Ask the Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Answered Questions (39)
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much! I chose Maine because it’s about as far from LA as you can get in the U.S., and I knew I wanted that sort of setting: a small coastal town filled with tourists. And also because my one and only trip to Maine left such an impression on me. As for the names, there’s not much of a science behind it — I just liked them! I had Ellie and Graham writing to each other by email because — believe it or not — I finished this book just before texting became the default mode of communication. That’s obviously changed, and I get a lot of notes from people telling me that texting would be more realistic now, which is true. (Though they’re usually emailing to tell me that, so it obviously hasn't completely fallen by the wayside!) Anyway, I’m so glad you loved the book and thanks for the great questions!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the book. That’s always nice to hear!
I think a lot of writers know their characters really well before they start writing, but I write to figure out who are they are. When I sit down to start a book, I don’t know much about it — just the basic set up. So at the beginning, my characters tend to be very opaque. But as I start to write my way into the story, I get to know them better and better. With each decision they make, with each fork in the road they have to choose, I start to understand who they are and what makes them tick. So by the time I’m at the end of a first draft, they’re three-dimensional and very real to me. And the biggest work I have to do when I revise is to go back and make them feel that way in the first half of the manuscript as well, since I was still getting to know them at that point.
I think it’s a bit of an unusual process, and I’m not sure I’d recommend it…! But one thing I’ve learned from writing all these years is that there’s no wrong way to do anything. You just have to try a lot of different things and see what works best for you. So good luck and happy writing!
I think a lot of writers know their characters really well before they start writing, but I write to figure out who are they are. When I sit down to start a book, I don’t know much about it — just the basic set up. So at the beginning, my characters tend to be very opaque. But as I start to write my way into the story, I get to know them better and better. With each decision they make, with each fork in the road they have to choose, I start to understand who they are and what makes them tick. So by the time I’m at the end of a first draft, they’re three-dimensional and very real to me. And the biggest work I have to do when I revise is to go back and make them feel that way in the first half of the manuscript as well, since I was still getting to know them at that point.
I think it’s a bit of an unusual process, and I’m not sure I’d recommend it…! But one thing I’ve learned from writing all these years is that there’s no wrong way to do anything. You just have to try a lot of different things and see what works best for you. So good luck and happy writing!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thanks so much, Emma -- I'm thrilled you loved WINDFALL, and excited that it's finally out in the world!
I've always been obsessed with moments in time that act as hinges -- days where there's a clear split between a before and an after. I'm not sure anything captures that quite so perfectly as winning the lottery, which of course changes everything. So I've wanted to write about that for a long time now. But it wasn't until I was standing in line at a bodega one day behind a young guy buying a huge stack of tickets that the whole thing clicked for me. I knew right then that I was going to write about someone who wins millions and millions of dollars before he's even figured out who he is yet -- and that I wanted to tell it from the perspective of the girl who sets everything in motion by giving him the ticket.
Thanks so much for asking!
I've always been obsessed with moments in time that act as hinges -- days where there's a clear split between a before and an after. I'm not sure anything captures that quite so perfectly as winning the lottery, which of course changes everything. So I've wanted to write about that for a long time now. But it wasn't until I was standing in line at a bodega one day behind a young guy buying a huge stack of tickets that the whole thing clicked for me. I knew right then that I was going to write about someone who wins millions and millions of dollars before he's even figured out who he is yet -- and that I wanted to tell it from the perspective of the girl who sets everything in motion by giving him the ticket.
Thanks so much for asking!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much! My next book, WINDFALL, will be out on May 2nd, and I'm really, really excited about that one. It's about a girl named Alice who has been in love with her best friend Teddy for a long time -- on his 18th birthday, sort of as a joke, she buys him a lottery ticket, and to their surprise, he ends up winning 140 million dollars...which of course changes everything. So I can't wait for people to read it! And then I've also just started working on something new, which will hopefully turn into the book that comes after WINDFALL. But there's still a very, very long way to go with that one!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much! I love writing dialogue, so that's a huge compliment. My characters tend to banter a lot, so I'm always anxious to make it sound as natural as possible. One thing I've found really helps with this is to read the book out loud at various stages. It's so much easier to catch clunky or awkward dialogue when you're actually speaking it instead of just reading it -- I can't tell you how often I've written something that seems pretty good, and then I read it out loud and realize nobody would ever actually say it that way. It's a pretty simple trick, but trust me -- it helps a lot!
Jennifer E. Smith
This is so nice -- thank you! I'm very proud of that story, so it means a lot that you loved it. I don't have any plans for a novel about them at the moment, but I will say that I'm really fond of Annie and Griffin too, and would love to potentially explore their story a bit more one day. So you never know!
Jennifer E. Smith
My next book is called WINDFALL, and it will be out in May 2017. Here's a bit more info: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/14/...
Hope you enjoy it!
Hope you enjoy it!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much -- that's so nice to hear! I'm not sure about the font inside the books, but the titles are handwritten on the covers. Hope this helps -- good luck with your report!
Jennifer E. Smith
Yes...thanks so much for asking! I should be able to share some news about this very soon, so keep an eye out...
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much -- that's so nice to hear! And you're in luck. There's actually a short sequel already available as an e-book. It's called HAPPY AGAIN. Enjoy!
Jennifer E. Smith
Hello -- and thank you! I'm not sure about next year yet, but I'll be back at Books of Wonder for an event on May 3rd (I'm not totally sure what time yet). So maybe I'll see you there. And either way, thanks again!
Jennifer E. Smith
Since the covers all have a similar look to them, I realize this can be a little confusing, but the answer is no -- they aren't a series. The stories all stand on their own, and they each have different characters. So you can read them in any order. Enjoy!
Jennifer E. Smith
It's true! And I think they'll be wonderful.
Jennifer E. Smith
Thanks for asking! There are no plans for a sequel at the moment, just because I'm very happy with where I left the characters. But I also said I'd never write a sequel to one of my other books, THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE, and then later found myself wanting to explore their story more, which is how HAPPY AGAIN came about. So you never know!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you so much for the kind words -- I'm so glad to hear you loved the book. As for starting a story, I think the trick is just to dive in, because you never know exactly where the beginning will turn out to be. Sometimes, you'll discover that the second chapter should actually be the first, or that the perfect scene to start the book is actually fifty pages in, and everything that came before it was just an exercise in clearing your throat. But throat clearing is important too, and you often need to do that before finding your way into the story. So just start writing, and have faith that the exact right moment or the perfect first sentence will reveal itself as you go. I've found that it takes the pressure off to know you can always figure it out later on. In the meantime, just get some words down on the page and go from there. I hope this helps, and good luck with your writing!
Jennifer E. Smith
A mini-mini-paperback sounds adorable, but HAPPY AGAIN was always meant to only be an e-book, and there are no plans for anything else at the moment. Hope you get a chance to read it anyway!
Jennifer E. Smith
Thank you! That's so nice to hear. Unfortunately, there are no plans for a movie for this one at the moment, though a few of the others are currently in development, so fingers crossed...
Jennifer E. Smith
Yes, actually! HAPPY AGAIN -- a mini sequel -- came out as an e-book just last week. Happy reading!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Jennifer E. Smith
There's a short excerpt in the paperback of THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME, and there will be a slightly longer one in the back of the HAPPY AGAIN e-book -- so keep an eye out!
Jennifer E. Smith
Yes, HAPPY AGAIN will be released as an e-book on April 14th, and it's a mini sequel to THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE. I'm very excited for you all to read it!
Honestly, I think the credit for this one goes to my readers. I had no plans to write any sort of sequel; when I finish a book, I'm usually very happy with where I left the characters. But I got so many emails from readers about Ellie and Graham, wondering what would happen next, asking if I would ever consider writing more, hoping and wishing and pleading their case.
Because of this, the story was on my mind a lot more than it normally would have been, and then one day an idea popped into my head. It was just a flash of where I imagined Ellie and Graham would be a year later, but it was enough to make me want to sit down and find out more.
So I want to say thank you to everyone who loved THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE enough to ask me what happened next. You guys are the ones who wished this novella into being, and I'm very, very grateful.
Honestly, I think the credit for this one goes to my readers. I had no plans to write any sort of sequel; when I finish a book, I'm usually very happy with where I left the characters. But I got so many emails from readers about Ellie and Graham, wondering what would happen next, asking if I would ever consider writing more, hoping and wishing and pleading their case.
Because of this, the story was on my mind a lot more than it normally would have been, and then one day an idea popped into my head. It was just a flash of where I imagined Ellie and Graham would be a year later, but it was enough to make me want to sit down and find out more.
So I want to say thank you to everyone who loved THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE enough to ask me what happened next. You guys are the ones who wished this novella into being, and I'm very, very grateful.
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