Writing Wednesday: Chat with Jennifer Brown

Today’s Writing Wednesday segment is with Jennifer Brown, terrific Deb and author of Hate List (Little, Brown, September 2009). Despite deadlines and writing work galore, Jennifer had time to answer the questions below and then some. To find out more about Jennifer visit her at www.jenniferbrownya.com


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1. Prior to Hate List, you were known for your humorous writing style. Was shifting from humor to serious difficult for you?

Not really. I actually began by writing serious stuff. I didn’t start writing a humor column until 2005, and had already been writing for 5 years at that time. Humor comes naturally to me, and I haven’t left it, but I really like to write on serious subjects. Doing both is a win-win!

2. How did Hate List come to you?

I think a lot of things came together at just the right time for me. I’d been bullied in school, and that had certainly been on my mind for a lot of years (I’ve never really understood what makes some people be so mean for no real reason). Also, as a parent, school shootings really frighten me. It’s shocking and terrifying to find out that the one safe place in the world for you to send your kids may not be so safe anymore. So these things are percolating around in my brain for… years… and, you know, so much of writing is just very mysterious. Things just sort of come together all at once and you didn’t even know all the parts and pieces were there until you look back. So, in that light, looking back, the inciting event for bringing all those parts and pieces together for me — as strange as this sounds — was the Nickelback song, “If Everyone Cared.” The song got stuck in my head one night while I was sleeping, and I woke up with these two characters in my head. I could “see” them so clearly. And their story was just… there. But if I’m being honest, it had been there for a long time. I just finally recognized it.

3. I always find it interesting to know an author’s writing process. How do you work? Do you get your characters first, the story, something else?

I’m a very character-driven sort of writer so, yes, I make sure I have the characters understood first. I usually begin with a little research, and do a ton of thinking about plot. Once I feel I have the basic plot idea in my head, I begin writing (long-hand) everything I know about the main characters (and sometimes even minor ones). I start with police blotter stuff, like age, weight, height, etc., then move on to family dynamics, motivation, and so forth. It’s really important to me to know my characters through and through or they won’t start “speaking to me.” If they don’t start “speaking,” everything just falls apart. Orson Scott Card’s book Characters and Viewpoints changed my writing life! I highly recommend it.

After I get my character information down, I just begin writing. I’m not a big outliner and I despise writing synopses. I like to just have my basic plot in mind and go with it. And I really like for my characters to change the plot themselves.

4. I was not surprised that I felt sympathy for Valerie in Hate List. However, I was surprised that I felt sympathy for Nick and saw him as a boy, not just a murderer. Did you understand him from the beginning? Was the Nick that evolved—the many facets of him—how you envisioned him from the start?

I understood him from the beginning, yes, but I didn’t write the good Nick stuff down at first. It wasn’t until my editor told me that the reader couldn’t just “take Val’s word for it” that Nick was a good guy that it really clicked with me. I’d sort of been treating him like a corpse, while in Valerie’s head he was still very much alive. I realized that, for readers to understand not only him and his motivation, but also to understand Val and her motivation, we needed to see him just being… normal sometimes. After I wrote the good Nick scenes, those turned out to be some of my favorite scenes in the book.

5. I love that you like board games. What is your favorite one?

I’m lucky in that I have a brother who is a major gamer, and is always going to these gaming conventions and always knows/has these games nobody’s ever heard of. They can be really fun. My favorite game at the moment is a card game called Once Upon a Time, where you play cards to build fairy tales. It’s a lot of fun! But there’s a game called Betrayal at the House on the Hill that we’ve played tons of times, and it would rank up there for me. And I love love love the game Ticket to Ride.

6. I’m not into playlists, but seems everyone else is. Are you? Does music inspire your characters?

I don’t think music really inspires my characters, no. But I will hear songs while I’m writing, or will think of songs that will make me go, “Omigosh, my character totally could relate to this song!” And I did create a Hate List playlist for my virtual launch party (http://jenniferbrown09.livejournal.com/5043.html ). That said, I’m a huge music lover, and I do like to have music playing in the background while I’m writing. The trouble is, I like to sing along, so I have to play foreign music that I don’t understand so I won’t get distracted.

7. I saw you have a book, PATCHED, coming out Spring 2011. Can you tell us about it? And I know you’re working on an adult book as well. Different genres, different styles. Is it hard to shift voices? Where else do you see your writing going?

PATCHED is about a girl involved in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. I’m pretty superstitious about giving up too many details while I’m still working on a project, so I’ll leave it at that for now. Yes, I did just finish writing a light romantic adult story. It’s actually a story I began forever ago, before I started Hate List. And I’ve been adding little chapters here and there whenever I felt a need to lighten up. I want to say no, it’s not difficult to shift voices like that, but… well, we’ll see if this adult book sells. It may not be difficult to shift voices,  but that doesn’t mean I do it well… Hahaha! I actually really like to switch up genres, even if I don’t do them all well. It keeps me from getting too one-note, I think.

8. I really enjoyed your blog entry about introverts. Do you have a specific place you like to be alone or that fuels and reenergizes you?

I love libraries. I could live in a library. In fact, I think if I accidentally got locked in a library overnight, that would be the awesomest thing ever! When I want to work — and really get after it! — I go to the library. I can get away with ignoring my cell phone and sitting in a corner with my back to the room and not speaking to anyone for hours on end and it’s totally socially acceptable in a library! What’s not to love about that?!

9. Your book has been out almost four months now. Can you tell us a little about your debut year?

Ahh, the dreaded debut year! Um, scary? How about exhausting? Confusing? Exhilarating? Exciting? Touching? Very, very humbling? All of the above! One thing I’ve learned — no matter how long you’ve been doing this writing gig, you learn very quickly your debut year what a newbie you are! And the first month after your book’s release just flies by — it’s more work than you ever imagined possible!

10. What has been the best part of these debut months?

I’ve had some very touching moments this year that really reminded me why I do what I do, but two really stand out in my mind.

I have these silicone bracelets that say “AGENT OF CHANGE” on them, and I give them out to teens here and there. I usually give them out in twos — one for the student I’m giving it to, and the other for that student to give to someone who isn’t already their friend. I sent a bunch of these to a middle school group who was reading my book, and I later got a note from their teacher, thanking me and telling me that his students were currently working with administration to create their own “Agent of Change Club.” I thought that was awesome!

Another time, during a school visit and library event trip to another city, I got an impromptu request to visit an alternative school in the area. My schedule was full, but something told me that I really needed to make every effort to get to that school. So I did. And it turned out that I was the first and only author to EVER visit that school. And the students were so excited about it, after I left, they decided to create a student-led book group.

Makes me so proud to be part of that!




Flux Friday with A.S. King

Welcome to the first installment of Flux Friday—a segment on this blog that will have all things Flux. I am very excited to launch with A.S. King, author of the intriguing and thought-provoking THE DUST OF 100 DOGS (Flux, February 2009). Visit Amy’s website www.as-king.com for all your unanswered questions.

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1. DUST OF 100 DOGS is nearing its 1 year birthday. What has this first year of publication been like? Highs/lows? Surprises? And will you be throwing D100D a birthday bash, perhaps getting Saffron a small gift?

You know, I never thought of it that way before. But yes, the book is having its 1st birthday on February 1st, 2010. I probably won’t throw it a party or buy it a gift, but I may shout “Hooray!” at it and have a beer, now that you’ve reminded me.

The first year has been great. Highs were many, lows were few. I travelled a lot and met so many interesting people. I’d always wondered if my shy side would be able to handle public speaking and I seemed to do just fine. People laughed at my jokes, and I found that I quite like interaction with an audience. A bit of a surprise for a woman who lives in a virtual cave and rarely leaves it. Outside of that, it was a busy year—about a month after D100D came out, I sold my next book, and the month after that, I started writing the next one.

2. Has your writing process changed at all since this book has been published? I struggled trying to think of a book two idea and then once I had the idea, went through some kind of writing-induced paralysis before finally putting words on paper. Did you experience anything like this? If so, how did you get through it? If not, what’s your secret? 🙂

The Dust of 100 Dogs was written quite a while back, so by the time it was published, I’d written three or four more books. But I did go through an interesting short phase of what-the-hell-am-I-doing? right after the book sold, and that phase started my series called “The Writer’s Middle Finger.” If you’re a bit stuck going for number two, you need to read this. Once you read it, you will understand my secret. (Hint: Stretch it.)

3. I liked what you said in an interview about YA books—how the genre is open to interpretation, how it need not be pigeonholed as one specific thing. That said, I think a big theme in YA is the search for identity. In D100D, I felt Saffron struggled with this more than most characters—on a literal and metaphorical level. Did you see this as a large theme in the novel and something to explore/focus on or is it something that emerged as you were writing?

I think Saffron was most concerned with escape or the physical maturity required for her escape (turning eighteen and graduating high school.) I think escape is a major theme in the book for many characters. Her identity is a more intricate study than most characters, because she is, essentially, one hundred brains in one. On the more metaphorical side—aren’t we all? Aren’t we all an amalgam of our experiences mixed with others we’ve watched throughout our lives, and their experiences? Perhaps Saffron exists as a metaphor for all of this, then—identity, escape and maturity.

4. And, continuing my train of thought from question three…. Do you think Saffron creates a whole new self in the end, maybe a combo of both Saffron and Emer, or do you see her shedding both identities and just living her new life wherever it takes her?

I’ve always seen these two women as two different women. I mean, logically, Emer was born and died in the 17th century and Saffron was born in the US in 1972. They both had a different set of parents. But they were nothing alike. Saffron wasn’t out to kill everyone she saw. Sure, she thought about it because Emer’s experience was in her brain and she was a frustrated 300-year-old in a world full of pointless noise, but she didn’t do it. Even in the end, Saffron was out of her element when she had to defend herself on a basic level. She’d grown too much in three hundred years to act like Emer had once acted. But, to answer the question. Who can shed their own identity? Saffron is Saffron. Once the final page turns, her life is still her life. Her mother and father are who they are. Her memories are a mix—the same as when she was born. The only thing she truly shed was the curse of greed she was born with. And now, she has to get on with her life, like any of us would. Lucky for her, she found something more valuable in the process.

5. Flux editor, Brian Farrey, has said that he’d love to package your marketing skills and sell them. What are some marketing tips you can give authors?

I think it’s funny that someone like me can reach out as much as I do. I live in semi-seclusion as I have for a long time. I don’t have any money to throw around, and I have little kids to raise and feed, so my every minute isn’t here at the desk. When I was a kid, I dreamed about things like videophones and computer modems. And now, here they are—all sorts of gadgets and services to allow someone like me to spread the word about my book to more people than I can count. When you stop to think about it, the internet is a mind-blowingly amazing thing. I’m not so sure I’ve got great marketing skills, but I know I’m a complete geek, and this stuff just comes naturally to me.

If I had tips, they’d read like this. #1. Use the internet as much as you can. It’s free. #2. Be yourself and don’t do anything that you hate doing (even if it interferes with tip #1.) #3. Be real. The internet is not a billboard. #4. Be nice. Nice matters.

6. Your next book will not be published by Flux, although I’m certain it’s great anyway. 🙂 Can you tell us a little about it and what lies ahead for you?

My next book comes out with Knopf in October 2010. It’s called PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ and it’s about a girl who is trying to clear her dead (ex) best friend’s name. I’m about to unveil cover art any day now, so stay tuned. The next book is [presently] called EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and if you’d all cross your fingers for me, we’ll see if we can get that one to you the following year.

7. Anything you always wished an interviewer would ask you? We ask all these pesky business and writing questions but I bet you’re dying to tell us why you love fluffernutter sandwiches, right ?

You know, I do love Fluffernutter sandwiches. I love them so much, that when I was expecting my first baby, my parents sent me a care package containing a case of peanut butter and a case of marshmallow crème, which I couldn’t get in Ireland. (That’s 12 jars each.) But that wasn’t the question was it? Hmm. How about this: Hey Amy, how long after receiving that care package did it take you to get completely sick of Fluffernutter sandwiches? Answer: About six months. I still can’t eat them.



Writing When Life Happens

My son is two-and-a-half years old. He is also teething. If you’re familiar with toddler boys and/or teething, I can probably stop here and wait for your virtual hug. If you’re not, I’ll just say it’s been a rough week—partly because I had a plan.

Yep, I’m back into planning things, making lists, feeling accomplished when I can check things off my list, keeping a tally of all I have to do, yada, yada, yada. And this is all well and good when things go according to plan. When they don’t, the lists just become a false sense of security. That’s what happened this week.

First, the teething. That was a surprise in itself because I thought we were done with the worst of it. Apparently, the teeth feel differently. They’re not done partying and hurting my little guy. So, the nights were bad, which led to the days being bad, which did not help our will he/won’t he nap situation. Then, yesterday, those darn teeth were especially wicked and caused Little Guy to run a fever so I canceled my sitter and plans. Today, had a sitter but Hubby studying for exam and sitter can’t stay late so so much for my writing plans. Oh, and re nap situation—that was when I would write too, so that’s not been happening. And my little lists are sitting and mocking me—not intentionally, of course, because my lists are cute and sweet and mean no harm—and I have projects I need to finish (they may have long term deadlines but still), and I just want to write because it calms and makes things feel less chaotic.

This all got me thinking about how other people do it. All you people with lots of obligations besides writing, how do you get things done when life gets in the way? I love my family, love spending time with my son, but then I get a few weeks where I can’t seem to get anything done. I feel like other people find a way. Where? How? I know people who write when kids are asleep but if they don’t go to bed until later and still don’t sleep through the night, when do you do it? I’m not writing this to complain. Really. I just need some advice. Anything. One of the Tenners, Scott William Carter, just created something called  Games Writers Play. His first is to write 30 minutes or 500 words a day, whichever comes last. I think this is a start. That’s what I’ll do tonight. But what else? One thing I learned is that I need deadlines. Whether people read what I write or not, even having to report to them to acknowledge that I wrote, would work for me. Will you be the lucky one I rope in as my report-to person? Want to volunteer? 🙂

Tell me your ideas or advice. Do you just suck up the hard weeks and make up for the loss when things get better? I can do that, but have to learn not to feel guilty in the interim. And guilt is another entry altogether—guilt for not spending time with son to write, guilt for not writing enough, etc. I can bore you will all that another time.

Tenner Shout Out

Tomorrow, we’ll go back to our regularly scheduled programming (or kind of regular)–another installment of Writing Wednesday–but today I want to give a shout out to fellow Tenner, Jen Nadol. Her debut novel, THE MARK, came out today! So exciting! To learn more about the book, go here, and to enter Jen’s fantastic on-line launch party and contest (A LOT of prizes), go here. And if you haven’t gotten the book, go to a bookstore. Like now. 🙂

Yay, Jen! Congrats!


Weekly MEME

Rachel Simon, aka Intern Awesome, created the MEME below. And, because we are just too cute for words, we both answered the questions and posted them on our blogs the same day! I know! We’re wearing matching jumpers too. Check out Rachel’s here.

1. What was the first thing you wrote?

The first thing I remember writing was this story about a kidnapped girl. You can read more about this masterpiece in my Long Bio here.

2. What was the last thing you wrote?

Last night, I added three pages to my WIP.

3. Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I plan out a lot of the story in my head and then write a little summary. As I get more ideas, I’ll add them to my summary so I don’t forget them. But I don’t outline. I HATE outlines.

4. What is your favorite genre to write in?

Contemporary YA. I like calling it realistic fiction, though, as that’s what it was called when I was a teen. My favorite authors were Norma Klein and Norma Fox Mazer.

5. What is your favorite genre to read?

Realistic fiction, YA or adult.

6. Who is your favorite author? Why?

I like many but I have to go with the Normas from number 4. What they did for teen literature was invaluable. I think their style was beautiful and the themes groundbreaking.

7. What is/are your favorite book(s)?

There are so many, so I will list a few and then add when more pop into my head.

THE BOOK THIEF

DREAMLAND

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

JANE EYRE

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE

8. What is the hardest thing for you to write?

If we’re talking strictly genre, I’m going with fantasy, especially high concept fantasy.

9. Does music influence your writing?

Nope. In fact, and I’m probably in the minority, but listening to music while writing distracts me. Music does influence my characters, though. I like thinking about what they may be listening to.

10. Do you have a playlist for your current (or past) work, and what songs/artists are on it? If you do not, what *would* be on it?

I really should create one for my book, but I just don’t think in these terms when I write. I like music, I like songs and have favorite artists, but that’s about it.

Writing Wednesday: Meet Jay Asher


Today is Hump Day. Lots of people just call it Wednesday, but let’s admit we need something good to get us over this blah day in the middle of the week. Writing Wednesday is my little contribution to ending the midweek blahs. To kick it off, I have the fantastic Jay Asher, fellow ABLAer and author of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, to help me out.

But what can I ask this guy who’s been asked EVERYTHING? That’s not a hyperbole either. I did my best, and while some questions are repeaters (but who doesn’t want to hear about his writing process?), I threw in a few original ones (or such is my opinion; Jay may think otherwise) into the mix. And if you still have unanswered questions, check out www.thirteenreasonswhy.com and www.jayasher.blogspot.com.

 

 

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1. Since I am a child of the 1980s, I love that Hannah Baker leaves her instructions in a series of cassette tapes. How did you come up with this idea, and were you concerned that today’s teens may not be able to relate?


I had the idea to use cassettes as a storytelling device back when cassettes were a tad more up-to-date than they are now.  When I finally found the right story to tell with an audiotour structure, I did wonder whether cassettes were still appropriate.  I liked the visuals of Clay flipping the cassettes over and watching the spools wind the tape, but that wasn’t why I chose to stay with cassettes.  If I chose the most modern form of recording, the terminology used by my characters would be slightly outdated the moment the book was published (and get even more outdated as time went on).  So I used an older form of recording, cassette tapes, and had Clay wonder if he even has a way to play them: “No one listens to tapes anymore.”  My readers end up having the same reaction as my character, which keeps the story current.  In the end, outdated gadgets will always be outdated!


2. This is a great point, especially now when new technology and social networking sites seem to appear daily. Will referring to things such as texts, Twitter, IMs, etc. be something you’ll be mindful of in your books? Do you suggest authors work around this or just sprinkle these things into their novels with caution?


There are a lot of teen novels meant to be very of-the-moment.  Techno-speak, pop culture references, and slang can be found on every page.  And we need those books because there are plenty of readers who want those books.  If a certain type of technology is needed to further a scene, I’ll use it.  If my character needs to pull an iPhone 3GS out of her pocket, then she will.  But if I can get away with having her pull “a phone” out of her pocket, that’s what I’ll say because story is much more important to me than anything else.  In most cases, readers will fill in the details appropriately.  If I’ve done a good job establishing my character, the reader will visualize the exact type of phone my character would use, or what type of car she drives, or which musician she’s listening to, and my story gets to stay current a little longer.

3. Do you carry around a voice recorder or notebook to keep track of your ideas?


After writing THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, in which a girl records the reasons why she decided to take her life, I think the sight of me walking around while talking into a voice recorder might be kind of…creepy.  Almost any time I leave my house, I have a notebook with me.  I mostly jot down ideas so I can stop obsessing about them, but I rarely return to those notes.  I think if a line of dialogue or a plot twist is meant to be included in a story, it’ll naturally be there when I sit down to write that scene.  If I try to force an idea into a manuscript simply because I once thought that idea was really creative, it probably won’t fit naturally with what I’ve already written.

4. Can you describe your writing process?


I’m still trying to find a process.  The only time I’ve ever truly become stuck while writing is when I tried working from an outline.  My process, I suppose, is to write whatever I’m excited about.  If that means I’m bouncing between three manuscripts at a time, then at least I know that each page I write is coming from a creative place and not from an attitude of forcing something just for the sake of writing.

5. Was having your book out in the world all you anticipated? What surprised you—for better or worse—about the publication process and beyond?


On the positive side, my book has sold beyond what I thought I could even cross my fingers and hope for.  I thought it had the potential to be a somewhat underground word-of-mouth success, but then it became a completely aboveground word-of-mouth success, spending over a year on the New York Times bestsellers list, being released in dozens of countries, and even becoming a high school play.  I didn’t think any of those things would happen.  The book has also personally meant more to people than I expected.  I expected to get letters saying the book made my readers want to treat each other with more respect, but I also have people tell me they wouldn’t be here had they not stumbled upon my story.  I feel truly blessed to hear both of those sentiments about something I wrote.

At the same time, certain types of criticism have been much harder to deal with than I expected.  I truly don’t mind if someone criticizes my writing or storytelling skills, but when they say my book is inappropriate for teens, it drives me crazy.  When I first began hearing the “inappropriate” word, it hurt me personally.  But now, it just upsets me for the sake of my readers.  I might get an e-mail from a teenager saying my book made them want to be a better person, or inspired them to ask for help, or to reach out to a hurting friend, and that same day I’ll read a review from an adult saying my book is totally inappropriate for teenagers.  I’ve come to realize that most people who say “inappropriate” actually mean “makes me uncomfortable to think that these things actually happen…so stop talking about it!”

6. The idea of one event changing the course of others or being the catalyst of something greater is something that has always resonated with me. For this reason, Butterfly Effect, is one of my favorite movies. Can you expand on that theme in THIRTEEN REASONS WHY—how it came to you? For example, did you know as you were writing that everything began with that first kiss, or is this something that came to you somewhere halfway in the story?


I didn’t think too much about that theme before I began writing the book. When the original concept came to me, Hannah was just going to talk about a bunch of things that happened to her.  I did make the decision at some point that there shouldn’t be one huge event that everyone (my readers or the characters in the book) could point to and say, “That’s why she did it.”  Making it a bunch of smaller events, where one event not occurring could’ve changed everything, highlights that butterfly effect the best.  And I loved that movie, too!

7. I read something disturbing about you on MySpace. It says—gulp—that you don’t like onions. True? Sweet ones and green ones alike?


Well, I guess I just learned something disturbing about you.  You like onions?  Gross!  And I have to correct something you said.  There’s no such thing as sweet onions, that’s a term made up by the onion lobbyists.  There’s only one type of onion currently available on the market: nasty onions.

8. What tips can you give writers, in general, and debut authors?


For beginning writers, your work will improve dramatically when you join a critique group.  Plus, it feels good to know that you’re helping writers improve their craft at the very same time that they’re helping you.  For any writer, beginning or professional, it’s always important to think about suspense.  Any book, no matter what genre, will be more intriguing with a little suspense.  For debut authors, keep your eyes open for creative opportunities to promote your book.  A book club in Alabama did some very creative things with their discussion of my book, and I then promoted those same ideas to other book clubs around the country.  Book clubs have been a huge factor in the success of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY.


9. What is ahead for you? What are you working on now? Can you tell us without having to kill us?


Actually, no.


Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone Part II

After a few false starts I came up with the page below. Not perfect, but it got me interested in the voice and the story. So who knows? Maybe I’ll turn it into something one day. What did you write? Paste excerpt or link below!

Let me tell right off that what you know about werewolves is probably crap. We don’t howl at the moon—not involuntary anyway. There’s actually a family story that goes with this. And, according to my mom, the reason werewolves bay at the moon at all has to do with my great-great-grandfather Charlie (of course, he’s on mom’s side of the family; anything good is because of her side of the family). It’s a long and boring story and I might share it later, but if not, consider yourself lucky. Anyway, right, so we don’t howl at the moon. We don’t eat the heads of live chickens either. First of all, that’s just disgusting. I mean have you SEEN a chicken whose head gets chopped off? It has to be done just right or the poor thing flaps around all headless and bloody and gross. And second, why tear into live chickens and choke on those feathers and intestines when you can eat ones from the supermarket that have been cleaned and and degutted? Cooked is my preference, but if you like them clean but raw like my brother Jeffrey, knock yourself out. So how did that rumor even get started? According to my mom, the fault lies with Stella, my great-great-grandmother (can you guess whose side of the family?). I’ve heard this story a million times and the short of it is that poor Stella was trying to win a bet when she was a teen wolf, bit off the head of a live chicken, some gypsies saw it and years later here we are. According to dad, it went nothing like this. Yes, she bit off the head of a chicken but that’s because this was during the Great Depression and the family had no food and when she saw the chicken, she couldn’t help herself. I don’t know. Either way, I feel bad for Stella.

What else is a load of bull? Oh yeah. I saw the movie Teen Wolf when I was a kid. My parents thought it would help me see I wasn’t alone (but hello? Michael J. Fox is an ACTOR!). Anyway, at first he’s not too keen with people finding out he’s a wolf (wonder why), but then he turns into one during an important basketball game and his team loves him because he helps them win. OK. Sooo many things wrong here I don’t even know where to start. But let’s go with the obvious one. There is no way in hell—no matter how many games and trophies you win—that high school kids will think you’re uber cool and want to hang with you when they see you’re really a werewolf. Even if everyone claims to love one another and spends the days skipping and holding hands, ain’t going to happen. In fact, if you ARE in one of those kumbaya schools and turn into a werewolf during gym class, let me congratulate you because you will be solely responsible for changing that school’s image into a typical we-be-hatin’ high school.

So what is true? Well, we do have to keep our identity secret, for obvious reasons. The “change” does occur close to puberty (what a fun convo that was). And female werewolves are super beautiful. Ok, I threw that one in there. You caught me. Just wanted to make it easier for you to picture me. In truth, we’re as pretty or yak as the next kid, which really sucks because you would think that being a werewolf would come with some kind of advantage.