Funday Friday! Featuring.... Melissa Kantor!

Hey guys, I was just about to post a book review for Melissa Kantor's book, Girlfriend Material, and then I was like, Wait! It's Friday! So, instead of a review for her book, here is an interview with Melissa Kantor herself! Hope you guys enjoy!


1. Where do you get the ideas for your books?

"My books are often based on feelings I had when I was a teenager--so "Confessions of a Not It Girl" is about how it feels to have a friend who's WAY cooler than you are. And "If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?" comes from all the troubles I had with my stepmother when I was younger. I got seriously dumped in high school, and that's where the idea for "The Breakup Bible" came from. And I wanted to write about being one of those girls who guys don't like (or thinking you're one of those girls), which is how I got the plot for "Girlfriend Material." Basically almost none of the things that happen in my books happened to me, but I had most of the feelings that my characters have."

2. Have you always been good at writing/ wanted to be a writer?

"I always loved writing. When I was younger, I wanted to be a writer, but then I got excited about other things (politics, teaching), so I stopped writing fiction. When I came back to it, in my thirties, it was like being with an old friend you haven't seen in a long time."

3. If you could work with any other author, who would it be?

"Oh, wow, that is such a good question. I can't really imagine writing a book with another author (though the writers who do it say it's wonderful). I would love to work with Jane Austen. Can you imagine?"

4. Are there any parts of your books that are based on events in your own life?

"I have to say, the most popular guy in school NEVER wanted to go out with me (sigh). So while the emotional life of my books is very personal, the plots are all made up."

5. How long did it take to find an agent/publish your first book after finishing the manuscript?

"I had kind of a funny route to getting published. My long-time editor was a great friend from high school. I wrote "Confessions of a Not It Girl" after a dinner we had together, one where she said I should write a YA novel. So it all happened very fast."


6. What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

"I think people have all kinds of ways of fighting writer's block. One of the things I've found is that a problem on page 90 usually starts being a problem on page 9, only I don't notice it for a while. So I'm rarely able to fix a problem without going way back and finding its origins. Another thing I find really helpful is getting someone else to read what I've written. Often another set of eyes can see what I can't."

7. What's your favorite part of a book?

"The beginning and the end are always best for me. It's the middle that's a struggle!"


(Now for a couple fun questions)

8. Favorite song?

"Oh, I have the worst taste in music. I love really cheesy music from the seventies and eighties. Abba's an eternal favorite. And I love the Eurythmics "Right By Your Side." Definitely worth checking out."

9. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which book, movie, food, and person(s) would you take?

"I'd take my husband DEFINITELY. And my kids. And the A and E production of "Pride and Prejudice." And I'm totally embarrassed that I've never read "Ulysses," so I'd bring that and hopefully get through it!"

10. Five of your favorite things?
"Sex and the City (the show, not the movie)
Ben and Jerry's chubby hubby
My Blackberry
Old Navy pj bottoms
Nice Pens"


Okay guys, there you have it! I thought Melissa's interview was great! Thank you again Melissa for letting me interview you. And guys, next weekend I'll be having another contest and you'll have a chance to win a signed copy of Melissa Kantor's newest book, Invisible I. In Melissa's words, "Ivisible I is a really cool story about a girl who disappears and leaves her friends clues about where she is."
There's also a really awesome online community for this book that lets teenagers have the chance to have their writing and ideas be put into the upcoming Invisible I books! It's really cool. Hope you guys enjoyed today's post!