Brandon Williams Author Interview

How much conscious autobiography is present in Teenage Rewrite? Did you see unconscious autobiography in the editing stages? Also, did you scale back things you didn’t want to share?

Oh, I was definitely aware of the autobiographical portions throughout the entire process! It’s one of those things where I think every writer draws on his or her own experiences to at least some degree. With Teenage Rewrite, I drew from my own life and perspective for different parts, and yet I had to filter it so that it fit the character. I mean, how I react to things and handle different situations is definitely different than how Justin reacts to things. So, I wouldn’t say that I scaled back so much as modified. And that’s not to imply that Teenage Rewrite is a modified memoir. Certainly not. The autobiographical stuff is in the subtle details. The one-liners. Justin’s insecure thoughts. The random encounters. Like the incident with the drunk naked guy walking into traffic. That happened on parents weekend when I was in college. And just to be clear, I wasn’t the guy. I saw the guy.

Between entertainment and enlightenment, which was your most important goal?

This is going to sound corny, but I have to say it: enlightenment through entertainment. I write because it’s something that I really enjoy doing. I like spending time with my characters, and in a way they kind of end up like friends. Which is something Justin alludes to the first time he hangs out with Evan and they talk about books. I mean, some of my characters are based loosely (very loosely) off of people I’ve known, but mostly they are based on people I’d like to know. Like Travis! Oh my god! Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a guy like Travis? He’s so irritating, and yet so awesome at the same time. And it’s through this entertainment that I’m able to achieve my ultimate goal of providing LGBT youth with another voice. A new perspective. A story or character that they can relate to in at least some sense. We’re getting more positive LGBT characters in entertainment (both books and media), but there still aren’t enough. And I know I’m not the only person who roles his eyes when a book features a gay teen who’s into musicals and is getting hassled by the muscly jock who wants to “kick his ass.” This portrayal may represent some people, but come on! We need more real characters, and fewer that feel like they’ve been written based on an ‘80s gay male stereotype. Many authors of LGBT fiction are successfully providing that alternate perspective, and I hope that I’m able to provide that as well.

Did you read books like yours when you were growing up or wish they had existed?

 I actually didn’t like to read much growing up. I mean, I enjoyed reading books for school assignments. The Great Gatsby. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Catcher in the Rye. These were my kinds of books. But outside of school, I couldn’t find anything I liked to read. I was very much stuck on the idea that the only things worth reading were classics, and didn’t really try branching into other fiction. That and—I’ll be honest—I liked spending (investing?) my time playing video games and watching TV. But if my teenage self would have liked to read books outside of class, then yes, I totally wish books like mine had existed. Especially when you consider the autobiographical aspects. “IT’S LIKE THIS WAS WRITTEN FOR ME!” Seriously, though, I would have loved to read books like The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second, or Sprout, or The Perks of Being a Wallflower (although, to be fair, Perks was released when I was in eighth grade and I certainly could have read it…).

How do you think grownups will relate to Teenage Rewrite?

At its core, Teenage Rewrite is about that awful, floundering confusion that we all experience at some point in our lives—and, for some of us lucky few, at multiple points in our lives—when we stop and realize we have no idea who we are and what the hell we’re doing with our lives. Throughout school there’s at least some sense of structure and purpose, despite how pointless it might feel at times. But if and when you graduate, you’re just on your own. And it’s terrifying! I know that growing up there is always this thought that at some point you’ll feel more secure and have things figured out. I’m starting to realize that’s not true. We just get better at being able to navigate these confusions. So, I think that’s a pretty universal thing for a lot of grownups, and they’ll be able to appreciate it now that they’ve “moved past” those times. And for adults who consider themselves gay or bisexual, I think they can certainly relate to a lot of what Justin goes through. For him, being bi has always made sense to him, and yet he has to reconcile his own views with that of the world at large. Anyone who’s come out or struggled with identity (not just orientation) can relate to that.

What motivated you to write about a bisexual character as opposed to a gay character?

I write characters that I like and can identify with. I haven’t really read any YA fiction featuring a bisexual teen as the primary focus, and I wanted to have that voice represented (and in a manner that I wouldn’t roll my eyes at). Not to say bi YA books don’t exist. I just haven’t found them. And we need that voice. Not only people who consider themselves to be bisexual, but also those that are questioning. And as part of that, I feel like my style really lends itself to that confusion many people experience when they first think about their orientation. A lot of my writing is based on characters having inner dialogue and overthinking things. I love insecure characters, because we’re all insecure at some level. We all second-guess things. We all think we’re the only ones to ever have that particular thought or feeling. We all talk with people or hang out with friends and immediately recap in our brains when we’re home alone that night. It’s natural, even though we don’t like to admit it. And I write about a lot of those natural feelings/thoughts that people like to pretend they don’t have.

Let’s say homophobia sees some societal repose: in what direction do you see LGBT YA fiction going?

Contemporary fiction reflects the current climate. If the LGBT community has to face less homophobia and bigotry, then this will become less of an issue for fictional characters as well. There will still be the awkwardness of first crushes and dating and life in general, but stories featuring LGBT characters won’t focus on the current issue of: how will my friends and family react? Will I be accepted? Will I be bullied? And we’re already seeing this huge shift in LGBT YA fiction, and in our society! I mean, if you go back and read Nancy Garden’s Annie on My Mind, there’s this tremendous love story and she does a fantastic job of relating those feelings. But, at the same time, the reaction of her school and community are considerably dated. Which is great! I feel like this is one of the few genres where seeing your favorite books become outdated is a good thing. I was probably pretty vague with my description of Nancy’s book, but I’m also trying to avoid spoilers. Outdated or not, it’s still really, really good.

Hindsight is 20/20. Is there anything about Teenage Rewrite that you would take back?

My favorite color is green, and I’m a vegetarian. Oh, that’s right, you’re asking tough questions! I think that my obsessive revisions and edits actually cut out a lot of the things that I didn’t like. I spent a seemingly endless amount of time restructuring and cutting things that I found entertaining but that didn’t add anything to the story. Or, worse yet, were a complete distraction. Although, I keep wondering how many people just absolutely hate that book cover. But it’s meant to be uncomfortable! It’s not supposed to be something you look at and think, “Wow, this is amazing. I want this on my wall.” It’s one of those covers that will make sense when you read the book. So, in a lot of ways, it’s like an inside joke for my readers. That image plays a prominent role in kick starting Justin’s story. But, at first glance, I’m sure some people are thinking my book is some kind of graphic porno adventure.

If anything, there are things that I wish I’d done more with. Jennifer And Pierce is one of my favorite characters I’ve written, and I’m really bummed that she doesn’t have a more prominent role in the book. Although, I’m sure part of her allure is that she’s only in the book briefly.

How do you think grownups will react to Teenage Rewrite?

Depends. On the controversy side, there are all the usual stumbling points of a book featuring LGBT teens. But, in addition to that, I also don’t shy away from language in my book. Teens cuss all the time. God, you should have heard me in middle school! And I feel like a lot of that gets cut from books put out by traditional publishers. Of course, that’s not to say that the language is excessive or overly crude in my book. I’d actually say it’s less than that of typical teens, especially when I think of how my friends and I talked/currently talk. Also, there are definitely some allusions to sexual activity in my book, and we all know how much adults get riled up about that. I assure you, though, there’s nothing graphic. Just innuendo. Get over it prudes!

Do you feel that your characters must always make wise decisions? If not, can your readers respect the decisions they’ve made?

Oh, no! In fact it’s a lot more fun when they don’t make good decisions. And I don’t think readers need to necessarily respect a character’s decisions, but they should at least be able to see where that character is coming from. I feel like people can relate to all of my characters on at least some level, even if they don’t agree with them. It’s one of those natural things I was referencing earlier. Not everything is simple, and sometimes we find ourselves agreeing with pieces of an argument that we otherwise disagree with. Life is complicated, and I love seeing how my characters handle that.

Also, here are several important links

Brandon's website: www.bwilliamswriting.com

Kindle ebook: www.amazon.com/dp/B007FJF58G

Nook ebook: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110275788