THE CLIQUE Series by Lisi Harrison

Author Information

Lisi Harrison was born in the fashion capital of our neighbor to the north, Toronto, Canada. She was the Queen Bee of many cliques and kept copious records of them in the journals she always had with her --- a hobby she has to this day. After university, Lisi moved to New York City where she began a career creating and developing shows for MTV, including "Room Raiders." Lisi also was the head writer for MTV Productions and a columnist for Jane magazine. Now that she has given up the glamour to write for teens full time, Lisi is currently at work on the next book in The Clique series with creative consulting done by Bee Bee, her fashionista Chihuahua.

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AUTHOR TALK

April 2005

In this interview Lisi Harrison answers questions from the Hip Scouts about her Clique novels. She talks about the universal appeal of the series, her experiences as both the new girl and a member of a popular clique, and how she's able to keep track of all the descriptions of the designer clothes that she uses in her books.

Question: What age group did you aim your books at? (Because the characters seem so much older than 7th graders)
-- Caitlin, age 15

Lisi Harrison: The book was written for 9-12 year olds but people of all ages seem to be getting something out of it. I think that's because 'cliques', 'bullying' and the need to 'fit in' happen at every age. Trust me, even adults feel it.

It's true some of the characters seem older than 7th grade and that was done intentionally. Massie, Alicia, Kristen and Dylan have seen it all, done it all and bought it all. This makes them more sophisticated than the average 7th grader and that probably makes them feel older to you. Claire, on the other hand, does seem more like a 7th grader because she didn't grow up as one of the privileged Westchester girls. She's more typical of that age and more like most of us.

Q: Was it hard to think up the ideas and write the stories or more of a fun project?
-- Caitlin, age 15

LH: It's been a lot of fun writing about these girls. I have enjoyed watching them grow and change over the series. And I have to admit I've even made myself laugh out loud a few times while I've been writing. That's when my puppy looks up at me like I'm insane. :) The hardest part has been staying disciplined and writing every single day. But I wouldn't feel as proud of this series if it was easy.

Q: Are the characters based on anyone you really know?
-- Courtney, age 12

LH: The characters aren't based on anyone specific and at the same time they're based on everyone I've ever met, even me. I never took one whole person, changed their name and turned them into a character. I'd borrow bits and pieces of myself, friends, teachers, and strangers on the subway to create these girls. I feel like if you write about someone or something you know too well it limits your creativity so it's best to start from scratch and see where your imagination takes you. I end up surprising myself a lot.

Q: Have you experienced any of the things you write about?
-- Molly, age 14

LH: I haven't experienced any of the things I write about like getting smoked salmon thrown at me, having someone put red paint on my chair or hijacking someone's IM and pretending to be them. But I have been the new girl. I know what it feels like to want to fit in and I know what it feels like to get picked on. I have watched girls parade around in designer clothes while I'm trying to rock the gap. But there have been other times in my life where I have been in the popular clique and I have watched girls try to be like me (I was never mean to them though, I swear!) I've even watched them copy my style. I have lived both sides...all the other stuff like the red paint, the smoked salmon and the IMs are just details I made up. They are attempts to show these feelings in an entertaining way.

Q: Is the fact that OCD also stands for 'obsessive-compulsive disorder' an inside joke in the book?
-- Chenzi, age 14

LH: YES. :)

Q: How do you keep track of all the descriptions of the designer clothes that you use in your books? And come up with them for that matter?
-- Caitlin, age 16

LH: I spent the last ten years working at MTV in NYC so designer clothes are all around me. I also read Lucky, In Style and US Weekly religiously. They are my guilty pleasures. I love fashion and style but I never wear designer clothes because if I drop a lot of money on a bag I don't want to see 100 other people with the same one. But that's just me. Other people love to look like everyone else (Burberry! Ugg boots!!) And that's something I love to write about because it seems so strange to me. That's why Layne rules! She will go out of her way to look different. I love that.

© Copyright 2005 by Time Warner Bookmark

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