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BIO
Meg Cabot is the author of more than fifty books for both adults and teens. Her books have sold over fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. The most notable of these is The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the All American Girl, Mediator, and 1-800-Where-R-You series (on which the television series, "Missing", was based). She is now writing a new middle grade series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls, as well as an edgy new young adult series, Airhead.
Meg was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse ญญญ at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby-writing novels-for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700-bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Florida, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him. For more information, visit www.megcabot.com.
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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!
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AUTHOR TALK
February 2008
Bestselling author Meg Cabot has written several popular series for teens, including The Princess Diaries, The Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You, as well as the adult-oriented Heather Wells Mysteries. Her latest book, ALLIE FINKLE'S RULES FOR GIRLS, targets a slightly different age group from that of her previous works --- the under-12 crowd. In this interview, Cabot talks about why she chose to focus her attentions on younger readers and explains how writing for this audience isn't such a stretch from her past efforts. She also points out some of the similarities between herself and her main character and shares what she has in store for Allie in future installments.
Question: What made you decide to write ALLIE FINKLE'S RULES FOR GIRLS?
Meg Cabot: I am constantly being asked by the little sisters of my readers when I’m going to write a book that’s ok for them to read (appropriate for readers under 12). It was so sad seeing them looking up at me at book signings, telling me their moms wouldn’t let them read my books! I knew it was time to write something they could enjoy along with their moms and big sisters! So that’s why I decided to write ALLIE FINKLE'S RULES FOR GIRLS.
Q: What can you tell us about your new character, Allie Finkle? How is Allie similar and/or different from you when you were growing up?
MC: Allie is exactly like me when I was growing up. Just like me, Allie has two pesky little brothers and a big smelly dog that she loves, and just like me, Allie longs for a kitten all her own --- not to mention a best friend. And just like me, Allie tries really hard to get along with her friends and stay out of trouble --- but it’s so hard when you’re in the fourth grade. There are so many rules to remember --- about friendship, about family, about school, about fashion, about fun --- only no one will tell you what they are! It’s like they’re unwritten. So Allie decides to start writing them down, so she won’t forget. And that’s what ALLIE FINKLE'S RULES FOR GIRLS is about.
Q: Are any of the characters in this new series based on people you know?
MC: Hmmm, I don’t want to get into trouble and say yes, but I will say that many of the characters in this book have a lot in common with certain people I knew (and lived with!) growing up. Like Allie, I had a group of best friends I played with all through fourth and fifth grade --- and we’re still in touch today! Like Allie, I had a pretty teacher I loved named Mrs. Hunter. Like Allie, my parents made me move from a lovely modern house in the suburbs into an ancient creaky house in town, where I went to an old-fashioned school two blocks away and came home for lunch every day --- and I got a kitten from one of our neighbor’s showcats in exchange for being a good sport about the move! So...I guess you could say it’s not based too much on real events or people!
Q: How is writing for the tween audience different from writing your novels for teens and adults?
MC: People ask me this all the time, and really, there isn’t much of a difference to me. It’s all about getting into a character’s head, and whether that character is nine, sixteen, or thirty, it’s the same amount of work --- hard work! Fortunately, I remember being nine as well as if it were yesterday and have many nine-year-old friends with whom to consult! So I think the chances of capturing a genuinely nine-year-old voice are high.
Q: When you were Allie’s age, what kind of books did you like to read?
MC: I liked adventure and animal stories, fantasy and sci-fi, but also historical stories, diary stories, anything featuring a funny heroine --- really, I wasn’t particular. I’d read just about whatever anyone put into my hands!
Q: What do you hope tweens will take away from reading ALLIE FINKLE'S RULES FOR GIRLS?
MC: As with all my books, I hope readers will see that Allie has the same problems they do, and that they’re not alone out there. Allie is just like they are --- her rules aren’t just for her, but for everyone (although perhaps the “never eat anything red” rule can be ignored by everyone but her!).
Q: What’s in store for Allie in future books?
MC: Allie’s going to be making a lot of new friends --- and maybe a few new “frenemies” --- but hopefully she’ll figure out a way to make them friends, too. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll get that kitten she’s always wanted!
© Copyright 2008, Scholastic Press. All rights reserved.
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