Where do you find the inspiration for your books? Are you inspired to create the pictures or the story first?
From other art. I used to be so skittish about reading other books or watching good TV shows and movies—I was terrified that I’d accidentally steal an idea, or that I’d be discouraged by how much “better” other stories were. But that’s not how it works. You can’t run an engine without fuel, and you can’t write a book without other ideas in your head. I’m most creative after I’ve played a great videogame (Paradise Lost is a favourite), or watched a TV show with cool aesthetics, or when I’ve been researching a historical time or person that really makes me think. Then I can mix it all up in my head and twist it into something awesome, though it does become a bit compulsive. There are movies I’ve been procrastinating on watching because I know I’ll want to write something new after, so it’s a constant battle to finish what I’ve started before the next idea drags me off.
What were your favourite books when you were a kid? As a young reader, did you see yourself in the books you read?
I was an animal books kid, so basically any Scholastic book with a dog on the front, and then Erin Hunter’s Warriors series once I hit middle school. It’s safe to say that I didn’t see myself in those books, but as a trans and mentally ill kid, I didn’t see myself in any books; apparently cats mauling each other in the woods was the next best thing. By the time I hit high school, I wanted to write more than I wanted to read. If I couldn’t find stories that reflected my view on the world, then I could at least create them. Hell Followed With Us was one of the first books where I felt truly seen—I had been working at an LGBTQ+ activist space, and every character in that reminded me of my friends. I’ve made it my mission to write those sorts of books: the ones that spotlight kids who don’t see themselves anywhere else.
What’s the most surprising thing you have learned when creating your books?
Strangely, I ended up learning more about my family history. I didn’t really grow up with stories from Italy, but while researching Italian history for various projects (I have a lot of Italian diasporic literature waiting for publishing homes), suddenly my aunt and dad and other family members had these war stories I’d never heard before: my great-uncle was born during a raid, my nonna’s childhood home was occupied by Nazis who she was forced to serve, my nonno had to hide in the mountains to escape recruitment, was brought to a work camp under threat of death, and escaped when his transport truck flipped. I don’t think my family were intentionally keeping this from me, more that they didn’t think this history mattered anymore, or that I cared. But the more I learned, the more I understood why my family acts the way they do. That might seem like a hyper-specific example, but it does encompass my favourite part about writing: every book forces me to look a little closer at the things I think I understand, realize there’s so much more to learn, and then do the work to figure it out. That’s actually the entire arc of Something’s Up with Arlo, where a 12-year-old kid learns about all the secrets her ghost best friend has been keeping from her and is forced to pick up the pieces if she wants to save him and herself. That really is what writing my history feels like.
What is a challenge you have faced as an author and/or illustrator?
Learning to slow down. I’ve been writing since I was young, so I always dreamed about being a breakout child star with all the awards and movie deals. The older I got (and I’m only 25 right now, which is plenty young), the more I felt like I was running out of time to “prove myself,” whatever that means. The harsh reality is that no matter how hard an author works, success is out of their control: it comes down to the publisher, the readers, and luck. Stressing out or overworking myself won’t get me any closer to superstardom. At first that was really hard to hear, but I’m starting to like it. If there’s nothing to gain by stressing, then why stress at all! There’s no time limit, and nothing to prove. If the stars align and everything goes right, maybe I’ll have an ultra-successful book, but for now I’m content to go visit all the bookstores and libraries I can, work a nine-to-five office job to pay for the times when I need a break from writing, and enjoy my growing career rather than burning out. I have all the time in the world.
What advice do you have for kids who are interested in art or writing?
Variety is the spice of life, and your secret weapon as a writer. Reading all sorts of genres, age groups, and experiences will give you a much wider look at the world, and writing all sorts of genres and projects will do the same. Especially when you’re just starting out, it can be tempting to spend all your time editing and re-editing your dream project, but that’s actually worse for the story. You won’t learn anything new like that, you’ll probably suffer from “1st book syndrome” where you want to cram every good idea into the lines, and loving a story too hard makes it much harder to edit that out properly without getting tied down in micro-adjustments. It might seem counter intuitive, but sometimes the best thing you can do for a project is step away from it. Write another novel, some short stories, some poetry, anything. Spread your good ideas out and give them (and yourself) enough room to grow. Take it from me—I obsessed over the same project all through high school, was finally convinced to branch out, wrote Lockjaw, and now I’ve been on an uphill climb ever since.