i’m so thrilled to have hannah here with me today.
her debut, BREAK, was just released in september :
Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his
body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back
stronger than they were before. And Jonah wants to
be stronger—needs to be stronger—because everything
around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing,
is Jonah’s only way to cope with the stresses of home,
girls, and the world on his shoulders.
When Jonah’s self-destructive spiral accelerates and he
hits rock bottom, will he find true strength or surrender
to his breaking point?
*cynthea liu, lisa schroeder, me, and tammi sauer!
i was very happy to pick up an ARC of BREAK
at the ala chicago conference in july. i know hannah
originally from a writing forum and went up to
one of the editor’s manning the booth.
me : did you know that hannah just turned eighteen?
editor, surprised : no, i didn’t know that!
that’s right. hannah sold her debut novel at 17 and it
published right after she turned 18. if that isn’t amazing
and inspiring, how about this? her writing and the story
is excellent. i recommend BREAK!
and without further ado, a chat with hannah.
hannah, tell us how long you’ve been writing creatively
and how long it took you to write BREAK.
I’ve been writing little stories for as long as I can
remember. I finished my first long thing (about 100 pages)
when I was in sixth grade. Finished the first novel–horrible
though it was–at the end of eighth grade. Since then it’s been
non-stop. For BREAK, first draft was 6 days, all the drafts
together about 2 months
i cannot believe you wrote a first draft in less than a week.
that is incredible! were there any songs that inspired you
as you wrote this novel? or songs that make you think of this novel?
I’m so glad you asked this question! There are a few songs
that were huge–”The Trouble with Jonah” by Gersey, “How
Far We’ve Come” by Matchbox 20, and “I’ve Seen Better Days”
by The Sublime. The song that had the most to do with creating
the book, though, is called “Time Turned Fragile” by Motion
City Soundtrack. The song was actually written about a father
and a son, but it works so well for Jonah and Jesse’s dynamic,
of one brother looking after the other–”You used to say that
you’re just fine, but I still wonder all the time,” and later in the
song–”I know I say that I’m just fine, but I hope you wonder
from time to time.” Beautiful song.
i’m totally searching for these songs online!
what is a young adult book you read this year that really
struck you?
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I’ve already read it twice.
Damn, that book is good. I also fell hard for Someday This Pain
Will be Useful to You by Peter Cameron.
if you could follow in the footsteps of another author
career wise, who would it be?
Oh hey, I just mentioned her–Laurie Halse Anderson. I mean,
my God, that woman is amazing. Everything she writes is just
fantastic, and she keeps producing these books that are just
total sensations, one right after the other. What I love about her
is that she has a niche to the extent that you have a vague idea
what to expect from her books, but she gives herself enough
freedom so you’re still surprised. But you get the heartbreaking
heroines, well-researched scenarios, and tough family situations
you want from one of her books. She’s great. And I love how
prolific she is. I want to crank out one book after another after another.
BREAK floored me not only due to the wonderful and strong
writing, but for the depth of emotions that we see living through
jonah’s eyes. how did you relate to your hero? did you draw upon
your own emotional journeys?
Aw, thank you! Honestly, very little of what Jonah goes through
is anything I’ve personally experienced. I’ve had my own tangos
with self-destruction, I suppose, and I absolutely know a lot of
the emotions Jonah has when he’s in the hospital–particularly
the combination of feeling incredibly guilty for disappointing
people who love you and simultaneously angry with them for
making your struggles about them. That frustration was a
cornerstone for Jonah, and I think it was important to know that.
But most of Jonah’s stuff is foreign to me. Everything with siblings
is imagined; I have one sister, and our relationship is quite
different from Jonah’s and Jesse’s.
i love that you were able to channel jonah so truly.
and finally what is your favorite pastry? =D
Blueberry muffins.
in celebration of hannah’s debut release, i’m
giving away one copy of BREAK to the lucky
winner who leaves a comment answering this
question :
have you ever broken a bone? if so which?
if not, what is one of the most memorable
ouch injuries that you’ve endured?
winner will be randomly chosen some
time on friday night, 11/13! =D
to learn more about hannah : untilhannah.com
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