FAQ

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been writing. I’ve always had this wild imagination, and I love to embellish stories to make them more interesting. When I was a kid I had all these intricate histories for all my stuffed animals and dollhouse families, which I would type out on this old manual typewriter my parents set up for me in the corner of our TV room. I kept writing all through middle school, and in high school I got diverted a bit, but I picked it up again in college. I really didn’t think I’d actually be a writer until I graduated and found that I just couldn’t stop and go get a real job. Every time I finished something, another idea would follow right behind. So I went into waitressing and just wrote like crazy. At times it seemed really stupid, since I was totally broke and there was no kind of guarantee that I’d ever see anything come of it. Luckily, it did. But even if I hadn’t sold a book by now I’d still be writing. It becomes a part of you, just something you do.

What was your favorite subject at school?

English. Anything having to do with writing and reading. I’d been writing for as long as I could remember, but I got frustrated in school because there were always rules about what you were Supposed to Write: about your summer vacation, about Shakespeare. I wanted to be able to make everything up, even then.

Who were your favorite authors as a child and who are your favorite authors now?

I really liked Judy Blume and Lois Lowry, then, and their work is so inspirational because it still holds up when I read it now. Currently I’m really into Anne Tyler, who wrote The Accidental Tourist, as well as Suzanne Finnamore, whose style I really admire. John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany is probably my favorite book right now.

Where and when do you write?

I have an office upstairs here in my house. When we first moved I was sure I couldn’t work here, because it had a window: I was used to facing the wall, and thought it made me work more because I wasn’t distracted. It helps the view from here is just our road, and the occasional deer or dog running by (we live in the country). I do my best writing in the afternoons, between about three and five, but I can do little spurts just about anytime. I’ve learned to take writing time when I can get it, but the afternoons are ideal.

Of all your books, which is your favorite?

It’s really hard to pick: I imagine it would be like picking which child you like best (or in my case, which dog). Truthfully I like them all for different reasons, as well as because each represents wherever I was at that time in my life. I often say that my favorite book is the one I haven’t started yet, or the one I’ve just begun, because it’s like this big wonderful secret and there’s so much potential there. But I think Keeping the Moon holds a special place with me, if only because a lot of the lessons in it about self-confidence are ones I’m still trying to learn myself.

Will there ever be a sequel to Someone Like You?

I get asked this via email at least once a week. Truly! To be honest, I’d have to say no. I don’t think I would want to go back to those characters now, because I think I did the best I could by them at the time, and I wouldn’t want to try to match that or top it. I’m continually amazed by the letters and emails I get about Halley and Scarlett and their story. I guess there’s just a lot of universal experience in the book: best friends, first loves, working out a way to get along with your parents. Everyone can relate to at least one of those things.

Where do you get your ideas?

This is such a hard question, and there’s no real concise answer. What usually happens is that I start with something that did happen to me, or to someone I know, and then build on it from there. For instance, That Summer came out of my cousin getting married; we are really close, and it was emotional for me, the first time a wedding had affected me that way. Someone Like You was partially based on the fact that in my ninth grade year the most popular boy in my school was killed in a motorcycle accident. I find with my writing that the beginnings are usually from real life, but you have to veer off into fiction pretty quickly or the story doesn’t work. I think also that part of being a writer is just being tuned in to the world. My friend, the author Lee Smith, once said that she considered sitting at the mall watching people go by as research, and I agree. There are so many stories out there waiting to be told. You just have to keep your eyes open.

Can you read my story, and give some suggestions on getting published?

Unfortunately, due to demand, I'm just not able to read manuscripts or stories. If you're interested in getting published, I recommend checking out The Writer's Market. It's a book listing agents and publishers, and it's updated every year. There are also chapters concerning how to write query letters and what you need to know before you start submitting your work. As far as writing goes, there are two books that I've found to be extremely helpful: Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott (the writer's bible!) and What If, by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. Both are well worth your money and time.

Can I contact Sarah?

I love to hear from readers. You can post a comment on my blog, or send me an email at sarah@sarahdessen.com. Due to demand, I'm not able to answer every email personally: otherwise, I'd never get any writing done! But I do read them, every one. Letters can be sent to this address: Sarah Dessen, Author Mail, Penguin Books For Young Readers, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.

What was it like to see That Summer and Someone Like You be made into the movie How to Deal?

In a word, surreal. Also: wonderful, exciting, and a million other adjectives. I’m a total movie person, so everything from start to finish about How to Deal was totally exciting for me. I didn’t write the script, but it was fun to be along for the ride: I got to visit the cast and crew on the set in Toronto, and go to the premiere in New York. I also got to meet Mandy Moore, twice, and she was just as nice and sweet as you’d expect her to be. Read more about my experience with How to Deal by clicking here.

Are any of your other books going to be made into movies?

As of right now, there aren't any plans for movies, although I am forever hopeful. You just never know. If I get any good news on that front, I'll post it here first. Promise!

When will you have a new book out?

My tenth novel will be published by Penguin in May of 2011. Stay tuned for more details!

What do you think is the best advice for aspiring writers?

I think first of all, you have to believe in yourself and your work. Writing can be really solitary and difficult, so you often have to be not only your own harshest critic (which comes easily for most writers I know, as we are a neurotic bunch) but also your own biggest fan. But what really matters above all is that you are writing. Not every day is a good day for me on the page, but when I’m working on a book I am at the computer every day, seven days a week, for at least two hours, putting in the time. I often tell my students that I was not the best writer by a long shot in my college writing classes. However, I have always been very disciplined, and I think that has taken me a long way. I also recommend that you find a time of day that you feel you get your best work done, and try to write at that same time, every day. Train your brain that this time is when you work, and soon it will become habit. In fact, if you’re not writing at that time, you’ll be more than aware of it.