A September 2006 interview with funny author Niki Burnham. Her books include Royally Jacked and Spin Control.

Of course! However, I'm a pragmatist, so I thought it was impossible. I mean, how many people are REALLY authors? You know, who can afford to feed themselves and pay rent and all that? Since I really enjoy reading and writing, I thought a good way to be able to do those things and still make a living would be to go to law school, then become a lawyer.

Turned out I was correct—as a lawyer, I had no problem making rent payments—but I was bored out of my mind. One day, I found myself answering a complaint that argued it was cruel and unusual punishment for prisons to have one-ply toilet paper (of course, as I was reading the complaint, I was thinking, "Yeah? That's what they have at every airport and baseball stadium in the country...") and I decided that, since life is short, I needed to quit and do something I really loved. I took the leap and tried writing, and I haven't looked back since.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be?

In a fictional world, a professional baseball player. In the real world, though I'd probably still be a lawyer. (Cringe, cringe.) Maybe I'd have worked up the guts to quit and find a job that allowed me to travel a lot—lead adventure tours, that sort of thing. I'd like to think so!

Are you working on anything now?

I have a book that will be out next spring about three girls who live together for the summer as they work at a resort in Colorado. There's romance and drama and laughs. All the stuff that's fun to write.

What is your working environment like?

Nothing fancy. I have an office at home, but I write away from the office as much as I write while in the office. I'm fine just sitting on the sofa with my laptop, or hiding out in the corner of a bookstore coffee shop. No candles or music or any of that stuff. The only thing I really require: nobody better talk to me when my fingers are moving on the keyboard. I get grumpy when I lose my train of thought! But I can work anywhere, even on a cramped airplane tray table.

What's the best piece of advice you ever had on writing?

To write in your own voice—to not try to mimic anyone else's style or voice because you think you should or a writing instructor says you should. Everyone is unique in some way, and if you can tap into what's unique about you—your own perspective on the world—when you write, the book is bound to be more interesting. If what comes out is crap, that's fine. You can clean it up later. You also need to write what you'd enjoy as a reader. If what you're writing doesn't appeal to you, it won't appeal to anyone else.

How much of your writing is based on your own experience as a child or teenager?

Every book draws on my own background somewhat, but the stories are definitely fiction. For instance, I never dated a prince (though wouldn't that be something?), but I did live in Germany and got on the wrong strassenbahn (streetcar) more than once. So I drew on the experience of living in Europe for the books Royally Jacked, Spin Control, and Do-Over.

Do you prefer to write longhand, on a typewriter, or on a computer?

I mostly write on my computer. However, when ideas occur to me at odd times, I'll scribble anything from a few key words to entire pages in longhand that I'll later incorporate into the book. I hate writing longhand, though. My writing is sloppy and I can't always read what I've written!

What are you reading right now?

Last night I finished Walter Mosley's 47. It's set in 1832 and is a fantastic blend of history and fantasy. I read until 2 AM just so I could finish it—I enjoyed it that much.

What's on your current reading list?

I'm reading Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King's book on baseball (called Faithful) and a pile of Shape magazines that I've gotten behind on. I'm also a pretty regular Newsweek reader. I read somewhere between 55-100 books a year, though, so another book is bound to be on my nightstand soon.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. It was adventurous and magical.

What is your favorite book now?

Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa, for exactly the same reasons.

What are some of your hobbies?

I like to ski in the winter, though I'm working up the courage to try snowboarding. I have a feeling I'll spend a few days on my face and/or my rear. In the summer, I play softball in a local league. We have a blast. I am also sorry to say that I'm addicted to HGTV and shows like Designer's Challenge and Design Star. It's a sickness.

What's your favorite movie?

The Shawshank Redemption. (Though it's really hard to pick just one! I love movies.)

What's your favorite book turned movie?

I thought Out of Africa was done brilliantly, and it really could have been awful. The director/writers weren't 100% true to the book, but I think the parts that were left out would have detracted from the movie (though they were great in the book.) Books and movies deliver stories in two different ways, and I think each told the story in the way best suited to their particular medium.

What's your favorite word?

At the moment, it's eyeball. Isn't that a hilarious word? Look at someone and say, "EYEBALL!" and you'll see what I mean.