Interview with YA Author
Lara M. Zeises
by Debbi Michiko Florence
Lara M. Zeises is the author of three novels for young adults: Bringing Up the Bones (2002), an honor book for the 2001 Delacorte Press Prize Competition; Contents Under Pressure, which also served as her thesis project at Emerson College, where she earned her MFA in creative writing; and Anyone But You, which was released by Delacorte in November 2005. Kirkus Reviews calls the book “engaging” and says it has “pitch perfect narration.” Lara was awarded a 2005 Emerging Artist Fellowship in Literature-Fiction from the Delaware (state) Division of the Arts.
In addition to writing, Lara teaches part-time at the University of Delaware, where she received her BA in English-Journalism. She also facilitates creative writing workshops for both teens and adults.
Tell us a little about your journey to published author. Did you always want to be a writer?
You know, I get asked this question all of the time, and I never know what to say. I didn't always dream of being a novelist, but I've always loved to write. I used to write fake articles when I was in middle school that were in the style of Bop and Teen Beat — articles in which me and my friends were famous actresses and dated stars like the guys from New Kids on the Block. I wrote some bad poetry and some better plays, and I started a million short stories/novels in high school that I never finished. In college I wrote for the newspaper and thought I'd found my calling, but then I burned out quickly and decided I wanted to become a TV writer. That's originally why I went to get my MFA at Emerson, but I fell into adolescent novel writing early on and fell madly in love with it.
Your first YA novel, BRINGING UP THE BONES, won an honor award for the Delacorte Press Prize Competition for a First Young Adult Novel, in 2001. That must have been a heady experience! What prompted you to enter the contest? How did winning this honor affect your writing and your career?
Entering the contest seems like a rite of passage for aspiring teen novelists. But also, I'd sent query letters out on BONES in September and immediately had a request from a Big Important Editor at a Big Important House — and then in early December found out that I never heard back from her because she left that house for another Big Important House and didn't bother to tell me. So, I had just enough time to make the Delacorte deadline.
In terms of my writing career — the contest started it all! I sold CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE, my second novel, to Delacorte four months after they bought BONES. I sold two more titles based on proposals in April 2003. I continue to write for Delacorte and absolutely love working with my editor, the brilliant Jodi Keller (nee Kreitzman).
Your newest novel, ANYONE BUT YOU, explores family relationships, particularly between the two narrators, Seattle and Critter. Their relationship as siblings is complicated by the fact that since Seattle's father never married Critter's mother before he took off, they aren't even really step-siblings. Did you set out to explore family relationships when you started writing this story? What intrigues you about Seattle? About Critter?
To be completely honest, the earliest kernels of the story were about this torrid affair between almost step-siblings. But even as I was finishing the first draft, that didn't feel right to me. Their complicated feelings seemed spot on, but acting on them ... it just wasn't the heart of the story. For me, the heart was about this family that from the outside looked dysfunctional, but on the inside was stronger than most and certainly filled with love.
One of the reviewers commented on how Layla, Critter's mom, is almost too good to be true because she works all the time and doesn't feel bitterness for Sea's dad abandoning the family, but to me that was another key point. Layla is the kind of mother who loves her kids so much, she won't let her personal heartbreak affect her relationship with them. She feels it's her burden to deal with. She's too proud to press Frank (Sea's dad) for money, so she works. I know a lot of women who have that kind of pride. It doesn't make it right that they pay for the sins of the father, but I can understand that impulse. I have a hard time accepting help from anyone, even though I don't hesitate to offer it to someone else.
As for Sea and Critter ... one of the things that fascinates me most about them is their imperfection. When I first started working on ANYONE, my then-boyfriend asked me why everyone I wrote about was impossibly beautiful. So it got me thinking. Seattle has blue dreadlocks and chunky thighs and dresses like the skater she is. Critter is tall and scrawny and dresses kind of goofily and is obsessed with Rod Stewart, of all people. He has a hook up relationship with a girl who's clearly in love with him, and he falls for a girl who's clearly using him. These are characters who aren't always nice - not even to each other - yet they're still relatable (at least, I hope they are).
Seattle and Critter are not only siblings, but best friends. That summer, both Seattle and Critter must deal with some confusing emotions when Critter falls for a pretty lifeguard and Seattle meets up with a visiting skater-boy. Tell us a little about how you decided to approach their changing feelings.
Well, like I said, in the earliest stages they kind of hook up with each other, and are just using the other two as distractions. But as the story came into focus, I could see each of the characters more clearly. Sarah, Critter's pretty lifeguard, has a boyfriend who's away for the summer. I saw her attraction to Critter as a clear need for attention - he could've been anyone. Whereas Seattle's initial attraction to Scott, the visiting skater boy, is the direct result of her being pissed at Critter for dissing her in front of Sarah. But then he turns out to be this great guy, and suddenly she's scared to actually care for him, because the only constants in her life have been Critter, their brother Jesse, and mom Layla.
You wrote this book in alternating first person POV, using both Seattle and Critter as narrators. Was this always your intention? What made you decide to choose alternating first person POV?
It was partly selfish - me wanting to stretch myself as a writer and try different voices and structural formats. But also, to some degree they're both unreliable as narrators. Yet being able to see both POVs gives the reader a mostly accurate picture of what's going on.
You manage the alternating POVs superbly - the two characters have distinct voices and personalities. What were the challenges to writing in alternating POV?
Thanks! The hardest part was getting started on Critter's narrative. I'd never written in boy voice before, and my girl voices are SO distinctively girl that I was afraid I couldn't pull it off. I actually had guy friends read the first 15 to 20 pages and give me feedback, to make sure I wasn't writing a caricature of a boy, but a real boy.
You've written two other excellent YA novels (BRINGING UP THE BONES and CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE). How was writing ANYONE BUT YOU different? How was it similar?
The alternating POVs and unconventional structure were the obvious differences. But also, ANYONE was the first book I wrote outside of graduate school. It had a really rough first draft, but in doing the rewrites I finally learned how to love revision. Suddenly, I realized that most of writing IS rewriting. The other different thing was that I sold the book before it was written, so completing drafts and rewrites on time took on a whole new level of pressure.
In terms of similarities ... I kind of have the same process with every book I write, which is that I start with character, play the "What If?" game, think about it for a long time, and then start to write. Technically I had a "treatment" of ANYONE before I wrote the first draft, but I didn't stick to the outline at all. I'm a much more intuitive writer, feeling my way around in the dark.
Describe a "typical" work day.
Is there such a thing? Nine months out of the year, I teach three days a week. In between books I take time off - like at least two months - where I'm thinking about the next project and working things out in my head. Most of my routine tasks are publicity-oriented - answering e-mails, prepping for speaking engagements, updating my blog and website, etc.
What do you like to do when you're not writing/working?
I'm a big dork, so I spend a lot of time watching TV and crafting. I love watching decorating and craft shows. Right now my kitchen table is covered in craft supplies - I'm making Sculpy Christmas ornaments and styrofoam snow men and a pair of beaded candlesticks for my mom's best friend. I'm also a scrapbooker, though I haven't had much time to do it in the past couple of years. I just bought my first house at the end of September, and it has three bedrooms, one of which is my new craft room. So, I predict I'll be doing even more crafting in 2006.
What's the best thing about being a writer?
Connecting with readers. Knowing that they see something in my books that makes them feel less alone in the world. That, and getting paid to do what I love.
What's the most challenging thing about being a writer?
Oh, where do I start? Not having health insurance is a huge one. We really need a better guild to organize benefits. If you're not married, you're basically screwed. Also, I don't get a steady paycheck, other than my teaching gig. So, some months I can have a dozen speaking gigs and make $2k easily, and other months I'm not teaching and not speaking and have to rely on terrific budgeting skills to make sure everything's getting paid. That's actually a kind of good thing, though. I'm MUCH better with money now than I was when I had a steady corporate job. I have an IRA and a separate savings account that doesn't get touched in addition to a business checking account and a more fluid savings account where the bulk of my money goes. Then I cut myself "paychecks" around the first of the month to pay all the bills. (This is probably more than you wanted to know, right?)
The other really challenging thing is that your ego takes a beating on a near-daily basis. For instance, I really thought that ANYONE might be my breakout book. It's certainly the best thing I've written thus far. But reaction to it has been mixed. Nothing bad, but like Kirkus said it had "pitch-perfect narration" and then said, "Why should we care?" And SLJ called it "light" and PW hasn't even bothered to review it (yet). There hasn't been a lot of buzz, and even though it's early in the pub life of the book I feel really, really disappointed by the reception. This is after 18 months of waiting for it to come out, and hoping this would be the book that showed I had talent and staying power.
I'm probably going to kick myself in the ass for being this honest in print, but it's the truth.
What advice do you have for beginning/aspiring writers?
Grow thick skin. Read everything you can get your hands on. Be curious about people, both real and imaginary. Never give up, even when the bastards get you down.
What are you working on now? What can fans expect next?
I'm working on a book about a girl named Stella who's the daughter of two foodies. She gets a summer internship at a newspaper to get away from that lifestyle and ends up being asked to fill in for a food writer out on maternity leave. She also falls in love with an aspiring chef - something her mother has forbidden her to do. I'm still working on the first draft, and the focus of the story has shifted twice already, so who knows what it will be about when it ends up in print? (Fall 2007, most likely.)
Do you do school presentations? How can fans/teachers contact you?
Yes and I love them! I do school and library visits, virtual visits, and love to speak at all kinds of conferences. For information about the types of presentations I give, visit my website at www.zeisgeist.com and click on "events." Or, you can e-mail me at zeisgeist (at) aol (dot) com.
Interview © Copyright January, 2006 by Debbi Michiko Florence.
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