Frequently Asked Questions

About Meg’s books:

Will there be any more books in THE HEATHER WELLS series?

At this time more books about Heather are certainly planned, I just need to find time to write them!  I should have more information, such as when the new books will be coming out and what they will be called, very soon.  Keep checking back (my online diary is usually the first place I make these announcementa)!  Books 4 and 5 should be coming out in 2008-9.

 

Can we expect a new adult book series after the QUEEN OF BABBLE series?

Yes!  I have some new adult books planned, with all new characters. I’ll have more information about them coming soon!

 

How many books about Princess Mia will there be?

Ten full-length volumes. Forever Princess, Princess Diaries 10, in December 2008, will be the last regularly scheduled book.  Although I may write about Princess Mia again, I don’t have any more contracted books about her at this time.  Both Mia and I need to take a long break!

 

What inspired you to write THE PRINCESS DIARIES?

All of my books are inspired by real things that either happened to me, or that I WISHED would happen to me. I was inspired to write The Princess Diaries when my mom, after the death of my father, began dating one of my teachers, just as Mia's mom does in the book! I have always had a "thing" for princesses (my parents used to joke that when I was little, I did a lot of insisting that my "real" parents, the king and queen, were going to come get me soon, and that everyone had better start being a LOT nicer to me) so I stuck a princess in the book just for kicks . . . and VOILA! The Princess Diaries was born. The voice of Mia, of course, is taken directly from my own diaries that I kept when I was in high school . . . I was pretty much a huge geek in high school-although I was pretty involved with the school's drama group. Most of what's in my journals from those days is about boys, boys, boys, and that's why I am the only one who is allowed to look at them! It is too embarrassing!

 

 

How did you feel when you found out Disney would be making a movie of your book THE PRINCESS DIARIES?

I was VERY excited when I found out Disney would be making a movie from my book. And I thought Garry Marshall did a great job—and that Anne Hathaway made the perfect Mia. At first I was a little iffy when I heard Julie Andrews would be playing Grandmère—Julie is too nice to play such a mean character! But when I saw Julie’s performance, I knew she had just the right amount of regalness mixed with grandmotherly warmth. Although the sequel, Princess Diaries 2, A Royal Engagement, was not based on any of my books (and nothing that happened in it will actually happen in the books), I thought it stayed true to the spirit of the books, and was a lot of fun. 

Will there be any more Princess Diaries movies?

I don't think so! The director, producers, and cast have moved on to new projects. But who knows? Maybe they will reunite one day!

 

Why do your book covers and titles vary from country to country?

My book covers, titles, and even some of the book content vary from country to country because they are put out from different publishers. It is highly recommended that readers buy their own country's editions of the books!

 

Will there be more books in the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU and Mediator series?

No. The sixth book, TWILIGHT, is the final book in the series.  The 5th book in the 1-800-Where-R-You series, MISSING YOU, is the final book in that series, as well.  I’m happy about the way both series ended and pleased with where I left the characters. 

 

When will you write another paranormal book like THE MEDIATOR?

Look for Abandon, my next paranormal series, a modern retelling of the myth of Persephone, coming in Fall 2009.

 

Am I old enough to read your books for adults?

If you have to ask, then no, you are not.

 

What are you working on now?

Right now I'm excited about my new middle grade series, ALLIE FINKLE’S RULES FOR GIRLS: MOVING DAY, for readers aged 8 and up! Older readers will want to look for the first book in my new romantic thriller series, AIRHEAD, in stores in May.  And the 3rd and final installment to the Lizzie Nichols series, QUEEN OF BABBLE GETS HITCHED will be available on June 24, 2008. And stay tuned for the 2nd installment of Avalon High: CORONATION, my new 3-book manga sequel to AVALON HIGH, which will be out in Summer 2008. ALLIE FINKLE’S RULE FOR GIRLS: THE NEW GIRL, will be in stores in August!  And finally, I’ll be finishing the Princess Diaries series with PRINCESS DIARIES 10, FOREVER PRINCESS in December 2008. And readers should look for the sequel to AIRHEAD in June 2009, and the first installment of Abandon, a paranormal trilogy, in Fall 2009.

 

 

About Movies, TV etc...

Any new movie information about any of Meg's books?

Size 12 is Not Fat was recently optioned for a television series by ABC Family.  The Mediator series has been optioned by Julia Pistor (Spiderwick Chronicles).  And Queen of Babble has been optioned as a feature film by Jeffrey Sharp of Sharp Entertainment.

How To Be Popular was recently optioned by MTV for a TV movie/series, and film rights to Avalon High went to Disney Channel.

Sorry, Meg has no say in (or details about) casting!

 

About Meg:

What inspires you to write?

The same thing that inspires you to breathe. I can’t help it.

 

Where do you get your ideas?

Much of what is in my books is taken directly from my own diaries that I kept when I was in high school...I still have them, though I am the only one who will ever be allowed to read them. I am only using the selective bits that won’t incriminate me.

 

What books did you like to read when you were a kid?

I read a lot of fantasy, such as Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising series, Nancy Springer’s Book of Isle tetrology (including The Sable Moon), and the Lloyd Alexander books. I also liked STAR WARS and SPIDERMAN comic books. I really loved some classics, too, like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Lorna Doone, and the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. And I am a big fan of Mary Stewart, especially Nine Coaches Waiting, Madame, Will You Talk? and Thornyhold.

 

How can I get your autograph?

If you’d like a free newsletter, postcards, and autographed Princess Diaries bookplates to stick in your copies of the books, send your request with a self-addressed stamped envelope to Meg Cabot, P.O. Box 4904, Key West, FL 33041-4904.

 

Why do you have books written under names that aren’t yours, like Jenny Carroll and Patricia Cabot?

When I first started writing professionally, I wrote for three different publishers, and so had two pen names (Jenny and Patricia). Now all of my books are written under the same name, my real name, Meg Cabot.

 

What awards have you won?

My books have won numerous awards, and have been chosen as New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, IRA/CBC Young Adults' Choice, Book Sense Picks, as well as for the Texas Lone Star Reading List. All American Girl won the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (Washington), and The Princess Diaries won the TASL Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award.

 

Are you really a princess?

No, I am not really a princess. I have always had a “thing” for princesses (my parents used to joke that when I was little, I did a lot of insisting that my “real” parents, the king and queen, were going to come get me soon) so I stuck a princess in the book just for kicks...and VOILA! The Princess Diaries was born.

 

About writing:

How do you come up with your titles?

Titles are tricky! I don't usually think of a book's title until the book is almost finished. Sometimes I can't think of a title at all, and the publisher will have to come up with one. Sometimes my publisher won't like my title, or there will already be a book with that same title published recently. Often, my publishers in other countries will come up with their own titles, because the American title doesn't translate correctly. Even though titles are important, authors can't be too picky about them. I've had book titles change two months before the publication date! I would say of all my book titles, 50% are ones I've come up with, and 50% are ones my publishers have come up with. Of my non-US editions, almost 100% of my titles are made up by the publisher!

 

What is the theme of your books?

I hope readers will realize that they are not alone in feeling the way I did when I was in middle and high school—like a great big freak! Also that “normal” is not what you see on TV. Being true to yourself, and to your friends, is way more important than being part of the “in crowd.” I am living proof that it is possible to profit from being a middle and high school freak.

 

What advice do you have to give to aspiring writers?

My advice to young writers is:

Write the kinds of stories you like to read. If you don’t love what you’re writing, no one else will, either.

Don’t tell people you want to be a writer. Everyone will try to talk you out of choosing a job with so little security, so it is better just to keep it to yourself, and prove them all wrong later.

You are not a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone is going to like you … or your story. Do not take rejection personally.

If you are blocked on a story, there is probably something wrong with it. Take a few days off and put the story on a back burner for a while. Eventually, it will come to you.

Read—and write—all the time. Never stop sending out your stuff. Don’t wait for a response after sending a story out … start a new story right away, and then send that one out! If you are constantly writing and sending stuff out (don’t forget to live your life, too, while you are doing this) eventually someone will bite!

It is nearly impossible to get published these days without an agent. The guide I used to get mine was called the Jeff Herman Guide to Agents, Editors, and Publishers. It was well worth the money I spent on it, since it lists every agent in the business and what he or she is looking for. It also tells you how to write a query letter, what to expect from your publisher, and all sorts of good stuff...a must buy for any aspiring author!

And above all, become a good listener. In order to write believable dialogue, you need to listen to the conversations of the people around you—then try to imitate them!

Good luck, and keep writing! If I can do it, so can you!