Interview: June 2008
The protagonist of Meg Cabot's most recent series is Allie Finkle, a spirited nine-year-old with a Type-A personality who takes sudden life changes in stride by making up rules to live by, like "You can never make a second first impression" and "Don't stick a spatula down your best friend's throat."
In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Jana Siciliano, Cabot explains what inspired these novels aimed for tweens, and compares her main character's wacky family and upbringing with her own. She also describes her favorite spots to write, shares her thoughts on making and breaking rules, and reveals what's in store for Allie in future installments of the series.
Kidsreads.com: ALLIE FINKLE'S RULES FOR GIRLS is your first book written especially for tweens. What was your inspiration for this series?
Meg Cabot: My readers! I’m always hearing from them that their little sisters are longing for Meg Cabot books of their own to read --- something that doesn’t have kissing in it. So, I was happy to oblige them with Allie Finkle.
KRC: Do you have the same problem as Allie, who follows too many rules? Or are you completely the opposite of her?
MC: I actually like rules! Well, some of the time. I think it’s nice when you’re in a social situation and don't know what to do and it turns out there’s a rule that tells you. True, sometimes I break the rules, but I'm happy they’re there to break.
KRC: What is the only rule you never think twice about following in life?
MC: Treat others the way you’d like to be treated!
KRC: Allie has to operate in a big messy family. What was your own family like, and how closely does it resemble Allie's?
MC: My family was exactly like Allie’s. I had two pesky younger brothers, a younger bachelor uncle who was always hanging around, and a disapproving grandma. It was crazy! But there was always someone to go to with your problems, which was nice. But I got a lot of conflicting advice, just like Allie.
KRC: You’re such a prolific author! How do you write so much?
MC: Oh, gosh, I don’t know. Writing is my hobby, but it’s also my job. So when I want to relax, I write, and when I want to work, I also write --- I need a new hobby, really. I’m taking suggestions.
KRC: How long did it take you to write the first Allie Finkle book? Did the second one take more or less time?
MC: It took me a while, because I’d never written a book for that age group before, and I was kind of feeling my way. The second one took just as long. A lot of it is trial and error. I’m still trying to figure it out!
KRC: For you, is there any difference between writing for a middle-grade audience and writing for teen readers?
MC: There's a big difference! There's no kissing, for one thing. No romance! That’s a big plot point in writing for teens, so not having it makes it a whole new ball game.
KRC: Since you split your time between Manhattan and Key West, do you notice that what you write and how you write changes depending on which location you are in at the time? Do you have a favorite place where you write in each of your homes?
MC: I always write in bed in New York, because that’s where I’m most comfortable, but in Key West there’s another place I like to write --- in the pool! I have a special floating raft chair, and a word processor that runs on batteries...so I write in the water. It’s great! I wear a lot of sunscreen and a big floppy hat. You can’t beat it. I still do all my revisions in bed, though.
KRC: You’ve written in many genres, and have even been nominated for an Edgar Award for your mystery SAFE HOUSE. Do you have a favorite genre to write in, and if so, what do you like about it?
MC: I like how having a mystery in the story shapes the narrative, giving all the characters a common goal (solving the mystery, or keeping it from being solved if they’re the bad guy). But mysteries are the hardest kinds of books to write, in my opinion. I admire mystery writers more than any other authors. I really can’t imagine how they keep coming up with such brilliant plots that keep us guessing all the time!
KRC: After all of your success, do you still wake up worrying that you won't be able to think up an idea for your next book?
MC: Uh, yeah! Every day!
KRC: Can you share any details about future installments in the Allie Finkle series, beginning with the second book, which is due in stores in August 2008?
MC: Sure! In THE NEW GIRL, Allie finds out what it’s like to be the new girl in school, and it’s not good --- she loves her new teacher and her new friends and most of all her new kitten, Mewsette, but she’s not so happy about Rosemary, a girl in her new class who wants to beat her up. This is based on something that happened to me in fourth grade, so I know what it’s like to try to strategize how to avoid being beaten up after school...not good!
And then there’s BEST FRIENDS AND DRAMA QUEENS, the next Allie installment. Allie is no longer the new girl, but has to deal with peer pressure when another girl, Cheyenne, decides the games Allie and her friends like to play at recess aren’t any fun, and introduces her own games, which Allie doesn’t like at all. Unfortunately, the rest of the fourth grade girls do, and Allie has to face joining in or losing her best friends. Again --- stuff that really happened to me! Fourth grade was really dramatic!
