Ultimate YA

7. How do you deal with writer’s block or any other frustrations you run into?

I’m very fortunate in that I rarely run into writer’s block. If anything, my greatest problem is having enough time to write everything that I want to. As for frustrations, I just remind myself that I’ve got the best job in the world, and that there’s nothing I’d rather be doing. That tends to get me thinking positively again pretty quickly!

8. This being your third novel, would you say that writing books gets easier or harder as you go on? Was *Thou Shalt Not Road Trip* easier or harder for a particular reason?

Hmmm, interesting question. In general, every project is entirely new, and each book presents a unique set of challenges. But there’s no doubt that with experience comes a certain confidence in one’s writing, and an ability to identify (and address) potential issues quicker. That being said, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip was actually a little harder than Five Flavors of Dumb, I think. The story of Dumb had been playing around in my head for quite a while by the time I wrote it, whereas Road Trip was more spontaneous (though not unplanned, by any means). Because of this, Road Trip required more tweaking to get it just right.

9. It is rather unique, especially in young adult fiction, that there is no perfect romantic arrangement in the end. Was this a conscious decision as you wrote the book? Or did it just happen?

Ah, another excellent question! Definitely conscious. I’m all for resolution and happy endings (see: Five Flavors of Dumb), but in Thou Shalt Not Road Trip, I felt that Luke and Fran had been through a little too much for a reader to believe they could just wipe the slate clean. A couple readers have written to me about that, saying that the ending disappointed them, but I think that an author’s job is first and foremost to stay true to the characters and story. And so that’s what I did.

10. As the book progresses, Luke learns more and more about what he has not seen in people and situations. There are quite a few points of realization, but is there one particular message that the reader should take away from Luke’s wild week of life lessons?

Actually, at its heart, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip covers the same ground as Five Flavors of Dumb. I think both books are about the importance of communication, and the need to listen before judging others. This is something that I think about a lot, and which I see becoming a far greater issue for the current generation (with their various mobile means of communication) than it even was for mine.

11. What is your own craziest anecdote from a book tour?

It’s not exactly crazy, but I did once have a two-hour signing event in which NO ONE showed up, and when I tried to chat to customers, they almost ran away. It was for my debut novel, Busted, and quickly taught me the importance of humility (and the need to promote one’s books!).

12. Do you have any advice for readers and aspiring writers?

As well as reading and writing (obviously), and trying to write every day (also fairly obvious), I’d say the single most important thing is to keep the writing process fresh and fun. Allow yourself to explore ideas that captivate you, because (a) those same ideas will probably captivate others, and (b) if you don’t love the writing process, then you should probably find something else to do instead! 

1. Where did you get the idea for Thou Shalt Not Road Trip? 

First off, as a Brit, I’m obsessed with road trips. In England, there’s not enough space to road trip, so this is a really American thing for me. I wanted to write a road trip novel, and I figured a good backdrop for that would be a teen boy who has written a bestseller and is on tour to promote it. The questions was: What kind of book did he write?

Well, I used to sing in a church choir when I was younger, and although the congregation was religious, the older singers were not. This meant that I’d be simultaneously assailed by Christian and atheist messages, which was a little confusing. I thought it might be cool to have the narrator, Luke, write a book of modern-day parables. Road trips tend to be fraught with drama, and I figured Luke might find that his travels cause him to question some of his beliefs at the very moment that everyone else is really getting behind them. But the book isn’t really about religion as much as finding yourself. 

2. Have you ever travelled the route that Luke, Matt, Alex, and Fran take in the book? 

Some of it. I’d like to say that I did a month-long tour along Route 66 as research for the novel, but as a full-time stay-at-home dad, that simply wasn’t possible. All the same, I’ve driven some parts, and also read a lot of books, watched documentaries, etc. So I feel like I know the whole route well. 

3. You mention in your fun facts that you have a brother. Does your relationship with your brother relate in any way to the relationship between Luke and Matt?

While Matt is nothing like my real-life brother, Luke’s relationship with him has a grain of truth to it. I think that younger siblings are inclined to let older siblings dictate the course of events, and Luke definitely allows that to happen in ROAD TRIP. On the whole though, I’d say that my brother is way cooler (and more reliable) than Matt, and we communicate much better than Luke and Matt (who both have things they’d prefer to keep hidden).

4. Do you have a favorite character in this novel? Why?

I think it’d have to be Fran, because I think she’s a smart, devoted girl who’s wise beyond her years in some ways, and silly in others. She sees through the nonsense way quicker than Luke, and isn’t willing to buy into it just to make life easier. Luke learns this too, but it takes him a long time. I guess I’m also more naturally sympathetic towards girls than boys, because I know how stupid teen boys can be (you know, having been one myself!).

5. We only get to see Luke’s parents in the very beginning, but it’s apparent that they’re nervous about their teenage son going on a road trip without their supervision. How would you feel or react if you were in their place?

Interesting question. On the one hand, I’d never have let Luke go alone. But on the other, they truly trust both Luke AND Matt. At the start of the novel, we have no reason to believe that Matt won’t be able to hold up his end of the deal, but that’s because we don’t realize how much he has changed during freshman year of college. And Luke has always behaved responsibly, so there’s nothing to fear there, either. But if it were me, I’d have gone too. Book tours can be kind of stressful.

6. What is your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part?

Favorite part: The feeling that I’m so into a book that I can’t stop writing, and everything feels like I’m in the middle of a 3D IMAX movie. That’s an incredible rush. (Also, I love it when I hear from readers - that’s a rush too.)

Least favorite part: Publicity and promotion take up an hour or two of every day, and I don’t
particularly love that part of being a writer. Having said that, it’s an honor that people actually care about me and my books, so I won’t complain!

1. My first instrument was the piccolo, which I chose because it created an ear-splitting sound that annoyed just about everyone. But no one could tell me to stop because I was “practicing.” (Ironically, my brother played the tuba. Seriously.) 

2. In spite of growing up in England (where Indian restaurants outnumber any other kind), I cannot handle spicy food. My five-year-old daughter can, however, and thinks that I am a “wuss” (one of the few Britishisms she knows). 

3. I was a boy chorister when I was younger. I totally rocked the look too. Just look at the photo for proof! (On second thought, please don’t.) 

4. I went to high school with Batman. (Well, technically the actor Christian Bale, but Batman sure sounds a whole lot better than the dude from American Psycho.) 

5. I used to spend my summers working in an ice cream kiosk on the beaches of my hometown, Bournemouth (England). In spite of the fact that it almost never tops 70 degrees and rains pretty much every day, I sold a LOT of ice creams. Then again, what else was there to do? (Swimming in 50-degree water probably didn’t appeal to the tourists.) 

6. I’m so lazy that I once wore a T-shirt with a picture of Shaggy (from Scooby-Doo) on Halloween. Someone thought that I was actually trying to recreate Shaggy’s look, too, which I wasn’t. At all. (It was after that incident that I began shaving more than once a week.) 

7. Before I went to grad school, I took a year off from academia and worked as a hotel chauffeur in Switzerland. By the time I finished, I knew a few words of French, some really cool ski moves, and I’d crashed the van twice. (The hotel went out of business the next year. True story.) 

“I write young adult novels, which is ironic, because when I was a teen I didn’t read very much. It wasn’t that I didn’t like reading; I just had other things I preferred, like music. Which is why I got a few degrees in music, and set about becoming a composer instead of a writer. Needless to say, my grand plan got derailed.

I started writing when I was a stay-at-home dad for my two kids. They were (and still are) phenomenally energetic, but their conversation left something to be desired, especially when they were six months old and pre-verbal. So I tried writing a book (called Busted; your library might even have a copy), and discovered I loved it. That was followed by Five Flavors of Dumb, in which I got to talk about music (finally!), and now Thou Shalt Not Road Trip.

True, it feels a little odd to have stayed in school until I was 30 only to stop doing what I was trained to do, but honestly, I couldn’t be happier!” 

Check out Antony John’s website to learn more! 

That’s it for April, bookworms! But if you’re still interested in Leigh Purtill or want to contact her, check out her website, Facebook, and Twitter! 

7. What is the hardest part of writing for you? What do you love most about it?

Honestly, plot is very hard.  I have so many wonderful characters in my head and I can hear their voices and I know just where they live and what they do - but then I don’t know what to do with them!  Sometimes having unlimited options is overwhelming.

I love creating characters. I have met so many fascinating people who inhabit various parts of my life and they inspire me to invent fictional versions of themselves. And I love hearing from readers when they “get” my characters.  So many people identified with Meg in LOVE, MEG and Veronica in FAT GIRLS IN LA that I knew I had created two very realistic characters. I hope people will feel the same about Lila.  

8. Was it easy, hard, or interesting to write about the paparazzi in a more dynamic way than the two-dimensional way they are typically portrayed and viewed? Did you learn anything from exploring that angle? 

My initial research involved watching a lot of TMZ!  Ha!  Seriously, though, it was helpful to watch the show from the point of view of the cameramen who are out there.  It’s tough, physically demanding and highly competitive!  Beyond that, I researched the beginnings of paparazzi (did you know the word is derived from the Italian for “mosquito”? That’s because they were considered annoying like mosquitoes) and the many different kinds of celebrity photographers. Some are very sophisticated and are invited by publicists to be on the red carpet - those are the ones who don’t ambush celebrities when they’re at the hair salon. 

9. Lila goes through a lot of hardships, especially for someone her age, first with her mother dying of cancer and then with her new life with her father who has his own set of problems—all important topics to address to readers who may be able to relate. Did you find these sensitive topics and intense scenes a challenge to write, particularly within the genre of young adult fiction? 

As I mentioned before, the mother-daughter relationship is a pretty easy one for me to write but the father-daughter one is far harder.  While I don’t have any direct experience with either parental death or alcoholism (thank goodness!) I did have to dig deep into my own relationships with my parents and pull out some of the harder conversations we’ve had, in order to feel like I was really writing in the moment. Readers know when a scene is not written from a pure place; they can tell if someone is faking it.  Much like actors need to find a real moment in their lives to tap into when they are on stage, writers must do the same or else it won’t feel authentic. 

10. What do you hope your readers will take away from Chasing the Falls? 

Forgiveness is so important to any relationship, whether it’s forgiving yourself for things you’re not proud of or forgiving others for disappointing you.  I think it’s crucial that we step into other people’s shoes and see things the way they see them.  

11. You have a few novel already published and it looks like a few more on the way. Do you ever have trouble with writer’s block? How do you deal with it? 

I have way too many ideas to ever have writer’s block.  There is always something for me to think about or work on.  But I’ve been stymied by plot development, and I can easily see how a writer could allow that frustration to build into a huge obstacle to productivity.  Some writers also point to fear of failing the story as a block to writing. You can only write the best you can *at that time in your life.* Tomorrow or a year from now you might write a scene differently. I know that I will rewrite - I must! - so I will write a scene the best I can and see what develops from there.  If it doesn’t work, I’ll change it.  That’s a very liberating concept but if you absorb it, you’ll never have writer’s block. 

12. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors or advice for your readers in general? 

Don’t ever follow trends in writing.  Only write a story about vampires if you simply have to tell that story.  It takes a long time to write a novel.  Even if you write it quickly, you will spend a lot of time rewriting.  When you get an agent for it, you will rewrite it again.  When you get an editor for it, you will rewrite some more. That’s a lot of time to spend with characters and setting.  If you don’t truly love it, you will quickly lose your passion and the writing will suffer.  Why waste your time on anything you don’t love?

Hi everyone!

We hope that you have been enjoying the memes we have been posting. And now, just so you know, we are accepting submissions! You can submit a post by clicking here. We look forward to your posts!

Happy reading and posting!

—Liz and ChinLin

1. Where did you get the idea for CHASING THE FALLS? 

First, it began with the relationship between Lila and her father.  I’d been writing YA and my stories were primarily concerned with a daughter’s relationship to her mother, whether she was living (as in LOVE, MEG) or deceased (as in FAT GIRLS IN LA).  And then, because I love writing (and reading about) fish-out-of-water stories and stories about people who travel from one coast to the other, I added the move from Massachusetts to LA. And finally, the celebrity photographer angle came from my fascination with paparazzi, those men and women who chase down celebrities.  Is what they’re doing in any way artistic?  Were they artists at some point and just needed to pay the bills?  That’s Lila’s dad. 

2. Who is your favorite character in this novel and why? 

Although I do like my main character, Lila, I think I love Dax.  I had so much fun writing him - I love the way he talks and his quirky sense of humor.  One of my favorite scenes to write was the one in the cafeteria where Dax uses his lunch items to explain the different jobs on a movie set to Lila.  Their interactions were so much fun and flirty.  I would have loved having a Dax in my life when I was in high school.

3. Do you relate to any of your characters, whether in terms of personality or experiences or both? 

Absolutely, I relate to Lila.  I loved living in Western Massachusetts when I went to college: small town, idyllic. I actually moved from NYC to LA but I still felt like that Massachusetts girl.  I wore hiking boots and wool sweaters for a very long time!  I didn’t know any other way to dress.  And I always felt awkward in this glamorous city, much like Lila does.  It’s hard to find your place - and your real friends - in a city like LA. 

4. Have you ever run into or spotted the celebrities that Lila does in the book? 

Not those specific celebrities but I have seen many, many famous people in this town.  Without giving away too much, there is a scene in the book where Lila is at a movie theater and she sees an actress who is *in* the movie they’re watching.  This actually happened to me but with a different actress, of course. 

5. There were lots of details about photography. Did those come from research or do you have an interest or background in photography like Lila? 

I got my Master’s degree in Film Production which has a lot in common with still photography.  Composition, lighting, and even some of the equipment are very similar.  For the camera and editing specifics, I did have to do some research. I remember taking a photography course in my undergrad and developing actual film in the chemical baths.  Now everything is digital! 

6. Every time the characters were eating I would get so hungry from your food descriptions! Are the dishes you described, like the tacos, sushi, and sandwiches, favorites of yours? 

I love sushi!  Just reading about *you* reading about those scenes makes me hungry!  As for “The King’s” sandwiches - grilled peanut butter and banana - I was first introduced to them at The King’s castle itself, Graceland in Memphis.  They are delicious and so easy to make. But I don’t eat tacos. Those I had to research.

1. I’m creating a full-length Zombie Ballet for my dancers that I plan to turn into a YA novel.  

2. My husband and I met on a very very very low budget movie set in NYC where we spent much of our time drinking espresso and chatting about horror novels while we waited for the director. 

3. I love pinball and can’t walk by a machine without throwing a handful of quarters in. 

4. I worked as Vin Diesel’s script supervisor on his feature film directing debut, “Strays,” which he also wrote and starred in. 

5. I once applied to be an FBI agent. 

6. My ultimate goal is live in a tiny house like one of these and to have a tiny dog like one of these.

7. I love to knit; my specialty is leg warmers, which I’ve made for friends and readers - even trading reviews for a pair! 

C. Leigh Purtill was born in Germany and grew up on the eastern coast of the United States.  She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Anthropology and Dance, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, and received her MS in Film Production from Boston University.  After working in film as a script supervisor in New York City, she moved to LA to work in television as a standards editor which meant she got to watch television for a living.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and works as a ballet instructor and choreographer.  LOVE, MEG, her first novel was published by Penguin/Razorbill in 2007.  Her second, ALL ABOUT VEE, also from Penguin/Razorbill, was published in April 2008, and was re-released as FAT GIRLS IN LA in 2011 as the first in a trilogy.  CHASING THE FALLS is her third published novel.