Let’s welcome writer Betsy Clemons to the blog for another cast/crew interview!

Month of the Novel: What’s your role in Month of the Novel?

Betsy Clemons: I am the writer for episode 5.

MotN: From what you’ve seen of the scripts, what do you like about Season 2?

BC: I like how all the scripts are more connected this year. Also, the episodes have been lengthened so we get a chance to create a more complicated plot.

MotN: Do you have a favorite episode from Season 1? If you had to pick based on the scripts, which episode of Season 2 do you think will be your new favorite? (You can pick your own.)

BC: Ooo…that’s a tough question, they were all so funny. I really enjoyed reading episode 3. The dialogue in it was particularly amusing.

MotN: How about a favorite character from Season 1? Is your favorite the same this season, or have your loyalties changed?

BC: My favorite character in Season 1 was the Misfit Heir. My favorite character for this season is the Computer.

MotN: What’s your process for writing an episode of Month of the Novel? Does it differ from your process for writing other things?

BC: I used basically the same process that I did when I wrote for Season 1. After the writers’ meeting with the director and script supervisor, I spent a whole day just randomly jotting down ideas onto scraps of paper as I thought of them. Then I sat down and wrote the script. Since it was so short and I’d worked on the previous season, it did not require a lot of prep.

MotN: What’s the hardest part about writing for Month of the Novel?

BC: The hardest part this year was keeping to the assigned length. I just had too many ideas and so had to get pretty creative with shortening and changing sentences so it would be the right length.

MotN: How about the best part?

BC: It was great working on a project where everyone is so dedicated. It’s the kind of project where you know that you’re going to get to see your script produced. Also, it was fun getting to do a sci-fi. It was my first time writing in that genre.

MotN: Where do you draw your inspiration?

BC: Since the idea was that our main character is writing an armature sci-fi, I figured she’d probably unintentionally copy from the classics. So I tried to pull my inspiration from the stereotypes of that genre.

MotN: Have you ever done NaNoWriMo yourself? What was your experience with it?

BC: I’ve actually never participated in NaNoWriMo. In fact, I had never heard of it until I signed up as a writer for Season 1.

MotN: Just for fun, do you have a favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

BC: Ice cream, because it is sooooooo yummy!

MotN: Is there something positively unique about you that you could tell us?

BC: Wow, that’s a tough question. I don’t know if this counts as unique, but I’ve learned eight different kinds of dance and sang with an operetta group for six years.

You can learn even more about Betsy at her website.