1. What
really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or
experience and conveying it into a book, The Lie in Our Hearts?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer for as long as I could
remember, and I always knew that writing a book is something I wanted to do. I
first got this idea when I was listening to a few songs and I mentally made a
story out of their lyrics. When I sat down to outline it, I imagined it would
be a short story or novella. It wasn’t until I started to write the book, that
I became attached to my characters and their stories. I realized I had so much
more to say about the concept then I’d originally intended, so I continued
writing, and somehow eight months later, I had my first draft of my first
novel.
2. What is
it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader?
The Lie in Our Hearts follows a high school sophomore,
Bella, on her coming of age journey to find love. She encounters lots of
typical high school drama while she struggles to gain more self-esteem, but in
the end she learns an invaluable life lesson she never expected. My targeted
readers are teenage girls in grades 7-12, but I do believe that people of all
ages can learn valuable lessons from this book, so I do encourage anyone to
read it.
3. What do
you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book?
What should remain with them long after putting it down?
I hope that after reading my book, people take away that it
is important to love yourself before you can love anyone else, my book’s main
message. I also hope that teenagers realize that other teenagers go through the
same things they do, and they are never alone.
4. What
advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?
Write. The best thing you can do if you want to be a writer
is to write. Even if you think that what you’re writing is bad, it’s better
than not having any writing to revise or edit. If you don’t feel like writing
or you’re out of ideas, you can always read, especially the genre you’re
interested in writing, which will hopefully inspire you.
I think this advice is especially crucial to young writers.
Often times, young writers may think they’re too young to be able to write a
book or struggle to find the time with school and extracurriculars. If they
make the time to write, even if it's a small amount, it will help their writing
grow, and before they know it, they may have a book of their own.
5. What
trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing
industry is heading?
The book world and publishing industries are very big, and I
don’t feel as if I can address them as a whole. I do, however, believe that I
can offer the perspective of a self-published author. There are an increasing
amount of books being self-published, and I can see the number only increasing
in the next few years. Self-publishing allows for authors to have more
independence with their work and be able to work on their own schedules.
Self-publishing does not work for everyone, but it is an alternative to the
traditional publishing route. I also hope to see more young authors in the book
world, and I hope to continue and strengthen that trend.
6. What
great challenges did you have in writing your book?
My biggest challenge was writer’s block. I would often know
where I was and what I wanted to do next, but I was having trouble with writing
the scene that would get me there. In order to combat this I wrote from a
different character’s perspective of the scene I was having trouble writing.
Not only did it help me see the story from another angle, it helped me learn
more about a character other than my protagonist.
7. If people
can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
I believe that I offer a unique perspective, especially when
it comes to the young adult genre. First of all, there aren’t many YA novels
out there that are written by high school students. One important goal when
writing my book was to make sure that, to the reader, my protagonist felt like
an authentic teenager that anyone could relate to. I go into her thought
process and write a lot from her stream of consciousness. I hoped that my
protagonist could validate my teenage readers thoughts and feelings. Even if
someone is not a teenager, I believe any person of any age can learn from my
book. There are also lots of twists and turns that will undoubtedly keep
readers at the edge of their seats.
About
the Author: Evelyn Landy lives in New York City.
She will graduate from high school in 2020 and plans to pursue screenwriting in
college. She has attended writing programs at Brandeis University and New York
University. Her short fiction has been distinguished by the Alliance of Young
Artists & Writers. Aside from her interests in written and cinematic
storytelling, she enjoys spending time with her family and playing with her
dog, Buddy. For
more info, please see: www.evelynlandy.com
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