Nancy Werlin, acclaimed author of young adult books, recently visited the Vanderslice Cabaret room at Boston College to discuss her published works, experiences as an author, and plan for future works. Guiding the discussion were the voices of “Conversations With” who conduct informal interviews with “authors, illustrators, and educators.”
According to Nancy, she had wanted to become a writer since she was ten years old, astounded by all the wonderful works of words that came to be her “friends.” She majored in English at Yale University and has now produced several notable works of fiction, the most prominent being The Killer’s Cousin, an Edgar-Award winning book, The Rules of Survival, a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006, and Impossible, her latest book that spent seven weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.
Though many of her first books were “problem novels,” thrillers in which the main character encounters a dangerous, detrimental obstacle, she began her string of mystery writing with the publishing of The Killer’s Cousin in 2002. The novel focuses on its seventeen-year-old main character who delves into the secrets of his family and past after being acquitted for a murder.
The Rules of Survival, published in 2006, began as a murder thriller, but as Nancy became acquainted with the main characters, she deemed the typical thriller ending to be too “melodramatic.” Thus, she lopped off the last third of the book and cre- ated an “emotionally fair” ending that to her, felt more relevant and realistic. Werlin clearly listens to her characters and allows them to act freely as three-dimension- al human beings.
Her latest novel Impossible, having reached the number eight spot on the New York Times best-seller list, was inspired by Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” and strayed completely from the thriller genre. Motivated by a “life crisis,” Werlin unearthed the idea for the book that she had put on the back burner for twelve years and wrote the novel in less than one year, an incredible feat. With Impossible, she sought to tell the tale that she believed to be behind Simon and Garfunkel’s ballad.
Her movement from one genre to another, from thriller to romance, demonstrates Nancy’s versatility as a writer. Moreover, she allows her characters to dictate the story and rarely plans her works out before beginning them. She allows her ideas to flourish organically and never forces material to be what it is not.
However, Werlin did admit to her audience that she can be extremely lazy when it comes to writing. To do research, as she did for Double Helix, is for Nancy to fight “with the lazy part” of her. She opts to do the background work here and there when she needs it instead of researching in excess before beginning the book.
Luckily, one of the crucial elements of her writing – dialogue – comes rather easily to Nancy. She asserted that dialogue needs to be efficient, deplete of “um’s and ah’s,” yet believable and credible. Undoubtedly, her connection with and understanding of her characters aids in the development of dialogue.
Nancy admitted that many of her characters are not based on people she knows but are based on “shades” of herself. Though she may borrow “a name from somebody,” she generally looks inwardly to find qualities for her characters.
She explained to the audience that her works typically start out like a “stew pot”; she throws things in and sees what “comes together” naturally. As do all novels, her works require sometimes multiple rounds of editing during which she cuts out the irrelevant material and organizes that which remains into a coherent piece of writing.
Having been working with the same editor for fifteen years, Werlin feels fortunate to have only had to “sell” her first book. Now, she simply runs her ideas by her editor before beginning her projects, using her agent to negotiate the specifics of each book deal. She has switched agents a few times in pursuit of one to “suit her needs” but continues to stay loyal to her first and only editor.
With several years of writing and success under her belt, Nancy Werlin has set a great pace for her work and is in no way slowing down. She disclosed to her audience that she is currently revising her first draft of a “realistic fantasy.” Her readers, both teens and adults, wait anxiously for her next work to be published. Nancy Werlin’s discussion gave insight into the life of a writer who has a palpable talent and passion for the work she produces.
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