First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
Well, I actually always dreamed of being an actress (and a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, but that’s a whole other story entirely). But I always kept a journal and loved writing. I was writing plays and fiction since before I can remember and had a brief stint writing poetry in tenth grade when I had my heart broken for the first time (let’s just say, it was not my finest work). And then in college, I wrote and performed sketch and stand-up comedy which I loved because I was able to marry my writing and performance skills. After college, I wrote a screenplay and some funny Sex and the City-type articles about my escapades in Los Angeles which I would email to my friends. But it wasn’t until I met my literary agent, who encouraged me to write a novel, that I realized that I could really have a career as a writer.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I met my agent, Richard Abate, at a cocktail party. I was unemployed at the time and looking for another D- Girl job (this is short for “Development Girl” which is Hollywood slang for a woman who works in film development). We chatted while we munched on chicken skewers and questionably stinky French cheese. Neither one of us knew the woman whose house we were at. He asked me about my experiences as a D- girl. He liked my stories and told me that if I wrote fifty pages, he would sell it. I didn't believe him. I told him I didn't know how to write a novel, nor did I have the time. "Well, what else are you doing?" he asked. He had a good point. I was eating cheese. Pretty much. That, and just kinda hanging out waiting for that "dare-to-be-great opportunity," which he presented that night. I wrote the fifty pages, and as promised, he sold it just four months later…and the rest is history!
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
Well, I have never really been accused of being succinct, so this is a tough task for me. I guess the best way to answer is to say that I had a blast writing Girl In Development. All the female characters are based on combinations of my girl friends, so as I wrote, it felt like I was just out having fun with my friends…and that’s how I hope it feels for you as the reader!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
For Girl In Development, my girl friends were my greatest inspiration. Because the book takes place in Los Angeles and, specifically, in the film business, I was also inspired by some of my experiences working in the industry and by the “city of angels” itself.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My parents, to whom Girl In Development is dedicated, still live in New York. When I found out that my book was being published they were in a tiny restaurant on some island off of Italy and I tracked them down to tell them the good news because even though I’m a “grown-up,” I still feel like something hasn’t really happened until I can tell my parents about it. While they live on the opposite coast, they come to visit me often, and I spend a lot of time with them over the summer (I guess I’m a bit of a fair weather daughter). I have an older brother who is also a writer. He lives in New York, and still makes me laugh harder than anyone else. My eighteen-year old cousin Laura is absolutely my muse…and the greatest reader and resource!
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Pizza!
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Kiss my boyfriend (I know, totally cheesy answer, but it’s true!), brush my teeth, guzzle coffee…not necessarily in that order!!!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?
Just the utter disarray of it all…I am hopelessly messy!
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Hm. Well, I love the color beige because it goes with everything and is very soothing and neutral. I also think it’s very elegant and versatile…I’m not sure if that’s the best way to describe ME as a person, but I do love beige.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I always loved Under Dog. I love the idea that this character always rises to a challenge and succeeds whether it is expected of him or not.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?
I would love to go back in time to Australia in the 1960’s when my mother moved there for a couple of years to write for Vogue Australia. While she was there, she met the best people (with whom she is still close), and she traveled to the most extraordinary places like Cambodia and Indonesia. I have always loved reading the articles she wrote and looking at photos of her from this time…I think we would have been great travel companions and would have had amazing adventures together!
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?
I have very eclectic music taste…basically, if you play anything enough for me, I’ll like it. To name just a few, I like the Rolling Stones, Liz Phair, TLC, Christina Aguilera, The Shins, Aimee Mann, Peter Gabriel….I could go on for days. Sometimes I listen to music when writing, but not always. I listened to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” on repeat when I was writing Girl In Development…I actually quote it in the book!
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again?
Some of my TV favorites are The Office, The OC, Saturday Night Live, and The Family Guy. Some of my favorite movies (and they are all quoted at the beginning of each chapter of Girl In Development!) are: Annie Hall, Broadcast News, Mean Girls, Heathers, Sixteen Candles, and Say Anything.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
All I know is that academically and personally, I was so stressed out as a teenager. It was exhausting. I guess I would have liked to have known at that age that everyone else is feeling the same way, and that…I wouldn’t feel this way forever. It’s so funny to run into people now who I knew in high school, and they paint such a different picture of me than the picture I painted for myself at the time, and the picture I have in my memory. Enjoy this time as much as you possibly can—even the tough stuff like the math tests and the heartbreaks—because you’re only a teenager once, and believe me you’ll miss it…why do you think I became a young adult novelist???
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
Girl In Development comes out this May, and my second novel—which is about an all-girls summer camp— comes out next summer! I hope you enjoy them and always love to hear from my readers!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
