Elizabeth Norris is the author of Unraveling, a young adult science fiction thriller, and its upcoming sequel Unbreakable. Elizabeth briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan’s recent snowpocalyptic winter, and harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea. (Though fortunately, not all together.)

Could you tell us five random facts about yourself?

1. In high school for a swim meet, I dyed my hair rainbow. I did it in chunks – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. My dad was so mad that as soon as the meet was over, he made my mom take me to a stylist to fix it. It took them five hours to get my hair brown again.

2. In third grade I played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. I had 244 lines.

3. I got to hang out with and pet two cheetahs at the Wellington Zoo in New Zealand for $100. Best money I ever spent. They purred while I pet them.

4. The best investment my parents ever made was in my swimming parka. I got it as a Christmas gift when I was twelve. It’s navy blue with green fur on the inside (and hideous), but it’s so warm. I still wear it all the time during the winter.

5. I have a Spoka nightlight in my kitchen and it is one of my favorite possessions. I loved it so much I bought one for all my friends for the holidays a few years ago.

What has surprised you about writing and publishing?

Editing. I expected it to be something I would be so good at – I thought, “Oh I edit myself all the time, edits will be the easy part!” But they weren’t! When I read editorial notes my first reactions are to always feel taken aback and surprised by the suggestions. I have to read through the edit notes and think about them for at least a day, before I start to see how they will work.

Why do you feel drawn to the stories you write?

I’m always been drawn to the characters and the romance. I spend days brainstorming or writing scenes of dialogue between characters to get to know them better before I actually sit down and start writing the novel.

At what point in the development of an idea do you know that it will become a full-length novel?

There’s usually a point during my brainstorming process when I can’t fall asleep because I’m lying awake thinking about the characters. That’s when they’re totally real to me and I know that it can become a full-length novel (as long as I can sit down and write it!). During the writing process, when I get the first ten thousand words of the novel written that’s usually when I pick up momentum. It’s not exactly easy after that point, but it’s easier.

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

The toughest criticisms have been the very personal ones. I’ve gotten hate mail, which I didn’t ever expect on my road to publication. But I’ve learned to just push those aside.

What has been the best compliment you’ve received?

I really just love when people have read the book and feel something about it. My favorite compliments though have been from readers who just seem to “get” the book and what I was going for. I love hearing that people have stayed up way past their bedtime to finish the book.

Where’s your favorite place to write?

I don’t have a desk so I do most of my writing at my kitchen table. I actually wrote a lot of Unraveling at Argo Tea in Columbus Circle in midtown because I needed to get out of my apartment and a friend of mine was working on her thesis, and I’ve also written at the New York Public Library main branch in the map room because it’s super quiet and cool to be surrounded by so many books. But most of the writing I do is at the kitchen table.

Do you most relate to your main characters, or to secondary characters?

In Unraveling I definitely relate to Janelle the most. She’s very much who I wanted to be when I was 17. She’s smarter, more independent, more confident, and a little more well-liked by a cute boy… than I was, but the sarcasm and the bitterness she has at times, were definitely me.

How do you approach writing villains or antagonists?

My favorite villains are the ones that don’t know they’re the bad guy. They think they’re doing the right thing, even if it’s a bad thing because of whatever complex emotions they have. So for me as a writer, I try to approach them as a character and think about their motivations and what drove them to this point.

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

I’m currently working on my novella, which will be a digital release in March 2013. It’s going to be three short stories from Ben’s POV that take place (1) before Unraveling, (2) during Unraveling, and (3) between Unraveling and Unbreakable. It’s been really fun to write from Ben’s POV because with each story, I’m trying to show something that fans of Unraveling won’t actually know about him. I’m working on the third story right now and I’m really excited about it – I love that it shows what’s going on in Ben’s family and hometown and it’s a lot different than what he expected.

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

The last line or at least, the last scene. Sometimes my last line changes a little, but I almost always write my endings first. Knowing where I want the story to go and what I want the characters to feel at the end helps me set the tone for the whole journey.

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

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger. I love that book to pieces, and I love how honest it is.

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

Crystal Light, fruit punch. I know that’s weird, but staying hydrated is important and at the same time I don’t want to drink gallons of sugar. I go through like a pitcher a day when I’m writing.

And music. I have a playlist for everything I work on, sometimes even books that I’m reading.

Unraveling was recently picked up by MTV as the network’s new scripted drama. What was it like to find out that your book has been optioned? What do you hope for in the adaptation?

It’s awesome. It’s just really exciting to know that someone likes it that much that they want to turn it into something even bigger. I think my hope is just that it happens. It will be amazing to see the things I wrote on screen.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on the Ben short stories (they’re due soon!). Then I have to finish working on and editing my third novel. It doesn’t have a title yet, but I’m really excited about it. It’s a standalone mystery that takes place in a small seasonal beach town – the kind of place where there are 4,000 homes but only 350 people who live there year round. It’s a town famous for its boardwalk, the homemade fudge and saltwater taffy, summer volleyball tournaments and an abduction of a seven-year-old girl. The story is told from the perspective of the missing girl’s best friend and opens eleven years after the abduction when she’s suddenly been found – alive.

For more about Elizabeth Norris:

Check out Elizabeth’s blog and find her on Twitter and Facebook. You can pick up Unraveling at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and other booksellers. Its sequel Unbreakable is scheduled for release in April of next year.