Alice Blog

A Real Person with Real Problems

Question:

Omigod your books are the greatest!! I could live with only two things: an Alice book and a comfy chair! Your books are so real its shocking! I find a lot of the time I am thinking about the book and picturing me in the book, or thinking what would Alice do right know or even pretending I am Alice if you know what I mean. The thing I love about Alice is that she is like a real person with real problems. Not like all those fairy tale books were everyones life is perfect! Now i do have some questions for you that I would love if you could answer! How long does it take to right an alice book? do you have to edit them a couple times? where do you come up with the ideas for your books? Is it some thing that randomly pops into your brain or do you have to think about it for a couple days? And one more question: What was the age group intended for the books? I am 12 and I love all the books from start to end! Please please please reply and never stop wrighting! The Alice books are truly the best books in history!

Question:

Wow! The best books in history? I’m delighted you love them so much. The Alice books are read by people of all ages, even grandmothers, even guys, but are probably most popular among girls 12 to 17. Still, I get mail from college girls who take the whole series to college with them. I get ideas from my own experiences, things that happen to other people, that I read about, but mostly out of my imagination. It takes about six months to write an Alice book, a shorter time period than for most of my novels, because I know Alice and the setting so well. I revise them about six or seven times before they become final.

Posted on: March 24, 2011

Collection Not complete

Question:

Phyllis I was very impressed with you. somehow I was very envious to Alice, what Alice is a true story? I really want to be alice. however, I’m sad because my collection of alice series is not complete. I still enjoy reading again and again books – Alice series of books that I have. I only have the Alice series, namely: the agony of alice, alice in Between; alice in April; alice the brave; and achingly alice

Phyllis replied:

The Alice books are fiction, but a few incidents happened to me when I was growing up, or are things that happened to friends, or that I read about, but most are just from my imagination. If you can’t find the whole series in a bookstore, I hope you will be able to get them from your library. If you live in the USA, ask your librarian to get the ones you don’t have by ordering them on interlibrary loan.

Posted on: March 21, 2011

Your Favorite?

Question:

Hi! Oh my gosh! I am so nervous that I don’t know what to write…give me a second…ha ha anyways, I absoluety love your books!! I even “forced” my younger sisters to read the Alice presequels. Thank you for such an amazing series. Can’t wait to read the next one. I have a question. Which Alice book is your most favorite that you wrote about it? Thanks!

Phyllis replied:

That’s just too difficult to answer, because all the books sort of run together in my mind–I see them as one long story. I loved writing “Alice in Between,” but then “Alice in April” is funny, and “Alice Alone” was one of the favorites, and…and…and…..

Posted on: March 21, 2011

Final Alice book

Question:

Hi i was reading one of your responses to one of the questions on your website. It said that in the final book Alice goes from 18 to 60. What do you mean by that?

Phyllis replied:

In the final book of the series, Always Alice, which will be published in 2013, the first chapter starts with Alice at 18, and in each successive chapter, she is several years older, the final chapter ending when she is 60.

Posted on: March 21, 2011

More Alice Books?

Question:

I’m not really sure how to address who has to be one of the most charismatic authors ever. Your Alice books contain some of the funniest events ever and it would probably amuse you that I’ve actually doggy-eared the pages that I want to share with my friends. But mostly, I wanted to tell you this. The first time I read one of the books was in Borders. I used to spend my weekends sitting on the floor between book shelves reading as many as I could at age 10. The smell and crinkle of the pages just can’t compare to a Kindle. For a fast reader book money piles up, and I only spent money on the ones I could read over and over again without being bored. Those included your books. I remember the first time I read an Alice book, how my mom found me laughing while holding one with a pile more beside me. I grew up with your books. I’m 14 now and Alice has grown up with me. There is something in each and every one of those books that relates to how kids really feel, especially when you’re neither a girl nor a woman. So please, tell me there will be more Alice books after Intensely Alice.

Phyllis replied:

I’m so pleased that you enjoy the Alice books and that they’ve meant so much to you. The very last books in the Alice series, beginning with Intensely Alice, are these: Intensely Alice, Alice in Charge, Incredibly Alice (coming May 10), Alice On Board, and finally, Always Alice, in 2013.

Posted on: March 16, 2011

“Prom Theme”

Question:

i’m a junior in high school now and i hate the thought of leaving my friends, my school and the familiar neighborhood.

Tears were welling up in my eyes when i heard this song the first time. i guess i’m very emotional and i often connect songs

with my life. I just wanted to share this song with you, because it’s so beautiful.

thanks for your Alice books, they teached me so much about life.

Phyllis replied:

“Prom theme” is a beautiful song, but pretty depressing too: “…we work until we die….we grow old and lose our hair…etc.” I can understand why an 18 year old might feel that way, having experienced nothing of life beyond prom night. But this is one of the problems of making prom night so huge. To give you a bit more perspective, I am 78 years old, I still have my hair (and it hasn’t turned white yet nor do I color it), I love my work, and I still keep in touch with a number of my high school friends. While I loved going to my high school dances and being in the senior play and all the rest, prom night would be waaaaaaaay

down on the list of the best times of my life. Trust me. There is SO much more to come.

Posted on: March 16, 2011

No Idea What I Should be Writing

Phyllis replied:

So I have som questions for you. So I’m writing a book (that will go no where lol) and one of my characters has leukemia. But I don’t know anyone who’s ever had leukemia, I have no idea what I should be writing. So I thought it’d be great to contact you. So Alice’s friend Molly, was she pulled out of school? I’m not sure if I should pull my character out of school or not. I looked some things up online but nothing would give me a straight answer. So I thought I’d ask you. And what is the name of the last Alice book?

Phyllis replied:

I’m sorry but I really can’t tell you what to write. No one can. You need to have a clear idea of your characters before you begin, and why you chose to have this person have leukemia in the first place. In 25 words or less, write down the theme of your book, or the idea, or the plot ,and tape this above your computer. Keep your eye on what the big picture is, and this may help you develop your characters. The next Alice book will be out in May, Incredibly Alice.

Posted on: March 16, 2011

Do You Have an Older Brother like Lester?

Question:

I love your Alice Mckinley books. I started reading them when I was 10 (I’m twelve now) and I have read every single one at the library!
I have a couple questions, how did you think of the idea for Alice? How many are there? Do you have an older brother like Lester? Because
if you don’t, then I am amazed at how you created him. Funny, sensitive but not to much, always teasing Alice but ready to help her when she needs it.
I think you understand pre-teens and teenagers really well and understand what there going through most of the time. I hope you write more Alice books!!!

Phyllis replied:

When I started the Alice books, I didn’t expect to write a whole series. I just wanted to write a book about a motherless girl looking for a role model. But then I decided to make it a series if she could grow a little older in each book. There will be 28 books in all. I’m working on #27 right now. No, I never had an older brother, but thought it might be fun.

Posted on: March 16, 2011

How to ask a guy out

Question:

Oh mrs. naylor! Your books are sooo good! If only you knew the hours I spent reading them! I was obssessed when I was younger! Thank you for writing them! Can you tell me, how should i go about asking a guy out? I know him through mutual friends and i think he’s cute, but i get nervous. How should I do it? we’ve only talked probably twice…. but i think we could really get along, so if you know of a way I could ask him casually, I’d appreciate suggestions!

Phyllis replied:

Probably the best way is to casually invite him to do something with a small group of people. “A bunch of us are going to see the new movie at the Rio this weekend. You want to go?” or “I’m having a few people over for pizza Friday night. I’d love it if you could come.” You want to make it casual enough that he doesn’t suspect that if he says no, it will be a big deal. But you want it personal enough, that he knows you’d really be happy if he would be there.

Posted on: March 11, 2011

He Just Wants to Make Out and Stuff

Question:

I love your books and how I can relate to them so much. I am a freshman and have recently went through a difficult breakup. Reading ‘Alice Alone’ definitly offered some consolation to me since she was in the same situtaion. I am looking for some advice at the moment: I have always been told that I look and act older for my age. Along with that I have liked older guys for as long as I can remember. Not very much older, but enough to make a difference. I have hung out with this boy who just recently turned 18. I just turned 15 and we have gone on some dates and kissed plenty of times. He says he doesn’t want to offically be ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ or anything because of the age difference but he still wants to makeout and hang out and stuff. I really like him and though i do want a relasionship with him, i can understand where he’s coming from. Do you think it is wrong to just be friends with him and kiss him without actually going out?

Phyllis replied:

I don’t think it’s “wrong” to just kiss and stuff without going out, but what might be happening here is simply an older guy getting his kicks from making out with a younger girl who’s still feeling vulnerable from a breakup. You say you’ve been “out on dates” a few times with him, but you’re not actually “going out.” Is what you’re telling me that you want an official title? You want to be known as his girlfriend? Or are you saying that now you and he don’t do anything but get together to kiss and make out? There’s a difference. If he treats you well, but is honest about wanting to date other girls too and not be tied down to being anyone’s boyfriend, then he’s being fair with you, if you are agreeable to this. But if he took you out on dates just to get to the point where all he has to contribute to the relationship now is getting together to make out, he doesn’t sound like he’s good for you, however much you may want a guy in your life right now.

Posted on: March 11, 2011