David Levithan is the author of several bestselling YA novels, including Boy Meets Boy and The Realm of Possibility. When not writing during spare hours on weekends, he is editorial director at Scholastic and the founding editor of the PUSH imprint, which is devoted to finding new voices and new authors in teen literature. Jennifer Niven is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places, Holding Up the Universe, Breathless, and, with David Levithan, Take Me With You When You Go.
Today, both David and Jennifer are on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …
David Levithan
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
DL: Except for college, I’ve never lived outside New Jersey. I grew up in a John Hughes like suburb at the time when John Hughes was making teen movies – so that’s a pretty good indicator of where I come from. And right now, because of the pandemic, I just spent two unexpected years living in my childhood bedroom, proving you can go home again.
JN: I was born in North Carolina and—after living the first three years of my life on Okinawa, and a few years in Maryland—was raised mostly in Indiana where I graduated from high school. After that, I headed to Drew University in New Jersey to earn my BA in English Lit, and then moved to Los Angeles to study screenwriting at the American Film Institute (where I earned my MFA).
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
DL: Writing and editing were the only things I was ever particularly good at, and I think this was pretty firmly established by the time I was twelve, so it’s probably the same answer for all three. My life hasn’t taken any dramatic turns! (Amusingly, this is true of most of my high school friends. The friend who wanted to create video games . . . now creates video games. The friend who wanted to be a dentist . . . became a dentist.)
JN: When I was twelve, I wanted to be a rock star. I had my heart set on it. When I was eighteen, I still wanted to be a rock star, but I also dreamed of being an actress, a dancer, an archaeologist. Even though, more than anything, I loved to write. When I was thirty, I published my first book! The Ice Master was a nonfiction account of an Arctic expedition that sold to Hyperion at auction. I was working at ABC.com then, and as soon as the book sold, I gave my two-weeks notice and I’ve been writing fulltime ever since!
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
DL: I imagine that my eighteen-year-old self thought my current self would be married to a woman, with kids. Wrong on all three counts.
JN: I wanted to be famous. At eighteen, being famous was somehow more important and exciting to me than doing well and being successful at something specific.
4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
DL: I daresay that everything I loved has influenced my development as a writer. Some – like John Hughes movies, or Francesca Lia Block novels, or New Order songs – are already very present in things I’ve written. Others – the work of Magritte, for example – haven’t made it in there yet. But there’s still plenty of time.
JN: I was hugely influenced by music and musicians—especially ABBA and bands like Fleetwood Mac who wrote songs about their own experiences and relationships. I was particularly in love with ABBA (I still am!), and each of the four members have so many insightful things to say about the creative process and the necessity of exploring our darkest, most emotional places for the betterment of the art. And the importance of hope. No matter how emotional their songs, ABBA always manages to include a dash (or more) of hope and positivity into their songs. I love the films of Charlie Chaplin, particularly City Lights. The storytelling is raw and pared down and powerful. For the same reasons, I love the album Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash. No matter how many times I listen to it, it gives me goosebumps. It’s such a great example of spare, honest, raw storytelling, which is what I aspire to in my own writing.
Jennifer Niven
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a young adult novel?
DL: Well, thank goodness nobody has to limit themselves to just one artistic form! So one of the appeals of the YA novel is that I don’t have to just write YA novels. But why do I specifically choose to write YA novels? Because I love following my characters as they figure things out, and I love how intense and important the connections you make as a teenager are, even if they don’t last the rest of your life.
JN: I love writing about firsts. And I love exploring the universal feelings that we all have, no matter our age. I remember so well what it was like to be a teen—the intensity of feeling, all the momentous firsts, that feeling that you alone were going through something and no one else understood. To know that I’m able to reach readers of all ages, to remind them they are loved and seen and heard, is the most amazing honour.
6. Please tell us about your latest book!
DL: Take Me With You When You Go is about a brother and a sister who’ve grown up with a stepfather and mother who aren’t at all supportive, and indeed are often hostile toward them. One morning, Ezra wakes up and discovers Bea is gone – she’s run away. She’s left behind a way for them to be in touch, but she makes it clear she’s not coming back.
JN: David wrote Ezra, I wrote Bea, and we never discussed what was going to happen in the plot. The book is a coming-of-age mystery about two people who have to find each other again, and in doing so find themselves.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
DL: The conviction to be true to who you are, no matter who wants you to be someone else.
JN: Always remember that you are unique in all the world, that you are important and necessary and enough, that you are deserving of love and that you matter. And you are not alone.
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
DL: There’s no “most” here – my admiration is never a competition. But for the sake of answering the question, I’ll say that one person I admire greatly is Michael Cart, who almost single-handedly set out to write the history of YA fiction and, in particular, LGBTQIA+ YA. Most of what I know about the history of my own work comes from Michael’s work, and for that I am eternally grateful.
JN: My mother. She was the most amazing person I’ve ever known, and the most brilliant, lyrical, beautiful writer. I grew up having writing time in my childhood routine— we would work side by side on our individual projects. She taught me to see the story in everything and that I could do or be anything I wanted to do or be. Every word I write is for her.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
DL: At this point, I just want to keep writing books that are different from the ones that came before.
JN: I want to write many, many, many books and television series and films. I want to explore other genres. I’d love to write middle grade and more books for adults—including nonfiction— and try my hand at mysteries and thrillers a la Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, as well as write smart and sexy period novels like Taylor Jenkins Reid!
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
DL: Don’t be so hard on yourself.
JN: Write the story you want to read. Don’t write with anyone else over your shoulder. Always believe in yourself and your work. Honor your gifts. Don’t ever limit yourself or your imagination. Remember that you are the only you there is, which means only you can write the story you can write. Don’t ever compare yourself to others. And remember to show up and do the work—if you don’t write it, it won’t get written.
Thank you both for playing!
—Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven (Penguin Books Australia) is out now.
Take Me With You When You Go
Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. No note, no sign, nothing but an email address hidden somewhere only he would find it. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother - how is he supposed to navigate life without Bea?
Bea Ahern already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible. But a message in her inbox changes everything, and she finds herself alone in a new city - without Ez, without a real plan - chasing someone who might not even want to be found...
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