Ask the Author: K.A. Barson
Answered Questions (13)
K.A. Barson
I think I'd have to say Eleanor and Park. I love that they're real and they aren't perfect. Each has issues and they still like each other in spite of them.
K.A. Barson
Hi Monserrath!
I'm so glad you liked 45 POUNDS and would like to share it. I'd love for it to be translated into many languages, including Spanish. However, translation rights must be purchased from the publisher, and to the best of my knowledge, nobody has expressed interest in doing so. I'm sorry.
I'm so glad you liked 45 POUNDS and would like to share it. I'd love for it to be translated into many languages, including Spanish. However, translation rights must be purchased from the publisher, and to the best of my knowledge, nobody has expressed interest in doing so. I'm sorry.
K.A. Barson
Ah, Tony! I get more questions about him than anything else. In an early draft, Ann longed to reconnect with him, but he never answered her. To me, that felt real because 1. my brother was estranged from our family at the time and 2. sometimes in life we want relationships be stronger, but they just aren't, as was the case with me. (FYI: My brother is now in our lives, and things are good.)
Because of that, I imagine that things are good with Tony, too. In my new book CHARLOTTE CUTS IT OUT, which just came out April 5, Ann and Raynee from 45 POUNDS make a cameo appearance. They go into Charlotte's salon for pedicures and discuss Tony. (Spoiler: Tony comes home for Thanksgiving, and is in touch with the family again. He does still live out of town though.) I added that because I was getting reader questions about Tony while I was writing CHARLOTTE. :)
Since your class likes to predict what will happen in stories, I'd like to add that I believe that once a story is published, it no longer belongs to the author; it now belongs to readers. To me, that means that your opinion about what happens next is just as important as mine. What do YOU think happens?
The inspiration behind 45 POUNDS is partly from my own experience and partly from the experiences of my students and other teens I've met. I've struggled with weight and self-image all of my life, and I wanted to tell a story where a girl feels big and ugly and awkward, while those around her see how great she is. I think that's a pretty common thing. We need to stop judging ourselves so harshly because everyone is valuable and uniquely awesome.
Thanks for the question!
Kelly
Because of that, I imagine that things are good with Tony, too. In my new book CHARLOTTE CUTS IT OUT, which just came out April 5, Ann and Raynee from 45 POUNDS make a cameo appearance. They go into Charlotte's salon for pedicures and discuss Tony. (Spoiler: Tony comes home for Thanksgiving, and is in touch with the family again. He does still live out of town though.) I added that because I was getting reader questions about Tony while I was writing CHARLOTTE. :)
Since your class likes to predict what will happen in stories, I'd like to add that I believe that once a story is published, it no longer belongs to the author; it now belongs to readers. To me, that means that your opinion about what happens next is just as important as mine. What do YOU think happens?
The inspiration behind 45 POUNDS is partly from my own experience and partly from the experiences of my students and other teens I've met. I've struggled with weight and self-image all of my life, and I wanted to tell a story where a girl feels big and ugly and awkward, while those around her see how great she is. I think that's a pretty common thing. We need to stop judging ourselves so harshly because everyone is valuable and uniquely awesome.
Thanks for the question!
Kelly
K.A. Barson
Hi, Milly! First, thanks for reading 45 POUNDS! I'm so glad you liked it.
Yay for wanting to write! As a reader, you're off to a good start. I'm always leery of people who want to write, but say they don't read. I don't get that. But, anyway, my advice is to first read widely. Then start writing. Tell the stories of your heart. Tell the stories of those around you. I love watching strangers and imagining what their stories are. Imagine: Who are my characters? What do they want? What's keeping them from getting what they want? How do they react? Write as much as you can.
Then, you can take classes if you want. You can attend writing workshops. Read books about writing. There are lot of good ones out there. Some are about craft; others about publishing; others about inspiration and the artistic life. I have two book shelves full of "craft" books.
Find others who write and join a critique group. Other writers help A LOT! We often see things in each other's work that we'd never see in our own because we know what we meant to say. Beta readers only see what's on the page. Listen thoughtfully and revise. Revise is as much as writing as first drafts, actually more.
Keep at it. Don't give up.
Keep me posted, so I can add your books to my shelves someday.
Write on,
Kelly
Yay for wanting to write! As a reader, you're off to a good start. I'm always leery of people who want to write, but say they don't read. I don't get that. But, anyway, my advice is to first read widely. Then start writing. Tell the stories of your heart. Tell the stories of those around you. I love watching strangers and imagining what their stories are. Imagine: Who are my characters? What do they want? What's keeping them from getting what they want? How do they react? Write as much as you can.
Then, you can take classes if you want. You can attend writing workshops. Read books about writing. There are lot of good ones out there. Some are about craft; others about publishing; others about inspiration and the artistic life. I have two book shelves full of "craft" books.
Find others who write and join a critique group. Other writers help A LOT! We often see things in each other's work that we'd never see in our own because we know what we meant to say. Beta readers only see what's on the page. Listen thoughtfully and revise. Revise is as much as writing as first drafts, actually more.
Keep at it. Don't give up.
Keep me posted, so I can add your books to my shelves someday.
Write on,
Kelly
K.A. Barson
Sorry, there's no sequel planned. However, Ann and Raynee do make a cameo appearance in my next book, CHARLOTTE CUTS IT OUT, due out in spring 2016. Some of those questions are answered in that scene. Until then, though, I believe that a book belongs as much to the reader as the author. Whatever happens after the pages run out is open to interpretation. What do you think happens next?
K.A. Barson
Yes, I do. I've lived in Jackson, Michigan all my life, except for 6th grade, when my family briefly lived in Jackson, Mississippi. Even though most of the book is fiction, I have fun adding true Michigan references because I love my home state. I'm glad you noticed and liked them too.
K.A. Barson
I always liked writing and reading, but I hadn't thought of being an actual author as a real career. I didn't know anyone who did that. To me, authors were like rock stars or movie stars--they didn't feel like real people. In middle school and high school I wanted to be a preschool teacher because I really liked kids. That didn't happen, which was probably best. I ended up working in an office. It was a good job, but not a good fit for me. Then I had kids of my own. I homeschooled them, so I did end up teaching, which I still do, but now at the college level. I also started my own collection agency, which was ANOTHER bad fit. I was a horrible bill collector! I cared way more about the people and their stories than getting money from them. I dabbled in dog training and herbal remedies (for both dogs and humans). I spent a lot of time pondering what I wanted to "be". Eventually, I returned to writing and loved it. It took a while before I decided to pursue publishing my work though. Even after I did, it took a lot of time, work, and dedication to get there. I don't regret those bad fit jobs though. They helped me appreciate the right fit all the more.
K.A. Barson
Inspiration is an abstract, elusive thing. Sad situations inspire me the most, which is pretty sad in itself. The best stories are about broken people mending and carrying on. So I look for the people in sadness and pull stories from it.
K.A. Barson
Poorly. I get grumpy. I play on the Internet too much. I shop too much. I don't clean nearly enough. And I complain a lot. I'm happier when words are spewing onto pages.
K.A. Barson
I got the idea for my upcoming book (still untitled) from my daughter. The book is about a high school cosmetology student, and my daughter went to cos school while she was still in HS.
K.A. Barson
The next book is due out around fall 2015, so I have revisions on that to do. I also have two other projects in varying degrees of done-ness.
K.A. Barson
Read a lot, and read widely, not just your preferred genres. Also, be kind to yourself when what's in your head doesn't come out onto the page exactly like you thought the first time. Don't be afraid to start from scratch as many times as it takes. Stay hydrated.
K.A. Barson
I can work in my pajamas.
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