Girls in the Stacks.com - Read. Review. Laugh.

First I want to say that I truly enjoyed reading this novel (read my review here). It was a gripping story that I couldn’t but help feel for Sophie. Also, I thank you for writing about the aftermath of the London subway bombings. It’s something we should never forget. 

Thanks, Stacy, that’s really nice to hear.  When writing a book it’s hard to imagine one day a reader will be experiencing the book and giving great feedback like that.  Thanks again.

1. Your newest novel, Lost for Words is a compelling story about grief and hope. Can you tell us a little about what inspired you to write this story?

I was inspired by two main things.  Firstly, I’d been thinking about this character, Sophie.  She was suffering feelings of anxiety and panic and I wanted to know why.  Lots of teens (including me as a teen) go through episodes of anxiety and I wanted to write about it.  The second strand of inspiration came from being in the suburbs of London on the day of the 2005 bombings.  It shocked and distressed me to think of all the families who had suffered that day.  The two thoughts, about the character and about the bombings, came together and I realised I had a novel I wanted to write.

2. Sophie is a teen who suffered not only a tragic loss but endured a horrific event. How did you get inside her head? What was her character development process like for you?  

Sophie is very real to me. Yes, I did lots of research to make sure I got the details of that terrible day as accurate as possible, but then I just focused on the writing of the book, letting her speak, so to speak.  She was a great character to write about – she’s strong and brave yet lost.  I loved writing about her.   

3. Sophie uses poems as a way to heal. Would you mind telling us about the poems Sophie writes? Did you write them first, followed by the story or the other way around?  

One of the poems is based on a poem I wrote as a teenager, but changed and shifted to make it Sophie’s.  It’s the one that appears throughout the novel, again and again.  The others were written during the writing of the book and they were a pleasure to write.  I really believe that for those of us who love writing words down, like Sophie (although she doesn’t know this at the beginning of the novel) there can be a great release when you get words on the page.  Feeling stuck, again like Sophie, especially when you’ve been through so much, is a horrible feeling for a writer.  

4. Can you share with us what your newest project is, what you’re currently working on?  

My next novel, Forty Things I Want to Tell You, is about a teenage internet advice columnist who makes a terrible mistake in her own life.   It’s coming out in 2012.  And nowI’m working on two vague new ideas that I need a little time to shape.  

5. What is currently in your STACK? Are there any books that you recommend?  

I recommend Meg Rosoff’s How I Live Now.  Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall.  And If I Stay by Gayle Forman.  Currently I’m reading Sarah Waters Affinity.  She’s a great writer with enormous style and sense of story.  This is one of her earlier novels and I’m dreading finishing it because then there is only one more of her books that I haven’t read (until she writes another one!)  

STACKGirls interesting author tidbits:

*salty or sweet – salty  
*cook at home, take-out or dinner out – can I have all three? – all work for me depending on the day and how energetic I’m feeling.  
*do you say pop, soda or coke - pop  
*thesaurus or dictionary - writers need both – am I allowed both?  
*country, hip-hop, rock or classical - hip-hop    
*Star Wars, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings –  Harry Potter  
*fiction or non-fiction –  nine times out of ten, fiction, but then sometimes a great non-fiction book comes up that I just have to read    
*texting, emailing or talking on the phone –  skype.  love it.    
*truth or dare – dare, absolutely     
*werewolf or vampire – werewolf.    

We’d like to thank Alice (Ali) for taking the time to answer our questions!  If you would like more information about her or her books visit her blog Writing Tips for Teens.

Tags: alice kuipers, grief, lost for words, YA
Posted in Interviews, YA author interview | 1 Comment »