http://www.susanunderdahl.com/
When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
I wouldn’t say I ever ‘knew I wanted to be a writer’; it was kind of something I decided to try about four years back. My best friend, Susan Degele, and I did used to fill notebooks with stories when we were kids, though. As I recall, they were very dark stories: lots of bullying and bloodshed! Since I’m a psychologist now, I look back at them and think, “Boy, where did all that come from?”
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Well, I entered my first manuscript, The Other Sister, in a contest called the Delacorte Press Prize for First Young Adult Novel. It didn’t win (or at least I don’t think it did…I never actually heard!) so I started sending it around. I sort of accidentally sent it to Llewellyn Worldwide, then belatedly found out they mostly publish fringe-y metaphysical stuff like “Your Tarot Cards and You,” so I thought, “Well, that was a waste of time.” Turned out, however, that they were just starting up an imprint called Flux, which was deemed “edgy, young adult fiction’. And happily, they thought The Other Sister fit that description! It came out in March of 2007 and was very successful, so they were happy to look at Remember This. Thankfully, they also loved that one!
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?
Remember This is the story of Lucy Kellogg, a normal teenage girl whose view of life changes forever when her beloved grandmother, Nana Lucy, develops dementia and comes to live with the Kellogg family. In my ‘real life’, I’m a clinical neuropsychologist, so Nana Lucy is a composite of the many wonderful patients with Alzheimer’s disease I’ve seen over the years. It’s a very heartfelt story, and I can’t tell you how many people have told me “I cried my eyes out!’ One reviewer even advised readers: “Bring your tissues!”
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
I definitely think every writer pulls inspiration from his or her own experiences, as well as things going on in the world around us. Here’s an example: in Remember This, Lucy Kellogg lives in Williston, ND, and is a hostess in a Mexican Restaurant called the Adobe Oven; when I was Lucy’s age, I was living in Williston, ND, where I was the hostess in a Mexican Restaurant called the Adobe Oven! A lot of what happens to her in the story also happened to me in real life! Writing young adult fiction, I also often take inspiration from what happens in my kids’ lives, or what I see go on between them and my friends. Did you ever hear the saying, “Be careful or you’ll end up in my novel”? Well, that’s the chance you take if you hang around a writer!
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
We have a big, fun, blended family. I’m married for a second time, so I have two sons (Navy – almost 16 and Beck -10), a daughter (Fiona –13), and three stepdaughters (Alexa-13, Chloe-11, and Jaiden-8). Believe me, they provide me with lots of material! My husband, Shane, is an electrician.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Wow, I didn’t see that one coming! Um, I’d have to say…doughnuts. I love doughnuts. Love them. No matter what kind of diet I’m on, if there’s a doughnut around, I will eat it and not even feel one bit guilty.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Ha, well, the first thing I’ll usually do is make sure everyone else who needs to be up is up. Then I’ll take a shower (boring) and eat two bowls of Complete Bran Flakes. I don’t know why, but I’m addicted to them (they’re not doughnuts, but they’re close). When my husband and I got married, he even promised as part of his vows to "Make sure I always have my cereal.”
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?
Hm, well, in the basement, we have what we call “Fiona’s House of Beauty”, which is a play beauty salon for the girls where we have about a dozen disembodied hairdresser’s heads that the girls use for practicing hairstyles. They’re all sitting up on shelves, and can be quite startling to visitors who aren’t pre-warned.
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 would want to be blue because it’s calm and is pretty comfortable in any situation, but in reality I have to admit I feel more like purple: intense and a little spazzy.
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
I always liked RoadRunner. He was never afraid to be bad, and was so creative in how he went about it (when in doubt, use the TNT!)
Which cartoon character is most like you?
Probably SpongeBob Squarepants. I’m a good, loyal friend, I love to laugh, and I enjoy an occasional prank (as my victims will attest).
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?
Well, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I listen to pop and 80’s mostly. If I had to pick my favorite contemporary artists, I would say Coldplay, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink, Gwen Stefani, and Sheryl Crow. I can’t wait to hear more from David Cook. To tell you the truth, though, I’m not one of those people who can listen to music while I write; I’m more likely to have the tv on.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows?
I’m a reality TV junkie; I love ”Project Runway” and “Top Chef.” Also, I’m weirdly addicted to “The Hills”; I can’t believe Heidi is still with that horrible evil force, Spenser Pratt! I love to watch “Made” and “True Life”, but there are lots of re-runs so it’s hard to catch new ones.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Gosh, one thing I’ve discovered about teen life these days is that it seems to move so fast. Just make sure you slow down once in awhile, look around, and be present in the moment. This is your one life: really feel it!
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently working on revisions of a novel called Catching Air. It’s about a group of friends (boys) who are skateboarders, and the effects on their friendships when one of them begins to experience symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at http://www.teensreadtoo.com/!
Hey, thanks for having me; you ask great questions!
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