Meet...Author​ Susie Orman Schnall!

Ê: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

SS: I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. When I was younger I wrote poems and stories and very long letters to my friends (our version of texting!). English was my favorite subject in high school and college, and I loved doing the reading and writing assignments. During the early part of my career, my jobs focused on marketing and communications (for internet companies, advertising agencies, magazines, and nonprofits), but writing was an integral part of each one. It wasn’t until I took a break from my full-time career and started having children that I began focusing on more creative writing and when I finally felt comfortable calling myself a writer, and then eventually, an author.

Ê: What did you like to read when you were our age? What was your favorite book? 

SS: Judy Blume books, hands down.

Ê: When you begin writing a book, do you know how it's going to end right from the start or does it develop as you write? 

SS: Both. I spend a lot of time plotting and outlining my novels before I start writing, like a blueprint for a house. Included in that is what I think the ending will be. But, every book I’ve written has evolved and changed during the actual writing process, and the ending is always a little different than what I had first imagined.

Ê: They say that every writer has a particular "voice" - do you think that's true? How can aspiring young writers develop their own voice? 

SS: Absolutely. Your voice is so tied into who you are, your personality, what makes you authentic. So the good news is, you don’t have to work too hard at developing it. You just have to figure out how to interpret it into a written piece and that just takes a whole lot of practice.

Ê: You have something called The Balance Project where you interview accomplished women about "doing it all." What advice do you have for girls our age about staying balanced and trying to do it all? 

SS: Yes, I started my Balance Project interviews four years ago and I have learned so much by doing them. Even though my work focuses on balance for women, so much of what I’ve gleaned can apply to girls too because you all also have so much on your plates between school, homework, friends, activities, family, etc. It’s a whole lot to manage! Just remember that no one is doing it all perfectly. It may look that way (especially on Snapchat and Instagram) but everyone has the same amount of hours in the day.

Figure out how to allocate your hours so you are being your most authentic and then embrace that, do that, be that person. Because only when you are being your most authentic and true to yourself and your own priorities (not the priorities of other girls who have different strengths and weaknesses than you, different family/health/financial situations, etc.) will you soar to reach the beautiful potential that is inside you!

Susie Orman Schnall is the author of three novels: Her throught-provoking debut, ON GRACE (2014, SparkPress), is about turning 40. THE BALANCE PROJECT (2015, SparkPress), is about work-life balance and was inspired by The Balance Project interview series she started in 2014. And THE SUBWAY GIRLS (2018, St. Martin’s Press), is historical fiction about the fascinating Miss Subways advertising program. Susie’s writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Writer’s Digest, and Glamour. She is also a frequent speaker at women’s groups, corporations, and book clubs about her novels and work-life balance. Susie grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and now lives in Purchase, NY, with her husband, Rick, and their three sons.  Follow her website & everywhere on social...and then check out all of her books on Amazon riiiiiight here!