Interviews

10 Questions for Joey Graceffa at his #BNAuthorEvent

In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World

In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World

Paperback $16.00

In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World

By Joey Graceffa

In Stock Online

Paperback $16.00

Last week, Joey Graceffa, YouTube star, actor, and now author of the memoir Joey Graceffa In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World, took photos with and signed books for a thousand screaming fans at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City. In the calm before the storm, we sat down with him for a few questions.
What was writing your first book like?
It was very intense, especially since it’s a memoir and I had to go back in my past and relive a lot of those [more difficult] moments. That was the hardest part, just having to relive it over and over again because writing a book is a long process. There’s the writing and the editing, and the editing is constant.
Did you have a schedule for yourself? You have to be disciplined to write a book.
Luckily I had help with disciplining myself. People at Atria stayed on top of me and told me when things had to be done. Having them be kind of like the bosses, the head evil guys, telling me when I had to do stuff, was helpful.
Did you set writing time for yourself, like in the morning?
It was mostly at night.

Is it painful to write about hard things or does it feel good?
It’s a mixture of both. In a way it’s therapeutic but it was hard reliving those moments. But after writing it down and editing I feel like I was able to process it all, and it healed a lot of wounds that weren’t healed.
What was your favorite book to read as a teen?
It started off with Among the Hidden, a Margaret Peterson Haddix book. It’s the first in a really good series. I think it’s the first dystopian books I ever read. I also really loved Phillip Pullmann’s His Dark Material series. Those were my favorites.
If you were going to start a Joey Graceffa book club, which book would you make everyone read?
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. It’s a good series. It was so entertaining and I feel like I was enveloped in this different world. It was a very new and cool concept.
You like to read series?
I do.
You’re a great storyteller. Do you have any tips? Or does it just come to you naturally?
It’s natural. It’s a curse and a gift at the same time because when I’m out and about during the day I make stuff up about what will happen and it’s not fun. But when I’m in the creative process for a series or short film or whatever it just flows right out of me and usually I need to speak it out first and then write it down. That’s usually my process.
Is there anything you left out of your book that you wish you could have included?
Yeah. I think because so much has happened since I stopped writing I think it would be cool to incorporate more recent things.

Like this interview?
Right. I want this interview in my next book.
That’s book two! Or, what is book two? Have you thought about it?
I have. It would be fiction.
A series, perhaps?
That’s the goal.
If you were going to write a biography on someone, who would it be about?
It would have to be someone fun. I feel like a Jennifer Lawrence story would be cool.
Buy Joey Graceffa In Real Life>

Last week, Joey Graceffa, YouTube star, actor, and now author of the memoir Joey Graceffa In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World, took photos with and signed books for a thousand screaming fans at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City. In the calm before the storm, we sat down with him for a few questions.
What was writing your first book like?
It was very intense, especially since it’s a memoir and I had to go back in my past and relive a lot of those [more difficult] moments. That was the hardest part, just having to relive it over and over again because writing a book is a long process. There’s the writing and the editing, and the editing is constant.
Did you have a schedule for yourself? You have to be disciplined to write a book.
Luckily I had help with disciplining myself. People at Atria stayed on top of me and told me when things had to be done. Having them be kind of like the bosses, the head evil guys, telling me when I had to do stuff, was helpful.
Did you set writing time for yourself, like in the morning?
It was mostly at night.

Is it painful to write about hard things or does it feel good?
It’s a mixture of both. In a way it’s therapeutic but it was hard reliving those moments. But after writing it down and editing I feel like I was able to process it all, and it healed a lot of wounds that weren’t healed.
What was your favorite book to read as a teen?
It started off with Among the Hidden, a Margaret Peterson Haddix book. It’s the first in a really good series. I think it’s the first dystopian books I ever read. I also really loved Phillip Pullmann’s His Dark Material series. Those were my favorites.
If you were going to start a Joey Graceffa book club, which book would you make everyone read?
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. It’s a good series. It was so entertaining and I feel like I was enveloped in this different world. It was a very new and cool concept.
You like to read series?
I do.
You’re a great storyteller. Do you have any tips? Or does it just come to you naturally?
It’s natural. It’s a curse and a gift at the same time because when I’m out and about during the day I make stuff up about what will happen and it’s not fun. But when I’m in the creative process for a series or short film or whatever it just flows right out of me and usually I need to speak it out first and then write it down. That’s usually my process.
Is there anything you left out of your book that you wish you could have included?
Yeah. I think because so much has happened since I stopped writing I think it would be cool to incorporate more recent things.

Like this interview?
Right. I want this interview in my next book.
That’s book two! Or, what is book two? Have you thought about it?
I have. It would be fiction.
A series, perhaps?
That’s the goal.
If you were going to write a biography on someone, who would it be about?
It would have to be someone fun. I feel like a Jennifer Lawrence story would be cool.
Buy Joey Graceffa In Real Life>