Interview with NYT bestselling author Neal Shusterman

We are thrilled to interview New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman here at Kidlit in Color. Read more about his inspiration for his latest book, All Better Now and some great tips for writers. 


KLiC: What was your inspiration for All Better Now? 

NS: At a speaking event, someone commented that my darker books are often prophetic – and then they said, “Can’t you predict something happy?” Everyone laughed, but I took the challenge to heart.  But, of course, not even an exploration of happiness can be all peaches-and-cream. Our society isn’t designed to function if everyone is happy. So, what are the consequences of a virus that threatens to bring about universal happiness? Developing this idea involved exploring how absolute contentment could disrupt power dynamics and challenge fundamental human desires and motivations. 

KLiC: Please tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to write and sell this book? 

NS: The book took over a year to write, working on and off. As with all my books, there was a lot of soul searching, questioning the world around me, and examining human nature (both the positive and negative sides). And, of course, world-building. Because, while the story begins in our world, it rapidly veers off into uncharted territory as we face the prospect of unbounded joy and contentment—which can be terrifying …

KLiC: What’s the one thing you want teens to take away from All Better Now?

NS: That there are consequences to every decision we make, good and bad. That even happiness comes with a cost, and it’s up to us to determine if the cost is worth it. (I think it is.) And that there is always more to think about because the important questions are bottomless.

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KLiC: Do you have any tips for pre-published authors?

NS: Yes.  

1. Work on your craft
2. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! 
3. Read (and write) outside of your comfort zone
4. And (here’s the hard one) don’t trick yourself into thinking that self-publishing is actually publishing. That’s nothing but an ego-trap.There are agents, and editors there for a reason. They are highly skilled at what they do. And – hard truth – if you haven’t been able to get an agent yet, then you probably aren’t ready, and need to develop your craft.  It’s hard to accept that “you’re not there yet.” I know when I couldn’t sell my first two books, I was frustrated, and felt that the publishers and agents were all idiots. They weren’t. I just wasn’t a good enough writer yet. If self-publishing had been as easy back then as it is now, I would never have honed my skills the way I needed to. 

KLiC: What’s next for you? 

NS: I’m very excited to say that I'm working on a prequel for SCYTHE which takes place in the year humans become immortal. This also happens to be the year that the Thunderhead gains consciousness and changes life on Earth forever. The novel focuses on the original 12 Scythes (or 13 if you believe certain sources), how they met, and how they came up with the idea for the Scythedom. The book doesn't have a title yet, but I'm very excited to be working on it. I’m also working on ALL OVER NOW, the second book in the Crown Royale Duology.

KLiC: Is there anything you want readers to know about you or your book(s)?

NS: Just that the one thing you can expect is to not get what you were expecting!


Learn more about All Better Now and purchase copy here. 
 

Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his series Arc of a Scythe is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves. Visit Neal at StoryMan.com and Facebook.com/NealShusterman.