About Sara
Our Interview
Thank you for joining us on YABC today! First off, can you tell us a little bit about your latest novel, THIS IS HOW I FIND HER?
Sophie Canon, the main character of THIS IS HOW I FIND HER, comes home after school one day to find that her mother has attempted suicide. Sophie has spent most of her time caring for her mother, who has bipolar disorder, but once she’s hospitalized, Sophie moves across town to live with estranged relatives. Living apart from her mother means Sophie is alone — but it also means she’s free. Can she figure out how to balance caring for her mother with living her own life?
Which books or authors have inspired your craft?
I probably learn something from every book I read. A few of my favorite authors are Melina Marchetta, Jane Austen, Sara Zarr, and Neil Gaiman.
What book would we find on your bedside table right now?
I just started reading Corey Ann Haydu’s OCD Love Story, which I am loving.
What was the most recent film you saw?
Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing, which was wonderful.
How much research did you have to do for THIS IS HOW I FIND HER? What was the craziest search term you typed while researching online?
At one point while drafting the book, I thought Sophie, my main character, might attempt to break her mother out of the hospital. So I Googled a few variations on “how to break out of a psych ward” before abandoning that element of the story.
What is your go-to writing snack/beverage?
I don’t really snack while I’m writing, but I like to bake, and I often find that I bake more when I’m trying to work out a problem in something I’m writing. I think I like the precision of baking when facing the mess of writing or revising.
Who was your favorite or hardest character to write in THIS IS HOW I FIND HER?
Sophie is my favorite character because she just feels so real to me. Leila, Sophie’s cousin and ex-best friend and one of the other major characters in the book, was much harder for me to write, but by now she feels equally real to me.
If you could be in any scene in your novel, which would it be?
I’m not sure I’d actually want to be in the scene as one of the characters, but I dreamed one of the scenes in this book after I wrote it. It’s a scene late in the book when Sophie is sitting through some presentations in her English class, and I dreamed that I was in the scene as one of the students, sitting at a desk watching the action unfold. When I woke up, I felt weirdly proud that I had written a scene vivid enough to dream about.
Where can our readers go to learn more about THIS IS HOW I FIND HER?
I have more information about the book on my website, www.sarapolsky.com.
Last but not least, what has been your biggest SQUEE! moment since becoming a published author?
Every time I hear from a reader who connects with the book, I feel delighted and amazed all over again.
Thank you so much, Sara, for taking the time to talk with us!
Giveaway Details
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What book would we find on your bedside table right now?
Cracked by Eliza Crewe
I read Ocd love story awhile ago. I’m interested in OCD and I really enjoyed the book.
I also like baking! 🙂
I also like to bake when I need to clear my head.
I love the film Much Ado About Nothing! It was fab!
I love to bake, too. I alwys bake when i’m emotional, and it clears my head as well. 🙂
Oh I want to know why Sophie, the author’s favorite character feels real to her?
Another author inspired by Jane Austen. Awesome! 😀
I love reading about authors gushing over a fans comment. 🙂
I love reading about authors gushing over a fans comment. 🙂
I love baking too! Even though I usually don’t, also it’s kinda funny that you thought of yourself as one of the students xD
I love baking too! Even though I usually don’t, also it’s kinda funny that you thought of yourself as one of the students xD
I love baking as well! 😀 More than cooking, actually.
It’s great to see her way of dealing with problems while writing.
Sara Zarr is amazing!!! I love her too.:D
I can’t believe you don’t snack!!! I stop every sentence!
I love to bake too!! It is my favorite thing to do. 🙂
I totally agree that some characters are harder to write than others! I think it’s because they are too different from who you are as a person so you can’t see their motives or thoughts as easily, I suppose. It’s easy to connect with a character that is similar to because they essentially are like you.
I loved backing but I’m the one who prefers the snacking!:D
I loved backing but I’m the one who prefers the snacking!:D
I love baking but I’m the one who prefers the snacking!:D
I love baking but I’m the one who prefers the snacking!:D
I love baking but I’m the one who prefers the snacking!:D
I love baking but I’m the one who prefers the snacking!:D