Ask the Author: Judy Blume
Answered Questions (11)
Judy Blume
You did right! I hate separating books for boys and books for girls.
Judy Blume
Don't listen to them. I got it all the time - "What makes you think you can write?" So I stopped telling the neighbors I was writing. I found encouragement in a class. Maybe there's a group you can join. But the most important thing is to just keep writing. And determination.
Judy Blume
I've put together a playlist. You can find it at judyblume.com/unlikely.
Judy Blume
I loved doing the research. For four months that's all I did. I was like a detective trying to uncover the truth. This is a blend of truth (the crashes) and fiction (the families telling their own stories). I'm not a character. But I was a 14 year old as this story played out in our community. I think I had buried my memories for a very long time.
Judy Blume
I fell in love with books as a little kid at the library. I've never lost that feeling of walking into a library and thinking of all those books, all those authors, all that information. It's always a thrill. I played "librarian" when I was young. Years later, my daughter did, too. She's a great reader.
Judy Blume
Characters come first, usually with a situation. I keep a notebook (my security notebook) before I actually start to write the book, jotting down everything in no special order. Details and more details. This helps me know something about my characters but when it comes down to it, I go with the flow. The best moments come when I least expect them and surprise me. Those surprises are the best part of writing for me.
Judy Blume
I don't. There's no way to stay up to date. Everything changes so fast. But your characters -- what's inside them - that's what it's about for me.
Judy Blume
Whatever and whoever appeals to you.
Judy Blume
It would be a toss up between Summer Sisters and In The Unlikely Event. In the Unlikely Event took five years including four months of research before I started. Summer Sisters took three years. I almost gave up on that one. I wasn't going to give up on In The Unlikely Event. I sometimes feel it's the book I was born to write (dramatic but true). Both are complicated and have many voices but in In the Unlikely Event I wanted to know these characters in a way that was different from Summer Sisters. Summer Sisters was so painful for me. In the Unlikely Event has been incredibly hard but (aside from the pain of the story itself) it's been an interesting story to tell.
Judy Blume
I can't choose. Also, I don't like categories or labeling.
Judy Blume
That's a hard question. You're with the kids all day, right? Listen, observe, read what they're reading, watch what they're watching. Talk to other teachers. Talk with the kids-small groups or individually. Try to be non judgmental. What are their lives like out of school? It's hard to win their trust. My fav English teacher in high school liked us, enjoyed us, and we knew it. We worked hard because we wanted to please him. Not saying it's easy. There's a lot going on today. I doubt if I could do it. Find a mentor. Someone who has that rapport with the kids.
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