| Interview with Sara Zarr |
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?
It was (is) an ongoing realization for me. I have memories (and pictures!) of being five or six years old and
sitting down at a typewriter or to a blank piece of paper with a desire to create something. I guess it was
around age 25 that I realized "being a writer" was actually something I could pursue as a vocation or
avocation.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I was pretty much a do-it-yourselfer. I never had any formal education in creative writing, and through the
wonders of the Internet I taught myself everything I could about the business of publishing. I'd always been
a reader, so that's how I knew how a novel is constructed. Eventually I got an agent through polishing my
writing and cold-querying. As rejections came in, I just kept writing. After 9 or 10 years of that process I
made my first sale.
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?
Story of a Girl (Little, Brown) is my debut novel. It's a contemporary young adult story about family,
forgiveness, and friendship. If I could tell you one thing about the story to convince you to buy it? I think
it's the kind of story that will resonate with just about any person who has survived the age of 13.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
I fell in love with YA fiction through the books of Robert Cormier, Judy Blume, M.E. Kerr, Carolyn Coman
and others --- they are who inspired me to strive to create wholly satisfying reading experiences for myself
and readers. But the inspiration for my actual stories is usually me! My ideas usually come from some
memory, observation, emotional experience or imagined scenario or person that wheedles into my brain
and sticks. If I can't get the thought or feeling or character out of my mind, I know I have to write about it.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
They are really proud, but not too surprised, as I come from creative stock. Both my parents were
musicians and I grew up hearing all kinds of music from Bach to the Beatles around the house, and I
remember attending choral concerts that my dad either conducted or performed in. They also both loved
books and my mom read to my sister and me almost every night. My aunts are all great lovers of books
and writing, and one aunt has written a lot of wonderful unpublished stories for children. My mom and
stepdad, husband, sister and in-laws, and extended family have all been very supportive of my writing.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
I love food and I love to cook! Macaroni and cheese (homemade, of course) is right up there. I also love a
simple baked potato with butter and salt.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I pray for the grace to get through the day without giving into the million pitfalls that may await me, and
then it's straight to the e-mail and coffee!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I doubt there is anything that would surprise you. I'm not that interesting. You might be surprised to find my
clarinet.
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?
I think a nice, deep, classic red. It's vibrant and cheerful without being obnoxious, eye-catching without
having to be the center of attention, and passionate without being vulgar.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I grew up watching Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies on Saturday mornings, and probably my favorite
character on those shows was Sylvester the Cat. He was so--human! He was cowardly and an addict
(addicted to trying to get Tweety!), he was always trying but often failing to be a good dad, and had a
giant, undeserved ego. I love Sylvester!
A good friend once told me that I reminded him of Lisa Simpson. I'm not obsessed with ponies or Malibu
Stacy, but I guess I do share some of her overachieving, brainy, occasionally self-righteous characteristics.
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 want to be the thirteenth disciple of Jesus, checking out one of his miracles or standing by while he
told the religious leaders what they'd been doing wrong. But only if I could go home at night to my 21st
century shower and pillow-top mattress!
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I love music. I cannot emphasize it enough: I LOVE MUSIC! I like virtually all kinds of music. Mostly I listen
to independent music that I find out about through places like Paste Magazine, KRCL.org, and Pandora. I
made a Pandora station called "Writing Music" and anyone can listen to it by going to
http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh159090055417060926
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I'm so not good at any question involving favorites! I've got classic favorites like the Andy Griffith Show or
Leave It to Beaver, canceled favorites like Freaks & Geeks or My So-Called Life, and current faves such
as The Office, 30 Rock, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I also have a weakness for Lifetime movies and
reality TV. I cannot wait for the next season of Project Runway.
Movies: I love movies as much as I love music. If I ever make a ton of money, I'd like to make my own
independent film. And I ever got ridiculously rich, like PowerBall rich, I'd start a movie studio and only make
the kind of movies I would love. I tend not to watch things over and over (unless it's something like The
Sound of Music or some a Hitchcock classic). There are just too many great movies to see and not
enough hours in the week. The last movie I saw in the theater was The Pursuit of Happyness. I loved it
because I grew up in San Francisco, where the movie is set, and my family struggled a lot. I related a lot to
the kid's experience of riding the bus everywhere because we had no car, worrying about every dollar,
and relying on one parent to do the job of two parents.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
I'm trying to remember if any adults said anything truly helpful to me when I was a teen that I actually
listened to. I think it was hard to receive advice when I was that age because I didn't have the luxury of
looking back and knowing I survived it. I mean, my response to advice was always to think, "Sure, easy for
you to say!"
The main thing is you always have to live with yourself and the choices you make, so try to be a good
friend. Always try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. That's also a great habit to develop if you
want to be a writer---writing is so much about being able to imagine the world through eyes other than
your own.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm working on my second book for Little, Brown, about childhood sweethearts who are reunited in high
school. It should be out mid-2008.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thank you!
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?
It was (is) an ongoing realization for me. I have memories (and pictures!) of being five or six years old and
sitting down at a typewriter or to a blank piece of paper with a desire to create something. I guess it was
around age 25 that I realized "being a writer" was actually something I could pursue as a vocation or
avocation.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I was pretty much a do-it-yourselfer. I never had any formal education in creative writing, and through the
wonders of the Internet I taught myself everything I could about the business of publishing. I'd always been
a reader, so that's how I knew how a novel is constructed. Eventually I got an agent through polishing my
writing and cold-querying. As rejections came in, I just kept writing. After 9 or 10 years of that process I
made my first sale.
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?
Story of a Girl (Little, Brown) is my debut novel. It's a contemporary young adult story about family,
forgiveness, and friendship. If I could tell you one thing about the story to convince you to buy it? I think
it's the kind of story that will resonate with just about any person who has survived the age of 13.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
I fell in love with YA fiction through the books of Robert Cormier, Judy Blume, M.E. Kerr, Carolyn Coman
and others --- they are who inspired me to strive to create wholly satisfying reading experiences for myself
and readers. But the inspiration for my actual stories is usually me! My ideas usually come from some
memory, observation, emotional experience or imagined scenario or person that wheedles into my brain
and sticks. If I can't get the thought or feeling or character out of my mind, I know I have to write about it.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
They are really proud, but not too surprised, as I come from creative stock. Both my parents were
musicians and I grew up hearing all kinds of music from Bach to the Beatles around the house, and I
remember attending choral concerts that my dad either conducted or performed in. They also both loved
books and my mom read to my sister and me almost every night. My aunts are all great lovers of books
and writing, and one aunt has written a lot of wonderful unpublished stories for children. My mom and
stepdad, husband, sister and in-laws, and extended family have all been very supportive of my writing.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
I love food and I love to cook! Macaroni and cheese (homemade, of course) is right up there. I also love a
simple baked potato with butter and salt.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I pray for the grace to get through the day without giving into the million pitfalls that may await me, and
then it's straight to the e-mail and coffee!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I doubt there is anything that would surprise you. I'm not that interesting. You might be surprised to find my
clarinet.
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?
I think a nice, deep, classic red. It's vibrant and cheerful without being obnoxious, eye-catching without
having to be the center of attention, and passionate without being vulgar.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I grew up watching Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies on Saturday mornings, and probably my favorite
character on those shows was Sylvester the Cat. He was so--human! He was cowardly and an addict
(addicted to trying to get Tweety!), he was always trying but often failing to be a good dad, and had a
giant, undeserved ego. I love Sylvester!
A good friend once told me that I reminded him of Lisa Simpson. I'm not obsessed with ponies or Malibu
Stacy, but I guess I do share some of her overachieving, brainy, occasionally self-righteous characteristics.
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 want to be the thirteenth disciple of Jesus, checking out one of his miracles or standing by while he
told the religious leaders what they'd been doing wrong. But only if I could go home at night to my 21st
century shower and pillow-top mattress!
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I love music. I cannot emphasize it enough: I LOVE MUSIC! I like virtually all kinds of music. Mostly I listen
to independent music that I find out about through places like Paste Magazine, KRCL.org, and Pandora. I
made a Pandora station called "Writing Music" and anyone can listen to it by going to
http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh159090055417060926
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I'm so not good at any question involving favorites! I've got classic favorites like the Andy Griffith Show or
Leave It to Beaver, canceled favorites like Freaks & Geeks or My So-Called Life, and current faves such
as The Office, 30 Rock, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I also have a weakness for Lifetime movies and
reality TV. I cannot wait for the next season of Project Runway.
Movies: I love movies as much as I love music. If I ever make a ton of money, I'd like to make my own
independent film. And I ever got ridiculously rich, like PowerBall rich, I'd start a movie studio and only make
the kind of movies I would love. I tend not to watch things over and over (unless it's something like The
Sound of Music or some a Hitchcock classic). There are just too many great movies to see and not
enough hours in the week. The last movie I saw in the theater was The Pursuit of Happyness. I loved it
because I grew up in San Francisco, where the movie is set, and my family struggled a lot. I related a lot to
the kid's experience of riding the bus everywhere because we had no car, worrying about every dollar,
and relying on one parent to do the job of two parents.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
I'm trying to remember if any adults said anything truly helpful to me when I was a teen that I actually
listened to. I think it was hard to receive advice when I was that age because I didn't have the luxury of
looking back and knowing I survived it. I mean, my response to advice was always to think, "Sure, easy for
you to say!"
The main thing is you always have to live with yourself and the choices you make, so try to be a good
friend. Always try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. That's also a great habit to develop if you
want to be a writer---writing is so much about being able to imagine the world through eyes other than
your own.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm working on my second book for Little, Brown, about childhood sweethearts who are reunited in high
school. It should be out mid-2008.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thank you!
