Spotlight on Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his latest series, Arc of a Scythe, is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves.

Q: Your stories are so thrilling, and often make the reader think differently about a topic or crisis going on in the world, like water shortage, abortion, or the Opioid crisis. Where do the ideas for your story come from, and how do you develop them?

It comes from seeing problems in the world, and not knowing the answers. I think one of the biggest problems we face as a society is posing simplistic answers to very complicated problems. Once we do that, we become a part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. The goal is to find unique ways of posing the questions, and maybe even posing questions that we haven’t thought to ask, with the hope of creating a broader perspective—so that the answers we come up are more thoughtful and nuanced.

Q: What made you decide to write Roxy from the drugs point of view versus the kids?

Jarrod and I would not have taken on the opioid crisis if we hadn’t found a unique perspective from which to tell the story. We’ve seen so many stories about drug addiction, coming up with a new point of view was a challenge. Then we thought about the complex relationship people have with drugs. How so many can be helpful, and yet can destroy us if we get addicted. That idea of “relationship” led us to the idea of personifying the drugs. We realized that telling a story of addiction as a toxic romance was a powerful and fresh way to approach the topic.

Q: Do you have a favorite character you've ever written? Why that one?

My favorite character is the Thunderhead. The almost-all-powerful artificial intelligence that rules the world with flawless benevolence in the Arc of a Scythe series. The Thunderhead is like a lonely fledgling God, trying to understand its place in the universe. It deeply loves humanity, and yet with all its power, the Thunderhead is powerless to save humanity from itself.

Q: What do you hope readers gain from Roxy?

We hope that readers will come to understand the complex relationship people have with all kinds of drugs and medications. It’s not as simple as “just say no,” because these drugs are insidious, their manufacturers are crafty, and addiction—both physical and psychological—can slip in through unexpected cracks in our defenses. We want readers to realize that when you take something into your system, you’re not just taking a drug, you’re beginning a relationship with something that may ultimately be more powerful than you. So be very, very careful before you choose to begin that relationship.

Q: As an author of several books and series, how do you approach telling a new story? What's your advice for someone struggling to start a story of their own?

Telling a new story always comes from a yearning. A sense that the story is screaming to be told, and in some way, I’ve been called upon to tell it. For anyone struggling to start a story, my advice would be to tell the story that you need to tell, not just one that you want to tell. It’s that need that makes the story truly compelling.

Click Here for Neal Shusterman's Interview with Bookriot