Blogfest 2009 » Vrettos Adrienne Maria

Adrienne Maria Vrettos on “How do you feel about stuff like sex scenes in books? Inappropriate or okay?”

Vrettos Adrienne Maria — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:45 +0000

Not just totally okay, but totally important. Teens are great self-selectors. If they can’t handle something, they aren’t going to read it. And books that show physical relationships between characters – for better or for worse – are a way for teens to safely explore the choices they have when it comes to their own bodies. It’s a way for them to see that they aren’t alone in their feelings, their choices, and their conflicts.

That said…

I hate kissy business in books. Smooch, smooch, yawn. I’d rather people be chased by murderous spies or survive in the wilderness with nothing but their psychic abilities and a pair of tweezers.

Adrienne Maria Vrettos on “Is it harder to write the first book as opposed to the second (or third, or fourth) or does it depend on the content of what you are writing?”

Vrettos Adrienne Maria — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:30:55 +0000

It was actually totally the opposite for me. When I was writing my first book, SKIN, I couldn’t really imagine it ever getting published. So even though it was fiction, I put a whole lot of my own teenage angst and fears and pain in there – I mean the really goopy stuff that you only tell your best friend or maybe your dog, but only if he can keep a secret. I was so happy the book was published, but I was also like, Oh crow, that means people are actually going to read what I wrote! But the amazing thing is that all of that honesty, all of those secret fears and hopes, those are the things that I ended up having the best conversations with readers about.

Adrienne Maria Vrettos on “Have you ever just wanted to give up?”

Vrettos Adrienne Maria — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:30:46 +0000

Give up writing? No way, dude! If I didn’t write, I’d shrivel up like a dead bug and blow away with the next strong wind. But….have I ever been totally besieged by unhelpful advice from my inner writing demons telling me that whatever I’m writing should be written by somebody who is smarter and funnier and a better dancer (they’re demons, they hit where it hurts)? Totally! But I do my best to just shoot those demons with mind-Jello (they’re allergic) and carry on.

Adrienne Maria Vrettos on “If you could have any super power, what would it be?”

Vrettos Adrienne Maria — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:30:48 +0000

Oh, that’s easy! I would FLY!