Jenna Miller

Jenna Miller (she/her) writes Young Adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. When she’s not obsessing over words, she can be found making charcuterie boards, befriending people online, cross stitching, or adventuring in the Minneapolis area. Miller’s debut novel is Out of Character.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

In the roleplay world, speaking "out of character" is when you have a conversation with another roleplay as yourselves rather than your characters. It hints at the bonds between online friendships and how close people can become when letting the group become a friendship rather than just a gaming/writing group. The title is also a reference to how the main character, Cass, is keeping secrets from family/friends in her physical/"real" world to hide her online roleplaying addiction, which for her is considered incredibly out of character as she is not typically someone who lies or hides parts of herself.

What's in a name?

Most of my characters are names that sounded right for their personalities with little meaning behind them. The one that stands out to me for Out of Character is Greg Jensen. I wanted a name that had a token Midwestern football bro vibe to it. For some reason, he's also the only character who I refer to with his full name.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

Teenage Jenna would be both surprised and proud. Like Cass, I am fat and a lesbian. Unlie Cass, I wasn't comfortable with my body in high school, and I didn't realize I was a lesbian until I was 30. I simply didn't think about it or realize it, so I think it would surprise me, but I'd also be proud because I've always been supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community. I'd also feel relieved to know I got to a place in my life where I love myself for who I am, and that fat, queer teens deserve to see themselves in these types of stories.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I usually have a pretty good sense of how to start and finish a story, but I almost always need to tweak the beginning somehow. Setting the stage in the right moment with the right characters can be a challenge, and I sometimes need to shift things around to get it right.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Cass has many pieces of me, but she's also very different, which I've already touched on some above. We share similarities like having anxiety, being familiar with online roleplay addiction, and overthinking... a lot. As for the rest of the characters, there may be a trait or quirk that relates to me, but mostly they are completely different.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I'm inspired by my own interests and the people around me. I pulled some things from my own experiences and relationships, and I love adding in memories from my youth and fictionalizing them. I'm also inspired by other media such as movies and music, but I try not to get too close to anything in particular.

Visit Jenna Miller's website.

--Marshal Zeringue