Sally J. Pla

Sally J. Pla is the author of the acclaimed novels The Someday Birds and Stanley Will Probably Be Fine. She has English degrees from Colgate and Penn State and has worked as a business journalist and in public education. She has three sons, a husband, and an enormous fluffy dog and lives near lots of lemon trees in Southern California.

Pla's new novel is The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn.

My Q&A with the author:

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

I think the title sums up everything really well. It was the first one I hit upon, and my editor liked it right away, and we never veered from it.

"The Fire:" The story opens with a wildfire. But it isn't the only thing burning in the story. Maudie's keeping burning secrets inside her.

"The Water:" Maudie and her dad evacuate to the ocean, where Maudie swims and learns to surf. Water renews and rebirths her in many ways.

"And Maudie McGinn:" This is a story of coming of age, of how Maudie grows into herself.

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

I think my teen self would feel very 'seen' by Maudie's many nervous mannerisms, quirks, thoughts, and insecure feelings. My teen self would think: "Wow! I'm not the only one?"

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

Beginnings are by far the hardest for me! I'll rewrite the first 50 pages dozens of times until everything finally feels set--tone, characters, plot directions--and I feel I can finally move on.

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

My main characters all reflect different aspects of being different. Growing up neurodivergent (ADHD, or autistic, or with anxiety...) and in that way, they are very much like me. It's what I know, and it's an underrepresented type of character in children's fiction. I'm trying to fix that!

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Different settings intrigue me. The ocean, of course -- I live near it in Southern California. My parents, up until they had me, lived in an oil camp in the Venezuelan jungle. I plan to use that setting for a story someday. I like to think of setting as character, too.

Visit Sally J. Pla's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Sally J. Pla & Leo.

The Page 69 Test: The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn.

--Marshal Zeringue