How did you get started writing?
I was always writing as a child. I think if you read a lot that can often lead to writing, because you’re used to seeing ideas play out in print versus some other medium. I started reading at a very early age and I started writing early, too. (This is a nice way of saying that I was that daydreamy kid with her head permanently in the clouds, yep.)

How did you get published?
Short version: I sent my work to a publisher.
Long version: I sent a sample and a synopsis to a publisher which I knew had published work similar to what I’d written (i.e. books for young teenagers) very recently. This was after I had edited and revised the book. (Yes, I was twelve at the time. Yes, I realise this is slightly weird. Oh, well.)

• If you’re sending work out to publishers yourself, make sure that they publish the genre that you’re writing in. Also make sure they accept unagented queries. Don’t send the whole manuscript unless they ask for it – usually what they’re looking for initially is a sample, not the whole thing.
• If sending out to agents, much of the same wisdom applies: make sure they’re likely to be interested in the kind of stuff you’re sending them.
• The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook comes out every year, listing publishers, agents and all that sort of stuff. Invest in this year’s copy – there’s also a separate edition for children’s writers (including YA).
• For poetry and short stories, it’s usually a good idea to submit to magazines, anthologies and competitions before seeking publication in book format.

Do you get to design the covers? Why do some of the books have two covers?
I’m a writer, not an artist. Publishing a book involves a whole lot of people, including the people who design the covers.
Some of the books get a new cover after a couple of years because trends change and they need an ‘updated’ look, or so that old titles can have a similar look to new ones.

How long does it take to write a book?
It takes as long as it takes. (Alternatively: it takes as long as the distance between Point A – the moment you start writing – and Point B – the deadline.) I am in awe of those people who can write books super-quickly and those people who can devote years to one project. I’m somewhere in the middle. In the past first drafts have taken me anywhere between three weeks and eighteen months. I’ve found that about six months works best for me, though – time to write, time to revise, time for real life to get in the way.

Do you use an outline?
Sort of. I don’t outline every scene or any chapter, nothing like that, but I do have an idea of where I’m going. I keep a lot of notes about scenes and sentences that I want to include in something when I’m writing it.

Do you base your characters on yourself, or people you know?
Nope. Well. Not really. Obviously there are some similarities, and your own life, and the people you know, influence and colour your writing, but “writing what you know” doesn’t mean writing an autobiography. It means using your experience to write about things that are emotionally true, things that you can imagine happening, and writing about people that are realistic characters because they’ve been informed by – but not directly based upon – the people you encounter in your life.
Plus, if I admit to basing characters on specific people, I’ll be in serious trouble! But what normally happens with fiction is that even when you start off with a character who sort-of resembles someone in your life, you end up taking them in a completely different direction. It’s fiction, not a memoir.

What advice do you have for people who want to write?
Check out the writing tips section. The big one, though, is: read. Read. Read.
If you are a teen who writes, you might also be interested in my Dos and Don’ts for Teens Who Write post.

What kind of books do you read?
I have a list of the things I like in books here, and some of my favourite books of all time include these. And that’s not a complete list. How on earth people can pick one favourite book I’ll never know. Babblings to do with books I’ve recently can be found here.

Can you come to my school/library for a visit/talk/workshop?
Yes! Depends on the time of year and other commitments, but I do love author visits. Click here. Students: your English teacher, school librarian, or Year Head is usually the person to talk to if you’re interested in having me come to your school. Even if you’re organising it yourselves, make sure to liaise with one of them.

When’s your next book out? And what’s it called? And what’s it about?
Every Summer is out now!
I’m working on my tenth book at the moment – stay tuned for further details.

Are you going to keep writing for a teenage audience or do you want to write for grown-ups?
I love writing for teenagers. I mean, I’m in my early mid 20s, so clearly it’s all still pretty familiar territory, but I also think it’s a really great audience to write for. (Plus I hate the implication that YA books are somehow inferior to ‘real’ ‘grown-up’ books. Very silly idea that people have.) That being said, there are a couple more things I’d like to try my hand at. We’ll see.

Do you ever think you’ll write [insert genre here]?
Never say never. There are some things I would love to try, especially historical fiction (four years of academic history will do that to you) and science fiction, but we’ll see.

Which of your books is your favourite?
This is always a tough question. As a writer you need to be the most excited about the book you’re working on at that particular point in time, or the one you’re about to start – so it’s usually that one, untitled or provisionally-titled and months or years away from the bookshelves. I will say that I am especially fond of Stereotype and Good Girls Don’t because of the kind of reader response they’ve received. And my favourite romance plot is the one in That Girl.