About Jay Asher:
Jay Asher has worked at an independent bookstore, an outlet bookstore, a chain bookstore, and two public libraries. He hopes, someday, to work for a used bookstore. When he is not writing, Jay plays guitar and goes camping. Thirteen Reasons Why is his first published novel.

Hi, Jay! Thanks for spending the day with us at Today’s Teen Writer! What was the inspiration for your novel, Thirteen Reasons Why?

There were two sparks for the novel, but I didn’t put them together until nine years after they both occurred. First came the idea for the unusual format.

I took an audiotour of a King Tut’s tomb mock-up and immediately felt that would be an interesting way to tell a story: two simultaneous narrators, one as a recorded voice and the other would be the thoughts of the person listening.

Soon after that audiotour, a close relative of mine attempted suicide. She was the same age as Hannah Baker, the lead female in my novel. Over the years, she and I spent a lot of time talking about why she felt taking her life was the only way out of her pain. When both of those sparks came together, Thirteen Reasons Why was born.

Do you have a favorite scene from the novel? If so, which one is it?

I really enjoyed writing the main scene between Hannah and Clay. It let me live for a short time in the fantasy that everything would work out okay for both of them, even though I knew that couldn’t happen.

I spent a lot of time with that scene mostly because it was a very important moment, one which I knew readers would be anticipating for most of the book. But I also spent as much time as I could on it just so I could stay in that happy place for a while.

What was the hardest part about writing Thirteen Reasons Why?

The hardest part was also the most fun. Figuring out a nice balance between the two narrators sometimes felt like I was putting together a puzzle more than writing a novel. I didn’t want Clay’s thoughts to be too intrusive to Hannah’s story, and yet his reactions were equally important in telling her story more completely.

Some adults seem to think that certain topics should be taboo in literature for teens. How did you approach writing about a topic like suicide?

Taboo subjects are subjects people are uncomfortable discussing. It doesn’t mean those issues aren’t happening, just that we don’t like talking about them. But if you’re feeling suicidal and no one talks openly about suicide, it’s going to be much harder for you to know where to go for help. But the more we talk about these taboo subjects, the easier it’s going to be for people to reach out. Because of that, I didn’t let any thoughts of censorship affect the honesty of how I wrote my story.

How many drafts of Thirteen Reasons Why did you write? Did you outline or did you write it as it came?

I can’t outline. I need to leave plenty of room for my characters to take over and lead the story. I also edit as I go, so when I’m done with a draft it’s fairly polished. But then I read it out loud over and over to make sure it reads as smoothly as possible. Once I can’t find any more words to fuss with, I give it to some friends to read and they help me find plot holes…and correct my grammar.

What’s a typical writing day like for you? Do you have a favorite time of the day to write at?

I like to answer e-mails and do whatever promotional things need to be done early in the day. When it gets closer to noon, then I begin writing. When my wife gets home from work, I like to have all my writing done. (But sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and sneak into my writing room for another hour.)

Where were you when you first heard Thirteen Reasons Why was a New York Times Best-Seller? How did you react?

I was driving a van at work. I worked for the public library and was transporting bags of books between libraries. The library I was leaving was in the middle of nowhere, so I had no reception at all when my editor and my publisher left me messages with the good news.

When I finally got reception, my phone beeped that I had two messages. Once I heard the first one, I began crying. It was absolutely unbelievable! And I probably shouldn’t have kept driving while I was crying, but I was running late.

I’ve seen several readers express interest in seeing Thirteen Reasons Why become a major motion picture. Have you sold the film rights? If not, is it something you would consider?

We’ve had a lot of interest from Hollywood, but no has bought the rights yet. And I would love to see it as a movie! In fact, I conveniently left the guy who works at Rosie’s Diner ageless and gave him only a few lines just in case the director wants to give the author (me!) a small part. I think I can handle a few lines!

What’s next for you? What are you currently working on?

I’m working on another book for teens. It’ll be a little more lighthearted than Thirteen Reasons Why, but hopefully just as engaging. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Finally, do you have any advice you can share with young writers?

Join a critique group. That’s it! Gather a bunch of other writers and share your work. Be kind, but honest.