Greg Howard is the author of the new young adult novel Social Intercourse. He also has written the novel Blood Divine. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Social Intercourse,
and for your characters Beck and Jax?
A: I wrote Social Intercourse for NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month] in about five
weeks and all I knew when I started was that I wanted to write a really funny,
gay young adult romantic comedy.
The only other book I’d written before that was an adult
paranormal thriller, so this was a huge direction change for me. I’d never
really considered writing young adult before because I thought I was too
old!
But after reading a few popular YA novels with gay main
characters, I realized that there are so many different experiences and points
of view, that mine are just as valid as the next.
I set the story in Florence, S.C., where I grew up and went
to high school and tried to imagine how different things would be a for an out
and proud gay kid there today, or how much it might be the same. I was NOT out
or proud in high school, so Beckett is more of “who I wish I had been” rather
than “who I was.”
The story evolved pretty organically, but I knew from the
outset that I wanted the two main characters to be completely different, an oil
and water type situation, which led me to create Jax.
I was raised in a very religious home, so a lot of the
conflict between certain religious factions in the fictional Florence and the
students was second nature to me. It’s also a problem that still exists today
in small Southern towns.
Q: You alternate between Beck's and Jax's points of view.
Did you write the story in the order it appears, or did you focus on one
character and then the other?
A: I wrote the book in the order it appears, alternating
between the two characters. Beck and Jax each have their own personal stories
to tell, but their lives and story lines quickly converge, and the story
becomes theirs together.
But, still they each react very differently to what is
happening in their lives. I really enjoyed exploring the different points of
view of their shared story.
Q: How was the book's title chosen, and what does it signify
for you?
A: Originally the title of the book was Somewhere In Between,
but the publisher (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) wanted
something more “memorable.” I chose Social Intercourse, in part, because of all
the communication (and miscommunication) between characters in the book
directly and through social media or texts.
Also, the title sounds provocative, which fits the tone of
the book. Some in the publishing industry feel the book is a little racy for
the young adult genre, but that’s just my style. I like to take things right up
to the edge and I find irreverence for anything pretty amusing.
I certainly don’t mind ruffling a few feathers, but I really
don’t think Social Intercourse is any “racier” that some young adult books in
the market with heterosexual main characters. In fact, I think it’s less racy
than some of those books, so I don’t really understand that thinking.
Maybe it’s because Social Intercourse is about queer kids.
But that would be a double standard, so surely that can’t be it! (wink, wink)
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I wish everyone could be as comfortable with themselves
as Beck is, no matter if you’re gay or straight, or bi, or trans, or non-binary
or whoever you are.
Don’t get me wrong, Beck’s not perfect, in fact, he’s one
hot mess. But who he is, is one thing he is absolutely certain about and he
makes no apologies for, nor should he.
But even more than that, I want readers to LAUGH and have a
good time. The world is so nuts right now and there’re plenty of great books
out there with a darker or more serious tone, but with Social Intercourse, if
the reader closes the book with a chuckle and smile, I have accomplished what I
set out to do.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I just turned in edits to my publisher for my first
middle grade book called The Whispers coming out Spring of 2019 with
Putnam/Penguin.
Other than having a gay main character, as well, The
Whispers couldn’t be more different from Social Intercourse. It’s a mystery
with a touch of magical realism and ton of heart. It’s also the most personal
story I’ve ever written. I can’t wait for people to read it!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I like cheese and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But not
together.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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