Q & A with YA Writer & Blogger Lauren Thell

Welcome to the blog! Tell us a little about yourself.

I am an author, blogger, and champion for teens who walk through fire (Isaiah 43:2). I write contemporary YA Christian fiction and maintain a popular blog that emboldens Christian teens to outwardly live what they inwardly believe. My articles have appeared in Brio magazine, a Focus on the Family publication for teen girls.
Did I mention my degree is in music?

Can you share a little about your blog/website with us?

A portion of my website is dedicated to promoting my fiction writing—novels I’m seeking literary representation for and short stories available to subscribers. But the most widely visited hangout is my young adult blog, where I talk about faith, love, life, reading, writing, boys . . . pretty much everything. It’s a place teens can go to find no-nonsense answers to their most burning questions and receive encouragement to live boldly in faith.

You also write. What sort of stories do you write? Can you share about the stories you share on your site?

Both my short stories and my novels are realistic teen fiction. I write about characters who could be your boyfriend, your sister, your best friend, or the cute geek who sits behind you in biology. Many of my stories have a romantic subplot, but the main theme is always one of driving through difficulties with faith.

For example, in my short story The Day Hanna Hosanna Helped Cootie Judy (available free when you join my email list), Hanna finally stands up for the most-bullied kid in her school. Then he shows up at her bedroom window in the middle of a thunderstorm (yeah, I know—creepy) with another request. My short story series Seasons of Kane follows a young man whose life (and looks) were recently altered by a tragic accident. As far as novels go, I’m currently shopping for an agent to represent my unpublished book Edges & Other Hard Things, which stars a young woman who has Sensory Processing Disorder.
Real life issues faced with faith.

What inspires you to write?

I am inspired by my readers who have contacted me, thanking me for cheering them on in faith.

As a YA author, I believe our culture’s expectations for teens are too low. Teenagers are capable of more self-control, compassion, and integrity than we give them credit for. I want to write fiction for and about teens who go to church because they choose to, not because their parents say they have to. Who don’t view parties involving alcohol and sex as normal. Who willingly strive for holiness in their relationships.

And young adult readers know when a book is poorly written, so along with inspiring them to defy low expectations, I want to give them something they can enjoy for entertainment.

What is your writing process?

It’s changed as I’ve become more skilled. Generally, I begin with a nebulous concept and just start writing until the story begins to take shape. At that point, I might stop and create a detailed synopsis to see what emotions and surprises pop up that I want to include in the story. When I’m stuck, I go for a walk. If I’m still stuck, I throw my fingers on the keyboard and type whatever is swirling in my head until it becomes a scene. (Some of my favorite scenes were born that way.)

I’m very visual, so I often find pictures of people who look like a character I have in mind or a setting I’m using and keep them close for reference when it’s time to add details. I also have a habit of creating “deleted” scenes that readers will never see in order to get inside the mind of a non-POV character. Writing fiction is a study in psychology!

What inspires your creativity/writing (any music, movies, art, etc. Feel free to share links to playlists or Pinterest boards)?

People inspire my creativity more than anything else. If I’ve met you, you might find a piece of yourself in one of my characters (though neither you nor I will realize it at first). I’m also inspired by other fictional characters and real-life stories of struggles overcome.

And with a background in music, you’ll find the arts sprinkled all over my writing. Beatrice in Gwendolyn Grace And All the Other Chicks writes poetry. Claudia in A Time to Heal sings and plays the guitar. Jayden from The Green Grass Grows Again is a skilled carpenter. (All these stories are available to subscribers at my website.)

You share a lot about YA books. What is your favorite YA book now and the one that was a favorite in your preteen and/or teen years?

The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn stands out in my mind as being one of my favorites as a teen (and I still recommend it today, though you won’t find any mentions of cell phones in the earlier books!). Today, my favorite YA book is Something I Am Not by Cher Gatto. I also love the Homelanders Series by Andrew Klavan and The June Boys by Court Stevens.

Favorite book now (any genre)?

I read YA fiction for fun, too, so Something I Am Not is still my favorite overall, along with its adult sequel Something Else. Meet Me In the Margins by Melissa Ferguson and A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner are some of my adult fiction favorites.

What YA author would you love to meet/have met?

I would love to meet Megan Schaulis in person. I love her books, I’ve met her “virtually” at an online conference, and she’s been one of the greatest encouragers for my writing. I consider her a dear friend, but I’ve never actually met her!

Favorite movie and/or TV show?

I don’t actually watch a lot of TV or movies, though I can’t resist a good Anthony Hopkins mindbender (Silence of the Lambs excluded—too depraved for my taste). Being a pro-musician, however, I’m a fan of classic musical movies like The Sound of Music and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.


Where can we find more about you online?
Check out my website and blog at LaurenThell.com!