Erin Jade Lange is the author of “Butter.” The following is a complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I have a box full of “books” I wrote as a kid that would seem to indicate yes, I have always wanted to be a writer. But the truth is, I took almost a decade off from writing fiction after college. I still wrote in journals, and I write facts every day working in TV news, but I think I let the dream of being a writer lapse for awhile until I really got serious about it again.
Why write for young people?
I feel like I write about young people more than for young people. I believe YA books are not just for teens but also for anyone who remembers what it was like to be a teen. It’s such a short but critical time in our lives that shapes who we are forever. To me, there is no more interesting age to write about.
Where do your ideas come from?
Inspiration is everywhere, but my work as a journalist really influences what I write. So many of the big issues we see in the news impact the entire family, but we rarely get to explore specifically how they affect the lives of teens, so that’s something I try to do in my writing.
Where did the idea for “Butter” come from?
As mentioned above, much of BUTTER came from what I see in the newsroom – almost daily stories of childhood obesity, teen suicide and internet bullying. Those stories collected in the back of my mind until one day, they poured out in a flash of an idea about this boy, Butter. His story grew from there.
Because of the subject matter, “Butter” is at times a very hard book to read. Was it hard to write?
Surprisingly, no — at least, not the first draft. This was one of those stories that came out fast, demanding to get onto the page. But revising it was a bit more emotional. I love that Butter is a funny and sarcastic character, but I had to work to make sure I was true to his struggle and his pain as well – and that meant going to a slightly darker place sometimes in the rewrites.
In a time when the fantastical, fairy tale and other worldly is so popular, why do you write contemporary fiction?
I LOVE fantastical stories – dystopian YA is my favorite genre to read – but when I think of the books that left a lasting impact on me and even shaped who I am today, they are always contemporary stories, and those are the kind of stories I want to tell. Also, the voices in my head tend to be modern teens – not heroic or super-powered, but relatable and flawed.
How has the reaction to “Butter” been?
I am blown away by the response so far. Even the few negative comments I’ve seen on the internet here and there seem to spark discussion and debate, which is a thrill for me. But the most incredible and humbling part has been the direct and personal feedback from readers who reach out to me privately. People have shared stories about their struggles with weight or bullying, and I am so honored to have them confide in me and so impressed by their journeys.
Why do you think “Butter” does/will appeal to young readers.
I hope readers will be able to substitute “too fat” with “too short” or “too poor” or “too much acne” or anything else that makes a teen a target for bullies and see that, at least emotionally, Butter’s experience is universal. We’ve all felt imperfect or picked on for some reason or another, and I hope that means Butter will appeal to everyone.
This is your first published novel, but is it the first one you wrote?
No. I had many false starts on books I eventually gave up on, and the first novel I ever finished was a big mess! In fact, it was such a mess that writing an entirely new book seemed less daunting than revising that one, so that’s what I did. I wrote a whole new book and called it Butter!
How has your writing evolved to get you to this point?
I think the best way to learn and evolve as a writer is to try and fail. In many ways, that first terrible novel is the best thing I’ve ever written, because of everything I learned from it. It taught me a lot about voice and finding my own personal style. Revisions on Butter taught me about story structure – keeping the plot tight and making every scene relevant. I learn something new with every book, so my writing is still evolving.
What are you working on now?
I am currently revising next year’s book with my editor. It is about a bully on the brink of getting kicked out of school, who meets a younger teen with Down Syndrome. Each of the boys wants something the other can help him get. So they strike a deal that leads to an unlikely friendship.
Is there a book from your youth that still resonates with you today?
So many! But I especially love Judy Blume’s Blubber. That book taught me bullying isn’t always about physical violence but often just about cruelty. It was a lesson that came along at the exact right time in my life, so that book has always stayed with me.