The Monday Muse: Interview with Lynn Messina

Today's Muse: Lynn Messina

Author of: Savvy Girl (review here)

------------------------------

Bookworm: Have you ever been an intern?

Lynn: I interned for three months after college at a publisher called Avalon; they do romances, mysteries and westerns. I got to read manuscripts and help decide if we should publish them. I submitted my first book--a mystery about a wedding dress--to them. I did it under a different name and passed it along to the editor with a note saying that it was a bit different from Avalon's usual thing but I liked it. Of course they didn't publish it.

Bookworm: What were you like as a teenager?

Lynn: Shy. Actually, I'm still pretty shy. Not especially popular or cool but I had a small group of friends that I really connected with.

Bookworm: Which Savvy Girl character can you relate to the most?

Lynn: Chrissy because I always go into things with her high expectations.

Bookworm: What was your favorite thing about writing Chrissy's story?

Lynn: I really enjoyed being back in the magazine setting. It's an environment I know well and find inspiring. My first published book was based at a fashion magazine and I thought I'd said everything I had to say about magazines but as soon as I started writing SG, I realized I had a ton of new observations to make.

Bookworm: Are you planning on writing a sequel to Savvy Girl? Why or why not?

Lynn: Hmm. The idea hadn't occurred to me. I think Chrissy's story ends at exactly the right place. But that's not to say that I wouldn't love to see how her career turns out. I'm sure there are a few misadventures in her future. It's something to think about.

Bookworm: What are you reading now?

Lynn: I'm reading The Air We Breathe by Andrea Barrett. So far it's a hushed, meandering story about tuberculosis patients at an upstate New York sanitarium. But the back copy mentions a terrible tragedy so I'm tense and ready for something awful to happen. This is why I should never read the back copy. I'm also reading Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles. It's about a ten-year-old girl who lives in a funeral home and has a really tough summer when her favorite aunt dies. It's for girls 8 to 12, but I'm thinking of writing a novel for that age group so I'm doing a little research.

Bookworm: Who are your favorite authors--YA and adult?

Lynn: My favorite YA author is Meg Cabot. I love The Princess Diaries. And I'm still a fan of Judy Blume. Some of my favorite adult authors are Dawn Powell, Lorrie Moore, Kate Atkinson, and Douglas Coupland.

Bookworm: What do you like most about writing novels for young adults?

Lynn: For me, there's a sense of freedom writing from a teen perspective. My characters can be more impulsive. 

------------------------

Thanks, Lynn! Click here to win Savvy Girl in my big birthday contest!