Your Questions Answered

Time Capsule?

Question:

I was wondering what Alice in Charge was going to be about. Do you have any other books that your going to write that our like the Alice series? What book was it when Alice did a time capsule?

Phyllis replied:

 

It’s really too soon to talk about “Alice in Charge.”  The only other series you might possibly like are the girls/versus/boys books, beginning with “The Boys Start the War,” though these are mostly for younger readers.  I’d have to go through the Alice books myself to find out when her class buried a time capsule, but it’s late at night, I’m really tired, and I have other emails to answer, so I’m hoping one of my faithful readers will write in and answer it for me.

Posted on: December 3, 2009

Female Masturbation

Question:

    I am a 13 year old girl, that masturbates every night, and I have heard of many guys who do this. In fact, in my school guys show off their ‘jack off muscles’ but I have never heard of a girl to do such a thing. One time, me and my girlfriends were talking about random stuff, and I brought masturbation up, and they seemed appalled at the idea that any female would do such a thing, so I didn’t say anything about me doing it… Not just a lot (Alice did it 3-5 days a week, and she thought that was a lot!) but I do it every single night. It helps me go to sleep, and I try to quit, but I can’t. So anyways, my question is: Is masturbation bad for girls, inappropriate, making them sex starved? ect. And am I the only 13 year old girl in the world that does such a thing. Thank you!  

Phyllis replied:

It’s a lot easier for boys to find their penis than for girls to discover their clitoris, and this is probably why boys discover masturbation early on.  I can assure you there is a huge, huge population of 13 year old girls who masturbate, as well as younger girls, older girls, grown-up girls and even grandmothers.  Some girls do, some girls don’t.  Some do it a lot, some do it once in a while.  Some girls have other ways to relax, and it doesn’t really matter.  I know it’s not a topic girls usually discuss, while guys can actually brag about it.  Maybe they feel it’s not feminine or something.   But it’s good for girls and women to know their own bodies better and what gives them pleasure.  This makes it easier for them to tell their male partners what works and what doesn’t.

Posted on: December 3, 2009

Sometimes I Get So Discouraged

Question:

     first off, your books are amazing. your books are what got me into reading when i was younger. ive read evey alice book, they’ve helped a lot. so thank you for writing them. now i have a question to ask you. when you first started writing did you have everything planned out, like very situation, every event? or did you keep changing your mind? also, did you get discouraged while writing or was it easy? does it get easier over time to write? im sorry i asked so many questions, but i want to write a book and even though my friends all give it a 9 out of 10 im not sure its good. i keep changing my ming a lot about the events taking place in the book and sometimes the whole situation too. sometimes i even get so discouraged i consider quitting. i just wanted to know if this is normal? thanks.this will be a great help

Phyllis replied:

 

First I need to ask you a question:  Are you actually writing a book, or are you talking over the plot with friends?   There’s a difference.  I never discuss a book with anyone until I’ve written a draft that is the best I can do at the time.  Then I let my husband read it, I may read it chapter by chapter to a critique group, and it’s only then that I let other people look at it, or hear it, and make comments.   When I first think of a new plot, I’m obviously very excited about it or I wouldn’t put in all the work it takes to write a book.  But if I talk about it to someone else, and she says, “Yeah, but didn’t somebody write a book like that two years ago?” or “Are you sure you want it to end that way?” or any other kind of criticism, it bursts my bubble and I’m not as excited about it any longer.  I need to keep thinking that it’s going to be a good book as long as I can, but once it’s down on paper, ALL of it, then I’m ready to accept criticism.  When I start a book, I know the plot, I know the characters, I know the climax, I know how it ends, and I know a number of major things that happen along the way.  But that’s all.  I don’t know all the little twists and turns, and it’s the things that surprise me while I’m writing that makes it fun.  Yes, sometimes I do get discouraged because it’s not going as well as I thought it would.  Then I put it away for a while and work on something else.  But it seems to keep playing around in the back of my mind, and eventually I get a new angle on the book that was giving me trouble, and go back to it feeling enthusiastic again.

Posted on: December 3, 2009

What’s It About?

Question:

 i lvoe your books! i cannot wait ofr Alcie in Xharge! Could you tell me whats it about? and how many more books in the alice series? i am 12 eyars old and have been reading alice for well 2 3 years

Phyllis replied:

 

Please don’t ask what the next book’s about.  It hasn’t even come back from the copy editor yet, and I’m sure there’s still work to be done on it.  There will be three more books after “Alice in Charge.”

Posted on: December 3, 2009

More Alice Movies?

Question:

I absolutley love your books and how you put such passion into the Alice books! You make life seem so simple especially looking at Alice’s view on things. She has it pretty hard sometimes. I had a question though, Do you think you’d make more movies of Alice? The first time I saw the Movie Alice, I didnt like it at all, because it seemed the characters of Alice, and Lester were from Disney channel, and Alice was grown to have strawberry blonde hair and The Alice character in the book didn’t match up to her. How come? And would you ever do a movie series of Alice? You’re a great author! I love your work!

Phyllis replied:

I didn’t make the first one.  “Alice Upside Down” was done by some movie producers who based it loosely on “The Agony of Alice.”  They had their own version of what the movie should be, and it’s good to remember that you need to view a movie and a book as two separate things, and judge a movie on how well it comes off as a film, not on how much it resembles the book.  There was a lot that was different in the movie, but there was a lot to like, too.  My job isn’t to make movies; it’s to write books.

Posted on: December 3, 2009

Need Advice

Question:
i have writen to you b4 and u have giving me some really good advice soo im hoping that u might be able to this time too.  There is this guy that i have too school with up until last year we never really talked, just like hi in the hall ways cuz he hung out with one of my friends alot. we will call my friend jill cuz she reminds me of jill and the guy patrick cuz. Well in august me and patrick talked like really talked for the first time about really random stuff and we found out that we had alot in common. fter we had been talking for about a week or soo he told me that he had something to tell me and since jill wuz my best friend that he thought that it wuz ok to tell me he said that in july jill had told him that she really liked him thinking that she would ask her out instead patrick told jill that he did not like her like that they still talked alot but he didnt relize till 2 months later that he really like her a lot and it wuz hard for him to go a day with out talkin to her he told her that he liked her and she got really mad at him and yelled at him for not liking her when she liked him they. it has now been 4 1/2 months since he told me that story and they havent talked since that day as far as  know my friend ship with him has really grown in this time and he has helped me get over a boyfriend loss that i could not get over and he got over jill well in the last week he has been really down and sad and i knew that something wuz wrong but i also know that he wouldnt want me 2 ask and that he would tell me if he needed help with wat was wrong well 2day i found out that jill is back cuz she wrong i love patrick in huge letters on facebook me and jill arent friends anymore not b/c of this but b/c i felt like i wuz always in her shadow and i feel like she is going to take 1 more thing from me patrick in the 4 1/2 months i have grown to like this guy more than i have ever liked any1 and it would kill me for her to take him away from me
Phyllis replied:
 
No, it won’t kill you.  It will hurt like anything if it turns out that this guy likes her more than he likes you, but it won’t kill you.  Also, if that happens, it’s not that she “took” anything from you.  If a boy really likes you the best, then he doesn’t let himself be taken.  And since it seems he was never completely your boyfriend in the first place, isn’t she free to like whomever she wants to?  This does hurt, I know.  I remember a guy I liked in high school who liked someone else better, and though he was friendly with me, I could tell he didn’t see it as a romantic thing.  I got over it.  Really.  So will you.
Posted on: December 2, 2009

What Year Was She Born?

Question:
Hey, I was just wondering what year Alice, Lester, her dad and Sylvia were all born. Also that of her friends.
Phyllis replied:
 
That’s a little hard to say, because Alice grows up only a third as fast as you do.  Sort of.  The first Alice book was published in 1985, I think, and she was around eleven then.  By that standard, she would be about 25 now.  But by the time she reached seventh or eighth grade, I began writing three books for every year of her life.  Each time I write a new book, I start off with the age she was in the last book, and if that book occurs during the spring of the year, then she has another birthday.  Go figure.
Posted on: December 2, 2009

How Much These Books Have Meant to Me

Question:

I just wanted to commend you on your excellent Alice series. I originally read them when I was in middle school/early high school – I think, it’s hard to remember :),  and I was always struck by their inspirational messages and especially how funny they were! I am re-reading them now, at age 23, just sentimentally, you know, and I just wanted to write you and tell you how much these books have meant to me. My little sister is going on nine and I can’t wait to give her this series. These books are so wonderful and perfect for any growing girl.

Phyllis replied:

 

I appreciate your email so much.  I hope your little sister enjoys the books as much as you have!

Posted on: December 2, 2009

Your Response Worried Me

Question:

I have been reading your responses to questions for about a year.  I appreciate the advice you give to all writers.  Your response to the Without a Condom email worried me, it seems like this was a teachable moment to get the writer go get some reliable birth control she is responsible for.  Although a condom is better than nothing, it certainly isn’t a fool proof method of birth control

Phyllis replied:

 

You’re absolutely right.  A nurse or doctor or Planned Parenthood would have good advice about birth control.  The question I printed was only part of a very long letter, most of which concerned the relationship with the boyfriend.  I had answered the reader personally, but chose a small part of her letter to post on the fan mail page.

Posted on: December 2, 2009

I Don’t Want My Parents to Read It

Question:
I’m thinking of becoming a writer so I thought you would be the perfect person to contact.I have a few questions, do you have any say in how the cover will look? I would, and do you get to write the summary on the back to give readers a preview of the book or does the editor do that? I also have a problem I really want to publish my books but I don’t want my parents to read it! I know it sounds stupid but in the book there is a lot of realtionship stuff and I don’t want them to tease me. But there is no way I can publish it without them reading it. Should I wait until i’m 18 to publish them?

 
 

Phyllis replied:

 

When new writers begin to be published, editors usually don’t let them have much, if any, say about the cover.  But if you establish a good sales record with a company and they publish more and more of your books, you will have more influence over the cover.  The editor writes what goes on the fly-leaf at the front of the book; the author generally writes what appears on the inside leaf at the back.  The publisher determines what will go on the very back of the book.  Regarding publishing your book, are you talking about self-publishing–paying to have it printed up yourself?  Because that costs thousands of dollars.  If you are considering sending your manuscript in to a publisher and having them pay you for it, I think I would first concentrate on writing the very best book that you can and getting it accepted.  Then it will be time to think about what you do or don’t want your parents to read.

Posted on: December 2, 2009

 

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