WHO-FILES
May 12, 2003
Ann Brashares, author
Our Kid Reporter talks with Brashares about writing, sisterhood and pants
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A sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood continues with the lives four teenage best friends: Lena, Carmen, Tibby, and Bridget. Although they spend their summers apart, the girls stay connected through a magical pair of thrift store jeans that teach them lessons that are essential in life.
TFK: How did you come up with the storyline to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?
Brashares: The story developed from the characters. Each of their different personalities dictated what would happen to them. There was Carmen dealing with divorced parents and a father who's starting a new life. Lena was based on a Greek myth. Tibby's storyline was sort of very loosely borrowed from a movie called It's A Wonderful Life. Bridget was a character who surprised me. She was meant to be very happy, light-hearted, and a great risk taker, but she turned out to have a lot more complications than that.
 |  Mia and Ann Brashares bond over the new Sisterhood book. |
TFK: Did you always want to be an author when you were growing up?
Brashares: I didn't know that I wanted to be a writer when I was young. I loved reading and I loved being around books, but (being a writer) was almost too big of an ambition. I didn't really develop the confidence until I'd worked around books for a long time that I thought that I could possibly try to write my own book.
TFK: Did you base your characters on anybody that was in your life?
Brashares: Nobody specifically. There are lots of bits and pieces of people in all the characters, myself certainly included, but there's no one-to-one correspondence.
TFK: Which character are you the most like?
Brashares: Carmen but not because I'm very much like her, in terms of my temperament. She's a total only child, and I'm not, but we do share some personal history. Her parents split up when she was young, as did mine. She struggled with her father remarrying, and struggled with new step-siblings and a step-mother, like I did. I definitely bear some resemblance to her.
TFK: Most authors call their books their babies. Which of the Sisterhood books is your favorite child?
Brashares: The first one will always have a special place for me because it was my first book. But the second book is also my baby, and is very important to me, in part because I was so doubtful after the first book. I thought, 'Maybe this was a fluke, and I don't really know what I'm doing.' But when the second book was finally finished, I felt like it came out ok.
|  Brashares loves writing, traveling and pants which may be why her books are so beloved. |
Brashares: I have definite plans to write a third book and I pretty strongly intend to write a fourth. I already have some ideas about what's going to happen after the first year that they're separated for college, which would be their fourth summer.
TFK: I definitely would write a sequel. I loved your books. Do you ever get writer's block?
Brashares: I do get writer's block. I usually get it at the beginning of a project, as getting started for me is really, really hard. I tend to procrastinate very badly. It's hard to make yourself get into it, to force yourself to understand your characters. The beginning is such hard work. But once I get over that, it gets much easier.
TFK: When you were younger, was there a pair of pants that you really loved, or that made you feel good?
Brashares: (Laughs) There have been pants that I've loved, but there hasn't been one pair that has fit me all along. I appreciate the fantasy of a pair of pants that really fits you in different stages and different moods. Pants can kind of be unforgiving. But I do remember pairs of pants that were significant to me.
TFK: How do you think the characters changed over the course of two summers?
Brashares: I didn't want to make them older in any sort of significant or abrupt way. I wanted to make it very, very gradual. I think they're ready for bigger commitments now. I think they're ready for some bigger risks and also some bigger blunders, too.
TFK: What advice do you have for young writer wannabes?
Brashares: This is pretty common advice, but it is to read a lot. Read and read and read. The second thing I would say is to write a lot. Keep journals, and write your observations and your own personal perceptions of things. You should also develop some characters that you can really love and can attached yourself to, and then your readers will likely be able to attach to them as well.
TFK: Did you have any role models growing up?
Brashares: I had lots of role models. Among the people I knew, my parents were certainly role models for me. But professionally, I loved Judy Blume. I would definitely call her an inspiration as a writer.
TFK: What do you think made Lena, Carmen, Tibby, and Bridget so special to readers?
Brashares: I think it's because they really love each other, in this totally unconditional and loyal way. I think that's a fantasy that we all hope for.
