Author Interview with Hannah Bucchin

Hello beautiful people! A while ago, I read and reviewed Paintbrush by Hannah Bucchin (if you’ve seen my review, you will know that it was the cutest book I’ve read in a while). The review is here just in case you want to see me attempt to write about my feelings and instead barely contain my flailing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 

So today I am honored to have the chance to feature my first interview with the author herself Hannah Bucchin!

Tell me three facts about yourself

1. I love to travel (when I have the time and the finds). New Zealand, Paris, and Acadia National Park are three of my favorite destinations.
2. My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate peanut butter cup.
3. I am the worlds worst texter— half the time I completely forget to respond.

What was your writing process like?

Paintbrush is my first novel, so I was really just discovering my writing process this time around. I made a very short and succinct outline, pretty much only plotting out the major beats of the story. From there, I just sat down and started writing. I finished the first draft in five months, did some light editing when I signed with my publisher.

What is your working kryptonite?

My working kryptonite is definitely HBO. Why is every show they make so amazing? Why is it all available on their streaming app, just begging me to binge watch my days off? (Note: I do not get paid by HBO to endorse them. But, if they’re reading this and want to start paying me that would be great).

Where did you get the idea for the plot of Paintbrush?

Paintbrush was primarily inspired by the scenery and culture of Western North Carolina. The mix of hippie life and country life, combined with the beautiful mountain scenery, inspired me to come up with the idea of two teenagers growing up in a hippie commune, and the plot and story line grew from there.

You have created a colorful cast of characters— are any of them inspired by people you know?

I think my friends and family would be relieved to know that none of my characters were inspired by them! Of course, little bits and pieces of back story and character traits are inspired by people I know— it would be very difficult for that not to be the case. But there’s no character in the book that is solely and purposefully based off of a real-life person.

How did you come up with The Indian Paintbrush Community Village for Sustainable Living?

Communes have always been something that interested me— it’s such a unique way of living, right in the midst of “normal” life. I was heavily inspired by visits to the mountains of Western NC, where I now live. The culture here really brought the setting to life in my head, and then the characters grew from there.

What do you hope people take away from your book?

I hope people who read Paintbrush, especially teenagers, take away that it’s okay to not know. It’s okay to be uncertain about your future, it’s okay to not know what you want to be or who you want to be, it’s okay not to have a plan. In high school, there’s so much pressure to decide your whole life, and you’re only seventeen or eighteen. It’s okay to roll with the punches and go with the flow, as long as you’re doing your best.

Alright, last question: Are there any future projects that you’re working on at the moment?

Yes! I’m currently working on another YA contemporary. This one focuses on the lives of two sisters, and it takes place over the course of one summer in Maine.

And that’s it! I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to do this interview, I am highly awaiting her next book 😀

 

Hannah Bucchin has spent her life falling in love with beautiful places, both real and fictional. She grew up in charming Bethlehem, PA, went to college in sunny Chapel Hill, NC, spent a summer studying wildlife in Tanzania, volunteered on organic farms across New Zealand, and hiked all over Acadia National Park in Maine. When not writing, reading, or adventuring, she likes to daydream about the dog she’ll adopt someday, listen to music from the sixties, and exchange ridiculous texts with her parents and siblings.

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