Your Questions Answered

Alice Books in South Africa

Question:

I read and re-read the Alice book when I was a little girl / teenager. I am desperately trying to locate the full series for my 12 year old sister. However, bookshops have so far not yielded anything.I live in Johannesburg, South Africa. Is there another way I can get these books? Amazon no longer delivers to SA.

Phyllis replied:

I’m sorry you’re having such trouble locating the books.  If the bookstores in South Africa will not special-order the books for you from the publisher, I  think the best thing for you to do is to write to the publisher yourself and tell them the titles of the books you want to purchase.  Perhaps you can buy them directly that way.  I’ve forwarded your email to my editor and asked her to forward it to the sales department.  I’m hoping someone will work out a way for you to get the books for your sister.

When to Use First Person in Writing

Question:

       Your books are amazing. But you don’t need me to tell you that. I have learned so much from your books, they have inspired me to write. I love to write. The problem is i get bored of writing in the same perspective so i was considering 3rd perspective. But I feel like I am losing the story. I tried it and I kind of like it. However, it doesn’t feel right. So my question is when you started writing did you know right away what perspective to use? Also, do you write everyday?  

Phyllis replied:

Yes, I write every day unless there’s something more urgent I just must do.  But I make time most days.  Sometimes writers have to try writing a page in first person, then third person, to see what suits.  Some stories–the Alice books, for example–seem to work best told in the first person, with Alice doing the talking.  Other books follow the same character on every page–everything is seen through his eyes–but the narrator is telling the story, not the character.  And some books follow all the characters, telling what is happening to one of them on one page, then switching to another place or time and showing what is happening to another set of characters.  Sometimes it takes a lot of experience to figure out just what is best for the type of story you want to tell.

Is Eleven too Young for Depression?

Question:

Hi Phyllis! I love the alice series! I was wondering if maybe you could help me with a problem? I have tons of friends but i think maybe they don’t really like me. I write to my best friend and I have a counselor and I try talking to my parents and I’m involved in all that after-school junk people are always talking about, but I kind of feel a littel depressed. Is 11 too young for depression? What should I do?

Phyllis replied:

Children can feel sad and depressed as well as adults, but rather than try to put a label on it, it’s also helpful to know that your anxiety about whether or not your friends really like you is quite common.  There’s probably not an eleven year-old ( or 12 year old or 18 year-old) anywhere who hasn’t wondered whether some people like her as much as she likes them.  We go all our lives wondering whether we have said or done the right thing, what other people think of us, and just how much they like us.  It’s good that you have a counselor, however, and that you can talk to your parents and your best friend.  If you feel depressed a lot, ask your counselor the same question you asked me.  I’m sure she/he knows you better than I do.

A Horrible Remake

Question:

I have a question for you: what’s your opinion of the movie they made out of your book? I thought i was terrible. I’m not saying Alyson Stoner is a bad actress, and I know that it would be hard to act while talking about stuff like menstruation and  stuff like that, but it was a horrible remake of your book. What do you think of it?

Phyllis replied:

The only way to judge a movie that was based on a book is to view the movie as a separate thing; in other words, if you didn’t know anything at all about the Alice books, would you have enjoyed the movie?  I liked some parts of it, other parts I would have done differently.  Some of the actors were good, others were not.  The producers probably made a mistake of trying to make the movie all-inclusive, rather than sticking to the characters I had developed for the books.  But the producers have the right to do whatever they want, and that was the direction they saw for the movie.

What’s Up with the Smoking?

Phyllis replied:

I’m not a smoker, and neither is Alice, but I try to portray the real world that Alice would find herself in, not an ideal world that would make the whole series seem false.  It would be unusual for none of the kids she hangs around with not  to smoke, and sometime in her life she would undoubtedly be in a group or a crowd where someone tried marijuana.  But I don’t think you can read my books and see that anywhere I have promoted it.  I’m very glad that you are concerned with the world around you.  So is Alice.  But she also has questions about what people do, what they say, and what they believe, and questioning some of the religious beliefs is part of her growing up. 

What Should I Major In?

Some Things are Easy to Relate to

Question:

I LOVE the Alice books sooooo much!! I read them all the time! Ive read each of them probably over 20 times!
Some things are so easy to relate with! That’s why I love them so much. Although I am only 12, so some are harder, but somethings in them happen to me too or I feel just like she did. She’s such a great character. All of them are. My favorite is probably Gwen.

I think your writing is amazing and I can’t wait for your last book about her. 🙂

Phyllis replied:

It make sense that you can relate more easily to Alice’s years that match your own.  Just as I can relate more easily to parts of the country where I’ve lived than to places I don’t know nearly as well.  I’m so glad you enjoy the Alice books.

Sex When She’s Having her Period?

Jockey shorts

Sticky Underwear

Question:

i just wanted to say that i love your alice series and have read every book that is out so far. i also wanted to ask you a question though. plenty of times i find my underwear and pants all sticky and wet. and i havent had my period or anything yet so i was just wondering what that was. thanks again and i love the alice series

Phyllis replied:

It’s preparation for the big event.  Hormones are charging up and your body’s having a dress rehearsal.   Sometimes you’ll find yourself sticky and wet when you’re thinking about sex, but most of the time it’s just there in your pants, reminding you that you are female.  Perfectly normal.