Want to know whether your Queen of Teen prefers sweets to chocolates, shoes to handbags, and what makes her laugh or scream? How about her tips on writing books, or what she was like when she was your age? Click on each question to discover how the writers ‘fessed up in our exclusive Queen of Teen Q&As.
1. What makes you smile?
Kittens!
2. What makes you scream?
Cruelty to kittens.
3. Describe your favourite outfit.
Bikini, sunglasses, and SPF 45.
4. What's your favourite girlie movie?
Princess Diaries, of course!
5. What's your favourite saying?
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
6. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
It depends on where I'm going! But usually about fifteen minutes.
7. What's your star sign?
Aquarius.
8. Bags or shoes?
Oooh, bags.
9. Sweets or chocolate?
Chocolate.
10. What were you like as a teenager?
I was a sweet, wonderful joy to have around, of course. Aren't all teenagers like that?
11. Which of your series was most fun to write and which one are you most proud of?
Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls is definitely the most fun to write. I'm probably most proud of a series I wrote that never got published.
It was my first and I still love it even if no one else ever did.
12. What aspects of life do you think make up the formula for the perfect teenage read?
To me, the perfect teen read needs an angsty main character who feels like an outsider; nasty popular kids; parents who don't understand; a romance;
and some kind of paranormal phenomenon or wish fulfillment, topped off with some jokes and if possible a few explosions.
13. Do you think there are any differences between the American teenage high school experience and the British?
I would think the teen experience is the same worldwide - it stinks!
14. Have you ever thought of transposing your books to a British high school setting?
No, because I've never attended a British high school, so I don't think my portrayal of one would be very accurate. Teens are really perceptive and
if I tried to fake it, they'd know!
15. Were you pleased with the way Princess Diaries was adapted to the movie screen?
Well, except for the fact that they made a PG book into a U-rated movie, I liked it.
16. Are any of the characters you've written about similar to you when you were a teenager?
They're all like me in some ways, but I left out a lot of details! None of them are quite as awful as I was. If I wrote about how I truly was no one would want to read it!
17. Do you find it easier to write for teenagers or adults?
Oh, adults. Teenagers are much harder to entertain.
Click here to read the best nominations for Meg Cabot
