DeAndra Davis

DeAndra Davis is New York–born and Florida-bred. She’s a hopeless musical theater nerd (Wicked is definitely her favorite), a perpetual student and teacher, and always trailed by a kid or a dog because she has way too many of both. She has an opinion for everything, an argument ready, and a hug for everyone, and she thinks you should, too. She is the author of All the Noise at Once, winner of the William C. Morris Award for best young adult debut book, and The Lovers, the Liars, and Me.

My Q&A with Davis:

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

Titles are widely important to me and the first thing that I consider is not hating my title because I’ll have to say it so often once it’s chosen and out there. I like for titles to do at least half the heavy lifting as well. I don’t like for them to be so divorced from the book that you don’t know what to expect. I like for them to leave a little mystery but also be connected enough that you can understand it once you’ve read the book.

I definitely agonized over my title a bit because originally it had a title that really took you right into the story and the fleeting nature of my main character leaning into this single summer, but that title happened to already be in use by a really recent book, so I pivoted.

Ultimately, I decided to lean into the tarot and secret elements of the story, thinking to myself, what tarot card really represents the book and landed on the lovers. From there, the rest of the title came easily because of how trapped my character is with her love triangle, her tarot, and her secrets. It’s all entangled and I love that the title captures those elements and brings them to life.

What's in a name?

Names are kind of funny for me because I definitely put a ton of thought into how I feel they represent the character, how they represent culturally, and then how they connect personally. First off, I will admit I steal a lot of names from my family members, haha. That doesn’t mean the characters reflect those family members in any way, I typically just feel the name fits.

For my main character Jaliya, I took her name from familial connections, though her name isn’t a typical Jamaican name which is on purpose, and her last name is also a family name. I think because this story especially tied so much into my own culture and identity, it was personal enough that familial connection felt like the right move. For Shevaughn, India, Deon, and Andre, I wanted to tap into names that fit culturally as well. Names that could conceivably be Jamaican names. This is even true for Jaliya’s uncle Ian, which is a popular Jamaican name. I think about how a name can set you in a place and tell you about a person. I wanted that for my characters.

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

Beyond surprised. I think she’d be shocked at my audacity to be so honest on the page—so forthcoming and so unlike how I was as a teenager. I think I write stories that are close to me and mean something to me but I also have a habit of writing the bravery into my characters that I wish I once had. The bravery I had to grow into, and sometimes still struggle with. Teenage me would definitely be like, “Girl, you’re telling on yourself!” which is hilarious and likely true, but I think she’d be proud that I got to a place where I felt so comfortable doing so.

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

I change beginnings much more than endings and this has been true for all my books so far. Jaliya’s beginning had to be with her indecision; it had to be with her floundering and utilizing outside support for answers. That was always true. I had to figure out how to bring that to life in practice outside of just her tarot cards. How could I show everyone how much she flounders and how people think of her? What better way than a party? I loved writing the party scene because there’s nothing better than a fish out of water element and I think her uncomfortability was almost palpable. Beginnings are tough, but who doesn’t love some teasing, meeting a bully, getting your hopes up and then dashed, and then a good angry cry to usher us into a story?

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

Both? Is that a cop out? I tend to pull pieces of myself and insert them into my characters, but I also pull wildly different pieces and put them in the same character as well. Pieces of other people—friends, enemies. Pieces I haven’t yet truly seen explored in anyone I know but want to see play out.

I connect to Jaliya because she’s Jamaican but born in the United States. She’s raised entirely with Jamaican values and culture at home to the point where it can ostracize her from peers in the states, but then still told she isn’t enough of her own culture because of where she was born. I understand that deeply. I pull tarot cards (though not with the same vigor and necessity as Jaliya). I have uncles (and other family) who live in Jamaica that I’ve been visiting since I was just a baby. There are definitely pieces of me in Jaliya and there’s also pieces of me in her friend group. Deon got my sarcasm and humor. Shevaughn got my ability to hold a grudge sometimes. India got my thirst for adventure and quickness to take in a new friend. Andre got my shyness in romantic situations. How can a character show up real if they don’t reflect something real?

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Movies and shows always! For this book To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, XO, Kitty, and The Summer I Turned Pretty especially were great to tap into for the right vibes.

Otherwise, my experiences and family are constant influences on my writing. I am always considering where I, or the people around me, fit into my stories.

Visit DeAndra Davis's website. She can be found on most socials @DeAndraWrites.

My Book, The Movie: The Lovers, the Liars, and Me.

Writers Read: DeAndra Davis.

--Marshal Zeringue