You were friends before you were co-writers. What brought about your decision to write together?
It was all Yvonne’s idea, although she often denies it. We’d been friends for twenty years and roommates for three, yet it never occurred to us to write together until Yvonne went looking for a book to answer some of the questions her teenage niece was asking. When she couldn’t find one that fit the bill, Yvonne called Sandy and suggested writing a book for teens. Later, Yvonne claimed she was joking, but Sandy had started working on the proposal even before they hung up the phone.
Before long, we got a deal for TOTALLY ME: THE TEENAGE GIRL’S SURVIVAL GUIDE. The only hitch was that we had to write it in three months. Plus, we didn’t actually know how to write a book. And we weren’t sure we had that much good advice to share.
But we pulled it off. It was such a blur that sometimes we flip though the book and ask each other, “Did we really write that?”
We actually had a lot of fun with the fictional scenarios in TOTALLY ME, so we decided to try a novel next. We wrote SPEECHLESS for adults, and then a teen novel, INTRODUCING VIVIEN LEIGH REID: DAUGHTER OF THE DIVA.
How does your co-writing process work?
Yvonne initially wanted to sit side by side and write every word together (because she was convinced Sandy would take over and hog the whole thing). That notion didn’t survive our first chapter. Our schedules are too different. Plus there was so much bickering and slapping at the keyboard that we didn’t get anything done. So we had to develop a way of working on projects independently that gives us equal input.
This is how we’ve managed to write eight books together without killing each other… First, we get together in person to brainstorm and create a brief chapter outline. Then, Yvonne takes a crack at the first draft of a chapter and Sandy does next draft (each from the safety of her own home). The full manuscript goes back to Yvonne for revision and then to Sandy for a final polish.
We rarely see each other when we’re writing and resolve unforeseen glitches with an e-mail or voicemail. Sometimes Yvonne has finished her whole draft before Sandy even starts. (Guess who procrastinates?)
Do you find being such good friends helps you with planning and writing? Do you have moments of knowing what the other is or would be thinking regarding a character?
Having a long history as friends helps when it comes to developing ideas. We have similar interests and we’ve been laughing over the same things since we were teens. If one of us proposes an idea, the other builds on it until we feel like we both own it.
To keep the process interesting, we try not to discuss the details of a work-in-progress while we’re actually writing. That way, there’s still an element of surprise when we’re reading. There are moments of thinking, “Hey, I wasn’t expecting that,” or “Cleverly done, partner.” (Not to mention, “She’d better not leave me to figure out a way out of this trap.”)
Being friends can be a drawback, however, when it comes to deadlines and schedules. Excuses that might work on others don’t cut it when you know the other person’s stalling and avoidance tactics!
Tell us about your latest novel – The Black Sheep. What is it about? Where did your inspiration come from?
THE BLACK SHEEP is about a Manhattan girl who gets more than she bargained for when she swaps families as part of a reality television show. Spending a summer with California hippies and a TV producer who will stop at nothing for good ratings teaches Kendra how to stand up for what's right—even if it means losing the guy she’s fallen for.
As for our inspiration, it just occurred to us that every teenage girl has moments of wanting to trade in her family and try someone else’s on for size. A reality TV show seemed to offer the perfect opportunity to do that. Besides, thanks to Yvonne’s work on movies, we know that the film business offers a never-ending source of comic relief!
Do you base aspects of your characters on yourself or anyone in your life?
The protagonists in our adult novels are probably pretty similar to us. For example, SPEECHLESS is about a speechwriter who works for a vain politician and Sandy has worked as a speechwriter in similar settings. But that was just a jumping off point and any resemblance to past bosses is simply a happy accident.
Our teen characters may have elements of our personalities, such as our sense of humor, but we try to make them a little more adventurous than we were at that age.
So tell us; the Vivien Leigh Reid books. Are they a trilogy or can we expect more adventures from Leigh?
Leigh Reid, our aspiring actress, has come a long way over three books. In the first, she landed a bit part on a movie. In the second, she got a starring role on a hit TV show and let fame go to her head. And in the third she redeemed herself and became a hard-working actor a good attitude (and a cute boyfriend!) We love Leigh and we know where we’d like to take her next. Whether we’ll be asked to write another one depends on how much readers like the series.
Has being Authors been a lifelong ambition? Can you remember the moment you chose to do it as a career?
Sandy realized she wanted to be a writer when she was about 12 and reading L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon series. Later, she considered becoming a vet but took a look at her grades in Science and decided against it.
Although Yvonne was always creative, she never thought about becoming a writer until she suggested writing TOTALLY ME. Even with eight books under her belt she’s not always sure she wants to be a writer when she grows up.
If one of your books was adapted to film, what actors and actresses could you see playing the lead characters?
How about Emma Roberts as Leigh Reid and Heather Locklear as her mother, Annika Anderson? Kim Cattrall would be great as Annika, too.
As for Kendra Bishop, maybe an unknown would be better. At any rate, we’ll leave casting in the capable hands of a director, should we be so lucky as to have one.
Cecily von Ziegesar series Gossip Girl is being made into a TV Show for the CW. Could you ever see Vivien Leigh Reid becoming a weekly show or would you prefer film?
We think it could work either way and we’d love to adapt it ourselves!
Are you working on any new novels at the moment? What can we expect next?
We’ve just finished our next book, tentatively called WORD FOR WORD. It will be published in May 2008. We’re planning to take some time off this summer, but we’re already brainstorming some ideas for new projects.
Do you have a favorite of your novels?
Yvonne loves the “diva” books, particularly the latest, THE NEW AND IMPROVED VIVIEN LEIGH REID.
Sandy’s favorite is always the current one, so today that’s WORD FOR WORD.
What were some of your favorite novels when you were teenagers and what are some of your favorites today?
As a teen, Sandy loved all of L.M. Montgomery’s books, as well as GONE WITH THE WIND, and THE THORNBIRDS. Some of her recent favorites include, THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE, LISEY’S STORY, and TWILIGHT. And she comes back to Jane Austen again and again.
As a teen, Yvonne loved Dorothy Daniels books, as well as James Herriot. Recently, she’s enjoyed THE KITE RUNNER, THE RED TENT, and anything by Marian Keyes.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Read, write, persist. It really is that simple—and that hard. There are lots of good books on writing out there, such as Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD. When it comes time to look for a publisher, many authors and literary agents have blogs that offer great advice.
Thanks for your time. Anything you’d like to say in closing?
Please visit our website – www.collinsrideout.com – and check out the videos Yvonne made about our books. We love hearing from readers, too.
