How
much conscious autobiography is present in Teenage Rewrite? Did you see
unconscious autobiography in the editing stages? Also, did you scale back
things you didn’t want to share?
Oh, I was definitely aware of the autobiographical portions
throughout the entire process! It’s one of those things where I think every
writer draws on his or her own experiences to at least some degree. With Teenage Rewrite, I drew from my own life
and perspective for different parts, and yet I had to filter it so that it fit
the character. I mean, how I react to things and handle different situations is
definitely different than how Justin reacts to things. So, I wouldn’t say that
I scaled back so much as modified. And that’s not to imply that Teenage Rewrite is a modified memoir.
Certainly not. The autobiographical stuff is in the subtle details. The
one-liners. Justin’s insecure thoughts. The random encounters. Like the
incident with the drunk naked guy walking into traffic. That happened on
parents weekend when I was in college. And just to be clear, I wasn’t the guy.
I saw the guy.
Between
entertainment and enlightenment, which was your most important goal?
This is going to sound corny, but I have to say it: enlightenment
through entertainment. I write because it’s something that I really enjoy
doing. I like spending time with my characters, and in a way they kind of end
up like friends. Which is something Justin alludes to the first time he hangs
out with Evan and they talk about books. I mean, some of my characters are
based loosely (very loosely) off of
people I’ve known, but mostly they are based on people I’d like to know. Like
Travis! Oh my god! Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a guy like Travis? He’s
so irritating, and yet so awesome at the same time. And it’s through this
entertainment that I’m able to achieve my ultimate goal of providing LGBT youth
with another voice. A new perspective. A story or character that they can
relate to in at least some sense. We’re getting more positive LGBT characters
in entertainment (both books and media), but there still aren’t enough. And I
know I’m not the only person who roles his eyes when a book features a gay teen
who’s into musicals and is getting hassled by the muscly jock who wants to
“kick his ass.” This portrayal may represent some people, but come on! We need more
real characters, and fewer that feel like they’ve been written based on an ‘80s
gay male stereotype. Many authors of LGBT fiction are successfully providing
that alternate perspective, and I hope that I’m able to provide that as well.
Did you
read books like yours when you were growing up or wish they had existed?
I actually didn’t like to read much growing up. I mean, I
enjoyed reading books for school assignments. The Great Gatsby. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Catcher in
the Rye. These were my kinds of books. But outside of school, I couldn’t
find anything I liked to read. I was very much stuck on the idea that the only
things worth reading were classics, and didn’t really try branching into other
fiction. That and—I’ll be honest—I liked spending (investing?) my time playing
video games and watching TV. But if my teenage self would have liked to read
books outside of class, then yes, I totally wish books like mine had existed.
Especially when you consider the autobiographical aspects. “IT’S LIKE THIS WAS
WRITTEN FOR ME!” Seriously, though, I would have loved to read books like The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second,
or Sprout, or The Perks of Being a Wallflower (although, to be fair, Perks was
released when I was in eighth grade and I certainly could have read it…).
How do
you think grownups will relate to Teenage Rewrite?
At its core, Teenage
Rewrite is about that awful, floundering confusion that we all experience
at some point in our lives—and, for some of us lucky few, at multiple points in
our lives—when we stop and realize we have no idea who we are and what the hell
we’re doing with our lives. Throughout school there’s at least some sense of
structure and purpose, despite how pointless it might feel at times. But if and
when you graduate, you’re just on your own. And it’s terrifying! I know that
growing up there is always this thought that at some point you’ll feel more
secure and have things figured out. I’m starting to realize that’s not true. We
just get better at being able to navigate these confusions. So, I think that’s
a pretty universal thing for a lot of grownups, and they’ll be able to
appreciate it now that they’ve “moved past” those times. And for adults who
consider themselves gay or bisexual, I think they can certainly relate to a lot
of what Justin goes through. For him, being bi has always made sense to him,
and yet he has to reconcile his own views with that of the world at large.
Anyone who’s come out or struggled with identity (not just orientation) can
relate to that.
What
motivated you to write about a bisexual character as opposed to a gay
character?
I write characters that I like and can identify with. I haven’t
really read any YA fiction featuring a bisexual teen as the primary focus, and
I wanted to have that voice represented (and in a manner that I wouldn’t roll
my eyes at). Not to say bi YA books don’t exist. I just haven’t found them. And
we need that voice. Not only people who consider themselves to be bisexual, but
also those that are questioning. And as part of that, I feel like my style
really lends itself to that confusion many people experience when they first
think about their orientation. A lot of my writing is based on characters
having inner dialogue and overthinking things. I love insecure characters,
because we’re all insecure at some level. We all second-guess things. We all
think we’re the only ones to ever
have that particular thought or feeling. We all talk with people or hang out
with friends and immediately recap in our brains when we’re home alone that
night. It’s natural, even though we don’t like to admit it. And I write about a
lot of those natural feelings/thoughts that people like to pretend they don’t
have.
Let’s
say homophobia sees some societal repose: in what direction do you see LGBT YA
fiction going?
Contemporary fiction reflects the current climate. If the LGBT
community has to face less homophobia and bigotry, then this will become less
of an issue for fictional characters as well. There will still be the
awkwardness of first crushes and dating and life in general, but stories
featuring LGBT characters won’t focus on the current issue of: how will my
friends and family react? Will I be accepted? Will I be bullied? And we’re
already seeing this huge shift in LGBT YA fiction, and in our society! I mean,
if you go back and read Nancy Garden’s Annie
on My Mind, there’s this tremendous love story and she does a fantastic job
of relating those feelings. But, at the same time, the reaction of her school
and community are considerably dated. Which is great! I feel like this is one
of the few genres where seeing your favorite books become outdated is a good
thing. I was probably pretty vague with my description of Nancy’s book, but I’m
also trying to avoid spoilers. Outdated or not, it’s still really, really good.
Hindsight
is 20/20. Is there anything about Teenage Rewrite that you would take
back?
My favorite color is green, and I’m a vegetarian. Oh, that’s
right, you’re asking tough questions! I think that my obsessive revisions and
edits actually cut out a lot of the things that I didn’t like. I spent a
seemingly endless amount of time restructuring and cutting things that I found
entertaining but that didn’t add anything to the story. Or, worse yet, were a
complete distraction. Although, I keep wondering how many people just absolutely
hate that book cover. But it’s meant to be uncomfortable! It’s not supposed to
be something you look at and think, “Wow, this is amazing. I want this on my
wall.” It’s one of those covers that will make sense when you read the book. So,
in a lot of ways, it’s like an inside joke for my readers. That image plays a
prominent role in kick starting Justin’s story. But, at first glance, I’m sure some
people are thinking my book is some kind of graphic porno adventure.
If anything, there are things that I wish I’d done more with.
Jennifer And Pierce is one of my favorite characters I’ve written, and I’m
really bummed that she doesn’t have a more prominent role in the book.
Although, I’m sure part of her allure is that she’s only in the book briefly.
How do
you think grownups will react to Teenage Rewrite?
Depends. On the controversy side,
there are all the usual stumbling points of a book featuring LGBT teens. But,
in addition to that, I also don’t shy away from language in my book. Teens cuss
all the time. God, you should have heard me in middle school! And I feel like a
lot of that gets cut from books put out by traditional publishers. Of course, that’s
not to say that the language is excessive or overly crude in my book. I’d actually
say it’s less than that of typical teens, especially when I think of how my
friends and I talked/currently talk. Also, there are definitely some allusions
to sexual activity in my book, and we all know how much adults get riled up
about that. I assure you, though, there’s nothing graphic. Just innuendo. Get
over it prudes!
Do you
feel that your characters must always make wise decisions? If not, can your
readers respect the decisions they’ve made?
Oh, no! In fact it’s a lot more fun when they don’t make good
decisions. And I don’t think readers need to necessarily respect a character’s
decisions, but they should at least be able to see where that character is
coming from. I feel like people can relate to all of my characters on at least
some level, even if they don’t agree with them. It’s one of those natural
things I was referencing earlier. Not everything is simple, and sometimes we
find ourselves agreeing with pieces of an argument that we otherwise disagree
with. Life is complicated, and I love seeing how my characters handle that.
Also, here are several important links
Brandon's website: www.bwilliamswriting.com
Kindle ebook: www.amazon.com/dp/B007FJF58G
Nook ebook: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110275788
