Interview with Susane Colasanti

www.susanecolasanti.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?

When I was 16. But when I was 12 I knew I wanted to be a science teacher, so that came first. I thought since I was already going to be a teacher, I couldn’t be an author because you only get to pick one career. Then when I was in grad school I was like, “Wait. Why can’t I do both?” So I did both for a while. Which was fun times, but occasionally I had to go to bed at 8:30 because it was also exhausting times. Resigning from teaching wasn’t an easy decision, but I don’t regret it. I can reach way more teens as an author than as a teacher. I’ve been a full-time author since 2007 and I absolutely love it.

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

It was a long and winding road, but thankfully it led to a door that not only opened but had a lot of super friendly neighbors on the other side. At first, there were rejection letters. And then more rejection letters. Fortunately, Viking Children’s Books saw something in that early draft of When It Happens that they wanted to work with.

I strongly believe that if you are determined to achieve your goals, you can create your ideal life. It’s this belief that motivated me to never give up, to never stop believing that I could make this happen. Now I’m working with the most amazing publisher and editor, in addition to all of the teams at Penguin that make my books possible. They believe in me, and for that I am thankful every day.

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?

My fourth book, Something Like Fate, was released in May 2010. One thing about it is this: forbidden love. Oh, and soul mates, of course.

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

My strongest inspiration comes from ideas about what I wish my life were like in high school. Endless summer nights where you never want to go home. Listening to a transcendental song, over and over. Finding surprise love notes in your bag. Actually, I experienced all of those things, but I was usually disappointed. Nothing was ever quite the way I wanted it to be. So now I take this nostalgia for the high school life I never had and make it a reality for my characters.

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

I’m very interested in cupcakes. Particularly ones with fluffy pink old-school icing and some sort of buttercream filling. A plastic smiley face or fancy sprinkles on top is usually necessary.

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

1. Turn on NPR.
2. Thank the Universe for being awesome.
3. Complete my morning commute, which takes about five seconds. That’s how long it takes to get from my bed to my desk.

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

Not to be conceited? But you would be impressed. I am an organization freak. We’re talking Container Store style closet schematics here. This is not an easy achievement to accomplish in my nabe. Since I live in downtown Manhattan, I have absolutely no space. Attics and basements are distant memories, things my friends had a lifetime ago that we used to play in. There is, however, one closet. And it’s totally tricked out to fit everything. I configured another closet in my bedroom, which was totally Bob Villa of me. So I think you would be surprised that such an extreme level of organization could be achieved.

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?

There’s this periwinkle type lavender which looks like it radiates this amazing electric hue. I aspire to radiate positive energy like that color.

And a palm tree, by the way, because they are magnificent.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Actually, I’m more into clay characters, like Gumby and Pokey, Wallace and Gromit, and Mr. Bill. I guess this wouldn’t count, either, but I love the fox from The Little Prince. His big, puffy tail is really cute.

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 often feel like I’m living in the wrong decade. I miss the 70s. All that Free To Be You and Me and vintage Sesame Street and mood rings and peaceful lifestyles. I don’t know…there’s just something comforting about it all. I would love to live right here in New York City during the 70s to see if it really does feel like a Paul Simon song. That would rock.

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

I used to listen to music while writing, but now I find it can be distracting. Sometimes I’ll play music if I need inspiration for writing a certain scene. Music takes me where I need to go. I’m into a lot of 70s and 80s stuff, like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Sting, and Led Zeppelin. Bands like R.E.M. and The Cure inspired When It Happens because they were so essential during my own high school trauma. Music always made me feel better during those bad times.

My favorite contemporary artists are John Mayer, Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie. I believe that the answers to all of life’s problems can be found in a John Mayer song.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again?

Since I’ve never owned a TV, I watch DVDs on my iBook. This means that I have to wait until the current season of my fave shows are over before I even get to see what happened. Good thing I’m all about the anticipation.

I am obsessed with The Office. I’ve watched those eps so many times I can probably recite any scene. The first season of Prison Break is brilliant. I also love 24 and like to act out scenes around the city with my friend Jim, pretending that I’m Jack and he’s Tony and we’re saving the world. I love Seth Cohen from The O.C. and am seriously missing Lucas and Peyton on One Tree Hill. Sadly, the best teen shows are no longer on. The ones I will always carry in my heart are My So-Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, and Dawson’s Creek.

If I love a movie, I’ll watch it over and over until I pretty much have the whole thing memorized. Movies I’ve seen at least five times: Garden State, The Station Agent, Office Space, The Good Girl, The Safety of Objects, Moonlight Mile, Say Anything…, Crazy/Beautiful, Election, and Welcome to the Dollhouse.

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

Visualize your ideal life. Now create it.

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

I’m fascinated by soul mates and will continue to write about them. My fifth novel, So Much Closer, will be released in May 2011. I’m working on book six now.

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

Thank you! This was a lot of fun.

Read on. :)