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January 23, 2008 11:10 AM

BEST OF 2007 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Laura Ruby

Laura Ruby's Good Girls wasn't just one of the best young adult books I read in 2007, it was one of the best books overall. I loved it, so I'm happy to introduce Laura to Trashionista readers...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A mysterious and humiliating digital photo threatens to destroy Audrey’s “good girl” image.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I have a perpetually chaotic office where I write surrounded by many, many books and a number of grumpy cats (my trusted advisors).  

Your favourite chick-lit book?

My all-time favorite is the original chick-lit book: Austen's Pride and Prejudice (though I'm also fond of Persuasion). I also loved Melissa Bank's The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing. Though I don't think her books qualify as chick-lit, I've been on a huge Kate Atkinson binge lately.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Elizabeth Bennett of P&P. It's her wit and generosity that make her beautiful. After the book was published, Jane Austen herself said, "I must confess that I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know."

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

The typical advice: read everything you can, write whenever you can. Dissect your favorite novels to learn how to plot, block scenes, write dialogue, etc. Read your work out loud as it will help you figure out whether dialogue rings true or not. Gather a group of trusted colleagues and start a writer's group in which you share your work in a supportive environment.

The not-so-typical advice: eavesdrop on the bus, listen in on the neighbors, copy down funny things your friends say and steal them for your work (though it's only polite to tell them you're doing so), put thinly-disguised versions of your worst ex-boyfriends in your stories and give them horrible weeping rashes and erectile dysfunction. To quote Isabel Allende, "Writing is about lying and about stealing." Also, it's about revenge. : )

What are you reading at the moment?

I'm reading The Scented Palace, a biography of Marie Antoinette's perfumer, Jean-Louis Fargeon, as well as McEwan's Atonement.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I've got a few things going on right now: a young adult novel about a high school girl who is accused of having an affair with a teacher, another young adult novel with a sci-fi twist, and a book for adults about three sisters dealing with their troubled relationship with their father.

Do you have a theme song?

Oh, I have a theme song for every mood. If I'm feeling angry and misunderstood, Girl Anachronism by the Dresden Dolls. Pensive and misunderstood, 32 Flavors by Ani DiFranco. Misunderstood and sick of it, Why Can't I Be You by The Cure.

Then there's the retro theme song: Rosemary Clooney's Mambo Italiano, the romantic theme song: Jesus, Etc. by Wilco, the goofily-defiant-and-cheerful-about-it theme song: Portions for Foxes by Rilo Kiley.  The list goes on and on.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been?

Q: Laura Ruby, how do you find time to write and lead such a glamorous life?

A: Well, it IS very hard to squeeze writing in between shuffling around in my jammies, talking to the cats, shopping for anti-frizz hair products, and watching endless cooking shows, but somehow I manage.

Thanks, Laura!

Came straight to this page? Visit www.trashionista.com for more female fiction news, reviews and interviews.

Posted by Keris on January 23, 2008 in American Authors, Interviews, Young Adult | Permalink

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