Susane’s Comments (group member since Apr 15, 2011)

Susane’s comments from the Q&A with Susane Colasanti group.

Aileen wrote: "How did you think or the character John?"

John is one of my fave characters ever! He's so unique and quirky. The thing is, I have no idea where he came from. John just busted into the story as I was writing it and kind of took over. I don't know anyone like John in real life. But I wish I did - he's remarkable in so many ways.

VINOD wrote: "Is there any question limit???
just tell me, do u want to be an writer from your teenage?
As i have visited your website it says that you had decided to be an science teacher & u did it also. The..."

There's no question limit, but this group does end tomorrow!

The whole thing about being a teacher and then later becoming an author is a good example of how we can be more than one thing. I knew I wanted to be a science teacher when I was 12. When I was around 16, I started thinking about writing a book for teens. But I had already decided to be a teacher. So writing wasn't something I planned on as a career. I didn't get the memo that you could do more than one thing. Teaching and writing are two things that I love (along with personal organization, interior design, and cupcakes). I'm extremely fortunate that I've been able to have two careers I absolutely adore.

VINOD wrote: "Susane wrote: "VINOD wrote: "Hello Susane, i'm grad student, love to write but not written any story,just write on my experiences or just how i enjoyed my time or any incidents...
Just tell me is..."

Yes, by reading a LOT of novels! And other types of books as well - you should be reading as much as possible. Reading not only helps you to develop a sense of story flow, but by reading every day you will pick up grammar/spelling/structure skills. That basic skill set is an essential part of writing.

Roshini wrote: "How do you know how much is too much when it comes to describing characters, places, emotions etc? I feel like I don't provide enough description, but at the same time I don't want it to feel like ..."

How much description to include depends on your own preferences. I don't like extensive descriptions, so I try to use the least amount of words to convey the most meaning. As long as your readers can clearly picture your characters and settings in their minds, I believe that's enough description. I'm always eager to get to the interesting parts of the story - dialogue and action!

VINOD wrote: "Hello Susane, i'm grad student, love to write but not written any story,just write on my experiences or just how i enjoyed my time or any incidents...
Just tell me is that any thing that i have t..."

What you're doing is awesome. By essentially keeping a journal, you are sharpening your craft and exploring your talents. I kept journals all through junior high, high school, college, and grad school. I believe my journal writing helped my novel writing a lot. Keep it up. When you're ready to write that novel, the story will present itself to you. It might appear as a character or an idea or maybe even just a feeling. But when it happens, you'll know it's time to travel down that road.

Lindsey wrote: "Hello Susane! You visited my school today (Souderton) and I truly enjoyed hearing what you had to say. It truly was inspiring and helpful! I think I'll spend most of the weekend reading So Much Clo..."

Visiting your school was so much fun! Thanks for being a friendly neighbor.

When I first started writing with the objective of publishing a teen novel one day, I also wrote fanfiction for the same reason. It was a sequel to The Outsiders, it was horrible, and I'm relieved I tore that notebook up!

I think that all of the characters we create are based on actual people to some degree. It's good practice to do what you're doing until new characters present themselves to you. I find that the more I work on a story, the more details my characters reveal about themselves. That said, you do need a strong sense of your characters from the beginning of your story. When you feel passionate about writing a new story with a plot so exciting you just can't get it out of your head, I have a feeling it will come with characters you can expand into your own. It's all about using your imagination...you can create anyone! But in order to do that believably, you have to be inspired by the story. My advice is to keep writing and eventually you'll know how to expand your characters into unique people. Best of luck to you!

Krystal wrote: "^I love it when an author includes his/her experiences in the novel."

Me, too! I think it's an excellent way to make the story feel as realistic as possible, which I'm always trying to do. So Much Closer was inspired by lots of actual experiences.

Anne wrote: "Oh that would be awesome! I'll keep an eye out :-) BTW I read So Much Closer today. Loved it! "

Thanks! And dude, my Chicago event has been confirmed! I'll be at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville on June 13 at 7:00. Hope to see you there :D

Roshini wrote: "Hi Susane,

I have aspirations of writing YA, so I was wondering, do you always have the whole story mapped out in your head before you start? I have some ideas, but am not sure where they're hea..."

It's okay not to know where the story will take you if you're cool about going with the flow. There's no one right way to write. Since I'm an organization freak, I need to know how the story is starting and ending, plus some key scenes along the way. But my chapter outline changes as I write. Discovering the story while you're writing it is part of the adventure.

Anne wrote: "I'm Anne.

1) I am addicted to Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries.
2) I love to travel and have been to 7 different countries so far :-)
3) My favorite thing to do is grab a Mocha Frappuccin..."

Oh hey, Anne! It's good to hear from you! I actually might be doing an event in Chicago next month. Please keep checking my blog/website for deets.

Jude wrote: "So you just knew.... How did you find the courage to follow your gut instead of quitting? I've had a feeling on different things and it's hard! to just go with it and with the risk on failing... how did you managed that?"

You're right, it's REALLY hard to overcome that fear. When it comes to following your heart, I think fear is an indicator of important risks. The times when fear has threatened to hold me back and I found the courage to move ahead anyway have led to the most amazing accomplishments of my life. When your drive is so strong that you feel you have to achieve a goal no matter what, you'll find the strength to overcome your fear. The wanting makes the fear less scary.

Tricia wrote: "Hey, Susane!

I'll take any chance I can to get insight from your wonderful writing brain, so here it goes!

Do you have any tips on how to write better dialogue? I feel like my dialogue is so flat..."

The best dialogue is the kind that feels so real it's almost familiar, like you've heard it somewhere before. To achieve that effortless, authentic sound, I recommend spying. We're talking Harriet the Spy style. Bust out your spy notebook (or general writing notebook) and record bits of dialogue you find intriguing. Let real-world dialogue be your inspiration.

I find that it's a good idea to know where you'd like your story to begin and end. I also have an idea of what a few key scenes will look like in between. But my chapter outline is constantly changing as I write. Unexpected changes are part of the process. My favorite thing is when characters take over as I'm writing. I'll be writing what I wanted them to do and suddenly one of them will do something completely unexpected. That's a wild ride! The key is to go with the flow and let the story naturally evolve.

Anne wrote: "Of all your books, which one is your favorite/means the most to you? *cant wait to read So Much Closer!!*"

Thanks! This is a hard question to answer. I think When It Happens is the most special to me. First books are usually inspired by the author's own experiences. That's totally true for When It Happens. Sara's story was my own in a lot of ways. That first book gave me a chance to pour out all of the emotions and experiences and quirky details I'd been storing up for so long. Which is probably why the first draft was about 100 pages longer than the final manuscript ;)

Jude wrote: "WOW that was a lot of time! so that means you had a few rejections? How did you handle them? O.O and how did you finally landed the right publisher?? ... is there a limit of questions here ^^?? "

Absolutely no question limit here, Jude! Party on.

My first manuscript was rejected by several publishers. Rejection is part of every writer's journey and even though it sucks, you can't let rejection faze you. I was determined to have my book published, I had a Knowing it would be published, and nothing was going to stop me.

Fortunately, an editor at Penguin liked my manuscript and wanted to work with me. My publisher didn't offer me a contract right away, though. That first draft needed a LOT of work. Over 100 pages were deleted. About the same amount of new pages were written. After two years of revisions, Penguin gave me my first contract. I don't have to tell you how psyched I was that day! Of course I celebrated with a cupcake.

Asia wrote: "Thank you for replying. And what age did you start writing?"

Reading and writing have been a major part of my life since I was little. I wrote my first short story in first or second grade. It was called "The Carrot and the Rabbit." You can read about it here (scroll all the way down): http://www.susanecolasanti.com/qanda....

Lauren wrote: "Are there any characters you based off of real people?"

Yes. Tatyana from Take Me There was inspired by a student of mine. She designs her own tees and is an outstanding spoken word artist. The poem that Tatyana reads in the book was actually written by the real Taty! Tobey from When It Happens was inspired by a real boy I knew in high school. So for those of you wondering if boys like Tobey exist, they totally do :)

Asia wrote: "I love to write stories.How do you feel when you public your books? And what does it take to public a book at a young age?"

Seeing When It Happens in bookstores was amazing. I didn't feel like a real author until I was holding that first book. Having a book published is always an incredible experience. I cannot tell you how excited I am for So Much Closer!

Getting published as a teen writer is difficult. There are so many aspects of an author's job - not only being able to write a good book and having the maturity to take harsh criticism, make revisions, and meet deadlines - but scheduling time for online publicity, responding to requests for extra work from your publisher, and handling the promotion of your book. I just think doing all of that on top of academic responsibilities is enormous pressure. Furthermore, the best stories are told from drawing on life experience. I'm relieved that my books weren't published when I was younger because they wouldn't have incorporated the insight I've gained. That said, if your goal is to be an author then you should write the book that's in your heart. Keep moving towards your goal and never give up!

Asia wrote: "Why did you start writing? I love your books!!!!"

Thank you, friendly neighbor :)

I felt really alone as a teen. Books were always able to make me feel better when nothing else could. I wanted to write books that would help other teens feel less alone the way my favorite books helped me. Writing is my way of reaching out.

Lauren wrote: "I'm not a writer but I'm curious...

Do you have another job or work part time for something or someone else?"

No, I've been a full-time author for four years now. I think it's hilarious to talk about my boss as if she's another person (I'm corny like that). And since I'm a huge fan of The Office, I have Michael Scott's World's Best Boss mug and keychain.

"Have you been tempted to try and write outside of your usual genre (ex. Paranormal Romance)? For some reason I see a couple of authors trying to do that."

I like writing realistic fiction with a focus on soul mates. Soul mates are fascinating! I can't imagine ever switching gears in that way. But I have to write the story that's in my heart. So I'm open to writing any story that speaks to me intensely.

"Do you write in a notebook or immediately on a computer?"

My sexy iMac and I are exclusive.

"Did you get rejections for stories you wrote or thought or writing?"

Fortunately, all of the manuscripts I've submitted have been published. When It Happens was rejected by several publishers before it found a home, though. Rejection is part of every author's journey. The most important thing is to never give up.

"How much time (approx.) do you spend on your stories?"

It takes about three months to write a first draft. Then I revise the draft a few times before submitting it to my editor. Including revisions and the rest of the pre-publication process, it takes about seven months from the time my manuscript is submitted until it's finalized.

Lisa wrote: "How did you get started as an author? I hope to some day be one too, so this Q&A is great!"

When I was 12, I knew I was going to be a science teacher. I wasn't planning to become a full-time author. I did start thinking about writing a book for children or teens a few years later, but the plan was always to teach.

The idea for When It Happens began taking shape when I left for college. Like a lot of first books, When It Happens was strongly inspired by my own experiences. I kept thinking about writing it...but college was crazy busy! So was grad school. But I felt so passionate about the story that I had to start writing it.

I'm driven by the desire to reach out to teens and help them feel less alone. Leaving teaching to become an author wasn't an easy choice, but now I'm reaching more teens through my books. So it's all good :)