Ask the Author: Rachel Vail
Answered Questions (8)
Rachel Vail
My idea for UNFRIENDED was to get to the truth of social politics in middle school (and beyond) -- to show how it feels to be bullied, but without having an angelic bullied kid and a horrible badguy/nasty girl bully. My idea was: everybody feels abused sometimes. What's getting us there, to that place where we maybe strike out against somebody, whether we intend to or not... I love the theme of friendship, what it costs us and what it gives us, so that's in there too. I also loved the idea of the reader getting to know a lot of secrets the other characters just don't have access too. Finally, a few of the characters began as narrators of short stories I had published in various collections, and I wanted to keep working with them. Maybe I should make a contest like which chapters came from short stories? Name the chapter/original short story title/collection and you win a prize? Hmmmm....
Rachel Vail
Usually I don't; I have to drag myself to it and make deals with myself like no internet or walking away from this keyboard for one hour (set a timer) go -- or 5 pages written by 5 PM or I have to donate $5 to a cause I OPPOSE. Starting is hard almost every single day. Eventually, though, it's the writing that inspires me to keep writing: I get going and hit on a question that intrigues or confuses me, and I want to follow it down its path, see where it leads me... or a sentence I just wrote sounds like not me but so true to a character and I realize I am getting that amazing chance to think with the mind of another, which is so exciting and cool I have to keep going... the inspiration for writing, in other words, comes from the writing, not prior to it. (For me, anyway. Your mileage may vary.)
Rachel Vail
More than one, yeah.
Rachel Vail
I'm not sure... then again, I never planned on writing KISS ME AGAIN, either... glad you like the KISS books! What's your favorite part?
Rachel Vail
My book Unfriended came out a few weeks ago, so I'm doing some writing and visits around that... and meanwhile I am throwing away a lot of stuff en route to finding my way in to my new middle grade novel. It is not an efficient way to write but it is an *inefficient* way. also the most efficient way I know how, alas.
Rachel Vail
I write in a "notes" file -- all about why I can't write this book. I let myself be completely honest: I can't string words into a coherent sentence today. All I want to do is eat everything sweet that exists. I don't even know what my main character wants. What does she want? Does she really want to please her friend? Or does she actually want to break away from her? Hmmm... As I write about my confusion, I sometimes break through -- if not to answers, at least to some interesting questions. It is a daily struggle.
Rachel Vail
Read, read, read. Also: eavesdrop. Pay attention to everything going on around you: how people reshuffle when somebody gets onto an elevator, what different people do when somebody says something rude, what you clench when you feel tense. And then write it all down.
Rachel Vail
You get to tell stories all day long, and then keep working on them until they feel real and true. You get to play with sentences. And you don't have to wear shoes.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more