How appropriate that the author of A Little Friendly Advice (called “a fabulous debut,” by Teen Book Review among others) should graciously agree to dispense some of her own. Siobhan Vivian, whose latest exploration of the ever rocky teenage terrain Same Difference will be out next March, takes her turn at answering our One Simple Question…

“As an artist what inspires you most in your role as a writer for Young Adults?”

Every writer has been given, at least once, the advice, “Write what you know.” There’s serious truth to that little nugget. I follow it to the letter.

The truth is I’ve never really felt very adult or particularly grown up. I am constantly embarrassed, awkward, sweaty, pimpled. These are the “bad” parts of adolescence, the things we hope to grow out of. When people think about the teenage experience, this is where their minds automatically go. And, lucky me, I live that kind of discomfort every day. It takes literally no effort for me to imagine what a teen might be feeling the first time they notice a boy who doesn’t notice them, or try something and fail miserably in front of their peers. *sigh*

This can be, at times, quite disconcerting. I am often surrounded by peers who are way more “put together,” who seem to have life all figured out, who approach things more rationally and live lives that sees, at least from this outsider’s perspective, more even-keeled, more successful.

But in the same breath, I feel lucky enough to also experience the insane joys, the almost-manic highs of happiness that also come from being a teen on a daily basis. I am completely swept by the rush of a first kiss, I do not hesitate to shamelessly elbow my way to the foot of the stage of my favorite band, or to seek adventure by simply walking aimlessly at night with my friends. The world is strangely open and magical, serendipity all around. I want to celebrate these little victories, exploit the tingly feelings and remind us to stop and feel them. And when I’m in one of those moments, I wouldn’t trade them for any sort of security, confidence, or insight. Suddenly, the people I envy look empty and unfulfilled. They look like they don’t know how to live.

What does this all boil down to? Well, this tug-of-war between what we should be and what we are is a universal struggle from which I can draw upon. At the end of the day, I love that I have such closeness to my teen identity. It is not buried, or something I hide, but a resource that makes my life better, gives me endless inspiration for the books I write, and validation for the person that I am. And that is what I hope to impart onto my readers and what absolutely drives me as an artist.

 Share