Rachel Renée Russell

Rachel Renée Russell is an attorney who prefers writing tween books to legal briefs. (Mainly because books are a lot more fun and pajamas and bunny slippers aren’t allowed in court.) Rachel lives in Chantilly, Virginia.

Q: What inspired you to want to write the squee-worthy Dork Diaries series?

My daughters, Erin and Nikki, are my inspiration. They are both a lot like Nikki Maxwell—very DORKY. In school, they were smart, turned in homework on time, answered questions in class, and were well liked by their teachers. However, they were called “dorks” by many of their classmates, which for them felt like the end of the world! It was a very difficult time for them, and their self-esteem suffered. One morning, they both just gave up trying to fit in and decided, “You know what? I AM different! I’m a dork and proud of it! Being a dork is COOL!” The fact that they started to like themselves, even if others didn’t, completely changed their outlook on life. I took that concept and channeled it in Dork Diaries.

Q:  Do you still write in your own diary?

I would love to! But, unfortunately, I’m usually way too busy trying to finish up Nikki Maxwell’s diaries by the manuscript deadlines. Although I don’t write in a diary on a daily basis, whenever I have an important decision to make or am facing a major challenge in life, I always sit down and write a long diary entry to organize my thoughts, clear my head, set goals, and/or create a plan of action. My new book series, The Misadventures of Max Crumbly, was inspired by one of those diary entries, and a recent one motivated me to remain laser-focused on landing a new movie deal for Dork Diaries.

Q: Did you have a sibling like Brianna?

I’m the oldest child in my family, and I have two sisters and two brothers. None of my siblings were like Brianna. However, my daughter Nikki was a very active and curious child and loved to dismantle things, like our television. Nikki also had a wild imagination and was very adventurous, so I would say that she inspired much of Brianna’s personality and over-the-top antics.

Q: Was your life a lot like Nikki’s when you were her age?

With so many siblings, there was always something funny, exciting, or dramatic unfolding in our house. Many of the adventures that Nikki Maxwell has in the books are based on experiences I had as a child. Like, for example, my sisters and I actually had a singing group for a few years, and we performed at the iconic Apollo Theater in New York City, just like Nikki Maxwell participated in a talent show in Dork Diaries Book 3. I also was obsessed with writing in my diary.