I was writing before I knew it was called writing. I mean, I was making up both stories and free-form poetry before I could read. Unlike authors who were prodigies, I didn’t learn to read until I was taught it in first grade, but I certainly knew how to make up a story. Astro-Boy, a Japanese anime character, was often my companion in my early fiction, but every movie I saw or book that was read to me got at least a try to see if I would fit into its world. (Including the wonderful D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, which made a huge impression on me—after that my companions were fauns and dryads, centaurs, nymphs, and demi-gods.)
And I constantly, silently, made up stories in my head based on whatever I was doing. Like, what might happen if . . . the door to the abandoned house on our block was really the doorway to another planet. Or to a land where unfairly enslaved animals talked. Or to a kingdom where the true princess had been kidnapped by a wicked faun. I did this 24/7 and never told a soul about it until I was in high school.
But as a kid, I loved to play the princess sort of pretend with my girlfriends—and a lavish wardrobe of flower girl dresses supplied by my great-aunt who ran a bridal shop. And I loved playing—not doctor—but space explorer with my boyfriends. Although I didn’t start reading early, I did catch up very quickly to take a look at what I had missed. By fifth grade I was reading adult books; by sixth my mom was horrified to find me reading her copy of Valley of the Dolls. Now that doesn’t mean I was reading all grown-up books. I was unfailingly faithful to Nancy Drew and patterned my mystery stories on her adventures. And I read any book of any kind that had any sort of “urban magic” in it. I knew I was going to find real magic . . . right up until the moment when I realized that I was going to have to write about it instead.
As to my juvenilia, I am devastated to report that some of it has survived. Ye gods, does it suck!
Hello L.J,
I’ve been a long time reader of your books since the early 90’s. The Vampire Diaries is the first series I’ve read of yours (and tied with The Secret Circle as my favorite series – Love Nick!). Anyway, I wanted to ask you what influenced you to make the vampires (in Vampire Diaries)be non-sexual beings. I know that blood – blood exchange is supposed to be equivalent to sexual intimacy and that The Vampire Diaries are in the Young Adult category but… oh I don’t know. I just cannot picture the character of Damon passing up physical pleasures while obtaining his nourishment of blood. (Just my perception). So again, just wondering about blood and sex in regards to the mythos you created in The Vampire Diaries. Thank you for your time.
L. J.,
I am obviously a fan of yours, to which I am taking time to comment you, and your books. I would just love to express my gratitude towards your imaginative, and beautifully expressed works of art(your books). I absolutely loved the Vampire Diaries series, and Night World series. It is still difficult for me to believe how some one can be so amazingly, imaginative when it comes to writing. You have done a wonderful job and I can’t wait to for the next the rest of Night World, Vampire Diaries to come out! I’m very excited, and can’t stop checking the calender to see if enough time has gone by for all your upcoming books, that you have written, to be released. I am absolutely hooked by your writing. I adore your characters, and there strong, loving, personality, qualities you have given them. You make me want to be apart of their world, pardon me i meant there Night World….. :) There is one question I do have though, it being about your mini stories or teasers. I just can’t find or locate the one about Lord Thierry and Lady Hannah. I have read them all and loved them all, but was just wondering about the other one I previosly mentioned. Where could I find that teaser or mini story in particular? i Have looked all over your website and it seems it is no where to be found.
Once again I’d like to thank you for your incredible writing and imagination.
Micky
L.J.,
It’s me, Micky, again. Sorry, but I’m not to well adapted to technolgy or the internet, or how any of this blog “stuff” works. But, if you do answer any of the questions people ask you, where would they be found? Would they be found on your personal web page, or here on this web site on “All Posts by L.J. Smith”? Once again thank you for your time, and I apologize for all the typo’s on my previous comment, it’s kind of late. I made sure to check this one. (:
Micky
I love you books. i most like the vampire diaries book series. than you so muck for righting them. And keep up the good work.
Do you feel that the extensive break you took between the last Night World novel and the newest Vampire Diaries installment has hurt your writing ability? Did you go back and re-read the first four Vampire Diaries prior to writing the fifth one or are the plethora of inconsistancies a result of not doing so?
And why did you delete every comment in your amazon blog? Why is the section on wikipedia regarding the issue of you deleting constructive cristicisms and fabricating a story about there being a malicious group of individuals out to do you harm being the cause of all the neutral and negative reviews?
Hey L.J wat da craic?
I’m a HUGE fan me and my friend must be making you millions with the amount of books we’ve bought by you and the amount of fights we have over about the dudes you write about(especially Ash and Damon and sometimes Stefan and Adam)its really funny how we decide who gets who once we played rock paper scissors.
I love the Nightworld series, The Secret Circle, The Vampire Diaries(btw does Bonnie and Damon get together? Dieing to know)and Dark Visions. Anyway back to the point I just want to know if your going to publish the Apocalypse Night Tales once Strange Fate is done because I’m also dieing to know about Ash and Mary-Lynette they are my favs.
Thanks for the chance to ask these “important”(as my other friend would say)questions
Hey,
I think you should make a bunch of short stories about your characters and put them in a book. (Just a suggestion.) Anything you write I know I’ll read!
<3 <3 <3 <3
Shannon
im gonna sound like a big dork here. im 23 and you are my favorite author! the night world series is the first series i ever read. (ive had to replace all of them ive read them so often.) your are the main reason i want to write my own fiction novel. i absoultly cannot contain my excitement over the latest of the night world series. it feels like ive been waiting forever. but with books like the nightworld series its well worth the wait. thank you for writing and being an inspiration.
Hey again,
I am so excited to see what you got coming up for VD!!!! I love your writing!! I recomend it all the time! I have only read VD, I have alot of books to read, but I will be sure to read some more of your stuff!! I am so excited for the next book!!! Write fast!! Godspeed!!!
Mel
I Love Night World i started reading them this year and i got into it staight away.
Is it1` t`rue that there is a new Night World book coming out in 2020 called Strange Fate I’m so looking forward to reading it.
You have helped me in many ways now I’m coming up with lots of supernatural stories but I can’t find a way to write them down without making them sound silly.
I have been told they are good ideas and to write them down and I would realy appreciate your help in makeing me more confident in writing them.
Thanx 4 readin this and for writing amazing books
C.A.L
Sorry made a mistake I was supposed to put in 2010
Sorry I us sosed 2 say if it came out in 2010
I love your Vampire Diaries series and I am so inspired by them! Just wanted to let you know you’re great!!!!! <3 :)
Hi.
I am really a big fan of yours.I’m really inspired by your books and when I start reading, I can’t stop(seriously).Anyways,I just wanted to know when will the vampire diaries the return: midnight will be released.I’m really suspensed. And will there be another book after the vampire diaries the return:midnight? I really have no time to post anymore now so,bye.
P.S. Please answer my questions,tq.
Hi,
I LOVE your series The Vampire Diaries, i know that ever science it came out as a TV show people have started to compare Twilight with TVD, how do you feel about that? Because i know some people have been saying TVD is a copy of Twilight, but they’re not muck alike and TVD came out before.
I Know That This Is Off Subject… But.. I REALLY LOVE THE FORBIDDEN GAME Book’s They Are Great…. Why Is Jenny So Stuck On Tom? I Would Raither Have Had Julian…. I Mean Dark, Sexy, Danger. How Could You Not Want That!! Honestly.. I’ed Like To Know… If You’r Ever Gonna Like.. Umm Tell Us What Happened To Julian?
When will Strange Fate be coming out? I’m so excited for it, plese let it be soon! :)
Hi LJ,
I have to first say that I’ve been a fan of yours for 16 years. I’m 30 years old now and own all of your published works (which I am almost constantly re-reading). You inspired me to start writing!
I am curious about your thoughts on the Vampire Diaries TV series and has the had any effect on your continuation of the book series? I’m sure people ask you about this all the time! As a die-hard Vampire Diaries series fan, I was skeptical about the tv show. But, I have to say that the actors that play Stefan and Damon are spot-on. They MAKE the show. I can forgive the liberties the show took with the other characters because these two guys are so great.
Your creativity and longevity in the industry are such an inspiration to me! Keep up the great work!
I have to know if there are going to be more Night World books?? I am so attached to the characters that you have created. They are so real you can close your eyes and touch them. Please tell me there will be more!!!
Do you think Twilight is too much like your books?
I love Dark Visions.If you ever ever write another story of Dark Vision hear idea you can have,some psychic had a vision that someday Gabriel and Kait will have a very powerful child ,so a group of psychic get together to try to kindnapped one of them.They are afraid that the child would destroy the world.so they have to stop it before it happen.but of course the ending would be a happy ending.
Hello L.J., I absolutely am a huge fan of yours. I started reading the vampire diaries about three years ago, and I absolutely love them. I have been hooked ever since. I would lve it if you could have a book signing tour around the tri state area, because that is where i live, and none of my favorite authors come near here.
THANKS!!
K.C.
I really love the Vampire Diaries and the Secret Circle. When can we look for the next installment of the Secret Circle? The Secret Circle is my ultimate favorite!!!!!!
WoW – i can’t believe that Vampire Diaries has become a television show after all these years. I am 28 years old now and i used to read those books over and over again when i was in middle school!!! The Forbidden Game series-no lie-i probably read each book 20 times. It was sort of an obsession back then…i still have all the books for each series…i could never persuade myself to get rid of them. Back then, there were no blogs to tell you this. When someone told me that there was a new show on called “The Vampire Diaries” i thought….hmmm….i know that title and before i watched the show…i was scanning the opening credits for your name to see if the two were the same. I couldn’t believe it….i’ve read Twilight series recently(and it was great)….but i can still remember how i used to feel when i read your books. I used to write poems in school about the Forbidden Game and Julian…nobody knew what they were about but me…i might still have some, i’d have to do some serious searching. I’m so happy for you and your success-you can guarantee i’ll be watching all the episodes of vampire diaries-i hope its a hit!!! but honestly….i think the Forbidden Game would have been better :)
hi lj you are a really talatened writer. ive been readin your books for 3 years now but i cant seem to stop readin them. the vampire dairies is my favorite books. i cant wait for the next book. my favourite charater is damon salvatore. how did you think of such a toatly great bad boy. thanks for writing such great books. you have allowed me to fit in well with friends in high school. i am in year 9 now at the age of 13. you have made boring days shine as i sit back and drown in the world of night. my friend almosts kills me as i tell her about the books only to relize that i have told her the same thing 20 times the week before.
from a fan georgia
hello L.J Smith, its me again. I just also notice that people have read The Forbidden Game as well as The Secret Cirlce, im hoping you know a secret way I could get these books? Or am I just gonna have to be patient and wait for 2010 or until the come out?. I really hope you know a secret way for me; even though it will be worth the wait but I love your books so much. You are my hero! you ROCK. From your huge fan Emily.
I love your books! You are by far my favorite author ever! While Stephenie Meyer started my vampire “obsession”, (yes I will admit I am a little obsessed but my friends act like all I think about is vampires (Hmmm….maybe they have a point)), you are the one who’s keeping me reading about them.
You’re so good at making the characters unique. I feel like I actually know them. Once I called my friend at school Rashel. When you said that”seven go on a mission to save the world…and only two come back” I cried. Literally. Full out sobbing. My favorite characters are probably the fighters (Rashel, Keller, and Jez) and the boys who act all big and bad but have a really soft side (Quinn, Ash, Morgead).
I love the vampire diaries too. I love Damon! I hope Bonnie and him end up together…
Your vampire obssessed fan,
Kiley
Hi L.J!!!
I realy love your books! they are the best books ever! You are the best writer of all time! your books are immortal. You are my hero!
XXXXoooXXXX
Love your (http://www.ljanesmith.net/index.php) Realy realy love the beginning!
hi i was jus wandering about to 2 things actually when is the final book to night wirld coming and you should talk to producers about puting your night world series in a t show
Hi LJ!
I just wanted to tell you that your books are absolutely amazing and you are one of my favorite authors. Night World was my favorite series and I cannot wait until Strange Fate comes out! I also love the Vampire Diaries. I can never decided if Damon is truly evil or not…I’m also really excited for the new Vampire Diaries to come out! Thank you for writing such wonderful stories and please continue to write! You are the original Stephenie Meyer :)
Yours truly,
Susie
I think living in interesting towns as a kid (either in the creepy/almost sense or in the so normal they’re like Stepford sense) helps with writing later on… Loved your post, thank you :)
I am asking just about the same question as Lucy. Are you going to write another secret circle? When would it be published? I am super excited cause I was always a Nick fan till I found out Adam was her soulmate so I switched. This would totally jumble me up?
your secret circle series is a lot lot better than vampire diaries, even the characterization is quite thorough, i dunno why ppl say that twilight and vampire diaries are similar, twilight is in fact heavily inspired by secret circle in terms of the character of the heroine
try to get that made into a film or tv show
How many books are there going to be of vampire Diaries?
I am new to your books and I must say I am hooked. I’ve read vampire diaries. Please let Stephan and Elena be together, how can they not be. I also loved Gabriel and Kaitlyn in Dark Visions. I am hoping you will finish the story lines between Jamie and Poppy, and also Ash and Mary-Lynette in Night World. Thank You for writing these books.