Alice Blog

Inspiration?

Question:

Wow! I don’t even know what to say. Let me start by telling you that I am a HUGE fan of your Alice books, I am 12 years old and have read (almost) every book. When I find out that a new one is out I jump to get it and that is all on my mind until i can get my hands on the book! I know you probably get letters like this all the time, so i’m pretty sure i won’t be getting and answer from you. But let me just say that I think you are an incredible writer, i envy how in these books you feel like you are a part of Alice and I know when you write them that you have to put yourself in her place. I have always found peace in writing, but don’t know where to find inspriation for my story. Can you please tell me how you found inspiration for the Alice series? And for a writer like me, how can I learn to do what you do by connecting yourself to your books?

Phyllis replied:

I just wanted to write a book about a girl looking for a role model, and because of the good  response I got from readers and reviewers, decided to make it a series, providing Alice could grow older in each book.  You should simply look into yourself and decide what you most want to write about, what you most want to say, and what voice you will use when you write.  Will you write in the voice of one of your characters?  Or will you write in the voice of a narrator?  Sometimes you need to write the first few paragraphs of a story several different ways to see what reads and sounds best to you.

A Sex Talk

I Never Finish My Stories

Question:

I know you get this a lot, but its amazing how many books you have written. i love all your alice, and shiloh books, and I’m starting to focus on your other books.

10 year-olds already know about this stuff

Question:

dear mrs naylor i am a fan of your books and i love to look for edvise on your blog but most people would say that your book Intensley alice is some how a turning point from her acting like herself because part about the park bench and they woudn’t  want 10 and 11 year olds reading the newer books but 1and 10 year olds already know about this stuff from tv ,books ,older kids taking about it. i’m an 11 year old and my mom already knows that i read all of the alice books and she is fine with and a lot of kids that i kmow are alredy reading books more that has more than your book i will always the alice books.

Phyllis replied:

I haven’t had any complaints from readers about Alice not  being herself because of what she and Patrick were doing on the park bench.  Alice is growing older, the situations are more sophisticated, and the age level on the book, as determined by the publisher, is “14 and up.”  If your mom is fine with your reading the Alice books, then I am too.

A HUGE fan

Phyllis replied:

I love knowing there are fans like you.  

Subsidized Publishing

Question:
Hi, I was wondering what you thought of having a book subsidized?  See, I was going to send in my story to a publishing company called Dorance Publishing because they said they wanted to review it and possibly publish it. Then I find out that this is a subsidy publishing place. The author has to pay the publisher, and they also said in their handbook that they sent me that the books they publish rarey sell well at all. They print a certain number of books, and in the rare chance that they sell out and someone wants to order more, the author has to purchase more books. They said that they publish manuscripts mainly for the authors satisfaction of seeing their work in print, and also that they publish most manusripts that are sent to them. If my book is published, I want it to be because it’s good and the publisher thinks it will sell. I want it to be by a reputable publishing company , but Dorance publishing says that most reputable publishing companies don’t bother with manuscripts from unknown authors. Is that true? Wasn’t every established author an unknown when they started?
My question is, would you reccommend that I send my manuscript in to this publishing company who admits that even if they publish my story, it’s likey that no one will ever buy it? Should I start with having my first book subsidized, or just go straight to the better known publishing companies? Thanks for your time.
Phyllis replied:

They are being honest with you, and of course you want your book to be published because somebody thinks it’s worth investing in it–not because you pay them.   Although a very few people have hit the best seller list with a book that started out as a “self-published” book, the authors put an enormous amount of their own money and time and effort to drive around the country taking it to bookstores and talking it up.  I don’t recommend that you pay to have your book published.  I asked my editor how any new writer today can get a start if publishers only want manuscripts that are submitted by agents, and if agents only want to represent authors with track records.  (How do you get a track record if you can’t get published?)  She said that the best way is to carefully choose a publisher by reading up on which companies want which kinds of books, studying the books in your library to see which companies publish the kind of book you write, find the name of the editor and the address of the company in the most recent edition of “Writers’ Handbook,” found in the reference rooms of public libraries, and then write to the editor, a brief letter telling him/her a very short description of your book, how you got the idea if it’s unusual or required specific research, and ask if he/she would like to see it.  If the editor replies that she would, then you can send it in with a letter saying that she requested to see it, and that should get it in the “to read” pile.  I know this is discouraging, but there are more and more people on this earth and fewer and fewer books being published, because of the economic downturn, and more and more people wanting to write.  In the meantime, join a critique group, or a creative writing class, enter every writing competition you possibly can, and keep improving your writing on your own.  If you truly love to write, you will probably keep writing whether you are published or not, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

These People Already Hate Me

Phyllis replied:

That’s a rough way to begin high school, I know.  Like many other mistakes, you can’t undo it, and probably at this point an apology wouldn’t help.  About all you can do  is make new friends–which you will–who don’t know anything about your mistake.  Avoid the girlfriend who “hates” you, definitely avoid her boyfriend, and if people ask you about the “slut” slur, should it follow you into high school, just tell them you made a mistake of acting boy-crazy to the wrong guy, and you aren’t about to do it again.  If you clean up your act and don’t repeat it, the memory of it will fade.  High school’s a big place…

“I Like Him, He Likes Her”

Question:

I haven’t written to you in forever! I hope your summer is going by well. i just thought about emailing you because i just got Alice in Charge from my library and i am so excited to read it! I have loved your Alice books since some girls in my fifth grade class introduced them to me during quiet reading, im going to be a sophomore in high school now! Anyway, last weekend i had my cousin over and she saw “I like him, he likes her” on my book shelf (which by the way, was a great deal! I am so happy you decided to put those three together) she asked if it was a good book and i explained that it was really 3 books in a series of 25 (or more?) books! i think a lot of people don’t realize that. Anyway, i gave her “alice on the outside” to read first so she had some backup info and she read it in 2 days! I am so happy i finally have someone to talk with about these books! (im not sure if those girls from elementary school still read them). I really want to thank you for creating Alice, she is such a great character. Oh, and thanks for that advise about going into high school last year, you probably don’t remember but it really helped! Thanks again!

Phyllis replied:

Those “bind-ups” as we call them in the trade (several books bound together as one) seem to be very popular, my editor tells me, and I’m so glad you discovered “I Like Him, He Likes Her.”  The next bind up to come out will be the three Alice books of her sophomore year, called “It’s Not Like I Planned it This Way,” and the three books of junior year will be called, “Please Don’t Be True.”  We haven’t got to the bind-up of her senior year yet.   It’s good that readers will be able to purchase all three books, as one, in a large paperback edition.

I’m Still Here!

TO MY READERS

Feeling Guilty

Question:

Phyllis replied:

It is so normal that not only teenagers but little children, half-grown up children, and grown-ups masturbate occasionally.   Yes, Alice and her friends masturbate, but please don’t ask me to find the book and the page number.  It’s been mentioned from time to time.  And though it’s never been said for certain, it would be very unusual for Lester at age 25 (I’ve forgotten exactly how old he is now) was still a virgin.  Teenagers are suddenly overwhelmed with hormonal issues, and it’s not at all uncommon to feel sexually excited much of the time.  You are not “wrong” or “bad” or “dirty” or “unhealthy” to masturbate, but I certainly would not do anything that hurts, and would not recommend a vibrator.