Tracy
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Where do you find your inspiration for these historical fiction books? The true events for these stories are not well covered in our school curriculums, but my students love the books! Is there a certain time period that peaks your interest? Are there certain stories that you feel compelled to bring attention to that have been ignored?
Ruta Sepetys
Hi Tracy, thanks so much for your questions! Inspiration for my books generally comes from hidden or underrepresented parts of history. I'll become aware of the ideas through news articles, journals, or readers who suggest an idea to me. I have a list of 26 ideas for novels, many of them surrounding WWII as I am fascinated by that time period. Mostly, I am drawn to stories of strength through struggle. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for which parts of history make it into history books, and which events are simply forgotten, but I am inspired to bring hidden history out of the dark and to tell the stories we've forgotten.
More Answered Questions
Wendy Kendall
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Hi Ruta, Thank you for taking questions. I so enjoyed Out of the Easy. The characters were amazing and the descriptions lifted me out of my life for awhile, and gave me a real feel for the people and place. Your dialog and also your text read almost lyrically. I was wondering if you have any musical background or inspiration in your writing? I'm looking forward to now reading more of your books. Wendy
Amy Albert-Marshall
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
As a lover of young adult and historical fiction, you are one of my 'must-read-everything-they-write' authors. In a couple of months you are coming to my school to participate in our big read and I couldn't be happier about it. My question is: Do decide on your historical timeframe first and then look for the narrative or do you envision the character and decide where is history they best fit?
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