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?
Dogs with their heads stuck out of the window of passing cars.
2. What makes you scream?
Horror movies – even the really rubbish ones.
3. Describe your favourite outfit.
Little black dress, little cardie, big boots.
4. What's your favourite girlie movie?
Me Without You or Mean Girls
5. What's your favourite saying?
"What freaking fresh hell is this?"
6. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
On a gym day it's two minutes. On a going out day it's two hours!
7. What's your star sign?
Leo
8. Bags or shoes?
Bags, especially those made by Mr Marc Jacobs.
9. Sweets or chocolate?
Neither, but give me a bag of salted, jumbo peanuts and I'm happy.
10. What were you like as a teenager?
Moody, frustrated, pretentious, sarcastic – pretty much what I'm like as a grown up too.
11. Do you prefer writing books or magazine features?
Books, there's something very compelling about losing yourself in a world that only you know about it and creating characters that you love spending time with.
12. Are any of your characters based on you when you were younger?
In terms of moodiness and naughtiness probably Isabel from Let's Get Lost, but Edie and Molly are more how I wish I'd been when I was a teenager.
13. Do you think it's important for authors to tackle issues within novels?
For me the most important thing is telling a story and creating characters that are aspirational but the readers can still relate to them. Loosely, some of my novels have dealt with issues like bereavement and sexual identity, but the issues I really like to write about are the less sensational teenage rites of passage that everyone goes through like crushes and feeling that you don't fit in.
14. What's the best part of being a writer?
Writing stories that my readers really connect with. I love it when I get an email or blog comment from someone who absolutely gets what I do on an emotional level, man. Or even that they've fallen in love with a band like Belle And Sebastian because I've name-checked them.
15. Do you always write for girls rather than boys?
I wouldn't even know how to write for boys. Besides, I'm so passionate about writing for girls and always have been, which is why I started out on teen mags. Teenage girls have it really hard, mostly because they have to deal with the strange contrary creatures that are teenage boys, so I'd much rather write books explaining how to deal with toxic boys than start helping the other side!
16. Do you often talk to teenagers to get ideas for your books?
That's not the way I roll. I have so many ideas for books in my head and they usually start as the most fleeting, random thought when I'm on the bus or brushing my teeth, which I allow to percolate until it becomes a proper plot. Actually sitting down and grilling teenage girls about their lives to get story ideas would be a painful experience for all parties!
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