Your Questions Answered

How Do I Make Contact?

Question:
 
So there’s this guy I like and it’s possible he might like me. He’s in the year above and I like him so much. He keeps looking at me and I like melt. The thing is I never talk to him. How am I meant to talk to him and make a connection without making a complete fool of myself (I go red a lot)

Phyllis replied:
 
The fact that he keeps looking at you means he’s interested.  And you would probably help him out a lot by simply saying “Hi” the next time you pass in the hall, or your eyes meet.  Never mind that you get red.  If he’s shy, and sees your blushing as a signal you are shy too, it will just comfort him to know you feel the same way.  Can you not think of ANYthing to say to him?  Even the weather?  Something like, “Rain again, huh?”  Or “Nice shirt,” or “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”  What have you got to lose by being the one who starts a conversation?

Oops!

Question:  

I have loved the Alice books. Alice has been the loyal best friend I did not have in high school. I’m an adult now, but wish I had Alice when I was growing up. I cried when she got breast cancer and when her father died.

When Lester got married, she said Aunt Sally and Uncle Milt were unable to come because of Uncle Milt’s poor health (p. 136), yet when Alice visited Aunt Sally, she gave her a “framed photo of them with their daughter, Carol, that they probably never realized Dad had taken at Lester’s wedding … ” (p. 211). I felt confused because I though her aunt and uncle hadn’t been at the wedding.

Thank you for the Alice books! I look forward to reading your other novels.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
You found a mistake that neither I nor my editor nor the copy editor caught.  I guess I was feeling a little depressed when I wrote that.  Alice was feeling a little depressed that Christmas, right?  And whatever Alice was feeling, I was feeling.  Thanks for letting me know!!!

The Alice Bible

Question:

The Alice bible. OH MY GOD the Alice bible! This is a dream come true to nerdy 30-something fans like myself. (All this only after I’ve looked at the table of contents. IT LOOKS FANTASTIC!) I would pay money for this, seriously. Any chance of it getting published?

This is seriously the icing on the already amazing Alice cake. Thanks for everything that you have shared with us about Alice’s life.

Phyllis replied:

The copy editor is going to love your email.  I had suggested originally that the Alice Bible be something readers could purchase, but my editor thought it would be nice just to make it a gift to all the readers and let you download it yourselves for free. For new readers, wishing to see the Alice bible, click on “Just the Facts” in the masthead above.

Never Stop Writing

Question:
 
Hello. I read your Alice Series and I just can’t stop reading them! Once I start, I can’t stop! I have a question: How do you make your books so amazing, that when the reader begins, they’re just hooked to them? Bye! Please write back! My favorite book of yours would have to be Alice On Board, in the beginning when I can really feel how much work Alice and her friends have to do. My other favorite book you wrote, which I’m reading right now is Faith, Hope, and Ivy June. It really shows what it’s like to be an exchange student! Anyway, that’s all, but never stop writing books! It’s your real talent!

Phyllis replied:
 
I’m glad you feel writing is my real talent, because that’s the way I make my living!  I enjoyed writing about Ivy June as much as I enjoyed writing about Alice, though they are very different girls.

Writing Tips

Question:
 
Im a sophomore in high school, and I want to become a publishing author one day. I’ve read all four of your Alice books, and I’m now halfway through the fifth. You’re an amazing author!

I was just wondering if you had any tips for me. I have a hard time with characterization and plot. Also, I find it hard to keep my inspiration. Do you ever write something and then feel like it isn’t good enough?

Phyllis replied:
 
I think one of the most important tips I can give you is that to become an author, you need to want to write more than to become a published author.  It’s the writing itself that should give you satisfaction, even when it’s rough going.  Yes, I often feel that my writing isn’t “good enough,” and then I have to revise and rewrite, over and over, until it is very much better.  I guess you would need to read, read, read in order to become better at characterization and plot.  One of the things I suggest to get you going is to think about the most embarrassing time in your own life; the time when you were most sad; or angry; or shocked or surprised.  Then write a short paragraph about it, making it happen to someone else.  Change the beginning.  Change the ending.  Turn it over to your imagination and give it wings.  The very best writing starts inside the writer.

Message from Phyllis

The “Alice bible” that we used to keep track of every little piece of Alice’s life is now available for you to see: whatever fact you ever wanted to know–her first kiss, Lester’s girlfriends, Ben’s assistant manager at the Melody Inn–you will find at www.alicemckinley.com if you click on “Just the Facts” on the masthead. We’re sorry it took so long to get it up there for you to see, but we wanted to make sure the most recent information was included.  And then I’ve been up to my ears clearing my desk of all that’s accumulated while we worked on this final book.  I have many of your emails yet to answer and post on this website, and will get to them a few at a time.  Thank you for patience, and most of all, thank you for your loyalty all these years and the wonderful emails and letters you have sent.  I treasure them all.

Alice in German

Question:
 
I just finished the last book of the Alice series and felt the urge of writing you. To introduce myself:  I live in Germany. I started reading Alice books in 5th grade when a friend gave me the second one of the series (“Heute schon geküsst Alice” in German). I instantly fell in love with Alice and easily related to her. When I found out there were even more books to read, I was psyched! By the time I was reading the fifth book, my mom had started reading the series as well. Since we couldn’t wait for the books to be translated into German, my Mom decided to order books eight to twelve in English. She had studied in the U.S. for a few years, so the language was no problem for her at all. I, on the other hand, was only 13 years old and my language skills weren’t good enough to read whole books in English (not that I hadn’t tried, I was devestated when I realized I wasn’t able to read them). But since I loved Alice so much, I waited patiently for the books to be published in German. However, after the 12th book there was a exceptionally long time without a new Alice book and so I tried to read the English ones again (my mother was reading book 16 at the time) and was thrilled to discover that it wasn’t hard for me at all. I read all the books we had in the house, but then again we had to wait for the next one to come out. I must confess that I kind of forgot about them in my late teenage years (sorry about that). When I was around 18 my Mom went on a business trip to California and returned with five “new” Alice books. I remembered how much I had loved them and immediately started reading. Ever since I patiently waited for the next Alice book to be published and let me say, I was never disappointed by one of them. As I mentioned in the beginning, I just finished “Now I’ll Tell You Everything” and I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t stop crying, though, because I knew it was the last book ever. I enjoyed getting to know how Alice’s life turned out and loved every detail about it. I was thrilled to find out she and Patrick got to spend their lives together, I supposed it was just meant to be 😉
Let me say thank you for writing this series, it really touched me and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading!
 
Phyllis replied:
 
You must be one of my most dedicated fans!  I’m embarrassed to say that I can’t read any foreign language, and Latin doesn’t count.  I’m so happy that you were able to find all of them.  Please give your mom a hug from me.

Losing Myself in Books

Question:
 
I don’t exactly have a question. I have more of a thank you in mind. Alice changed me in a way that I can’t explain. I’ve always liked reading but it wasn’t until 6th grade when I read Starting With Alice that i became hooked on books. Whenever I read an Alice book I was transported to her world I could really picture myself there with her, and I had never had that experience with any other book. It was amazing. I become obsessed with the Alice series. I really am happy that i found that Alice shelf in my my school library that day. I would finish a book in a day or less. I read up to Intensely Alice and then my public library didn’t have the rest of the 3 books that I needed to finish. I was upset, but I found out that you were working on the last book and my hopes went up! I figured I would wait and buy the books then. I ordered the three books I needed and the very last on of the series on Monday. They got here Thursday and I just can’t open the cover of Alice In Charge but I will and I’m very excited yet sad. So all that comes to my mind to say is thank you. Thank you so such for letting me lose myself in books and to let escape my reality for just a bit and live in Alice’s world for a few hours. You brought happiness into my life when I truly needed and for that I will forever be thankful to you. I’m now in high school and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been this happy without the Alice series so again thank you and may many blessing come your way from the bottom of my heart.

Phyllis replied:

I know exactly what you mean about losing yourself in books.  I’ve done so many times.  Enjoy, enjoy!

Could Not have Been Better

Question:
 
I have been reading the Alice books since I was 12 years old I am about to turn 28 and I just finished the last one. Thank you for making me laugh and cry and remember my childhood. The ending could not have been better! It was perfect! Thanks again for giving me this bit of closer.

Phyllis replied:
 
I’m just delighted that you felt the ending was perfect.  Thank you for being an Alice fan all these years!

Books for a Delayed Flight

Question:
 
Dear Mrs Naylor, I have just finished “Now I’ll Tell you Everything”.  I first read “lovingly Alice” when I was going to buffalo New York on a plane in the fifth grade. I had just picked up a few Alice books at the library the day before. The plane was delayed because of a snowstorm, and then canceled. I had an extra six hours to spare because the next flight that we might be able to Catch was leaving in seven. I was in a hard plastic chair, engrossed in the details of periods, (this was a new phenomenon my mother had just explained to me) sex, oatmeal dying,( my cat had feline leukemia and had died) and Donald Sheavers. I then rapidly progressed up to Alice on the Outside in sixth grade, and then more. I knew get to say that in a way, Alice saved my life. I have always struggled with depression, and it got particularly bad in seventh grade, where I was having suicidal thoughts, and vicious panic attacks. But everything that I was dealing with, so had Alice and one of her friends. And I think that that is what kept me afloat. Knowing that I am not alone, and someone, even if fiction, understands what I was going through. Thank you for being there.

Phyllis replied:
 
I very much appreciate your letter.  Alice fans have “been there” for me a lot too, even though you didn’t know it.  When I had spinal surgery several years ago, there was always the thought that I may not be able to write the last few books, but every day I received letters telling me how much readers loved them, and this cheered me up and gave me confidence.  And then my husband died, and though it was not unexpected, it was a very sad time for me and my family, and some days, all I wanted to do was to read your emails.  It’s good to remember that no matter what thoughts we have–however awful or disgusting or terrifying–they aren’t unique to us: others have had them too, and that there is a world of difference between thinking about something and actually doing it. One of the truths I’ve discovered about life is that talking about something really helps take the sting out of it.  It may not solve a thing, but it helps get the anger or the hurt or the humiliation out, where we can examine it in the light of day.  The longer it’s inside, the more it hurts. I feel sure that your letter will be a comfort to someone else.