BIO

Kristin Hannah is the bestselling author of ON MYSTIC LAKE, ANGEL FALLS, HOME AGAIN, SUMMER ISLAND, DISTANT SHORES, BETWEEN SISTERS, and THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE. She lives with her husband and son in the Pacific Northwest.

INTERVIEW

June 15, 2004

Teenreads.com Founder Carol Fitzgerald talks to Kristin Hannah, author of THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE, about the challenge of writing teen characters and the serious issues that young people must confront today. Kristin also explains how she conducts her research for her books and offers advice to teenagers who would like to become writers.

TRC: In THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE you have a teenage character named Lauren who desperately longs for a home and a family. Tell us about writing Lauren's character. Were there any challenges in writing her as opposed to the adult characters?

KH: I have been writing teen characters since the early days of my career. I think that's because I remember so keenly how it felt to be in that rarified adolescent world, where everything seems to matter so much. It's a time when you want desperately to be grown up, but sometimes you still feel so very young and vulnerable. The biggest challenge to me in writing today's teenager is to keep up with their fashions, their music, their challenges.

As far as Lauren's character specifically, I really wanted to explore today's "good girl" and the specific challenges faced by her. Today's teen lives under so much pressure, both internal and external. I sometimes think that it's no longer good enough for them to be simply smart, dedicated kids. The pressures of staying straight and true, of being what your parents expect, and of getting into a good college can be very daunting. I saw Lauren as kind of a cautionary tale --- a "beware: this could happen to you," kind of character. In the end, she was a kid who had to grow up too fast, and in her search for her selfhood --- and a family she could rely on --- she made a single mistake and it cost her dearly. How she deals with that mistake is what ultimately defines her character and sends her on the road to adulthood.

TRC: You have a teenage son and know the pressures that teens are up against these days. You so aptly wrote about the pressures of getting into college and trying to get scholarships. How much of this was taken from your personal experience? Do you think teens have more pressures today than your generation did?

KH: My son is just now taking the finals that signal the end of his sophomore year, so the question of college is just around the corner. Unfortunately, for this generation of kids, the pressure of getting into a good college starts much too early. There's very little room for error on the road to graduation, and yet, error is the point of the teen years. You're supposed to screw up to some extent; that's how we learn. We make mistakes and learn from them. But for today's teen, even the potential mistakes are amped up in wattage. Drugs and sex can't be experimented with casually. Between designer drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, they don't have a lot of room for error. I think that makes for a world that feels a lot more dangerous and limited than it felt for my generation.

TRC: Lauren faces a pregnancy and needs to decide how to handle it. Did you convey your own views about teen pregnancy into the choice that she made?

KH: Actually, I tried very hard not to put my values and opinions into the story. It's far too easy for adults to judge a teenager's choices. I simply wanted to explore the ramifications and difficulties of the situation on today's "good girl." In previous generations, the decision was all-too-often taken out of the young mother's hands. Young women simply didn't keep their babies. I think that kind of cavalier handling of such a fragile moment often resulted in a lifetime's worth of regrets. Today's teen is making her own decision, and I wanted to understand and convey what she thought, how she felt, and what her decision cost her. No matter what your age or financial circumstance, an unexpected pregnancy can throw your world out of alignment. Each of us will weigh the costs differently and make choices based on who we are and what we want/need out of life. For Lauren, this choice was especially difficult because of the special circumstances of her family life.

TRC: Did you write a lot when you were a teenager?

KH: Nope. I can honestly say that I never dreamed of becoming a writer when I was younger, and I never wrote a piece of fiction. Unless you count class excusal notes and reasons for missing my curfew.

TRC: What advice do you have for teens who aspire to become writers?

KH: I've done a fair amount of writing workshops for teens in my local area, and one of the things I've discovered is that they're hugely talented. To anyone who's interested in or thinking of becoming a writer, I say GO FOR IT. Start writing. People will tell you that it's too early, that you're too young, that it's a dog-eat-dog world and you'll never make it. They'll be telling you the same thing ten years from now, too. If you have a dream, or even a passing thought that you might enjoy writing, do it. It's never too early --- or too late --- to start reaching for the stars. Once you've tried it, if you still like it, then start taking classes and learning the craft of writing. And, most importantly, read everything you can get your hands on.

TRC: You write with great familiarity about Italian-Americans and what it is like when these families gather --- lots of food (usually a table of family favorites) and much conversation. Is any of your heritage Italian or how did you research this aspect of the book?

KH: Actually, I come from a very small Welsh and English family. We're lucky to have ten people around a table at any given time. In addition to our small number, we're very non-traditional. Last year we celebrated Thanksgiving with a barbeque in Hawaii. The year before that, most of the family got together in Costa Rica for Thanksgiving. The highlight of that holiday was a jungle kayak ride with my Dad's great new wife. So, yes, the family in THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE took research and imagination. My family loved it because every time I needed a recipe for the restaurant, I went into my own kitchen and started cooking.

As to the big, meddling, loving Catholic Italian family, I quizzed two friends for all the details. The biggest stumbling block was Angie's relationship with her mother. Honestly, I didn't know what it was like to have a mother when you're a grown woman yourself. I wondered if she still hovered over you, and critiqued your wardrobe and makeup choices, and tried to tell you what to do. The overwhelming response from my friends was Yes! A mom is always a mom, no matter how old the daughter gets. It was a lot of fun and quite cathartic, actually, to write a healthy, happy mother-daughter relationship. It gave me a chance to imagine how my mom and I would have been.

TRC: Is West End much like the town where you live?

KH: Well, most of Western Washington is like West End, in that it's beautiful and green and near a body of water, and all of those descriptions certainly match my hometown. However, West End was more of an idealized version of a coastal town in the southern part of the state, one of those towns hit hard by the loss of salmon runs and the diminished timber industry. In my mind, it's more like one of the towns I grew up in.

TRC: Your books capture the Pacific Northwest so vividly and really give readers such a feel for this part of the country that, I for one, want to visit there. Your descriptions enhance your work so much. I know you have mentioned that you love to write at the beach. When you are describing other locations, do you travel to them to do research or write from memory?

KH: In the early part of my career, I wrote books that were set all over the world. I did endless research, wrote thousands of notecards, and spent hours standing in the stacks at the graduate library. I loved imagining all these different settings. It wasn't until my first contemporary novel, HOME AGAIN, that I came home myself. That book was set in my own backyard, pretty much. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that, but it wasn't really until ON MYSTIC LAKE that I realized the depth of my affinity for this place. In that book --- and in all the books since --- the northwest truly became one of the characters. I discovered that I loved introducing readers to my special corner of the world.

As to research, it now comes down to weekends with the family in different small towns along the coast. I still do a lot of fact-based research --- the local economy, the weather, the political history --- but all of that takes second seat to simply soaking in the scenery and feeling as if I belong there. For my next novel, I'm heading back to the magnificent Olympic rainforest. I can't seem to stay away from that county for long. I guess I'm like the swordferns that grow in the black, loamy soil --- I need the rainfall to survive.

TRC: You enjoy spending time in Hawaii and part of BETWEEN SISTERS took place there. Are there any other locations that spark your interest like the Pacific Northwest?

KH: I didn't realize my connection to Hawaii for quite a while. I first went there with my family when I was about 15 years old. Every time I went in the water, I heard the Jaws theme song in my head. I didn't spend much time in the water. I went back at 17, when I graduated from high school. Four girlfriends on their own. Unfortunately, I left all my clothes on top of the dryer and took an empty suitcase; then, when we got to Waikiki, we lathered up with baby oil and ran to the beach, where we proceeded to sunbathe for five hours. I spent the remainder of the vacation lying on my bed, trying not to move. I looked like a lobster. (We all did).

The next trip was to Kauai for my sister's wedding. Seven days in paradise with the whole family … during a tropical rainstorm. The wind was so hard the patio furniture often tumbled past our window, and the rain literally nailed you in place. The electricity went out almost every day, leaving my husband and me in a dark room with a two-year-old. Amazingly, we went back about five years later for the RWA national convention, and that's when my love affair with the island of Kauai started. I still love the rain of my hometown, but I've learned to love the tropical colors --- and yes, the sunshine --- of the Garden Island.

As to other places I love, here's a quick list: Manhattan, London, the Big Sur coast, northern Idaho, the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and British Columbia. If I ever go to New Zealand, I'm sure I'll add that to the list, too. (Yes, I'm a Lord of the Rings geek. Matrix, too, if you're interested).

TRC: Your books wrap so nicely usually with all details pulled together. I wonder if you tuck them away in your head quite the same way. Do you or do your characters stay with you?

KH: In general, when I put a book to bed, I say goodnight to the characters and tuck them into bed, and there they stay. Only in very rare instances do characters "stay" with me. Ironically, the ones who seem to stick in my mind are often not the "stars" of the novels in which they appeared. Some of the characters who linger in my mind are: Selena from WAITING FOR THE MOON, Francis from HOME AGAIN, Izzy from ON MYSTIC LAKE, Julian from ANGEL FALLS, and Val from HOME AGAIN, ANGEL FALLS and SUMMER ISLAND. I wouldn't be surprised to find that a character from my next novel, a girl named Alice, belongs on that list.

TRC: Have you ever been tempted to write a series?

KH: No. I think it's the Libra thing again. I like a beginning, a middle, and an end. I really like an end. I have written one spin off and perhaps someday there will be another, but I really like finishing one project and then starting something else that's entirely new. That being said, however, I will say that Julian True from ANGEL FALLS has been on my mind of late. Maybe someday I'll stumble across his second chapter.

TRC: Your book ON MYSTIC LAKE is being re-released as a trade paperback this month. This is the one book that readers always ask if there will be a sequel to. I thought of another idea for this. Have you ever thought about writing a followup from the perspective of Isabella or Katie?

KH: I am continually asked about a sequel for this book, and frankly, it always surprises me. To me, the answer is clear: they live happily ever after. The idea of Izzy's story is new and interesting. Heaven knows I have plenty of years to figure out her future. I don't know honestly if I'd ever consider that --- who knows? --- but I would certainly not be surprised to "meet" Izzy again in a few years in another book, about another family, set in the same place.

TRC: What are you working on now and when can readers expect to see it?

KH: As I said before, I'm back in my beloved rainforest, writing about a girl who arrives unexpectedly in a small, isolated town. Her appearance will really shake up the community and change a lot of lives. I'm not sure yet of every twist and turn in the story, but I know that Alice has quite a story to tell. I'll check back in a few months from now, and let you all know how it's going.

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