or say, and I realize that people just don’t know him the way I do.

Q. Since vampires’ senses are heightened, do they feel pain more acutely than humans? Likewise, would sex be better for a vampire than a human?

A. Yes. Their senses are greatly heightened. Though it takes a lot more to hurt them, the pain would be more intense. Pleasure, also, would be more intense.

Q. Did Edward find it very hard to be around Tyler when he and Bella were in the hospital after the accident? Was Bella too distracted by how Edward had saved her to be sickened by Tyler’s blood?

A. I imagine Bella was a little woozy thanks to Tyler’s blood, but that overpowering hospital chemical smell really counteracts all other smells, for a human at least. I’ve written this part of the story from Edward’s perspective, and it is at this moment that Edward starts to grasp how Carlisle is able to handle being around blood. Here’s a paragraph from Edward’s version:

"It was amazingly easy to ignore Tyler, lying no more than four feet from me, covered in fresh blood. I’d never understood how Carlisle was able to do that–ignore the blood of his patients in order to treat them. Wouldn’t the constant temptation be so distracting, so dangerous? But, now I could see how, if you were focusing on something else hard enough, the temptation was be nothing at all. Even fresh and exposed, Tyler’s blood had nothing on Bella’s."

Q. Do the Cullens celebrate their birthdays?

A: Sort of, in a joking way. Birthdays are pretty meaningless when you don’t change.

Q. You’ve said that when someone becomes a vampire, they sort of "freeze" where they are mentally. Is Edward emotionally still 17? He refers to the other teens as "children", but does he feel any affinity with them? Does he think of Bella as a child, and if so, does this have any impact on his attraction to her? Like, does he find her childish or juvenile at all?

A. Edward is emotionally and intellectually more adult than a modern seventeen-year-old, due to the times in which he lived. In his world, he was old enough to be considered a man. People his age were getting married and beginning their lives. He was about to join the military and go fight in the Great War. Developmentally, he was an adult. So he is able to understand and absorb this century he’s lived through, to gain perspective from it.

This perspective is what makes him think of his classmates as children, coupled with the fact that they are so helpless in comparison with himself. The vampires do have a bit of a superiority complex, heh heh. However, Edward still is a teenage boy in many ways. This is his first experience with romantic love, his first kiss, just as it is for Bella. He thinks of Bella as just one of the "children" until he becomes interested in her. Then he begins to learn how mature she is for her age, just like him…

The other girls at school are fairly immature and petty. Their minds are a turn off smile

Q. Ok so we know that Alice and Jasper are very close, so I was wondering how close are Emmett and Rosalie, and Carlisle and Esme? Out of the three couples which one has the closest relationship?

A. This is an apples to oranges question, because their relationships are so different. Rosalie and Emmett’s might be seen as the most superficial in a way, because their relationship is so intensely physical. But they are entirely committed to each other, so that’s hardly superficial… Esme and Carlisle have the most spiritual relationship, for lack of a better word. Their relationship is on another plane from Rosalie and Emmett’s. And then Alice and Jasper’s is the most…mystical. They just ARE together, and have been from before they even met. They are not complete without each other–and never were. That’s what makes them different from the other couples, the "never were." They were already not-whole before they met, waiting for each other.

Q. Bella speculates at the beginning of the book that Jessica tried to ask Edward out, or get him interested in her, but that she struck out. Is that what happened? Is the only reason Lauren doesn’t like Bella because she likes Tyler and Tyler likes Bella, or is Lauren jealous of Bella’s relationship with Edward too?

A. Jessica tried to flirt with Edward and was met with icy disinterest (of course). She was never brave enough to ask him out in the face of his obvious dislike.

Lauren is jealous of EVERYTHING about Bella. Before Bella came to Forks, Lauren was the most sought after human girl. She hates all the attention Bella gets, even more so because Bella doesn’t try to get attention (or want it).

Q. When Bella and Edward are sitting in her kitchen before they go to meet his family, Edward wants to know if Bella is going to introduce him to Charlie as her boyfriend. Bella says she was under the impression that he is "more than that." What does Bella mean by that? How do each of them see their relationship?

A. As many people have guessed, the word "boyfriend" seems sort of trite and schoolyard-ish in the light of how Bella feels about Edward. He is her entire world, and she knows that’s not going to change. Soulmate would be her preferred word. And Edward feels that way even more strongly.

Q. What did Esme, Rosalie, and Alice’s wedding dresses look like?

A. I don’t have any pictures of that. Alice’s was an adorable 50s number, and Esme’s was a very traditional ornate-lace-and-orange-blossoms affair. Rosalie has had one for nearly every trend.

Q. On pg.20 when Bella first sees Edward and his family around the table and he starts talking, what is he saying?

A. Here’s another teeny piece from Edward’s version:

"Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullen clan," I murmured to Emmett.

He chuckled under his breath. I hope she’s making it good, he thought.

"Rather unimaginative, actually. Just the barest hint of scandal. Not an ounce of horror. I’m a little disappointed."

Q. Do all the vampires Carlilse has turned live in the same house, or are there others that he didn’t have live with him and if so why?

A. Carlisle has only changed Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. There aren’t any others that live elsewhere.

Q. Can Edward read Alice’s mind while she’s having a ‘vision’?

A. Yes–he can see it just like she sees it.

Q. Can vampires get drunk?

A. No.

Q. Do the Cullens and Hales usually attend school dances, or where they just going to the prom on the behalf of Bella?

A. They were mostly going for Bella. Extracurricular school activities are not the norm for the Cullens. Rosalie loves the chance to dress up and show off, though.

Q. This is not meant to be offensive in ANY way, shape or form, but do gay vampires exist? What if someone changed a human, intending them to be their permanent companion or something and it turned out they were… er… well, gay?

A. If someone was to bite a gay person, that person would still be who they were before, so they would still be gay.

Q. And also, will the whole series have an official name, or is it just going to be called The Twilight Series or whatever?

A. Good question. Wish I had a good answer! Right now the powers that be are calling the Twilight Series because they haven’t come up with anything else. I haven’t thought of anything good, either.

Q. When are Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice’s birthdays?

A. Because these haven’t figured into the story yet, I haven’t chosen exact days. It may never come up, or it may show up someday. *shrugs*

Q. What is the deal with Alice? In the beginning everyone is apprehensive about her meeting Bella, but she seems extremely nice and approving of her, so why is Edward so weird about it?

A. Alice is nice to Bella because she’s going with the assumption (from a tentative vision she had) that Bella is going to become one of the family. Edward doesn’t want Bella to become a vampire, so he’s not especially happy with Alice’s motivations.

Q. I was just wondering you need a degree in literature in order to publish your work?

A. You don’t need any degree at all to be published. Christopher Paolini and others were in high school when they got published (ah, I see someone else mentioned the author of Eragon…). Studying literature and the English language definitely does help with the writing. I learned everything I know about writing from all the reading I did in my life.

Q. This may seem a bit random but do Edward or any of the other Cullens/Hales like to ski? For some reason it seems like a sport they’d like because it’s so… fast.

A. I imagine they enjoy skiing a lot. I’ll bet Emmett prefers snowboarding, though…

Q. How old are Renee, Charlie, and Phil?

A. Renee is 37, Charlie is 41, and Phil is 29 (Renee is a cradle robber!!).

Q. Why don’t the vampires in your books rule the world? Don’t get me wrong, I am glad they don’t, but they’re basically indestructible. Let’s face it, in reality it would be totally likely some crazy Adolf Hitler vampire could totally try to take over the world. He could enslave humans or something and if he got enough vampire followers, who could stop him or her? And what vampire wouldn’t want to join in and rule the world?

A. Vampires have their own world within ours. They don’t see the distribution of power quite the same way we do. To most vampires, humans are like a herd of cows. Who wants to be king of the food supply? There is a power hierarchy of sorts within the vampire world, and that will be dealt with in future books.

Q. Would a vampire’s hearing be good enough to be able to hear someone/something in a sound-proof room?

A. That would depend on how close the vampire is, how loud the sound inside the booth is, and what the booth is made out of, etc. But it would be possible.

Q. What came first, the vampire or the bite?

A. If you go with Edward’s version of intelligent creation, then the vampire.

Q. Is the house the Cullens live in real?

A. I made up the house. I have no idea if there are any three story mansions on the outskirts of Forks.

Q. Do you have your own favorite quote from the book? Or what part did you enjoy writing the most?

A. I can’t really pick a favorite quote–there are too many that are special to me. My favorite parts to write were…the meadow, because it was first and started it all…the conversation in Port Angeles and on the way home was so much fun…The Angel chapter after Edward saves her from James made me cry when I was writing it (that was a first)…the baseball game…her visit to the Cullen’s house…her conversation with Jacob Black…okay, I could probably name them all smile Writing Twilight was an incredibly enjoyable experience from start to finish.

Q. I was wondering what Bella got Edward for his birthday.

A. He didn’t tell her it was his birthday. Can you believe that? Men!

Q. Have any of the Cullens ever owned a motorcycle?

A. Not recently.

Q. Alice’s visions-are they animated or like photographs?

A. Both, but more often like still photographs. She gets motionless images most of the time. The moving visions (and the ones with sound) are only of things that are very concrete and sure (usually the ones that are almost about to happen).

Q. How many periods (hours) are there before lunch in Forks High?

A. Four

Edward’s schedule

1) Calculus
2) Government
3) English
4) Gym
Lunch
5) Biology
6) Spanish

Bella’s schedule

1) English
2) Government
3) Trigonometry
4) Spanish
Lunch
5) Biology
6) Gym

Q. What exactly happened the first time that Edward kissed Bella?

A. I get this a lot. To understand, you have to put yourselves in Edward’s shoes. Okay, so you’ve never kissed anyone in a hundred years. Now you really want to kiss this girl, but you’re terrified that if you get too close to her, instinct will take over and you will crush your teeth through her jugular vein, and probably break her neck in the process. So you’re being very, very cautious about every move you make. You expect this girl–who knows that you are a vampire, for crying out loud–to be just as careful. Actually, you’re expecting her to be terrified to be so close to your teeth. You’re expecting her to maybe pull away, or at least to freeze in place. You touch your lips to hers–and hers are all warm, which doesn’t help you as you try to concentrate on anything other than her blood–and suddenly, she locks her fingers in your hair, trying to pull you closer, blood rushes to her face (you can smell and feel that), and her lips encourage yours to open… Of course you panic. Your reflexes are all demanding that you bite. The best you can do is freeze and try to get some space before you kill her.

Are we all clear now?

Q. So my question is, If the blood inside the newborn vampire is used over a year, does that mean the vampire doesn’t have to feed for the first year?

A. No. Newborn vampires are voraciously thirsty and almost unthinkingly wild. It’s a hard transition.

Q. Hey, I was just wondering when the paperback version of Twilight comes out, how many pages is the first chapter of New Moon going to be?

A. I’m not sure of the exact date–I think May or June. The first chapter of New Moon is 27 pages long (29 if they include the preface).

Q. I was wondering if Bella had any other interests besides Edward?

A. Bella is a first and foremost a bookworm. She also likes to cook. She enjoys drawing, but she doesn’t think she does it very well. She takes care of her parents–bookkeeping, housekeeping, shopping, etc. She likes the house run just right, ha ha.

Q. When Bella was in the hospital she slipped and asked Edward why he didn’t just let her turn into a vampire.

A. I don’t want to get into this too much–Edward’s reasons are more clearly dealt with in New Moon. But he does have reasons, and they are serious ones (not the "she won’t be soft and warm and smell tasty" reasons that I see floating around a lot. He’d much rather she didn’t smell tasty, and "soft and warm" = really breakable. Also not a good thing).

Q. Why does Edward always kiss her neck more than her lips?

A. It’s a little be safer (her reactions put her in danger). Also, because he’s just so SEXY!!

Q. If Rosalie still disliked Bella by the end of Twilight (which I’m not sure she did, but they had no interaction at the prom) and then was messing with Bella’s hair by the outtakes, what happened to make Rosalie soften up a bit?

A. Didn’t I put this in the note? That outtake was written before I’d really developed Rosalie’s character (she was still Carol back then). Rosalie didn’t have any problem with Bella in the rough draft–or much of a personality, either. It was only later that her personality came into focus for me. Suddenly I realized that Rosalie didn’t like Bella at all, and then I completely "got" her. It’s funny, because it was as if Rosalie had always had this problem with Bella, but she’d just been hiding it from me. Yes, my characters are WAY to real to me. smile

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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:00 am

Personal Correspondence #10

These are questions and answers taken off of the message boards as well as a few that came from my own e-mails with Stephenie. I’ve also added the few questions that Stephenie could answer from our "ask Stephenie" thread.

Q. Are the Volturi the whole group, or does that name only apply to Marcus, Aro, and Caius?

A. The Volturi are just Aro, Marcus, Caius, and two females who never go out. There were six of them originally, but Marcus lost his mate in a battle. That loss, over the centuries, turned him into the apathetic zombie he is today. The guard are not technically Volturi, though the name still applies loosely.

Q. Can you tell us more about them?

A. Aro is freakishly curious. He keeps the histories, and new stories are one of his favorite things.

Marcus’s gift is actually quite valuable in the hands of someone who knows how to use it (coughArocough). For example, imagine Marcus on the battle field. He sees the binding ties between the enemy the guard faces. He can tell who the leader is just by watching the way the others are tied to him or her. He can see how to destroy the resistance simply by picking off a few key people. He doesn’t just see romantic relationships, but also ties of family and friends, loyalty and devotion. He can tell if any given person would die for another. Off the field of battle (as the Volturi rarely leave their home), Marcus’s gift is valuable politically (for lack of a better word). It’s an amazing gift in a diplomatic situation. Plus, when you’re sitting on an empire, it’s nice to be able to see when someone’s loyalty starts wavering. Or if anyone is getting too fond of anyone else. Can you see the potential now? Marcus didn’t get where he is with some fluff skill.

Q. Are Jane and Alec related? How did they join the Volturi?

A. Alec is Jane’s twin brother. (I will not tell you what his gift is, only that it is more potent in battle than hers. He is one of the main reasons that the Volturi guard is invincible.) They were burned at the stake for witchcraft when Aro stepped in. (By "stepped in" I mean "slaughtered the whole village," of course). Aro already had his eye on these two, but he wanted to let them age before he took them. The villagers forced his hand, which sort of pissed him off. The shape Jane’s talent took was influenced by the fire she endured before Aro saved her.

Q. If Bella is immune to vampire powers, why can Jasper and Alice use their talents on her?

A. Bella has a very private MIND. No one can touch her there. What Jane does is entirely illusion–you only THINK you’re feeling pain. What Aro does is like what Edward does–he gets inside your head.

What Jasper does effects not the thoughts, but the body. He doesn’t make you THINK you are calm, he actually puts your body into a calmed state. Or angry, or whatever. It’s physical rather than mental. Alice sees the outcome of Bella’s decisions, because those outcomes happen in the real world, not just inside Bella’s head.

Q. When is Jacob’s birthday?

A. I don’t know Jacob’s birthday for sure. I’ve never assigned one. Sometime during Bella’s zombie period, though.

Q. On one thread you said that Carlisle & Esme have a spiritual relationship, Rosalie & Emmett were physical, and Alice & Jasper were mythical. I was wondering about Bella’s and Edward’s relationship, what is theirs?

A. Before I answer this, I want to say that the traits I assigned to the Cullen couples were not to be understood as totally definitive; these characteristics, spiritual, physical and mythical, were merely the most prominent facet of each relationship—other facets are still quite strong with each. For example, though Carlisle and Esme have a very strong spiritual and intellectual link, they also are quite attracted to each other physically. The same goes for the others.

As far as Bella and Edward, I see their relationship as being fairly well balanced between all the facets. Obviously the physical attraction is strong, as is the intellectual interest. Like Alice and Jasper, their pairing feels very fated. In some ways, they are perfectly designed for each other.

Q. How could Rosalie underestimate Edward’s feelings for Bella so badly? What made her think that Edward would just go back to normal once Bella was dead? Especially since he had been already completely miserable when the two were just separated. Is she really that unobservant? Or is there more to it?

A. Rosalie is an egocentric person. One of the side effects of being born more beautiful than anyone else. Though she has her good qualities—loyalty, determination, self-discipline, and a very strong bond to her adoptive family—these qualities are often overshadowed by her self-absorption. She prefers to see Edward’s fascination with Bella as a strange quirk—and a transitory one at that. Because to Rosalie, of course, the main love story going on here is hers and Emmett’s. How could anyone else feel the same? Especially about some plain-jane human girl who Edward doesn’t even want to make immortal?

Ah, we’re getting deep into Rosalie’s well of denial now! See, Rosalie wanted Emmett, so she forced an unwilling Carlisle to change him. It turns into true love, and Rosalie has the staring role in the happily-ever-after-romance.

And then Edward falls for a human, and he insists on keeping her human. (Of course it’s different, since Emmett was bleeding to death, but, still) Rosalie can take this one of two ways. One: Edward doesn’t love this girl all that much. Two: he loves her more than Rosalie ever loved Emmett. Which way do you think Rosalie would prefer to look at it?

Q. Where do you get your inspiration for your writing? For example – the pain Bella feels at losing Edward is so very real. What sort of experiences do you draw from to describe those types of emotions? How did you develop such diverse personalities?

A. This is a tricky question for me to answer; I know that a lot of the people who read my books would like to write their own books, and I want to be as helpful to those writers as possibly. This is one of those areas where I can’t be super helpful, because I don’t have a process to be learned from or imitated. The original inspiration I had, the dream that spawned Twilight, was hardly something I invited or controlled. After that unconscious beginning, pretty much every thing just came to me in a very effortless and natural way. Characters, particularly, seem to spring to life for me, fully rounded and completely intriguing (to me, anyway) from conception. I don’t brainstorm for characters, I don’t write out lists of characteristics to flesh them out, I don’t look for real life people to base them on. I’m not knocking those methods at all—I know they work quite well for many authors—but I don’t use them personally. I do let my characters talk to me, and I listen to them. Many of my stories have ranged out of control because I let my characters do what they want, rather than what I wanted. Maybe they wouldn’t be so alive if I kept them under control.

Again, I have an unhelpful answer when it comes to the other question—where in my personal history do I draw from to create the emotions in my stories? I have never suffered a heartbreak like Bella’s. Nothing close. The few times I had my heart stepped on, I was not devastated, nor was I melodramatic. Life went on, and I went with it. I was very practical about my rejections, and I was well aware that it was never true love that I was losing. So where does Bella’s pain come from? It comes from her. Even if I had experienced the loss of a true love, I know that my reaction would not have been like Bella’s. She is a much less cynical person, much more open—to both pain and joy. When writing New Moon, at first I didn’t know how she would respond to having her true love taken from her. I was honestly surprised by the way she chose to cope with it.

I’m sorry, because I know that none of that helps a budding author. I guess all I can say is, try to believe in your characters. Let them live, and try to listen to them. Let them shape your stories around their true character, rather than trying to shove their character unnaturally into your story.

Q. How did Jasper and Alice fall in love? Was it love at first sight? They seem so different from each other, what was it that drew them to each other? Any information about their relationship would be great!

A. Eclipse will answer this question to an extent. When that information is available, it will be easier to discuss Jasper’s and Alice’s relationship.

Q. What happened to Jacob’s mother?

A. She died in an uneventful way. I haven’t decided exactly how because there’s never been a need to set it in stone for the story (not everything is determined, despite what some think. I leave many details open until I have a reason to fix them a certain way). I only know that there wasn’t any mystery or unnecessary drama about Sarah’s death. It was, of course, a very sad thing in Billy’s, Jacob’s, Rachel’s, and Rebecca’s lives (and one reason why the twin sisters are more comfortable away from the sad memories of their home). However, Jacob was young and he is naturally resilient. He recovered well.

Q. Does a vampire’s skin heal? And if so, then why do the Volturi have such brittle looking skin?

A. The first question will be discussed in book three; the second question will be discussed in book four.

Q. Why did the Cullens, particularly Alice and even Carlisle, ever agree to move on from Forks and go along with Edward’s irrational plan to leave Bella for her own good? Can you share with us some of the conversation that must have gone on at the Cullen household the night after Bella’s birthday party disaster?

A. I’m not going to write this scene out for you, but I’ll give you the gist.

When it comes to Bella, it’s all entirely Edward’s decision. It’s his life, and his love, and his choice. The others don’t have a say in how he chooses to handle it anymore than your brothers and sisters can tell you who to fall in love with and how to go about it. Carlisle plays the role of the father in the Cullen family, and Edward respects his opinions greatly, but Carlisle does not give Edward permission to do things. Edward is an adult with a century of wisdom under his belt. No one gives him permission to do anything.

Of course, Carlisle had a very intense conversation with Edward about his decision, but it was Edward’s decision alone. And Carlisle, already tormented by whether or not it was an evil thing to create his family, could hardly argue with Edward’s motivations. If there is one thing Carlisle values, it is the human soul.

It did affect the rest of them, of course, in that they all had to relocate, but Edward has relocated for all of the rest of them many times (particularly Emmett). It’s never been his fault when they’ve had to move in the past. They owe him. Big time.

Alice wasn’t thrilled with the plan, but she doesn’t live in the same world as you and I. She considered Edward’s effort a wasted attempt, but one that would turn out okay in the end. She couldn’t see a future where Edward didn’t eventually cave and end up with Bella. Not until she saw Bella throw herself off a cliff.

Q. Do the “younger” looking Cullens ever resent being made to act so young? It seems that going through school over and over again is a real bore for them, so I have to wonder if they might resent some of the limitations imposed on them because of their supposed ages. Is this something that Carlisle , with all of his compassion, ever took into consideration when he decided to change teenagers in to vampires?

A. Carlisle didn’t change all that many teenagers into vampires. One seventeen year old, one eighteen year old (which was further past the age of adulthood in the early 1900s than it is now), one twenty year old, and one twenty-six year old.

Carlisle wasn’t considering age too intently, as each of these decisions was spur-of-the-moment as well as life-or-death. After Rosalie, he wasn’t going to change anyone else. But when Rosalie begged for Emmett, he gave in, hoping that she would find some happiness with her choice. It worked out in a stellar fashion.

Now to the point: The younger-looking Cullens do not resent being MADE to act young, because no one makes them do anything. It is a group choice to try to stay in a settled home for as long as possible. They are free to choose whatever age they like, but they want to make the most of their time, so they start young.

Q. The following is information Stephenie shared with me for me to use on my short fan fic written from Charlie’s PoV

A. In my world, Charlie doesn’t really have negative feelings toward Phil. Phil is not the first man Renee has been with since they split up, but he is sort of the best. Charlie and Bella are both relieved that Phil is the one Renee married in the end

The fact that Charlie didn’t follow Renee when she left was about so much more than a job. Charlie’s parents were both still alive, but just barely, when he and Renee met. He was responsible for caring for them. He didn’t choose Forks, he chose his responsibility to his sick parents

Charlie didn’t have this much choice over her leaving. He didn’t LET her go. She stormed out one night just as Bella did in the end of Twilight. His choice was to follow after her, but he couldn’t leave his parents, he was very dutiful about his job, and his pride was injured. He stayed, and by the time Geoffrey and Helen Swan had died (within a year of each other) Renee had moved on so far it didn’t seem like there was a point to following then.

Renee and Charlie get along well.

Renee’s hallmark mental state is bewilderment.

Charlie’s vocabulary is a little bit less formal and erudite than Bella’s. He’s a more plain-spoken person.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:01 am

Personal Correspondence #11

As we update the Lexicon, we find out that there are still little bits and pieces we don’t understand or know about. This section of the PCs will be used for all the little questions we have to ask along the way and will be updated frequently.

Q. Why are the wolves so warm?

A. The high temperature is one of their unique features. It has nothing to do with the temperature of real wolves (who I assume run on a normal mammalian temp).

Q. Jacob mentions the pain of the transformation. How painful is it?

A. Jacob is not talking about physical pain. The transformation into the wolf form is not a painful process, only disorienting and mentally uncomfortable. (The only comparison I could think of was my lasik surgery, ha ha. It didn’t hurt at all, but it still freaked me out. I passed out twice under the laser.) The pain he’s talking about here stems from his rather rude awakening to his surprising heritage–guess what? You’re a monster!–coupled with the fact that he can’t see Bella for fear of hurting her and the knowledge that Bella is knowingly in love with an evil vampire.

Q. How aware are the wolves of their human side when transformed? Do they think rationally and logically the same way we do?

A. The wolves entirely retain their human minds while in their wolf forms. They are still themselves—not at all the feral, mindless werewolves of other mythologies. The danger of being around werewolves (in my mythology) does not stem from the idea that they would attack someone because they can’t control themselves in their wolf forms. It comes from the fact that they can’t control that transformation. In the beginning, they pretty much explode into their wolf forms whenever they lose their tempers. It’s a very…I’m not sure of the right word…expansive (?) change. They blow out into a body many times larger in mass than their other form, with claws and teeth blowing out in the same expansion. Standing close to someone during this process, you could either get raked like Emily, or possibly crushed. For example, when Bella was with Jacob in the Rabbit in his garage–if their conversation had caused him to lose his temper and phase, she would have been smashed into the metal frame of the car, and probably have died.

Q: Can you tell me anything more about Ben Cheney as well as someone named Conner, Samantha, and Lee Stephens. Lee is the kid Mike carries into the Nurses office, right? Anything else you have time to give me about these other random people would be nice!

A: Ben Cheney is of Asian descent, with black hair and dark brown eyes. He is 5′7" and wears glasses. He loves graphic novels, action movies with good special effects, and Angela.

I don’t really have specific ideas of the others. They aren’t important people in my little world. Imagine them how you will.

Jasmic
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Shy Phantom

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Jasmic
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Shy Phantom

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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:08 am

The Q & A from the February 2007, BYU Symposium

BYU Midwinter Symposium on Books for Young Readers – Stephenie’s Presentation

Stephenie talked about the writing process. She told about her experiences and gave tips on agents, publishers, editors, editing, copy editing, choosing a cover, etc.

One comment that I found interesting was the difference between the quote on the back of Twilight and the actual quote inside the book. She mentioned how one line can go through ten different evolutions. Check out the quotes yourself and you’ll see the difference. The one on the back isn’t the final edit…

Stephenie talked about how during the editing process, sometimes editors want to completely tear things apart. You have to know when to give and when to take. Some elements are central to the story of the idea, so you shouldn’t let those go. She said that when Twilight was first getting edited, there was someone who didn’t like Renee. The person suggested that Bella’s mother (a) suffer a mental breakdown, (b) have a physical problem, (c) should mysteriously disappear and resurface later in the series, or (d) die. What she really tried to do was stand up for her characters. She said that you have to know when to stand up to your publishers/agent.

An example of the editor at work was Bella’s original reason for leaving Phoenix. The way Stephenie’s editor read it was that Bella wasn’t comfortable around Phil because there may have been some sexual abuse. It wasn’t; it was because in Phoenix, Phil was her principal and now her stepfather. It was just very awkward between them—being a teenage girl with a new step-father when you’ve never really had a man living with you. But the semi-implied sexual abuse created a very intense atmosphere from the beginning of the book, which bled into other scenes, so Stephenie rewrote the scene to what we read now, making it not so intense or potentially controversial.

Some people felt like since the book is a romance and the main characters are 17, there should be sex in the books, because “sex sells.” Stephenie said that she tried to explain that that wasn’t “practical”, because of the whole human/vampire thing. Plus, she felt like Bella and Edward are both very innocent, and sex would change them in the wrong ways.

One of the parts of New Moon that got cut was 75 pages of werewolves. (Stephenie won’t tell you about this, so don’t ask! You’ll get more on werewolves in Eclipse!) She didn’t say anything specifically about this section, just that she likes to go back and read about her “pack of teenage boys”. She said that she feels at home with teenage boys. (She has 3 younger brothers and 3 sons, though they aren’t teenagers yet, so this makes perfect sense.)

Stephenie said that while editors can be wrong, they can also be right. Having an editor forces you to bring out the best of your story. Editors are GOOD, you just have to find a good give/take balance.

Stephenie talked about how sometimes her characters are misunderstood. One of the main reasons she started writing Midnight Sun (back when the plan was just to write the first chapter) was so people would understand Edward’s character better. She wanted them to understand that a vampire’s need to drink blood isn’t like, “Umm… I think I’m in the mood for cheesecake.”

Stephenie’s favorite people to talk to are:

1. Reluctant Readers – People who never really liked to read books, but who felt inspired to read more after reading Twilight/New Moon.

2. Moms/Daughters or Moms/Sons who read the books together.

3. Book People

4. People who say, “You made me want to stop writing.” She said she knows this sounds weird, but whenever she reads a REALLY good book, she thinks to herself, “I could never write a book that good. I should just give up!” So she understands the compliment behind a statement like that.
Stephenie talked about how true feminism is about choice. It means that a woman can do whatever will bring her the most happiness. It doesn’t mean the women have to do everything men do. Stephenie considers herself a feminist because she does what brings herself the most happiness—she stays at home and takes care of her kids. Some people think being a stay-at-home mom is anti-feminist, but it isn’t really. Some people think that Bella is a wimp, and think Stephenie is anti-feminist because she wrote such a “weak” main character, but she insists that she is not anti-feminist, but anti-human. In Twilight, the vampires are stronger, faster, better looking, etc. than humans are. Bella cannot compete with the vampires because she just isn’t physically strong enough. But she deals with being surrounded by super-strong, etc. vampires in her own way.

Stephenie hates when people come up to her and express to her their desire to see Jacob Black die. She loves Jacob Black (and all her other werewolves) very much—he’s practically a son to her—not to mention the fact that he is a great guy! So don’t say things like that to Stephenie!

Stephenie is about halfway through writing Book 4 (currently entitled Breaking Dawn).

Music has a huge influence in her writing. Stephenie says that some scenes only exist because of songs Stephenie heard. Her favorite band is Muse.

Stephenie is also influenced by classical books. Twilight was loosely tied to Pride and Prejudice, and New Moon was more obviously influenced by “Romeo and Juliet”. She said that future books will NOT be as strongly linked to another story as New Moon was.

BYU Midwinter Symposium on Books for Young Readers – Q&A Sessions

Q: What is Prom Nights From Hell?

A: Prom Nights From Hell is a compilation of stories from 5 different authors. Meg Cabot is heading it up. The story Stephenie contributed is not about Edward and Bella or vampires or werewolves. She said the story isn’t really scary at all, but more philosophical. According to Amazon.com (where the book is available for pre-ordering), it will come out APRIL 1, 2007.

Q: Is Edward based on your husband?

A: While her husband believes this to be true (he thinks all the hot male Twilight characters are based on himself ), she said that if her husband were like Edward, she wouldn’t have had to create Edward. Her husband does not feel threatened by the fictional characters in her life.

Q: What’s up with The Host?

A: The Host is Stephenie’s adult Sci-Fi book that should be out spring of 2008. She will be able to start editing in March. She said that it’s technically Sci-Fi because it has aliens and things, but that it doesn’t really feel like a Sci-Fi book. The Host will be a trilogy also.

Q: Where do you get your ideas for stories?

A: She said that she hasn’t had any more vivid dreams like she did with Twilight, but she tends to get ideas on long car trips. She got the idea for The Host during a drive from Phoenix to Salt Lake.

Q: (From a girl named Lauren) Why is it that both Lauren and Laurent (with their very similar names) are both mean/bad?

A: Stephenie said that she didn’t even realize that before. And she actually really likes the name Lauren. Her sister (or friend?) wanted to name a daughter Lauren, but wasn’t able to, so Stephenie offered to put the name in her book. The woman was like, “Ok, but she has to be a blond.” And Stephenie was like, “There’s a blonde, but she’s not very nice…” And the woman said that was ok… and thus Lauren was born. The pronunciation of Laurent: Lor-‘ahnt (with the emphasis on the second syllable). Stephenie said that a lot of the names she uses come from her life. Victoria is her mother-in-law…

Q: What about Twilight attracts your many male readers?

A: She said that she doesn’t know why boys read her books, but that it should be good for them! If more guys were like Edward, the world would be a better place! So if the boys who read her books learn how to treat women better, she’ll be happy. She said that some critics have said that Edward is TOO perfect—how he is this unattainable perfect man. And Stephenie’s response is that the world could USE a perfect man! She hopes that girls learn from these books, too. She said that if all girls held boys to higher standards, the boys would rise to meet them. And Edward DOES make mistakes—BIG ones—but he tries REALLY hard.

Q: What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say, “Twilight: The Musical”?

A: It would have to be progressive rock music. She said she’d totally go for it if Matthew Bellamy (of Muse) would write it!

Q: Why are there some people who don’t like Jacob Black?

A: She said that she doesn’t understand at all why there are some people who don’t like Jacob Black. Some people think that he has deep, dark, evil motivations, but he doesn’t. Jacob is a “truly good individual”. And then she said something that made us all sit up and listen: “We will see if people can still hate Jacob after Eclipse.” And then she shook her head and said, “We’ll see…”

Q: Do you purposefully write religion into your stories?

A: Stephenie said she doesn’t do it on purpose, but because she is a religious person, religion tends to work its way into the stories. The Host doesn’t have any religion in it at all.

Q: Is Carlisle like your dad?

A: Yes. The biggest similarity is their integrity. Her dad doesn’t compromise his standards. Also, Stephenie was saying that one time, she was being interviewed, and she was asked if her family was like Bella’s. It is definitely not. Stephenie told the interviewer that her parents are still married after many years, and how she has 2 sisters and 3 brothers… and then she realized that her family is like the Cullens.

Q: Can you give us any more information about the Twilight movie?

A: The movie has been optioned, and she will find out more information in April. She also said that when she sold the rights, she did have ONE special provision, and that was a guaranteed PG-13 rating. She also said that when she was deciding whether or not to sell the rights, she had reservations, because turning Twilight into a movie would be SO EASY to do badly. But she said that if they got just one scene right—if they did just one scene well—that would be good enough for her. Even if the movie ended up being a Western. Haha! She said that since she is a visual person, she would love to be able to SEE Twilight. Then she showed us some of the illustrations from the Japanese versions of New Moon, which are on Stephenie’s website on the New Moon International page.

Q: Why can’t Edward read Bella’s mind?

A: Stephenie said that the real question is why can Edward read minds at all? Why can Alice see the future? Why can Jasper feel and manipulate other people’s emotions? Stephenie said that Bella has a closed mind, so powers that affect the mind can’t affect Bella. There’s more about this on her website’s New Moon Q&A and on the Twilight Lexicon.

Q: Did Edward’s mother (Elizabeth) know that Carlisle was a vampire (when she asked Dr. Cullen to do whatever he could to save her son)?

A: No, not specifically. Edward’s mother assumed that Carlisle was supernatural… she had observed him enough to know there was something different about him. She thought that maybe he could do something EXTRA for Edward. (Which he could and did!)

Q: How did werewolves end up in the Twilight series? Was that planned from the beginning?

A: Stephenie said that she didn’t know Jacob was a werewolf in the first book. Even when Bella had that dream with Jacob morphing into a werewolf, he still wasn’t a werewolf—that was just Bella’s mind twisting all the things she had learned that day. But then she was thinking later, “What if ALL the Quileute legends were true?” And BAM! Jacob was a werewolf. She also said that to her, vampires are like science and werewolves are like magic.

Q: Have you heard anything from the real Quileute tribe?

A: No, she hasn’t yet. She said that when she was first writing Twilight, she never imagined that ANYONE would read her story, let alone a member of the Quileute tribe. BUT, she hopes that if they DO read Twilight/New Moon, they wouldn’t be offended! She said that werewolves aren’t supposed to be bad, but “they are wonderful monsters.”

Q: How did you decide where to set the end of New Moon?

A: She said that the clock tower scene was actually the first scene of New Moon that she wrote. She had an idea in mind of what she wanted the place to look like and where it should be, but she didn’t want to use a real city again, like she did with Forks. She knew that the area would have to be VERY old and relatively remote, so that put it in Tuscany. Then (on her map), right where she wanted to put her city was a city called Volterra, which was strangely similar to a name she had made up. Then, she looked on the Internet for pictures of Volterra, and the first picture that came up was of Volterra’s clock tower. She said it was a pretty creepy coincidence!

Q: One thing I’ve noticed is that the story of Bella and Edward is one with universal themes, such as unrequited love. What are your thoughts on that?

A: One of the main themes that I like to think about is choice—free will—agency. You always have a choice to be better, no matter your circumstances. Like the Cullens—the are vampires, but they CHOOSE to be good.

Q: You will be reading chapter 1 of Eclipse at the Eclipse Prom, but can you post it on your website also for the people who can’t make it down to Phoenix?

A: Stephenie said she might be able to post the first chapter on July 1st, like with New Moon, but that her publishers will be releasing an second edition of New Moon that has the first chapter of Eclipse in it.

Q: Do you like the cover of Eclipse?

A: She likes it better than she did the cover of New Moon, but not as much as she liked the cover of Twilight. She said, “It’s no tulip.”

Q: What is your writing schedule like:

A: She talked about how she tries to balance her life between her family and her writing. She said that she writes at night, when it’s quiet, and the kids are asleep, then she edits during the day, because that doesn’t take as much concentration.

Q: How has your personal life changed since you published Twilight?

A: It hasn’t changed very much! She still lives in the same house, drives the same minivan (she got a new car, but her husband always drives it because she has the kids, and thus the minivan), goes to church, etc. She travels a lot more now, but that’s mostly for work.

Q: Did your education in college influence your becoming a writer?

A: She said that she was never an undecided major. She knew since she was in high school that she would major in English. She never took a creative writing course, but she did have to read a ton of books. Stephenie said, “You live a thousand lives when you read a thousand books.” She said she read books that she probably would never have read otherwise, but that may have influenced her.

Q: Why did you decided to publish Twilight?

A: She said there were 3 reasons: First, her sister Emily (who at the time was the only person who had read her story or even knew what she was doing in her spare time) told her that she thought Stephenie should try to publish her story. Second, she loved her characters, and she thought they deserved to be known. She wanted other people to enjoy and love them like she did. And third, she felt compelled to. She says that she feels like this is what she’s supposed to be doing with her life and that, even though it was VERY out of character for her, she did it without REALLY thinking about it too much—without a lot of second-guessing herself.

Q: What was the deal with Bella’s hallucinations?

A: She clarified that Edward was NOT really there. And even though Bella has insecurities, she really is VERY smart—she picks up on things, almost subconsciously, that others completely miss. And that part of her is trying to say, “Wake up, dummy! You didn’t imagine this! He loves you!” Then she said that if Edward WAS aware of Bella’s situation he would have come back… And then she asked us (as if to quiz us), “When would he have come back? Do you know?” The answer: When Bella was in the meadow with Laurent.

Q: Why did Bella respond the way she did when Edward left?

A: First of all, Bella’s love for Edward isn’t just a high school romance. It is true love. So you wouldn’t just “get over it” in a month like you do a high school boyfriend. Stephenie said that she based Bella’s intense pain on how she would feel if she lost a child. You don’t forget the pain—it doesn’t just go away.

Q: How do you like your rock-star status?

A: She says the fame thing is weird. She’s an author, so people don’t usually recognize her. But her life is totally normal, she just does this on the side. She says her CHARACTERS are the rock stars!

Q: Where do you go to find an agent?

A: Start with http://www.writersmarket.com/. It costs $3.99 a month, but Stephenie said you should be able to do everything you need to in a month. Stephenie’s agent says that agents almost always want you to send in the first chapter (which should be very polished and professional looking) even if it doesn’t say so.

Q: What is the schedule for future books?

A: As of now, Eclipse will come out August 2007. Book 4 (working title: Breaking Dawn which she is half way through) should come out August 2008. Stephenie hopes to get Midnight Sun (Twilight from Edward’s point of view) out in the spring of 2009. She said that Midnight Sun (which is really just a working title) shouldn’t be as difficult to edit as a completely original book, because a lot of things about Midnight Sun are set in stone, such as most of the dialogue or the plot. She said she’s excited to see what that editing process will be like.

Q: What is the Eclipse Prom (E-Prom)?

A: The idea originated in California and was originally entitled “Emmett Prom”. She told us a story about how she went to a “black-tie” event in Washington D.C. with President and Mrs. Bush, but her agent told her that it wasn’t going to be too fancy, so she didn’t dress up all that much. And she felt totally gypped because everyone was dressed to the 9s. The women were all wearing elaborate ball gowns, and one woman was even wearing a tiara! So Stephenie is going to have her OWN event, sponsored by Changing Hands (her local independent bookstore), and she says she’ll be wearing a Scarlett O’Hara-huge dress and maybe even a tiara. It will be held on May 5, 2007 in Phoenix. There are still a lot of key details to work out (like they are still looking for a venue), but when more details are available, they will be posted on her website and on the Twilight Lexicon. As for now, Stephenie has announced that at E-Prom, she will read the first chapter of Eclipse and reveal the cover.

A quote by Stephenie that I really like: “Putting words down is where the magic is.”

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:11 am

The Q & A Session in Spain with the members of Crepusculo

Huge thanks to everyone at Crepusculo-es for inviting me along, and to Stephenie for such an entertaining interview. The guys at Crepusculo are doing a full on transcript of the interview, but these are the notes I made. Unless it’s in quotes, it’s paraphrased from what Stephenie actually said.

Is Edward based on anyone?
Edward is all himself, and has always been himself. Much as Stephenie’s husband might want to claim it’s based on him, it’s not. The characters come completely formed. Edward is Stephenie’s version of the perfect man.

Is Emmett going to have a more important role in future novels?
Emmett has become a side-character – not intentionally, but because he’s so straightforward. He’s a very open character with no secrets. More will be revealed about both Rosalie and Jasper in ‘Eclipse’.

Will ‘Midnight Sun’ be published?
Stephenie is currently up to writing chapter 12, which isn’t very far into the story of ‘Twilight’. New bits of the story (not in Twilight) will be seen in this version of the story, for example the car chase at the end of the book when Bella is trapped by James. Stephanie mooted the possible publication dates of Spring 08 or 09.

Why does Bella have so many dreams?
Dreams are things that can change your life, and the subconscious can bring things out that aren’t clear in daily living. Bella puts things together through her dreams. Interestingly, Stephenie pointed out that if Bella becomes a vampire then she won’t be dreaming any more as vampires don’t sleep.

Where do werewolves come from?
The backstory to the werewolves is coming in ‘Eclipse’. It’s a longer book than ‘New Moon’ and Stephenie says that the books are getting progressively longer.

Does writing dialogue come naturally?
It stems from the fact that Stephenie is really shy. She said she was shaking during the TV interview in Madrid. As a consequence of being shy, she had a lot of internal dialogues with herself, especially during high school.

Are any of the houses in the books real?
Yes. Bella’s house in Phoenix that Alice sees through the vision is the home that Stephenie grew up in. The ballet studio is also real. Everything else is either made up or Googled on the internet. The whole world was created, but Phoenix is obviously from her own personal experience.

The question was about the blank pages in ‘New Moon’ when Bella stopped living after Edward left.
Stephenie explained that originally they didn’t exist, but the shift in time was just too stark and abrupt. She needed something to give a sense of time passing and just how long it was. The idea of these pages with just the months on them evolved gradually over time.

What’s your favourite phrase from the books?
Stephenie’s least favourite quote is the one that’s on the back of ‘Twilight’: ‘About three things I was absolutely positive…’

From ‘New Moon’, she likes the line: “I was like a lost moon—my planet destroyed in some cataclysmic, disaster-movie scenario of desolation—that continued, nevertheless, to circle in a tight little orbit around the empty space left behind, ignoring the laws of gravity” and also talked about “I bet she’s tougher than that – she runs with vampires.” Stephenie said how she particularly likes the dialogue between the wolves as it reminds her of her brothers when they were younger.

The discussion moved on to “So the lion fell in love with the lamb”. Stephenie said that in some ways this could be a role reversal from the way it appears. Edward could well be the lamb because of his insecurities.

At the end of ‘Twilight’, Alice mentions “other options” when Bella is fleeing from James. What other options?
This is referring to Bella being changed into a vampire. Present and future are all very similar for Alice, and for her it is a simple concept to just skip events forward to how they may be in the future. Alice never thinks about being human or what she’s lost; Edward does. He’s a more complex character in this respect as he has lost much more.

Anything more about the werewolves?
Stephenie said that she loves the brotherhood of the wolves and the pack mind. Within La Push, the wolves are pack animals. There are more vampires than wolves overall, as werewolves can’t change people by biting them – it has to be a genetic link. Billy is in the genetic line to have changed into a werewolf, but the books imply that he didn’t change as the vampires weren’t present at the time. Stephenie confirmed that it’s “not wrong to assume that”. Stephenie wouldn’t venture any further than this, as she was worried about giving us a spoiler!

Has the cover for ‘Eclipse’ been agreed on yet?
Just last week. She couldn’t tell us what it was, but says she likes it an awful lot better than the cover for ‘New Moon’. She liked the ‘Twilight’ cover because of the symbolism of it, and disliked ‘New Moon’ because it was just a pretty picture. This implies that the art work on the ‘Eclipse’ cover might give us some hints!

How do you research things?
Volterra was originally a fake city as Stephenie didn’t want to be sued for making a real city founded and governed by vampires. However, she knew she wanted to name the place Volterra and thought that Tuscany would be a good place for it as it’s both remote and ancient. She looked at a map on the internet and found that there actually was a place called Volterra. Upon investigating further, she found that the clock tower in Volterra was exactly the same as the one she’s imagined. She’s visiting it in April.

Doesn’t Edward remember what food tastes like?
Not really. It’s a bit like being five years old, because human memories fade over time, whereas vampire memories are total recall. If someone has a fever or is ill when they are first transformed, they are likely to let human memories fade more quickly. If someone concentrates on human memories in the early days they would have excellent recall of what it was like. This is why Rosalie has a good memory of her human years, because this is something she wanted to hang on to.

Doesn’t Bella have any friends she keeps in touch with in Phoenix?
Bella’s Phoenix existence was pretty much as her mother’s best friend as Renee takes an awful lot of effort and time. Bella is shy too, so has no real close girlfriends she’d go shopping with or anything like that. She didn’t leave strong ties behind her and it’s easy to fall out of touch with people.

Why can Edward read minds?
He was really aware of and in tune with people when he was a human. He understood the way that people were thinking. Bella’s gift is her inner strength and her self-containment.

What about the movie?
There are no scripts yet, and Stephenie isn’t allowed to be involved anyway. They want to apply their vision of it to the film, not hers. She went with MTV because they understood the innocence of the relationship and the need for character actors to play the normal people so that the vampires would stand out as being particularly beautiful. The rights haven’t been bought for ‘New Moon’ yet. Stephenie likes Tyler Posey (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0692677/) as an idea for a young Jacob.

Have you read any of Anne Rice’s books?
Stephenie read one while she was in college (the one with the witches), but didn’t find it quite her style. She doesn’t do the horror thing! Now she can’t read vampire stories at all. There’s so much cross-over in the genre, that ideas are bound to overlap. Stephenie has also promised to watch Buffy when her writing in this universe is done.

On Writing
It was something very immediate. One day she wasn’t an author and the next day she was. She intended to use her maiden name – Stephenie Morgan – on the books because she feels that reflects who she is as an individual. However, the publicity was done very quickly with her married name on it, so it was never an option.

Chapter 13 of ‘Twilight’ was her dream, and she had to write up to that, but had no real idea of what was going to be involved. She knows where the ultimate end is going to be, and if different decisions had been made by the characters what would have happened then. She writes very detailed outlines but these change as she goes along.

On her website, she has plans to post the alternate ending to ‘Eclipse’ which was what she was going to have to write if she had been limited to three books. As she says, it “messes with your head” but she likes it. She thinks it’ll be about 5 or 6 chapters long, and would produce a resolution to the storyline if books hadn’t been written beyond that point.

‘Eclipse’ is a favourite book and is a chance to get a lot more comedy in. Stephenie says that there is a lot more humour in this book, as she now has an editor that gets her sense of humour.

Current Projects
“Humans are boring; they need something extra.” Stephenie grew up with X-Men and other superheroes, and said, “I want to be a mermaid – I love mermaids.” She has plans to write a book on mermaids, or perhaps sirens, but these will be very different from the traditional type, just like her vampires are different.

Her mermaids will be thought to be cannibals because they eat humans. The humans fish for them, but because the mermaids need to go near the shore that leads to inevitable conflict.

The story will be about a girl with the nickname Froggy. She’s a human, but doesn’t really know where she belongs. Stephenie thinks this will be set in a fantasy world. The mermaids will be named with sounds that make it seem like they’re talking underwater. Long ‘e’ sounds, with l and s too.

What’s your typical day like?
On a good day, Stephenie can write a whole chapter. Generally she edits during the day but writes after 8pm at night after her children have gone to bed. Her husband watches sport on the TV. She laughed and said that Charlie is based on a lot of men – they just put the sport on, no matter what it is, and watch it.

Her editing and rewriting never stops. She adds in foreshadowing, or makes things clearer for the reader so things don’t look as if they’re coming out of nowhere. She edits repeatedly with her editor, to the point where she’d rather set fire to the manuscript than do any more.

Why do you like your favourite authors?
Stephenie likes them “because of the real emotions in the books. It was how I would feel and respond.” She discussed parallels between Marianne’s reaction to losing Willoughby as being just like Bella’s response when Edward left. ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is her favourite Jane Austen and Laurence Olivier is Stephenie’s Mr Darcy!

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Twilight - The Book, by Stephenie Meyer

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