Kody Keplinger, author of several contemporary YA novels, chats with Hypable about development, deadlines, and the right way to write an ending.

Hypable’s Interview with Kody Keplinger

Could you tell us 5 random facts about yourself?

1. My first dog was named Bowser because when I got him (at age 8) I was obsessed with Super Mario Brothers.

2. I’m fascinated by lions – I have been since I was a little girl. My biggest dream in live is to be able to see one up close in the wild.

3. When I was in middle school and I high school, I wrote lots of Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and InuYasha fanfiction.

4. I own sixteen pairs of converses, all in different colors and patterns. I even have some I have never worn.

5. My dream job would be writing for a Joss Whedon TV show.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer.

I’ve been telling stories since before I could put words on paper. I used to sit at this typewriter in my mom’s office, just clicking keys and telling her what I thought I was writing. As I got older, the stories got longer and longer. By the time I was twelve, I was ALWAYS writing – both original stuff and fanfic. All of it was terrible, of course, but I had a great time writing these crazy, soap opera style plots. When I was in high school, my writing got a little more serious in that I started thinking about things like plot and character. I still had no idea that my writing would ever lead me to anything. I just loved doing it. But my senior year of high school, I wrote the first draft of The DUFF. After a few people read it and pushed me to try and get it published, I decided I’d try to find an agent, though I was still keeping my hopes low. After that, it was sort of a whirlwind. I got an agent and a few months later, I had my first book deal. It’s been four years since then, and I’m still in shock about it.

Where do you get your ideas for your realistic yet unusual plotlines?

Everywhere. I honestly never know what might inspire the next story. And it’s not as if each story has one source of inspiration alone – most of my stories are a combination of ideas and themes pulled from several different experiences. Songs inspire some of my ideas. Conversations with friends inspire others. Seriously, they could come from anywhere.

What is the most important thing you need to know about a protagonist?

It might be cheating to say this, because it’s a biggie, but their personality. I know that combines a lot of different things, but it’s all important. I need to know if they’re outspoken or withdrawn, a social butterfly or a loner, uptight or a free spirit, or somewhere in between all of those things. I also like to know things that might seem shallow or service level to some but mean a lot to me – for instance, I know each of my main characters’ favorite bands, books, and TV shows. To me, these details and how they relate to the narrator can tell me so, so much.

Has your writing process changed over your second and third novels?

Oh, definitely. I used to never ever ever outline or plan ahead. Now that a thing called deadlines exists for me, that has changed. And ultimately, I think my writing is better for it. I’m still not too structured – I give myself lots of wiggle room – but I always know where a story is going now. I had no idea back when I wrote The DUFF.

Why do you feel drawn to the stories you write?

Characters. I come up with a lot of story ideas that never get written, but it never fails that the stories I write are the ones where the character seems strongest in my head. I like messy, complicated, interesting characters. And once one of their voices gets in my head, it’s hard for me to stop thinking about them.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

I had to think on this one, but I think the toughest piece of criticism I’ve received was actually the most helpful. It was given my Phoebe North, who is now a very good friend of mine and a fellow author. In her review of The DUFF – which was mostly positive – she critiqued how “neat” the ending was. At first i didn’t understand this – why is a neat ending a problem? But when I stopped to think about it, it made sense. Life isn’t neat. Stories don’t just end perfectly. It was, in some ways, difficult to negotiate my desire for a happy ending with the idea of a loose, realistic ending. It took time. But it ended up being so helpful in my revisions of A Midsummer’s Nightmare. The original ending of that book was way, way too clean and neat. I love the loose, slightly open but still happy ending it has now. It was a hard criticism at first, but now, it’s one I keep in mind with every story I tell. Thank you, Phoebe!

I know this might seem like a weird choice for “toughest” criticism, but for me, the toughest critiques are those that you know are right because they mean you have to really think and work on yourself and your art. For me, criticisms like “I hated it” and “this is filth!” are a little easier to swallow because I can just say “Well, this book wasn’t for that person.” But a smart, solid, constructive critique – well, it can be tough. But it’s also one of the best ways to learn about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.

What has been the best compliment?

I’ve had a few mothers write to me to tell me that they had read my book and couldn’t wait to share it with their daughters when they got a little older. That meant a lot to me. When I think of the books my mom shared with me – the books she handed me and said “Hey, you need to read this,” well, most of those books are still my favorites to this day. So that particular compliment hit me right in the emotional epicenter.

What is one thing you wish you’d known when you sat down to write your novel?

There’s a great piece of advice Elizabeth Scott gave me shortly after The DUFF sold, and I think it’s one every writer should know before they go into publishing, and one I wish I’d known sooner in some ways. She said, “Writing is an art, but publishing is a business.” Sometimes it’s hard to marry those two ideas, but I think it’s an important thing to remember.

How do you approach writing villains or antagonists?

This question was tough, because I wasn’t really sure if any of my stories had villains or antagonists. But the more I thought about it, I realized they do – I just didn’t think of them that way as I was writing. And I think that’s my approach, really. I write them the same way I write every other character, I treat them as a character, not a villain. For me this helps to make them realistic in a realistic setting. Because in real life, the antagonists are just people who might not always be bad or good. Just like the protagonist, really.

Which is easier to write: The first line or the last line?

The first. Which says something, because I find first lines both fun and crazy hard. But I’ve angsted over every single one of my last lines. Finding the perfect way to end a story is hard!

What is your favorite chapter or scene you’ve written recently?

Next year my first middle grade, The Swift Boys & Me, comes out from Scholastic. There’s a scene in that book where the narrator, a twelve-year-old girl, has a conversation with her elderly neighbor about growing up. That scene wasn’t in my original outline, the neighbor wasn’t originally intended to be a major character, but I think that scene is one of my favorite little moments I’ve ever written. I don’t even know why, exactly, but I’m really proud of it.

Which one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?

This might be because I just read it recently, but Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I loved, loved, loved that book, and I so wish I could have read it five years ago – when I was about seventeen. I think it would have been Seventeen-Year-Old Kody’s favorite book, mostly because of Eleanor.

Do you have things you need in order to write? (i.e. coffee, cupcakes, music?)

Diet or Cherry Coke, a sweet, cuddly German Shepherd on the couch next to me, and The Big Bang Theory or Friends reruns on in the background.

What are you working on now?

I just finished final revisions on my middle grade debut, The Swift Boys & Me, which I’m really, really excited for people to read. It was a great writing experience for me. Maybe even the best.

Bonus Question! Would you rather be a book, or a computer?

A book. Books live many lifetimes. Computers (while I love mine) tend to die after only a few years.

For more about Kody Keplinger:

Kody Keplinger was a 17 year old in Kentucky when she wrote her first published novel, The DUFF. Now the author of two other works of contemporary YA fiction, Shut Out, and A Midsummer’s Nightmare, Kody lives in New York City and enjoys Thai food. Her first middle-grade novel, The Swift Boys & Me, will be released in 2014.

You can follow Kody on Tumblr and her Twitter account, @Kody_Keplinger. You can also contact Kody through her website, KodyKeplinger.com.