Ask Jay Asher & R.J. Palacio - October 23, 2012 discussion

I love thirteen reasons why and would like to know your opinion on suicide

I really like thirteen reasons why and I want to know if you found the book hard to write - weren't you too emotionally attatched to Hannah to let her die?

Hey! I read Thirteen Reasons Why & completely adored it! I really admired how you portrayed your characters and wrote the book! It was well written. I'd like to ask, did you find it hard to write a novel in the span of a few days? I'm a author wannabe and I've always found writing a story in a few day span quite hard. Also, any tips on becoming an author and/or getting published?

I read Thirteen Reasons Why and even though it was great, I couldn't help but think that Hannah Baker sounded almost unsympathetic at times. Was she a hard character to write?

Also, do you have any tips for a girl struggling to completely finish writing even a single story of her own? :)

Your book 13 Reasons is just brilliant, Jay. I caught a reading at Santa Barbara's Borders (before it closed) and you were very personable. I am curious what you are writing these days...?

I read Thirteen Reasons Why when I was going through a hard time in my life and it inspired me. Suicide is so scary especially for a girl just entering her sophmore year. This book related to me and Hannah had a lot of the same problems I did where little events just pushed her to the edge. I love all of your books, and can't wait to read others.

Hello RJ, I am a teaching veteran and I read Wonder last spring during my spring break. I did not put it down, and was absolutely undone by the story and its ending. My question is similar to the others. I'm wondering how you managed to get into August's head. He has depth and honesty. I absolutely think all people should read your book. Thanks for writing it!

Hello Jay Asher. I am a freshman in High school (9) at SRHS. I have read your two of your books: The Future of Us and TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY. I loved them both. They captured all of my attention and were real page turners. My eyes were glued to each page. I want to thank you for providing me with a good reading expierence. I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering them. What inspired you to write these books? How long did it take you to write the books? Thanks! Your really talented and have really good writing skills! :)

HI I am a 4th grader at Glenwood Landing school and I read (Wonder) It was a great book and I like how you gave everyones perspectives Bullying awareness is a issue we talk about, in school and I think their are lots of reasons why people bully and you showed that and you also showed the importance to have confidence in our selves to over come being bullied. Thanks Is

Wow! I just finished reading Wonder. This book is amazing and a great WONDER. I am impressed with your writing skills. The messsages within these pages are powerful, and sooooo very important for the youth of today to read, comprehend, and utilize in their own lives. I will be recommending this book to my school district to add to their summer reading list.
Happy writing!

Good Morning!
My name is Mrs. Bas and I teach 6th grade in CT. My students and I read WONDER and are inspired by you and Auggie's story. They have many, many questions for you. We've narrowed them down to just a few. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond! Mrs. Bas & her LA class in CT.
1. How long did it take you to write Auggie's story?
2. What inspired you to write this story?
3. Which character in WONDER do you feel you are most like?
4. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
5. Which part of WONDER are you most proud of?
6. Which part of WONDER was the most challenging?
7. Why did you choose to name the story WONDER?
8. Who was your favorite character to write about? and how did you come up with their names?
9. Why did Miranda have pink hair? not purple or blue?
10. Do you think the message you are trying to share (never judge a person on what they look like on the outside) is a message people should live by?
THANK YOU FOR WRITING AUGGIE'S STORY!

Pam wrote: "Hello RJ, I am a teaching veteran and I read Wonder last spring during my spring break. I did not put it down, and was absolutely undone by the story and its ending. My question is similar to the..."

Hi Pam,
Thanks so much for writing. I really just made Auggie a normal little boy with an extraordinary face. Thinking of him that way made it easier for me to see him and understand his feelings in the context of what he lives through. I have sons, and when I was writing the book my older son was about 12. It helps listening to your kids when you write. I mean, literally LISTENING! Boys are loud and adorable and it's easy to overhear their conversations when they're playing on their x-boxes. I had a feel for what they're into and how they talk, so it wasn't a stretch to write from Auggie's pov.

—RJP

Debbie wrote: "HI I am a 4th grader at Glenwood Landing school and I read (Wonder) It was a great book and I like how you gave everyones perspectives Bullying awareness is a issue we talk about, in school and I..."

Hi Debbie,
Having confidence is yourself is really the first key to being unafraid of bullies and to never being a bully (or mean) yourself.
Thanks,
RJP

Nina wrote: "Good Morning!
My name is Mrs. Bas and I teach 6th grade in CT. My students and I read WONDER and are inspired by you and Auggie's story. They have many, many questions for you. We've narrowed them ..."

Hey there. I answered these questions in a different thread. I thnk it was the WONDER thread. Thanks again!

Chlo wrote: "I really like thirteen reasons why and I want to know if you found the book hard to write - weren't you too emotionally attatched to Hannah to let her die?"
Sometimes it was very hard to write. I really liked Hannah, despite some of her flaws, and it felt horrible to write the scenes that I knew needed to happen in order to tell her story. There were times I had to stop writing and go walk around the block a few times before I could continue, but I always felt it was a story that needed to be told, so I knew I'd finish it. And yes, I did have a way for her to realistically live at the end of the book. But out of respect for the seriousness of suicide, that couldn't happen.

Gzchealsea wrote: "I love thirteen reasons why and would like to know your opinion on suicide"
There is ALWAYS someone to talk to or ways to make things better. Those ways may not be easy or immediate, and it may feel like no one will understand, but everyone is worthy of help and everyone can get it. Unfortunately, suicide does happen, often because it doesn't feel like things will get better and it doesn't feel like anyone will understand. Because it does happen, I felt it was important to write about it in a very honest way. There was, and still is (though it's getting better), such a stigma around the issue that it can be hard to have an honest discussion about it. But that's the only way to deal with an issue like this.

Kayla wrote: "I read Thirteen Reasons Why and even though it was great, I couldn't help but think that Hannah Baker sounded almost unsympathetic at times. Was she a hard character to write?

Also, do you have any tips for a girl struggling to completely finish writing even a single story of her own? :)"
She was a very easy character to write because she felt so real the moment the concept for the book came to me. My job was to simply let her speak. And I agree, there are times when it can be very hard to sympathize with her. Writing the book, there were times where I became so frustrated or upset with her. But I didn't want her to be flawless because no one is flawless. I felt it was important for readers to notice where she could have done more to help herself, or where she contributed to making things more difficult for herself, because that's how life usually happens.
As far as finishing your story, don't be afraid to step away and work on other things. If that story needs to be told, you'll come back to it, maybe more inspired than you are now.

Julia wrote: "How long did it take you to write the books?"
It took about 3 years to write THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, but I was working on several other manuscripts at the same time. At one point, I didn't work on it for 6 months while I finished another project.
It took 8 months to write THE FUTURE OF US. Carolyn Mackler and I were using the upcoming birth of my first child as our deadline. As it happened, we turned in the manuscript the very day my wife went into labor!

I've known someone who has committed suicide and was wondering where you got the inspiration to write a story like that?

I loved the book, it actually changed my life. I always think now before saying something about someone and I try not to judge.. Guess I was a bit mean before, but now I'm very involved with anti-bullying causes and I like to help others. I was never a bully but I wasn't really nice either to some people. When you wrote this book, did you expect it to have this kind of impact in its readers?

I read the book Thirteen Reasons Why and it was very inspiring. I usually read books about murder and other tragic events, so someone recommended this book to me. Out of the several books I have read, this book is probably my favorite one. It really shows how one person can change someone's life. I just wanted to know what was your inspiration for writing this book? Was it a personal experience or did you just want to show a message to your readers? Thanks!
Thirteen Reasons Why

Emma wrote: "I've known someone who has committed suicide and was wondering where you got the inspiration to write a story like that?"
A close relative attempted suicide when she was Hannah's age. The character isn't based on her, but my understanding of the issude was definitely influenced by our discussions.