Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes. And an actress, and a pediatrician, and a talk-show host, and the list goes on. But, yes; I always wanted to be a writer. As soon as I was old enough to read I started writing. I would dictate stories to my dad and he would type them up on his 1930’s Remington typewriter. “Princess Puini and the Mud Dilemma” was my first story. I still have a copy of it somewhere.

Who was your favorite author when you were young, and who is your favorite now?

Choosing a single favorite author is impossible. When I was younger: Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, Madeline L’Engel, Norma Klein. A few of my current faves: Anne Lamott (Rosie, Crooked Little Heart, Bird by Bird); Anita Shreve (Fortune's Rocks, The Pilot's Wife, The Weight of Water); Chris Bohjalian (The Law of Similars, Midwives, Transister Radio); Wally Lamb (She's Come Undone, I Know This Much is True). I could go on and on.

How do you get your ideas?

Hard to say, exactly. Many ideas come straight from inner 13-year old girl. Some come from the lives of my friends, or from articles and books I've read. Often I begin with a seed--just the beginning of an idea, or a first sentence--and from there a plot begins to develop.

Before you begin a piece of writing, do you plan it out? If so, how?

To paraphrase the words of one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Berg, there are two kinds of writers: those who begin with a plot and those who end up with one. I am the kind of writer who ends up with a plot. Often when I begin to write I don't know exactly where I'm going; I just start with something that intrigues me--a phrase or a character--and see where it leads me.

Once you have finished a first draft, how do you go about editing?

I edit constantly, with every page, every chapter, so by the time I reach the end of a manuscript I don't generally have to do a big edit. I tend to go with my gut: Does this sound right? Could this sentence be clearer? Should I choose a different word?

How do you decide what changes/edits should be made?

I trust my instincts, knowing that at some point my editor will have opinions to share.

What role does your editor play?

She is the final say in what stays and what goes in my manuscript. I trust her instincts and take her feedback seriously. If I disagree with something, I'll tell her, but I try to remain open to suggestion.

What is the writing process like for you? How do you write?

I have to be inspired. I’m not one of these writers who can just sit down at the computer each morning and start cranking away. I wake up and think, “Is today a writing day?” Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t. If it isn’t, I forgive myself. But if it is, everyone knows to get out of my way.

Is writing difficult for you? What is the most challenging part?

Yes and no. When I know where I’m going with the story and I can write uninterrupted for a long stretch, I love the process. When I have to spend two hours crafting and re-crafting the same two sentences to get them right, I can go quietly insane. The hardest part about writing these days is finding the time. I’m the full time mom of two little boys who would much rather I play trains than write. I’m getting pretty good at trains.

What are you working on now? What projects lie ahead?

I just finished the first draft of my next Y.A. novel, BOXING PAUL TUCCI, which is slated to hit bookstores in Spring 2010. In the meanwhile, I’ll be working to revise NIGHT SWIMMING, the book that brings Isabelle, Sam, and Evyn together at summer camp.

In PERFECT, What was Ashley's gift to Isabelle?

I toyed with the idea of a couple of different presents—a friendship locket (too hokey), a four-leaf clover (wayyy too hokey)—but none of them rang true for the characters. Ultimately I decided to leave Isabelle feeling conflicted about the potential contents of the box. That felt right to me. There’s a part of Isabelle that still wants to hold on to an idealized version of Ashley—that doesn’t want to be disappointed.

How do you choose your titles?

I think titles, like book covers, are crucial to a book’s success. I spend a lot of time thinking about my titles, and I like for them to have a bit of mystery attached—a double entendre or a smattering of irony. For the first three books: PERFECT, LUSH, and BOUNCE, I felt strongly about choosing a single word title for each, partly to encapsulate the struggles of the protagonists, but also because I knew that the three girls would be brought together in a fourth book, and I wanted that continuity—that symmetry—from the titles.

How much of yourself is present in your characters?

There has to be a part of me in every character I create—consciously or not. I see some of my own insecurities in Isabelle, and some of her toughness. If you were to ask my friends, they would probably tell you I’m more of a Sam, at least from the outside. Like Evyn, I can fool the outside world into thinking I’m more confident, or problem-free, than I really am. Sometimes that’s a good thing.

Are you bulimic? Is your dad dead? Is your dad an alcoholic? Is your mom a yoga-maniac?

No, no, no, and no. My books, and the characters within them, are purely fictional. When writing PERFECT, did it help that I grappled with body image issues when I was younger? Absolutely. When writing LUSH, was it useful to talk to my parents about the role alcohol played in their families? Yup. But those are merely jumping-off points—stepping stones to the stories my characters weave on their own.

Will you write a sequel to any of your books?

I’m not generally a big fan of sequels, but I had this idea early on, before I even finished writing PERFECT, that I would write three books, with three separate 13 year-old protagonists, and that I would bring them all together in a fourth book. That’s what I’m attempting to do with NIGHT SWIMMING, the book that brings Isabelle, Sam, and Evyn together at camp, the summer they’re sixteen. I love the idea of watching them play off each other.

Are any of your books going to be made into movies?

I hope so! There have been a few nibbles and a few false starts, but nothing substantial yet. I’m keeping the faith, though.

What’s the best advice you can give to an aspiring writer?

Read! It’s bar none the best possible advice I could give.

Can you read my story, and give some suggestions on getting published?

Unfortunately, due to the number of requests I receive, I just can’t read everyone’s manuscript or story. I do, however, have a great book to recommend: THE WRITER’S MARKET, which is basically the bible to book publishing. There are contests listed in the back—some of them exclusively geared toward young writers. Well worth checking out.

I'm doing an author study on you; can you tell me anything cool/unique/funny about Natasha Friend?

Absolutely! Here are 25 random facts about NF:

1) When I was born, my mother wrote a poem about my birth (titled, appropriately enough, "Natasha"). Said poem was published in the first ever issue of Ms. Magazine and is now on a list of "recommended readings" for the naming ceremonies of Jewish baby girls.

2) I have never liked the name "Natasha," but I have happily accumulated a host of nicknames, including, but not limited to Tash, Tashi, TK, T, Tush, Tushi, Topashopa, Squash, Tango, Sparky, Natty, Kinsky, Friend, and Smiley.

3) The first riddle I ever wrote, age 3: Q: "Why is a riddle happy?" A: "Because it lives in a boot."

4) My first crush was John Travolta, after I saw the movie "Grease." I can still sing every song from that soundtrack, and I'm not embarrassed about it.

5) I spent many days of my kindergarten career dressed as Tinkerbell.

6) When I was young I never had a Barbie, but I had many baby dolls, all of whom I named Suzie (pronounced “Soooooooooozie.”).

7) I grew up in a house with no TV and no junk food. I spent most of my time at other people's houses, watching General Hospital and eating Oreos.

8) I still have every note ever passed to me in junior high, sitting in a box in my closet.

9) The first time I got drunk was on half a Purple Passion wine cooler.

10) I don't eat anything creamy or cheesy except for ice cream and mozzarella.

11) I have wanted to be a writer ever since I read “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.”

12) I cry at weddings—all weddings—even if I don’t know the bride and groom.

13) I played rugby in college and was given the award, “Most Likely to Tackle You and Still Smile.”

14) I was once paid $300 to be in a Buns-of-Steel Infomercial.

15) I do not have—nor have I ever had—buns of steel.

16) The strangest compliment I’ve ever received was from a guy who told me that if he could choose anyone to cannibalize it would be me because I have “the ideal blend of fat and muscle.”

17) Dream job: owning and running a summer camp in Maine.

18) Irrational fear: bathing suits.

19) Food I couldn’t live without: chocolate.

20) Random skill: no-handed cartwheel.

21) Spiritual age: 13.

22) I met my husband on a blind date. That night, I called my mom to say, "I just met the man I'm going to marry."

23) Becoming a mother has been, bar none, the proudest accomplishment of my life.

24) I read to my kids every day, without fail.

25) If I could only hear four words for the rest of my life, they would be, “I love you, Mommy.”