Ask Jay Asher & R.J. Palacio - October 23, 2012 discussion
Ask Jay and R.J.!
R.J. I'm a big fan of Wonder. It really influenced me to not judge a person from looks. But get to know them first. It has touched my heart and my mother's too. My question is, how do the "the other Auggies" think about your book? What are their opinions and feelings towards it?
R.J. - I just wanted to say thank you for your work. I'm the mother of six amazing children. Five of them have their own unique and wonderful ways of helping my 6th and youngest child to feel exceptionally loved even with all of his long list of special needs. Through your work I was able to (painfully at times) walk in their shoes for a little while. For the past four years, they have frequently set aside their needs for their brothers. They have waited patiently while I attended to his urgent needs, helped prepare his medications, moved him from bed to his wheelchair, and lifted his wheelchair to the van. The younger ones have had friends run in fear. But they have continued to love him and never failed to be there to help. It gave a voice to things they were feeling and made it okay to communicate what they haven't always been able to say.You got it so right in so many ways. Thank you!
I am a writer who loved both these books for all the reasons stated above. Society seems to condone or at least dismiss "bullies" in the public arena of sports and entertainment. That goes a long way toward encouraging the culture of bullying. Another is the idea that those who march to the beat of a different drum and "do their own thing" are weird. Individuality should be honored and celebrated, not ridiculed.
I love the book Wonder! It is so inspiring and true!How was it thought up? This book is amazing!
Hi, my name is Aaron. Jay Asher, I have read both of your absolutely fantastic books and I look forward to your next one. Can you give us any details about it? And, just to press my luck, can you give any details on the movie adaptations of Thirteen Reasons Why or The Future of Us?
Hi Jay. I just wanted to inform you that your novel, "13 Reasons Why", helped me make it through one of my most immense struggles in high school. Shortly after reading your novel (in a mere day), a close friend of mine comitted suicide. "Why?", was the only thing that I could think for weeks. Then, I remembered your novel and it occurred to me realize I will never know the reason or reasons why he did this. Thank you for helping me realize this. My only question is this: what pushed you to become a writer when there are so many others just like you pushing to achieve the same dream? Thank you :)
13 Reasons Why is one of my favorite books I have ever read. Every time I reread it I learn something new. How did this idea come to you? It also must have been a difficult book to write considering how controversial and overall saddening the topic is. Which of the 13 reasons was most challenging to write? Which was the easiest and why? I love how you pinpointed some of the stories so accurately to real highschool experiences. How has suicide affected your life? THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN AMAZING AUTHOR!
Hello, R.J. I'm in a book club made up of school and children's librarians (D.O.R.K.S.--Doddering Oldies Reading Kid's Stuff)and we wanted to know what inspired you to tell "Wonder" from multiple perspectives. Thank you for your time and wonderful story--we enjoyed it very much!
To both authors: can you comment on the editing process? How did you go about revising your work through the idea, rough drafts and final proof phases? What were some of the things you changed? How much influence did your editor/publisher have in the final copy of the novel? Do you believe that the published versions are perfect, or are there things you would change (or things you didn't want changed in the first place). Thank you for your time and willingness to connect with your readers!
Jay, if you had a choice to see into your future, would you try to change it or let it ride out?. By the way, congrats on the success of your books...Amazing reads!!!
Hello! I am in the 9th grade. I have read both 13 Reasons Why and The Future of Us. Thank you so much for writing such incredible and captivating books. As a teen, I feel that I can connect very easily to the characters of the two books. As an aspiring writer, I admire how you are able to embody the role of a teenager and accurately depict their daily lives.
Question: How were you able to be in the mindset of the characters? Did you have a specific writing process?
Hi, I'm Pao and I was wondering, how did you come out with the idea of hannah and all the things that happen to her? she's really complex and it seems like you never get to know her enough, do you know someone in that situation? or did the character just appear out of nowhere?
Hi! :) What kind of research did you do before writing The Future of Us?
Do you plan on writting any new books soon??
Hi R.J.
I have been reading Wonder with my book groups at the Public Library where I am Head of Children's Services. Thank you for such a fantastic story. One of my groups was wondering how the story would have been different if Julian had gone on the trip.
Some of the kids did not like reading the parts by Justin because of the grammatical errors. I was surprised by that since they admitted it is how they text and email. We liked talking about the different ways each of the characters felt "different" and would like to know which character you most relate to. We have also really liked hearing different points of view by the characters and realized that if we hadn't heard Jack's or Miranda's we probably wouldn't have like them very much.
I have been reading Wonder with my book groups at the Public Library where I am Head of Children's Services. Thank you for such a fantastic story. One of my groups was wondering how the story would have been different if Julian had gone on the trip.
Some of the kids did not like reading the parts by Justin because of the grammatical errors. I was surprised by that since they admitted it is how they text and email. We liked talking about the different ways each of the characters felt "different" and would like to know which character you most relate to. We have also really liked hearing different points of view by the characters and realized that if we hadn't heard Jack's or Miranda's we probably wouldn't have like them very much.
Hi Jay, I'm a sophmore in high school and I have read and loved all of your books so far. They are all perfect for my reading style. In the eighth grade I got bullied very badly and still deal with bullies everyday. I know lots of teenagers get bullied no matter who they are, and this book is a good story that goes to show no matter how pretty you are or no matter how rich or poor you are there is always those people who you would never guess would even get picked on, are getting bullied the worst. I was questioning sucicide for a very long time and this story truly inspired me. I just wanted to know what made you want to write this story? Was there an event in your life when you were younger, or older of course, that lead you to writing a book like this.
Hi, over the summer i read thirteen reasons why. i love the way you told the story, and i want to ask you, how did you come up with this book? i really liked it, and was surprised at the story, so i wanted to know where you got the idea from!!!!!! :)
Hello! I'm Pranshu and I really enjoyed 13 Reasons Why. It made me cry in parts and laugh in other parts. I think that great books should do exactly that. I have also read The Future of Us. I did enjoy it but the ending was kind of disappointing for me. I would have liked to end less abruptly than it did. So my question is, will you be writing a sequel to the book? I would like to see what happens to Josh and Emma in the future. Thank you for your time!!! :D
ello! I'm Abi from the Philippines :> Sir Jay Asher, I love your book, Thirteen Reasons Why. It's a book that's really close to me since I feel Hannah's pain. I can relate to her :"> I've become engrossed in that book that I bought Future of Us right after it was released here. I just want to ask, how do you get inspiration for your books?
Jay asher how did u get the idea to write 13 resasons why.
I am a middle school teacher. We read Wonder this summer as a "one book, one school" read. Today, we had all the students in grades 6-8 come up with questions for R. J. Palacio. Here are some of them:1. Will there be a sequel to Wonder?
2. What advice do you have for a 6th grader who wants to be an author?
3. Why was Justin in the story, and why was his chapter written without capitaliation or punctuation?
4. What was your reasoning for the title, Wonder?
5. When you saw the child at the ice cream shop who gave you inspiration for this book, how did you feel? Did you speak to him? What were some emotions you felt at that moment?
I might have more questions coming. Thanks so much for doing this! The children are really excited!
As a teenager, I've had to deal with bullying personally. Do you have any recommendations on how to deal with bullying? Also, do you have any advice for an aspiring journalist/author? Thank you for your time!
hey Jay i just wonder myself..[pun intended] what inspíred you to write Thirteen Reasons Why..and how did you came up with suck and incredible story!?...
Hey there Jay Asher...big fan. 13 Reasons Why bascially made me bawl like a baby. I just have two questions. 1. Are you doing NaNoWriMo? 2. What books are you reading right now? Thank you so much for your time! You're an amazing writer and such an inspriation to aspiring writers like me.
Hi!I read Thirteen Reasons Why (The Future of Us and Wonder are on my bookshelf) and it's one of my favorite books. I always think I read it in the right time...
I hope one day to become a writer, but I always have trouble with characters. My question is, how do you write characters that matter to the reader? How do you write empathetic characters? For example, Hannah in 13RW made a difficult choice, yet the reader cares for her despite not agreeing with her decision. How do you do that?
Thank you! And I really hope you both keep writing books in the future. You're an inspiration for many people around the world. Greets from Mexico!!!
I liked to know the inspiration behind Wonder by R.J. and is it based on a true story ?
R.J., I like the name :)
R.J., I like the name :)
Hello, Ms. Palacio,I've read (and reread) _Wonder_ several times and love it. As someone who is “different,” it is refreshing to see characters like Auggie in novels, especially when they are so well-written. I also wasn't familiar with Treacher-Collins syndrome, so I appreciated this brief introduction to it.
In the Q&A from the Random Acts of Reading blog that is on your website, when discussing Auggie’s condition, you noted that, “I decided not to get too specific about Auggie’s malady in the book, but in my head he has a severe form of Treacher-Collins syndrome complicated by some other unknown mysterious syndrome that makes his particular condition quite rare.”
I was curious to know why you chose for Auggie to have the “unknown mysterious syndrome” in addition to Treacher-Collins syndrome, rather than to imagine Auggie with just Treacher-Collins syndrome. Did you see potential benefits to the story you were able to tell?
Thank you! I'm looking forward to your next book.
hi, okay so i just feel in loved with the thirteen reasons why, it was such a good book and so... relatble witch got me wondering Jay Asher how you where able to write from this point of view and how you where able to be inspired to sort of antisapate and connect to the way life is for teenagers in the potions both Hannah and Clay find themself?
Hello, i read 13 reasons why when it first came out and it really taught me a big lesson on how EVERY single thing we do in our life affects SOMEBODY out there. because of what i learned i do little things like say hello to everyone and ask people who look kinda sad if they want to hang out after school. i wanted to thank you for teaching me such an important life skill. i was at school in physics and this girl looked really sad. not angry or hurt, just sad. so, i asked her if she wanted to hang out after school, she reluctantly agreed, like she thought i was kidding. i met with her after school and we instantly clicked, but she was still a little reserved. three years later she's my best friend, and, was told once she started trusting me that, she looked so sad that day because she felt alone. that she had nobody, and she was going to commit suicide that thursday! i was terrified. but she told me that it was because of me that she didn't, because she wanted to see if she still COULD make friends, and i am SO happy she gave me a chance. because i felt really special and relieved to hear i had that sort of impact on someone. so i wanted to say thank-you to YOU for teaching me that lesson, because i think it was the most important one i will ever learn. THANK-YOU!!! also, seeing as suicide is a rather consistent theme in the book i was wondering what your thought were on the suicide of amanda todd? thank-you SO MUCH for taking up your precious time for my thank-you.
Hi! I'm a fourth grade teacher and after reading Wonder this summer I knew that I just had to share it with my class. They already are quite into it. we just finished the first August section. The message in this book is fantastic and I hope that my students get as much out of it as I did. I loved the different points of view. Did you start out thinking you would set the book up this way? How did you choose the character for each section?
Hi, Mr. Asher! I have read your book Thirteen Reasons Why and I'm glad I did. It has changed my life and my view on things. I am looking forward to reading your new book. Cheers!P.S. I hope you can visit the Philippines. ^^
Hi :) My name's Arianna. I'm a college student from the Philippines. I'm a big fan of Jay Asher. And his book, "Thirteen Reasons Why" is one of the reasons why I got into reading books. I just wanted to ask, how did you get started as a writer? And what inspired you to publish your own book? :)
Hello Ms. Palacio, We are a fifth grade class from Massachusetts reading Wonder. We truly love it and it has helped us become model citizens within the school.
We have seven questions we wanted to ask. We have more but we don't want to take ALL of your time. Thanks in advance.
Did you add the word "wonder" to every chapter? (we noticed it in many)
Are you working on another book and will there be a sequal to Wonder?
Was it easy to blend all the pieces together?
Did you have a plan that helped you come up with all of the details?
What made you organize it into sections by character?
Were you sad when you were finished writing and Auggie was finished?
Do you still think about him?
Thank you so much. WE LOVE YOU AND WONDER!
Mrs. Olsen's Class
We are reading Wonder aloud in Mrs. Mueller's 4th grade reading class. Here are some questions at JF Burns Elem.we have:Why did you choose to write in first person for multiple characters?
Do you have a favorite character that you wrote?
Do you have plans for a sequel?
What inspired you to write Wonder?
Why is the book called Wonder?
Why is the cover and the design of the characters' faces designed the way the are?
How did you choose the characters that would narrate?
Thank you SO much for writing Wonder! We LOVE it!
Jay,I love your book The Future of Us, why did you decide to use Facebook as the medium for Emma to discover her actions now affect her life later? Also, will there be a sequel, or a book from Josh's perspective?
I just would like to say that you are both great authors and I can't wait to read more from the both of you. :)
We found in the book, Wonder, that by writing the book from different characters perceptive , we were able to understand the characters thoughts, actions and feelings with more clarity. Especially, Jack because we were puzzled with his actions. Why did you decide to write the book from different characters point of view?Ms. Ford 3B Reading Enrichment Class
Harrison Intermediate School
Wylie, Texas
While reading the book, Wonder, we were impressed with the way you wrote the book through different characters perceptive. This gave us a better insight into how the different characters felt, thought and reacted to the situations presented in the book. What gave you the inspiration to write the book, Wonder, in this format?Ms. Ford 5B Reading Enrichment Class
Harrison Intermediate School
Wylie, Texas
Question for RJ Palacio:As a young adult with a different Craniofacial condition, thank you for writing the first really good book I've ever read concerning a protagonist with a facial difference. If is much appreciated by the Craniofacial community.
I do have one question: Augie clearly has Treacher Collins syndrome, yet that is never explicitly said in the book. Can you elaborate on that choice? Thanks!
Good Morning!My name is Mrs. Bas and I teach 6th grade in CT. My students and I read WONDER and are inspired by you and Auggie's story. They have many, many questions for you. We've narrowed them down to just a few. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond! Mrs. Bas & her LA class in CT.
1. How long did it take you to write Auggie's story?
2. What inspired you to write this story?
3. Which character in WONDER do you feel you are most like?
4. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
5. Which part of WONDER are you most proud of?
6. Which part of WONDER was the most challenging?
7. Why did you choose to name the story WONDER?
8. Who was your favorite character to write about? and how did you come up with their names?
9. Why did Miranda have pink hair? not purple or blue?
10. Do you think the message you are trying to share (never judge a person on what they look like on the outside) is a message people should live by?
THANK YOU FOR WRITING AUGGIE'S STORY!
Mod
Every book I wrote and tried to get published before 13RW, I thought they'd have a HUGE number of readers. Well...um...none of those books ever sold. When I sold 13RW, I thought there would be a group of readers that it really connected with and that it would mean a lot to. But I thought it would be a small group (a thought that I wisely chose not to share with my publisher). When I found out so many people were reading it and reacting so positively to it, it was such a humbling and beautiful experience. When my editor called to say it was a New York Times bestseller, I broke down and cried. I just had no idea that many people were reading it and telling other readers that they should read it. And to know that so many of them completely understood what I was trying to say, that's the most an author can hope for.
Posy wrote: "I am a school librarian. Will you discuss the role of bullying in various cultures. Is bullying more acceptable, more problematic in one culture vs another? What about contrasting manifestation ..."
Hi. I can't really speak about bullying from a cultural perspective: it's not my area of expertise. As for reading playing a role: absolutely it can. If kids can learn how to be empathetic to the plight of others by walking in someone else's shoes through a book, then that's half the battle against bullying.
Suzanne wrote: "Hello! I am a sixth grade teacher, and my students have been studying the evolution of bullying. We would love to get your perspective on how bullying has changed over the years, particularly with..."Hi, again, I'm not an expert on bullying so I feel like I can't really speak about it from any kind of historical perspective. Thanks, RJP
Chlo wrote: "Hi! I'm a student in year 9 and I just wanted to know of give been bullied and if that inspired you? I'm a young writer and I've been bullied and witnessed bullying but I also want to point out tha..."There's a really simple way to answer all your questions and comments: just choose to be kind. It's how you want other people to treat you, so treat others like yo would want to be treated. Even if they're not like that, be the bigger person.
Gabrielle wrote: "Hi I'm Gabrielle. =)I love to read & write. I loved Wonder and Thirteen reasons why. Amazing, thoughtful books that both connet to me in at least one tiny way or another. ;)"
Hi, thanks so much. I loved 13 Reasons Why, too.
--RJP
Gabrielle wrote: "I'm a student and I have been bullied. Mostly by random peers but also by my closest friends. I know how difficult bullying can be and how it affects someone. I know what it feels like to think tha..."Hi Gabrielle,
Your differences will bless you someday. Just wait and see.
—RJP
Sudha wrote: "Are any of you planning to write any dystopian in the future? What are your current works or future works?"Hello, I love dystopian fiction, but I don't have any plans to write in that genre for right now.
Thanks,
RJP
Freefallen ~ YA Reviewer wrote: "Hello to you both! I'm Katie, and I'm an aspiring author.Jay - what was it like collaborating on a book? Was it difficult to agree on things? Do you have any ideas brewing for a maybe-sequel? And ..."
Hi Katie, thanks so much for your comment. I would love to see Wonder turned into a movie—but only if it's true to the book and the book's message, you know? Fingers crossed. Keep writing!
—RJP
Dana wrote: "Hi RJ - I am a parent of 2 younger kids. My brother was bullied because of a facial deformity that affected him until surgery in 8th grade. I wanted to know if your book came from life experiences?"Hi Dana,
The book was inspired by a brief encounter I had with a little girl who had a facial difference. Other than that, though, I don't have direct life experience with those issues other than meeting and talking to people who do. Wish your brother a big hello from me.
Thanks,
RJP
Ask Jay Asher & R.J. Palacio - October 23, 2012
Books mentioned in this topic
Wonder (other topics)Wonder (other topics)
Thirteen Reasons Why (other topics)
The Future of Us (other topics)
I'm a pre-service teacher, currently taking a Young Adult Literature course in college. Do you believe there should be an emphasis on YA Lit in the classroom, or is it to be reserved for independent reading? What do you believe students can gain by critically reading YA novels?
Thanks!