9/20/12

Interview with Erin Jade Lange




NRR: Hi Erin! Thank you for taking the time to join us and congrats on your new release BUTTER! Are there any aspects to writing Young Adult that you find challenging?

 

ERIN: Hi, thanks for having me! I would say the biggest challenge to writing for young adults is maintaining authenticity in voice and teenage experience. Teens have great B.S. detectors, and will call out anything phony or forced. That’s why I like them so much!

 

NRR: How difficult was it for you to write this story since it centers around such tough subjects as obesity and bullying?

 

ERIN: I definitely had to do my research about the health issues and physical traits of obesity, but I hope readers can substitute “too fat” with “too thin” or “too short” or anything else and see that, emotionally, the story is universal. As for the bullying, I had to work very hard to make sure the characters who might be perceived as “bad guys” were not one-dimensional. Having been bullied myself as a kid, it was very tempting to make those characters all-evil-all-the-time. But bullies are as complicated as anyone else. Everyone’s got a story.

 

NRR: What do you think is the most important thing Butter learns thru this story?

 

ERIN: I suppose that’s up to the reader, but for me, I think the biggest lesson he learns is about personal responsibility. You can blame other people for your problems, and you might even be right. But when it comes to fixing those problems, you have to count on yourself.

 

NRR: What are your top 3 reasons for writing BUTTER?

 

ERIN: #1 To get the story out of my head! It was one of those books that was just bursting to get on the page, and it needled my brain all the time. #2 To take a character who might be stereotyped or cast in a supporting role and show that he was complex and interesting enough to take the lead. #3 To entertain. Always. I think fiction should be entertaining.

 

NRR: What is one thing you want to caution readers to keep in mind before reading BUTTER?

ERIN: Many readers have commented on the lessons or messages in BUTTER, and if a reader walks away with that, wonderful. But I would caution readers – my only goal was to tell a good story.


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