The Vigilante's Handbook (Misfits #1)

Q&A + The Future of TVH

Hello! It's time for that Q&A I promised, but first it's time for me to be a cheeseball. I honestly would not have finished writing TVH or enjoyed writing it as much as I did if not for you guys. Every comment and vote and read means the absolute world to me. I recognize most of your usernames and sometimes get a bit creepy and snoop around your profiles (Shout out to the honorary misfit out there! You're the sweetest) A lot of your books are added to my private library and I want to read them all because you are all beautiful humans but I just haven't had the time yet. Thanks for making this the most fun I've ever had on Wattpad!

All I can say is thank you thank you thank you!

(And I'll try to keep myself together for the rest of the Q&A)

In twenty years, who'd be the most likely character to just walk into someone's house and yell "SURPRISE!"?

You know that's got to be our girl Anna busting into Lucia's house with the whole gang of Misfits behind her. Lucia might not look like she appreciates it, but I think she might.

What was Eleanor's superpower?

I had such a hard time trying to articulate what Eleanor's superpower was in case you didn't notice throughout the last few chapters. Basically, being around her gives people varying degrees of headaches. To someone without superpowers, it might just be a migraine, but to a Gifted it acts a lot like Valentine's singing. They can't think well enough to use their power as they normally would. It's a lot like all-consuming white noise.

What's your twitter handle?

So I don't have a twitter account anymore but I did recently make a writing Instagram account! You can find me @thespacedork and we'll have a grand old time! I'm going to start posting behind the scenes, sneak peeks, throwbacks, and a bunch of writing/reading/superhero related things!

What was your favorite chapter to write?

Honestly, it's been over a year since I wrote some of the first chapters so I don't really remember writing most of them, but Thirty Four: I've Been Messing with You is my recent favorite. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good Anna and Miguel heart to heart.

Who was the first Misfit you thought of?

So the Misfits actually came to me in a wacky dream a few years ago. In this dream I was trapped in my high school auditorium with a very strange bunch of my "fellow students."

There was Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego (now Lucia and Diego), a few actual high school friends (now Mona and Ariana), a werewolf (Miguel), Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time (Julien, who's name was originally Killian), and--brace yourself--Stitch from Lilo and Stitch but with lightning powers (Elliot). In the dream I had ice powers and said the line, "I'm a human refrigerator" which makes me Anna.

Weird cast, right?

Is this the original plot of the book? If not, what was it?

Going back to that wacky dream, TVH was originally set entirely on Paramount Lake's campus. But in that dream we were split up into two groups and told to "Win." I can't remember how the rest of the dream went, but I used that basic plot as the skeletons for TVH.

When I actually wrote down the outline, I had a vague "Superhero fight" written in for the climax. And I got terrible writers' block because I was trying to force our Misfits to make an offensive move on Julien's team. Then I had a dream where the real characters planned a stealth mission and Anna froze the powerplant, which is the ending that stuck.

What was the most radically changing decision you made about the story?

I did not expect to like Lucia so much! Her and Anna's friendship was the biggest plot twist. I knew they had to work together, but after their fight in Forrest's class, I thought that was going to be impossible. But in the next few chapters they started warming up to each other. And suddenly we have the final scene being about them.

Who was your favorite character to write about? Who was the most complex?

Elliot was both my favorite character to write and the most complex, especially in the first act or two. You guys know that he's a smart kid. Anna is too. So writing dialogue between them took so much effort because they never said what they meant. But the way their relationship went from could be best friends to siblings is one of my favorite things.

Do Anna and Miguel end up together?

As much as I wanted Anna and Miguel to officially get together in this book, I just couldn't get it to work. Anna got really busy trying to run a group of teenage superheroes, and I think Miguel is clueless/completely inexperienced when it comes to relationships. I wanted to give their relationship plenty of time and page space to grow.

But I'm rooting for them as much as you guys are. I imagine there is a future for Miguanna.

Where do our boys Miguel and Stitch go?

All Anna knows right now is that they've taken a position with the Conspiracy, which is a huge, possibly-international organization. They're both smart kids, so I figure they have some high-level jobs. That's really all we/Anna knows. But, like Lucia said, those boys would follow Anna to the end of the earth. I think they'll find each other eventually.

Is there going to be a sequel?

Oh yes, the question you've all been waiting for. Will TVH get a sequel?

... Eventually.

I have a basic idea for a sequel, and I really want to write it. But not right now. I need to stretch my writing muscles and step away from the Misfits for a little bit. BUT A SEQUEL WILL HAPPEN SOMETIME!

Here's what I can tell you about a sequel (all subject to change): It would be set in Nova City and would follow Anna working with the Conspiracy there. There may be a dash of romance. Diana is along for the ride. And you know that Anna's boys have to show up for at least a little while.

Aside from a few scene ideas and vague plot points, that's really all I know. Sorry.

But if you're looking for a superhero book to fill the void, Saving a Superhero is on my profile waiting for you. It's a (mostly) complete novel AND you'll get to know a little more about Miss Freyson and Nova City.

What happened to Eleanor and Mona and Julien?

You're probably wondering why this is the last question when it doesn't seem like the most important question. But let me tell you, it is important.

I won't say much about Eleanor and Julien because they may find their way into Anna's story in the future. May being a very important word in that sentence.

Mona, however, has a big future in this superhero universe.

I am happy to announce my Camp Nano project and the newest addition to the world of superheroes: THE HERO RECOVERY PROGRAM!

Wren Moore grew up in a cult. Don't worry, she's figured that out by now. Her parents were brainwashed hippies, the leader only liked her because she had superpowers, blah blah blah. She's told the story a hundred times to a hundred therapists.

But a year ago, she escaped and found her way to a halfway house for teenagers with supervillain tendencies. There she met other gifted kids like her who were manipulated into doing things that weren't always legal or ethical. And she's been there ever since.

But when the newest group of recovering vigilantes move in, Wren has to decide what's most important: the careful balance the residents of the Hero Recovery Program constructed or being a real superhero.

Mona is one of those teenagers with supervillain tendencies and I'm hoping to get it to you very very soon! Of course, I have to actually write it first, but with quarantine and Camp Nanowrimo happening at the same time, I should be able to post the first chapter in the next few weeks and then have weekly updates after that. If you haven't already, follow my account @thespacedork for notifications for this whole superhero universe. (I really ought to give that a name).

If I missed any of your questions or you are reading this in the future and have questions in need of being answered PLEASE ASK ME! I will never not want to talk about TVH and writing and all things superheroes.