I do a lot of revising on paper. Sometimes I think I should just write longhand – what I type reads very different once I print it out. – Sara Shepard
I kept a journal when I was a teenager, so I definitely look back on those to see how I dealt with friends and cliques and getting picked on, or boyfriend breakups. – Sara Shepard
I did steal socks, but I got caught… don’t shoplift, anyone – don’t do it! You’re just gonna get caught. – Sara Shepard
For me, writing for younger audiences and writing for adults uses two different halves of my brain. – Sara Shepard
I’ve written short stories from male perspectives before, and I’ve never had a problem with it as long as I’ve understood the character’s emotions and motivations. – Sara Shepard
If my characters travel somewhere, I generally write about a place I know to give the scenes more authenticity. – Sara Shepard
Judy Blume especially sort of broke the boundaries of what is appropriate and what should be written about – what teenagers are actually doing. – Sara Shepard
My sister and I visited Iceland in 2001, and I incorporated it into ‘Pretty Little Liars.’ – Sara Shepard
Seeing ‘Pretty Little Liars’ fans adapt and create their own stories is both exciting and flattering, and I think what Amazon Publishing is offering through Kindle Worlds is a great way to reward their ingenuity. – Sara Shepard
I am a big outliner. For my adult book, ‘The Visibles,’ I did not outline, and it took me two years to write because I just didn’t outline, and I had no path. – Sara Shepard
I primarily read fiction, and I read a good many wonderful books while writing ‘The Visibles.’ – Sara Shepard
My family often travels to New York City during the holidays, and that’s always a good time. – Sara Shepard
People might look great on the outside but they all have something that they’re dealing with. – Sara Shepard
Sometimes I hear a voice – sometimes it’s the voice of someone I know. And sometimes that leads to a character, which leads to a story. – Sara Shepard
I’ve read a lot of fiction from writers just starting out, and the dialogue is a little bit forced, or it’s almost too teenager-y, or too slang-y or putting too much technology or trends in there. I try to stay pretty trend-neutral. I try not to mention too many current bands or current TV shows. – Sara Shepard
I know these are going to sound like school reading-list suggestions, but if you like dystopian fiction, you should check out some of the originals: ‘Anthem,’ by Ayn Rand; ‘1984,’ by George Orwell; or ‘Brave New World,’ by Aldous Huxley. – Sara Shepard
