Author Ann Brashares on Her New Book, What Gives Her Inspiration and Family Love

Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your writing and behind your book?

Ann: I wanted to write a story about a sprawling family. I thought, what if there was someone in your near-family who was a stranger to you? That somehow led to the more specific question, what would it be like to share a room and a bed with a person you had never met? 

What character do you most relate to and why? 

I think I relate to Ray the most. It’s strange, but sometimes if I give a character a quality nearly opposite to me, in this case Ray being a boy, it frees me to imprint on them more personally.  

Why do you feel young adult books are so popular and have such a voice right now?

I don’t know. It wasn’t that way when I started out. I do have a few theories and probably all of them are wrong. Or maybe each is a little bit right. My theory of the moment is that the young adult market has surged alongside the growth of online book selling/reviewing and social media. These give readers the opportunity to talk up the books they love and exchange ideas very broadly. Young adults tend to be the earliest and most vigorous adopters of those opportunities.  

Please describe the content of your latest book and what can readers expect from the read.

It’s a family story and a sister story and a love story. These are themes I enjoy.  

What’s next for you in the book world?

I’m working on a sequel to a book I wrote several years ago called My Name is Memory, about a character who has a memory that goes back a thousand years. I’m also working on two other projects, but I’m not ready to talk about them yet.  

What’s your favorite writing method that you follow for inspiration?

I like running outdoors for inspiration. For some reason, lots of my ideas come to me in the shower after I go running. The real method for getting the stories to come is not my favorite, but can’t be avoided: I sit at my desk for several hours at a time and write. No matter how hard the first hour is, I have to sit there and keep at it.