[In August of 2008, Rolling Stone magazine spoke with Stephenie Meyer the day before her Breaking Dawn book tour began to talk about everything from books to music. Here is an excerpt from the interview and some questions for you to consider.]

It’s a humid August afternoon outside the Nokia Theater in the middle of New York’s Times Square, and a hundred girls have already been in line for up to 16 hours. They’re holding posters, screaming and wearing T-shirts identifying themselves as members of Team Edward or Team Jacob. Most passersby assume Edward and Jacob are part a band, with one confused father asking his teenage son, “Is Jacob a Jonas brother?”

Tonight, 2,000 rabid fans showed up to see Meyer debut her Breaking Dawn Concert Series, four events scheduled around the release of the fourth and (for now) final installment of the Twilight saga. More than just a typical stop on a book tour, the concerts are a chance for Meyer to explain her stories through the music that’s inspired her writing.

To read the complete interview, click here.

Questions:

Do you ever read the Twilight Saga while listening to Stephenie Meyer’s playlists? If so, how does it add to the reading experience for you?

What do you think about the concept behind the Breaking Dawn Concert Series? If given the opportunity, would you attend an event like this?

After learning about the bands and the songs that inspired Stephenie Meyer during the writing process, have you developed an interest in any of that music?

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[In August of 2008, Time Magazine did an interview with Stephenie Meyer in which they asked her questions from the fans. Here are a few of those questions, and some questions for you to consider.]

Q. How do you feel about being compared to J.K. Rowling?

It’s mixed. On one hand, it’s really flattering. I’m a huge fan. On the other hand, there is a bit of backlash because then people say, “Who does she think she is?” And then I feel bad, like I’m the one going around and saying this, which I’m not. I don’t enjoy that side of it.

Q. In Breaking Dawn it seems as though you purposefully avoid a fight scene at the end of the book. Had you planned that all along?

That is the original ending to the first rough draft I ever did of Breaking Dawn, back in 2003. It was always for me more like a courtroom drama, which is one of my few TV addictions, rather than a battle scene. It was always about outmaneuvering someone mentally; I knew that if it turned into a physical battle, there was never going to be a winner. That was the ending that really felt true to the characters to me — because it was a mental game.

Did you think that your books would have such a huge impact on readers?

Gosh no! And I keep getting surprised. When Twilight hit the New York Times bestseller list at number 5, for me that was the pinnacle, that was the moment. I never thought I would be there. And I keep having moments like that where you just stop and say, wait a minute — how is this still going up? I’m waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me. I have from day one because I’m kind of a pessimist. But it just keeps being huge and no, I had no idea. I still have no idea.

To read more, click here.

Questions:

Do you think it’s fair to compare Stephenie Meyer to J.K. Rowling?

How did you feel about the way Breaking Dawn ended? Did you think there should have been a physical battle, rather than just a mental one?

What do you think about the huge impact the books have had on the readers? Why do you think people have responded to the books the way that they have?

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Q. Vampires and pregnancy: when did that idea occur to you? How does that work?

A. The first seed (no pun intended) was planted when I did Bella’s computer research in chapter seven of Twilight. Bella reads about several real vampire legends—the Danag, Estrie, Upier, etc. In the novel, I only mentioned a few of the many legends I read through. One that I didn’t mention at this point was the entry on the Incubus. The unique feature about that legend was that the incubus could father children. Hmmm, I said, and I filed that kernel of an idea away for later. When I decided to write the first sequel to Twilight (Forever Dawn), I knew it was going to revolve around a hybrid baby from the outset.

I was always very careful when I answered the “Can vampires have babies?” question, because I didn’t want to say anything incorrect, but I also didn’t want to make the future super-obvious.

- Stephenie Meyer

To read the complete answer, click here.

Questions:

When you first read Breaking Dawn and realized that Bella was pregnant, how did you react?

Had you ever wondered about fluids in the bodies of the vampires?

What do you think about Stephenie’s reasoning behind whether or not it was possible?

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Q. Why the name Renesmee?

A. Well, I couldn’t call her Jennifer or Ashley. What do you name the most unique baby in the world? I looked through a lot of baby name websites. Eventually I realized that there was no human name that was going to work for me, so I surrendered to necessity and made up my own. I don’t approve of such shenanigans in real life, I don’t even believe in getting creative with spellings for real kids! But this was fantasy, and no human name fit, so I did the best I could. I named Renesmee so long ago—Fall 2003—that the name now sounds really natural to me. It wasn’t until people started mentioning it that I remembered, “Oh, yeah, it is a weird name, isn’t it?”

- Stephenie Meyer

Questions:

When you first read the name “Renesmee”, what did you think about it?

After getting used to it, do you like it?

Do you agree with Stephenie’s explaination about why she chose the name? Do you think a more common name would have suited Renesmee?

Stephenie stated that she doesn’t approve of people making up names in real life. How do you feel about that?

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Q. How different is Breaking Dawn from Forever Dawn? What changed, what stayed the same, and why? Will you ever post extras from Forever Dawn?

A. The basic story is the same. Bella and Edward get married and go to Isle Esme for their honeymoon. Bella gets pregnant with Renesmee. The birth just about kills Bella, but Edward makes her a vampire in time. Jacob imprints on Renesmee. Alice has a vision of the Volturi coming to destroy the Cullens with the “immortal child” as their excuse. Alice bails. Bella’s shielding abilities turn the tide in the Cullen’s favor, along with Alice bringing home another half-vampire to prove that Nessie isn’t a danger.

- Stephenie Meyer

To read the complete answer, click here.

Questions:

Are there any parts from Forever Dawn that you wish were included in Breaking Dawn?

If Stephenie Meyer had released Forever Dawn rather than New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, do you think The Twilight Saga would have been as successful as it has been? Why or why not?

It is stated that the werewolf pack is “only sketchily developed” in Forever Dawn. How would you feel about not getting to know the members of the pack better?

Do you hope that Stephenie will one day post some extras from Forever Dawn?

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Q. Who is Embry’s father?

A. I don’t know who Embry’s father is. I’m aware that this lack of knowledge is annoying to some people. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to explain myself in more detail—that’s one of the drawbacks of interviews. You don’t know what you will be asked, you don’t have much time to come up with an answer, and if you give an answer that is too long, they cut it down into a form that doesn’t make sense. So you have to think on your feet and speak in sound bites. I’m not great at either.

I’m going to try to explain what it means when I say that I don’t know something, or that a character hasn’t revealed some part of himself to me. Those statements are both shorthand answers for a long and complicated explanation that doesn’t work for a sound bite or a stage presentation. No two people write the same way, so I don’t know if this will make sense to anyone else…

To read the complete answer, click here.

Questions:

Have you ever wondered who Embry’s father is?

What do you think about Stephenie’s answer to this question? Does her method of thinking make sense to you?

Does it surprise you that Stephenie doesn’t know this information about her own character?

Who do you think Embry’s father is and why?

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Q. What’s the deal with “shapeshifters”?

A. What is the definition of a werewolf? Is it a man who changes into a wolf? Or is it a man who, once infected by a werewolf bite, changes into a wolf during a full moon? If you go with the basic description, then the Quileutes are werewolves. It’s not a distinction that really matters on a normal day. During the standoff with the Volturi (not a normal day), Edward sees that Caius is going to use the treaty with the werewolves as an excuse to attack. He’s aware of the distinction between these wolves and the more traditional kind, and though it’s only a technicality, he is able to use it to deflect the attack.

- Stephenie Meyer

To read the complete answer, click here.

Questions:

What do you consider the Quileute wolves: werewolves or shapeshifters?

When reading New Moon, were you surprised by Jacob’s description of werewolves? Did you think that there would be other types of werewolves?

What did you think when you read what Edward said to Victoria in Eclipse? Did you realize that he was saying that there were other werewolves out there?

When Edward pointed out the distinction between traditional werewolves and the Quileute werewolves, did you think it would work? How did that part of Breaking Dawn make you feel?

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