Alice Blog

A Note About the Alice Series

comment:

I have never before written to an author, which is strange, because I am 23 and have been a bibliophile for as long as I can remember. But when I told my dad how I felt after finishing the Alice series, he said, “Why don’t you write to her?” And so here I am.

I first picked up the Alice books when I was a teenager, maybe between 13 and 15. My sister and I saw them in the library and liked them, then doubled back and started from the beginning. Over the years, I’ve probably read the first third of the series about 6 times – I kept starting over from the beginning every time it’d been too long since I’d last read Alice.

And most recently, I started the series over once again maybe two years ago, while I was still in college. I kept track of which book I was on, and would try to read a few every time I was back home. And before I knew it, there were only a few books left.

I was so excited when I realized that you would be ending the book with Alice, Liz, Pam, Patrick, and the rest of the gang who was still alive and around going back to that same spot from middle school to pull up the capsule. I loved that Alice was the one who remembered everything.

There is always a special, sweet kind of sadness that comes upon me when I turn the very last page of the very last book of a series that I love. I recall especially having this feeling with the Chronicles of Narnia series. But after having read all 28 of the Alice books, that feeling had never been so magnified as when I read the last page of Now I’ll Tell You Everything. As I told my dad, it felt a little bit like saying goodbye to a friend – one who you know you’ll probably never see again, but who you will always hold tightly to in your memories.

So thank you for these books, thank you for Alice, thank you for answering all the questions that even me who has a mom was always too afraid to ask, or didn’t even know to ask. I learned and grew up right along with Alice. Thanks for all the laughter – these books have made me laugh so much, have been the kind of books that I have stayed up until the early hours in the morning to finish, the kind of books that you always want to read “Just one more chapter” of. And I am proud of Alice. She had a good life, and even though the series is over, I think there’s quite a bit of life left in her yet.

I like to say that books are my friends, and this has been one of the best ones.

Phyllis replied:

I’m so glad that you discovered the Alice books.  Your letter means a great deal to me and I forwarded it to my editor.  I know that it will make her day, just as you’ve made mine.  Best of luck in all you do, and hello to your dad.

 

Alice! Plenty of laughs

Comment:

Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for writing the Alice series! I first started reading them back when I was in sixth grade, and now I’m a junior in college. I’m currently reading through the last book and loving every page of it. Alice definitely has inspired me throughout the years and gave me plenty of laughs. Thanks for being such a great impact on my childhood!

Phyllis replied:

I laugh myself when I read some of them too–especially conversations with Lester or Aunt Sally.  I’m so glad you had them available to read when you were growing up.  Good luck in your college life!

Including alice

Comment:

What is your reflection or insights in writing about the book including alice?

Phyllis replied:

So many things to into the writing of a book–Alice’s personality, her age in that book, her relationships with her friends, her parents, what particular problem she is currently facing.  But it’s not the author’s reflections or insights that are important, it’s the feelings it brings out in the reader, and whatever the readers themselves bring to the story.

Movie of Alice?

Comment:

Are you planning to make a movie?

Phyllis replied:

Some producers did make a movie, based very loosely on “The Agony of Alice.”  It is called “Alice Upside Down.”

 

alice

Comment:

I just wanted to thank you for writing the Alice series.
I’m in my 50’s and it’s one of my favorites.

Phyllis replied:

Thanks so much for telling me so.

Tips on writing relationships?

Comment:

I just wanted to say that, after reading your Alice books, I have never read an author who can write any kind of relationship (not just romantic) as well as you can. I love Alice and Patrick together (they’re my favorite couple in literature!) and that’s because their relationship was written so meaningfully, beautifully, and realistically. As for the ones that didn’t work out for Alice and her friends, it’s clear as to why (Brian being a jerk, for example, or Sam being too clingy). So in my own writing, do you have any tips for how to make my human connections more believable? How can I write a relationship as amazing as Alice and Patrick’s? Thanks so much, and I want to commend you again on being my favorite author.

Phyllis replied:

The best way I know is to observe and listen–the many ways people express themselves, the tones of their voices, their expressions.  Put yourself into each character you are writing about to see things from their point of view. Best of luck to you in your own writing!

Why Maryland?

Comment:

I just wanted to say how much I really enjoy your books. I also noticed they take place in Maryland where I live. It really made me enjoy these books so much more after seeing Alice in all these familiar places. But I have still always wondered why Maryland?

Phyllis replied:

Because I live in Maryland!   I came from the Midwest, but after my husband and I married, we lived in Takoma Park for a while, then Silver Spring, and finally Bethesda.  Since I was going to write 28 books about Alice, I figured it better be in a locale I knew well.

Another point of view?

Comment:

I was wondering if you could write one of the Alice books in someone else like Patrick’s point of view. I’ve always wondered what he would think during some of the situations. I know your series is finished but I loved the books so much!

Phyllis replied:

A number of readers have asked if I wouldn’t write a book (or a whole series!) on one of the other characters in the Alice books.  If I could live to 150, maybe I’d do that, but of course, you’d be seeing many of the same scenes over and over again.  There are just SO many other books I want to work on, so I’m afraid that the 28 books in the Alice series will have to do.  I hope you enjoy them all.

 

Why is Alice so cool?

Comment:

Why is Alice so cool? She pretended to be Marie in Alice the know, just to make Grandpa McKinley happy, how did she become such a cool person. I know she’s all a part of your imagination, but I really would like to know how she has the solution to almost, everything!

Phyllis replied:

She certainly didn’t feel she was always “cool.”  And she didn’t always have a good solution to “everything,” but would be flattered that you thought so.  She just goes through many of the things–and thinks about many of the things–that girls often do, and the reader sees her wrestle with them, for better or worse.

Alice In Lace

Comment:

I just finished re-reading ‘Alice In Lace’. What a great book! Was it fun to write? I made an observation about it. In the book, Pamela’s assignment is to roleplay being pregnant and Brian’s is to pretend he had a car accident. In the later books, both of these things happen to the same characters. Pamela does get pregnant in Almost Alice and Brian does hit a car and injure a young girl. Was this intentional when you were writing the later books? Or was it just a coincidence?

Phyllis replied:

Wow!  What a good observer you are!  Must have been predestination, because I don’t remember consciously choosing those particular incidents.  But then, my subconscious has a lot to say about what goes down on paper.  Yes, all the Alice books were fun to write, though a few made me cry as well.  I hope you’re enjoying all 28 in the series.  Thanks for writing to me.