Sarah Dessen |
Can you give us an introduction about yourself and the general message of your stories?
I'm the author of eight books for young adults, most recently Lock and Key. I grew up in North Carolina, where I still live. I like to think that my books are about girls who are on the verge of big changes, ones that they are making and that are happening to them.
Your books each have their unique touch. Where do you get that inspiration?
I get some ideas from my own experience as a teenager, but a lot of what I write comes from thinking about the What If factor. What if a situation had turned out differently than it did? What if I'd had a different kind of family? A lot of fiction starts with truth, but for me, it's only the very beginning. Making up stuff is much more fun.
Which of your characters do you relate to most?
Both in their personalities and/or their situation? I think I'm a lot like Halley from Someone Like You, or at least I was in high school. I was more of a follower, with dynamic friends. I remembered all the stories: that was my job. I wish I was more like Remy in This Lullaby. She was the most fun to write.
Which of your books do you like the best?
the story you wouldn't mind hearing over and over again? I always feel like it's not really fair to play favorites, but This Lullaby was definitely the most fun of my books to write. I have a soft spot for all of them, though. I often say my favorite book is the one I haven't started yet, because it's still so perfect in my head. That usually changes once I put words on the page.
How To Deal, as rhe result of both That Summer and Someone Like You, went on to the big screen. Which of your books next would you like to see being produced as a movie?
Oh, I'd love to see any of them make the jump to the big screen. It was a really fun experience. I've learned, though, that I have NO control over stuff like that. It's just really lucky when it happens.
Who do you imagine playing the characters in the story?
It's really hard for me to say, because I already have an idea of what the characters look like in my head. To me, they're already real. So I guess it's a good thing someone else does the casting.
