Author Chat with Samuel Sattin (Unico: Lost, Vol. 3), Plus Giveaway~ US/CAN ONLY!

YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?

I’m never quite sure when a book is finished… I typically rely on an editor to make that call. But I do know of another milestone that’s more important to me, and that’s when I discover the book’s pulse. For me, books are written by stringing together materials in bits and pieces. I gather those bits and pieces and move them around until they start to resemble a shape I recognize. When that shape, that body, is finally created, it starts to breathe, and then… I can feel its pulse. From that point on, I know what the book is about, and where it’s heading. There’s always a way to go from there as well, and a good editor is a writer’s best friend. But if a book has a pulse, we’re well on our way.

YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It’s a good question. A part of me wants to say I knew when I was young…I’d say 11 or 12? Though at that point I admit that I really didn’t know what it meant to be a writer. I just knew that I loved reading stories, and that I wanted to tell them as well. I’d keep on writing as I got older, trying to understand my voice, but it wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I really decided I was going to make it my life’s pursuit no matter what. So which age do I pick? 12 or 24? I just know that the reason why I do it now is for the same reasons I wanted to do it when I was a kid. I loved stories so much that, one day, I wanted to tell them, and I’m fortunate enough to be doing that to this day.

YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?

That’s such an interesting question. As I started out with the intention of writing solely for adults, I somewhat stumbled into writing for younger readers. And I’m thankful for that accident every day. I’ve never been able to peel myself away from what inspired me as a child; namely, I’ve never stopped thinking of the stories that moved me so deeply, that freed my imagination. That is how I would say I keep my voice true to the ages I’m writing for. I just try to keep in contact the kid that I once was and listen to what he found meaningful all those years ago, when he didn’t yet understand how to put bigger emotions to words.

YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?

I love scenes where the reader knows something important and urgent that the characters on the page do not. In a way, at least for me, the reader begins thinking they can influence the story if they wish or hope hard enough. That they can impart information to the characters that they need to solve a problem or make sure something awful doesn’t happen. And who knows…maybe they can.

YABC: What word do you have trouble overusing?
“Brilliant.” Both in books and in my everyday life. I love saying it, and I love writing it. The problem however is that not all things are brilliant. In fact, most things are not, neither in luster nor intelligence. Most things are good, bad, or merely just fine. Yet, if you spend enough time around me, you’d think that everything in the world is a shining beacon of excellence. I suppose I can’t be faulted for my optimism, but I am sure I can be considered annoying.

YABC: What is your favorite reading space?

I’ve always loved reading outside, at cafes or otherwise, with coffee preferably. I also like reading on my couch or chair and drifting off from time to time.

YABC: What hobbies do you enjoy?

I collect toys; mostly Japanese toys. In Tokyo where I live, there are a lot of wonderful places where you can find treasures. It’s by far my favorite hobby and pastime. I also like to paint miniatures and models. I paint. I like games. Films—especially spooky films. And I love riding my bike around town.

YABC: What’s your least favorite word or expression and why?

I don’t really love when people say, “I’ll ping you.” Or when they instruct to, “ping me.” I assume it’s because I’m supposed to “pong” in reply, right? Or is it just onomatopoeia? Regardless, whenever someone says it, I imagine a shrill, glass-chipping sound, one that’s bothersome and distracts me from whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing. So please, I beg you, don’t ping me. Just send me a message, and we’ll leave it at that.