- What is your writing routine? Do you aim for a word count, to tackle a certain number of pages at a time, or do you go scene by scene? (Something else?)
My writing routine is absolute chaos. I work a day job so I have to take my writing when I can get it – this means a lot of long weekends spent in coffee shops and very late weeknights. I find my writing goes best when I have a vague outline and write in order but still have some freedom in character development.
What was your inspiration for your book? What was the most fun and the most difficult part of getting the story just right?
I’ve long been fascinated with messy, complex female characters. I noticed that pop culture seemed overrun with one dimensional mean girl characters. How to Break a Boy was built out of my desire to dig under the surface of those girls and find out what makes them tick.
The most fun part of the writing was probably the relationship between Olivia and Whit as they break each down other’s barriers and begin to find ways to complement each other. I found the most challenging part of writing this book was figuring out Olivia’s background – specifically her relationships with her ex-best friend and mom that had been the main building blocks of her character.
- What are your favorite books? What authors inspire you the most?
Courtney Summers has always been one of my favorite young adult authors as she has written a number of incredible, “unlikable” female characters. Some of my favorite books I’ve read in the past few years include Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, The Royal We by Jessica Cocks and Heather Morgan, and Song of the Current by Sarah Tolscer.
- Odd question – what TV shows do you like?
I LOVE TV and find it the perfect inspiration point for writing. I just finished Parks and Recreation and found it so deeply touching, sincere, and hilarious. Some of my other favorites include Game of Thrones, Veronica Mars, The Wire, and the Mindy Project. I’m also really looking forward to watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Marvel’s Runaways over the holidays.
Lastly, is there anything else we should know about you? Do you like to listen to music when writing? What book projects are on the horizon for you?
My next book, Winner Take All, is out on January 30th. It has a hate to love relationship, competitive girls, and a dash of angry feminism. It’s not only about a volatile romance, but also about the difference in the way boys and girls are treated in society. As I mentioned before, I love complicated girls so it was really exciting to dig into from a different perspective.
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