Interview with Suzanne Supplee

http://www.suzannesupplee.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’m pretty sure I’ve always wanted to be a writer. There were times when I didn’t know it yet, like when I thought I wanted to teach kindergarten or be the next Jane Pauley or take on the role of middle school guidance counselor. The truth is, though, that I’ve been writing since I was little, or talking to myself, which is what writers do when they don’t have writing utensils (or at least I HOPE this is what they do).

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

It was lengthy and painful and messy, which is why I compare it to childbirth (I’ll spare you the details). I tend to be a very determined sort of person, so the more I heard the R-word (rejection), the more determined I became. Over time, however, I realized I just really loved to write, and I reached a pivotal point and decided not to care if anybody published what I wrote. The point is I kept writing, and my work got better. Eventually, a very picky (and terrific) agent agreed to take me on, and then an editor (also terrific) agreed to publish Artichoke’s Heart. I worked hard, and I was lucky, too. Funny how the two seem to go hand-in-hand.

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?

Artichoke’s Heart—I think inside all of us—pretty, ugly, fat, skinny, popular, isolated, sinner, saint—there’s the heart of a girl who wants to be heard and understood.

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

The people of my youth—former teachers, colleagues, boyfriends, friends, enemies, old ladies in church, the guy who sat in front of me in algebra—and the people of my present—folks I see in newspapers, strangers at the gym, hairdressers, garbage collectors, dead people (I read the obituaries). When you are a writer, the world is your inspiration.

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

Honestly, they are probably sick of me by this point. You have to remember that while a book feels new to readers, it’s been in the writer’s mind for a very long time. I started working on Artichoke’s Heart four years ago, and I talk about my characters the way my mother used to talk about her soaps—as if they were real. My family has been great, though, and I don’t think any of this publication business would be much fun if I didn’t have them around to remind me that there’s more to life than Amazon rankings and reviews.

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

Peanut butter and Diet Coke.

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

Get a Diet Coke and my breakfast of choice, which recently shifted from Pop Tart to cinnamon raisin toast slathered with real butter, and head for the computer. The best writing time is before daylight.

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

The inside of my closet is bright red, and everything is organized, and I have this totally geeky dry-erase board with all my monthly workouts written on it. For some reason, being organized gives me the illusion that I’m actually in control of my life.

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 I would be yellow. It’s always been my very favorite color. It’s happy and friendly and cheerful. Also, my car is yellow, my house is yellow, and my favorite flower is yellow. Yes, it’s definitely yellow.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

I’m not big on cartoons, but I do like "Drake and Josh." They crack me up. I have little kids who watch cartoons, and there is a LOT of yelling on cartoons, I’ve noticed. Maybe this is why I’m having trouble with this question.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Drake and Josh? I don’t know?

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?

Paris in the days of Gertrude Stein and Hemingway and Fitzgerald. I’d want to be the barmaid listening in on their conversations.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists?

I love U2 and Rod Stewart and 60s music and Amy Winehouse and Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morrrisette and Madonna and the Rolling Stones, and I like a lot of country music, too, especially the old Hank Williams stuff and Johnny Cash and Bobbi Gentry.

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?

The Office, HGTV, Two and a Half Men (which I am missing right nowJ ). I think the last movie I saw at the theater was "Juno," and I absolutely loved it! Oh, and my all-time favorite is "Breakfast at Tiffany’s."

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

Find the thing that makes your heart beat faster, that passion in life that fulfills you, then go out and make it happen.

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

Currently, I am working on another novel set in the South.

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

Thank you for having me! I really love your website! You ARE The Genius!