Jenny Han Quotes
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Every choice leads you somewhere, but it might not be where you truly want to be if the decision is based on someone else. It could lead to regrets and what-ifs, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't still have valuable experiences.
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I learn so much on Twitter all the time, and it would be a shame not to share that with my readers.
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I just think of myself as a writer. Yes, I'm a woman. And I'm a writer. The main challenge is that I like to write stories about young women, and society doesn't place much of a premium on young women's stories. And I think that's why I gravitate towards it. I really honor that, and I treasure that time, and they should be given that respect.
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College applications are such a huge part of senior year, yet often times you never see characters in books actually do work.
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When I sold my first middle-grade novel in 2005, it wasn't that common to put an author photo on the back flap, but 24-year-old Korean-American me insisted. I wanted Asian girls to see my face. And more than that, I wanted them to see what is possible.
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Beyonce, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and Adele are a few of my favorites.
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There's something so delicious about holding onto a secret; it's something just for you.
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The most joyful part of writing, for me, is when I am 90% there, and suddenly the story clicks into place, and things finally start to make sense.
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Sometimes readers want some escapist fun, to get lost in the story. But light-hearted romantic stories can and should star all kinds of girls.
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When you handwrite something, you're writing your most raw, pure thoughts. If you want to change it, then you have to mark it out, and people can see you laboring over that thought. I think even the act of hand, pen, and paper is much more intimate than with a computer screen.
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I do end up revealing a lot online, but in books, what I reveal is more tailored. Authors can couch revelations in fiction. With social media, no one wants to watch or read if it doesn't feel authentic, so you end up giving away a lot of yourself.
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There are so many people that want to tell stories. I think that the issue is how hard it is to get your foot in the door to tell your stories.
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Teenage years are all about crushes: crushes so deep you wanted to inhabit the other person, be inside their skin, see the world through their eyes.
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I think most girls have that moment when boys they've known their whole life see them in a different way.
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I really love to write about food, crafts, and fashion, so those details will always be a part of my books. I think they inject stories with color and flavor, providing a tactile experience.
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As a child, I spent a lot of summers going to the beach with family friends.
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You don't have to you change yourself for somebody else to like you.
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'The Summer I Turned Pretty' is about how, as a young woman, everyone gets that moment of being in bloom, but nobody really appreciates it.
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You don't really know when the last time you're going to do something is; the middle can often be a bit blurry. Firsts are very potent.
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The books you read as a young person are books that stay with you forever. I think that is the biggest privilege of writing for young people. You feel like you can help shape somebody.
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I had a bulletin board in my bedroom with every picture of Leo ever taken - keep in mind, this was pre-'Titanic' and pre-Us Weekly, practically pre-Internet. I had to buy 'The Leonardo DiCaprio Album' and cut out my favorite pics.
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It's far too rare an experience for Asian American girls to see themselves in media.
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Everything good, everythimg magical happens between the months of June and August.