Interview with Laurie Halse Anderson

http://www.writerlady.com

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?

I have always made up stories and written for fun. I didn’t think about trying to become a published author until I was 30 years old.

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

I made every mistake possible. I did not understand how to revise and thus sent off some very-poorly written books. Great ideas, lousy execution. They were all rejected. They deserved it. For three long years I accumulated hundreds of rejection letters.

Once it got through my thick head that revision is a critical part of the writing process, and I developed the discipline to actually do it, the rejection letters turned into nice, friendly phone calls from editors who wanted to send me contracts.

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?

WINTERGIRLS is darker and more intense than SPEAK.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

My readers. Many of them write to me and come out to my book signings so I know the kinds of things they are struggling with.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

I fell in love with my husband, Scot, when I was 3 years old and he was 6. He is a carpenter, he does most of the cooking at our house, and he doesn’t mind that I usually have my nose stuck in a book.

We have four kids. Stephanie is 23 and works in a bookstore. Jessica just turned 23 and is a physical education teacher. Meredith is 21 and is about to graduate from college. She is hoping for a job as a middle school science teacher. Christian is almost 17 and is a high school junior.

I’ve been a published author most of their lives, so it’s not a big deal to them, unless a new friend or teacher freaks out when they find out the kids are related to me.

I think my children do get a little bored when I blabber on and on and on and on and on about my latest project.

Oh, and we have a dog, Kezzie. She is not impressed with my work yet because I haven’t been on Oprah.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

Popcorn with butter. Second-place: mashed potatoes. Oatmeal will do in a pinch.

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

Turn off the alarm clock, kiss my husband, start the tea water boiling.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

My office is in the attic. You might be surprised to find out I still don’t have bookshelves, just mountains of books piled under the eaves.

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?

Red. Red is blood life anger power fire dawn muscle kiss.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Toss-up between Bugs Bunny and Spider Man.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Raven.

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?

With George Washington from December 20, 1776 – January 9, 1777. This was when his army was falling apart and he made the very daring crossing of the Delaware River and attacks upon British and German troops in Princeton and Trenton, NJ. Critical turning point in the American Revolution.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

I listen to a lot of ambient and trance music when I’m writing. I love Coldplay and Sigur Ros. But I like blues, classic rock, and country, too. It all depends on my mood.

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 don’t watch much television. Mostly college basketball and NFL football. I do like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, um…, and …., er (trying to think of other shows here)… Oh – Ace of Cakes is cool, and the original Iron Chef, set in Japan.

I love Van Helsing. Can’t remember the last movie I saw in a theater. It could have been the last X-Men movie. Not sure.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

Don’t worry so much. People put absurd, bogus pressure on things like SATs, as if the college you get into when you are 18 years old will determine your success or failure as a human being for the rest of your life.

It doesn’t.

If you focus more on learning how to live a life that is healthy for your body, your mind, and your soul, you’ll be in a better position to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, and it will be easier for you to figure out which paths through life you want to try.

Oh, one more thing – stop watching so much TV. It is a waste of your precious time.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

I am going to be bouncing back and forth between historical fiction and contemporary YA novels. I’ve also been thinking about writing a book about writing, and maybe trying my hand at speculative fiction.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!

Thank YOU!!!