Author Interview Robin Friedman Robin Friedman lives and works in New Jersey, where she's a full-time newspaper editor, in addition to being an author. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer, children's book editor, and advertising copywriter. Her first book, HOW I SURVIVED MY SUMMER VACATION…AND LIVED TO WRITE THE STORY, is a humorous novel for tweens in its third printing; her second book, THE SILENT WITNESS: A TRUE STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR, is a nonfiction picture book for children. THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT is her third book. AF - Welcome and thank you for taking the time to let me interview you. Tell me about your latest book, THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT, a humorous YA novel. RF - It's about seventeen-year-old Reed Walton, who's never had a girlfriend, but whose life changes dramatically in his senior year. On the outside, Reed is the high school hottie, but on the inside, he's still the clueless dork with braces and thick glasses who's never been kissed. AF - What inspired you to write this book? RF - I'd never written anything for teens before, but every time I went to a conference or bookstore, I was struck by how vibrant, robust, and exciting the YA market seemed to be. I definitely wanted to be a part of it. AF - Can you tell us a little about your road to publication? RF - The writing part was a complete joy for me! It was thrilling and fun and exhilarating; I wrote the entire novel in two months. But, then, it took a year for THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT to be accepted, and another year for it to be published. AF - You work full time as a journalist in addition to being an author. Tell me a little about that. RF - I was a freelance writer at home for several years, but really missed being around people on a daily basis. Even though juggling these two careers can sometimes be stressful, it's the best arrangement for me. Being a journalist is actually a great counter-career to being a fiction author, because it puts you in touch with so many different kinds of people, situations, and experiences; forces you to write on a deadline; and gives you an intriguing window into the editing/design/printing/distribution process. AF - You were a children's book editor at Walker and Company, as well as an editor on the adult side at Hyperion, both in the 1990s. Tell me about that. RF - That's how I became an author. Up until that point, I'd always worked in journalism, because I thought that was the profession for people who liked writing. But, at Walker and Company and Hyperion, I discovered there were people who wrote and submitted book manuscripts to publishing houses. It was like boot camp, in a way, because I learned about publishing from the inside out and outside in. AF - THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT is being published by Walker and Company. Does that mean your current editor is your former boss? RF - Yes! We've kept in touch for more than ten years, and I'm thrilled and honored to be with her and Walker. AF - Do you think about your readers when you write a book? RF - Yes and no. I do consider the impact of certain scenes, as well as language and dialogue choices, but, mostly, when I write, I become totally transported into my own pretend world. I can get so engrossed in my writing that I literally forget to eat! AF - THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT features New Jersey quite prominently with little factoids, the state motto contest, and all sorts of funny statistics. Was that deliberate? RF - Definitely. For years, I didn't appreciate the Garden State, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how unfair I was being to New Jersey. I couldn't be a prouder Jersey Girl now. AF - What are some of your favorite things? RF - I love food (cooking it, baking it, and eating it). My favorite is Mexican. I also love anything made with chocolate, cheese, and potatoes (but not all together!) and pizza. I love gardening, cats, road trips, and coffee. AF - If you could say one thing to a new writer, what would it be? RF - Write because writing gives you the rush you can't get from anything else. Don't write to get published (or to be famous, or to make money, or to boost your ego), because, inevitably, you will be disappointed - and sometimes crushed - by those things. AF - When it comes to writing, what's next for you? RF - My next YA novel, PURGE, is about a seventeen-year-old boy who develops bulimia. It will be published by Flux in 2008. FINDING WONDER WOMAN, my next tween novel, is about a thirteen-year-old Israeli immigrant girl who learns the true meaning of fitting in. It will be published by Charlesbridge in 2010.