 An August 2005 interview with the lovely and talented Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Prom.
How did the idea for Prom come to you?
I’ve been fascinated by the concepts of proms for a long time and I really wanted to write about a kid from a loving, working class family. When Ashley Hannigan started yakking inside my head, the book took off. I really like her a lot. I had a blast writing her story.
If you could be any character in any book, who would you be?
My books? Mattie Cook in FEVER 1793. Other authors’ books? Weetzie Bat.
What advice do you have for young writers?
Don’t worry about getting published – just write for fun. It will make you a better writer and improve your chances that you will be published in the long run. If you really want to submit your work for publication, don’t worry about rejection. Everybody gets rejected, it’s part of the process. Relax, write, and have fun.
Do you have any favorite fan stories?
I haven’t seen any. (sniff!) Baker & Taylor is running a PROM fan fiction contest from now until December 31st. http://www.btol.com/pdfs/prom_sellsheet.pdf I’m looking forward to reading the entries.
What is your writing process like?
Messy. I think about my characters for a long time and take notes on them. Then I fumble around trying to find the voice. I work from a vague outline, but it always changes as I go along. My first draft is horrifically bad. Usually I’m ready to share the book with my Trusted Readers by draft three or four. It used to take me seven or eight drafts to get a book into shape. Now it seems to take five. I cannot imagine working any faster.
Writing for me also involves vast quantities of hot tea, coffee, and popcorn. I often talk to myself as I write. It is embarrassing to do this in public.
What’s the one question you always wish someone would ask you, but no one ever does? And the answer, too!
Can we consider your question the question nobody has asked? No, huh? How about this: If you weren’t an author, what would you be. Answer: a lumberjack.
What are you reading now?
“The Opposite of Fate” by Amy Tan.
Are you working on any books now?
Yep – a couple YAs and I’m researching another historical for middle graders. Oh, and I have a new non-fiction historical picture book coming out in a year or two.
What do you envision happening within the YA field in the next 5-10 years?
I have no earthly clue. I hope it doesn’t do something dreadful like “mature.”
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