International bestseller Jeanne Ryan pursued a number of career paths before publishing young adult fiction; including stints in the fields of war game simulation and youth development research. She has lived all over the world, with her early childhood spent in Hawaii and later years in Michigan, South Korea and Germany before putting down roots in Seattle.
Self-described as a creator of stories ‘that could take place next week – but let’s hope they don’t’, Jeanne’s work has not only lit up our imaginations, but the big screen as well.
This summer saw the Hollywood release of Nerve; a major adaptation of Jeanne’s electrifying debut, starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. Nerve (2012), an exploration of social media’s sinister side; follows wallflower protagonist Vee as she becomes immersed in a dangerous online subculture.
Jeanne’s spine-tingling Charisma (2015) followed, about the repercussions of a miracle confidence drug, multiplying her enormous fan base. Jeanne’s novels have been translated into French, Taiwanese, Dutch, German, Spanish and Turkish, with many more editions planned.
On home
I live in Seattle, and we have so many amazing restaurants it would be hard to choose a single one to visit regularly, unless you count coffee shops. With those, I’m kind of a serial monogamist, visiting the same one almost every day for months (or years) before gravitating to a new spot. Choosing to live in Seattle was a matter of doing some research. I spent my growing-up years moving from one place to another, thanks to a dad in the civil service. So I found myself in my twenties, living in Germany and familiar with only a handful of U.S. cities, yet wanting to move stateside. I interviewed every American I knew, and, taking their answers plus some Almanac-reading, I settled upon Seattle, sight unseen. Turned out to be a great choice because now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
On creating
I can only work at home when taking care of business tasks. For anything more creative, I have to get out of the house and its many distractions. As you may have gleaned from my response above, my hang-outs of choice are coffee shops. A tea-latte and a seat near the window are all I need – although I’m thinking I should start bringing my own music since my current shop plays the same stuff every single day. It could be that I’m due for a new coffee shop.
On bookshops
I’m a huge fan of University Bookstore in Northeast Seattle, as well as their sister store in Bellevue. Their staff members are ardent supporters of children’s books and authors, and their event spaces hold decent-sized crowds while still maintaining a degree of cosiness. Another independent bookstore chain in these parts I love is Third Place Books, where community building is part of their mission. In fact, the café in one of their stores was where I wrote a good deal of my ‘practice’ novels.
On inspirational literature
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, because I think it’s brilliant. I mean, Death as a narrator? Who’d want to read that? And yet… there were lines that had me catching my breath in awe. Other books I wish I’d written? Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, since it’s one the best examples of voice I’ve read in recent years. And Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple because it’s so funny and perfectly nails many aspects of Seattle.
On the social media age
Focus upon the self does seem to be at an all-time high, doesn’t it? I think humans have always worn the yoke of caring too much what others think. We are social animals, after all. Yet now one’s audience can number in the millions. I have no qualms with those who desire fame, but the people I tend to find most interesting are those who don’t, and who can tuck away their phones during an entire meal.
On Nerve in the cinema
I’ve seen the movie five times, and counting. It’s certainly a surreal experience, seeing this game and these characters that existed in my imagination now on a large screen, under neon lights and accompanied by an electric sound track. I’ve enjoyed comparing and contrasting the book versus the film, thinking about how the same premise can be delivered across different media.
On heritage
My father came by the name Ryan via adoption. However, a recent DNA test shows me being 13% Irish. Whatever my exact heritage, my parents used to throw wild St. Patrick day parties when I was a kid.
On what’s next
I have a character I’m quite attached to right now. The exact nature of his story keeps shifting, but he’ll be dealing with certain challenges I tried writing about years ago, yet couldn’t because my character’s struggles were too closely aligned with my own. I think I’ve finally done enough work (both emotionally and craft-wise) to tackle the subject once again.
Nerve (€11.70, Simon & Schuster Children) is available nationwide. Charisma (€16.60, Penguin) can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk.
Sophie Grenham
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