Interview with Elizabeth Scott

Elizabeth Scott may have been raised in a small town, but she thinks big city. Her books are real and accessible to the many teens that read them. With a background in European Studies, this author has run the gamut of jobs from an editor to a pantyhose salesperson and while the idea of "creative writing" frightened her at first, she eventually came to a realization that has allowed her to write such popular titles as Something, Maybe, Love You, Hate You, Miss You and Living Dead Girl. Without further ado, here is an interview with Elizabeth Scott.

What made you want to write books on such difficult subject matter?

I like to write books about people falling in love, but I'm also drawn to writing about darker things, and I quite like doing both.

Would you say you have an interesting writing quirk?

I like to write in bed!

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I have amazing readers, and they have sent me some truly wonderful notes! I get asked about movies a lot, but I'm sad to say none of my books have been optioned.

Are there any particular authors or writing styles that influence your work?

No, although I do always think about Elmore Leonard famous quote about how he tries to “leave out the parts people skip" when I'm revising. My drafts tend to shrink a lot--the average is 40% between the first and final versions.

Any hints about your next novel?

The Unwritten Rule comes out on April 6th, and it's about a girl who falls for her best friend's boyfriend. You can probably guess where the title came from just from that!

Any advice you'd give to young readers or anything else you'd like them to know?

Read. I can't say it enough--you've all got the writing thing down and you have the drive, but don't forget to read. Read in the genre you want to write in, and read outside it as well. The more you read, the more you'll start to see what grabs you when you read a book and what doesn't. And besides, books offer you a way to escape into another world or into someone else's life or to learn things you didn't know. Who'd want to miss out on that?

Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

How would you feel if you killed your best friend? This is the question that plagues Amy, the survivor of a horrible car crash. Freshly released from rehab after a 75 day stint, Amy struggles to redefine her life now that she has to fit in without the one person who understood her and the "crutches" they shared.

Amy's parents' infatuation with one another drives her need for affection and attention. Her drinking, drug-using, and casual sex lifestyle are her coping mechanisms. Her deceased best friend Julia shared these things with her. Amy is now confronted with the loss of her best friend, the overwhelming guilt she feels for causing that loss, and the difficult adjustment of sobriety.

Her shrink asks her to keep a diary of her experience as a way to help examine what she is going through. Her journal becomes letters to Julia where she finally explores and discovers her true "friendship." While following this path Amy will gain an understanding of her parents, confront her long ignored and suppressed demons, and find a new friend in all this turmoil.

While at times this can be a difficult and emotional read, I strongly recommend it. Also, although I don't believe in a rating system for books, this one does have some slightly more mature content that might not be okay for younger, less-advanced teens.