Author Andrea Portes: ‘I have so many other stories knocking at my door’

Andrea Portes’ first novel is "Hick", a coming-of-age tale set in 1980s rural Nebraska. It was so well-received that it was turned into a movie (starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Eddie Redmayne, Blake Lively and Alec Baldwin) in 2011. Portes herself wrote the screenplay for the film. 

Some writers might buckle under pressure after the success of their first effort, but Portes’ next book, "Bury This", received even bigger critical acclaim. The American novelist has since written other titles, many of which have gotten excellent reviews, including her latest, "Fall of Butterflies".

Portes was in Manila recently to meet her fans and she also made time to chat with the press. 

Photo: PJ Caña

GMA News Online: This part of being an author, the interviews, the book signings, how do you feel about it? Because you know how some authors are introverts and prefer isoloation and solitude.

Andrea Portes: Well I love the isolation and solitude. I absolutely just love being around my house and being alone, and being frumpy. That’s my natural habitat. But sometimes you have to get out there and put on the hat and do the song and dance and everything. It’s usually enjoyable, I usually like it. I think a lot of it depends on who’s interviewing you. Sometimes when people interview you, they’re really insightful, they have interesting questions, and then sometimes it’s like oh my god... 

GNO: Wow, now I feel the pressure…

AP: No, no. (laughs). There are some human interactions that are great. I love those. And sometimes it’s just like (puts face into hands). 

GNO: Was there a specfic point when you realized that writing was going to be a career?

AP: Well, I wrote my first book over a period of around 10 years. And I wasn’t really taking myself too seriously. But I got to a certain point when I got annoyed enough with my life that I said, okay, I have to get my book published. And then I did get it published and pretty much ever since then I was always like, oh I’m a writer. But yeah, once you get your first book out there, I think that’s pretty much it. 

GNO: Here’s a technical question about the craft of writing. Some people do outlines, or some start out with a short story. How do you do it?

AP: It’s pretty organic. Usually I just sit down with a pen and paper, or at the laptop. And I just kind of go through from start to finish, and I don’t look back on the first draft ever. I just go and then I leave it alone for a while and then I go back and, oh, this is pretty good, or, wait, no this is good, and this is bad. This is really bad. Then re-edit again and leave it alone. Then when I get to a point when, I know there’s probably more work to be done on this, but I don’t know what it is, that’s when I send it to my editor. 

GNO: How do you know when it’s done? Do you start off with the ending in mind? 

AP: I usually have a general idea of how I can see it going. But I’ve definitely had endings change. And that’s important to me, I don’t mind changing it because you really have to land an ending, because I hate the feeling when you finish a book and you’re like, what, why did I just [do that]. 

GNO: Obviously "Hick" was this huge monster of a success. And it was your first book. Was it hard to garner that much acclaim on the first book, in the context of following it up? Were you pressured at all? 

AP: Well it was interesting. It was such a success and it was turned into a movie and that was amazing. And being in the set with all the stars of the movie was amazing and an incredible experience. And I love Eddie Redmayne and Chloë Grace Moretz, they were just very cool, so that was all very exciting. But then, I knew what my next book was going to be. I had already written it while I was pregnant; I just had to edit it. And I was writing some of it on the set. In fact Eddie was making fun of me because he saw some of my scribbles and he was like, ‘Can you read that?’ So I sent him a copy when it was done, and told him, this was what I was doing. 

So then I got "Bury This" published and that was an even higher critical success than "Hick". I never thought I would get that good of a review from the New York Times, I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I could die now. So now [when I write] it’s more fun. I feel like if I let myself get into my headspace, oh it’s not good enough, or whatever. I just think that’s not helpful. Also because now I have a children’s middle reader coming out, a YA spy series that’s also in Fox studios, "Anatomy of a Misfit" is in Paramount Pictures, and I have a book of short stories of literary fiction. I have so many things I’m doing, as well as being a wife and mother, that I don’t have time to worry about stuff like that. If that mean crazy voice comes into my head, I’m just like, go away.

GNO: Your books have gotten praise from all of these critics and reviewers. But what about those that are not so good? Have you gotten that and how do you deal with them?

AP: It’s kind of funny. Every once in a while I would see something that’s really bad and I would be like, does that person know me? Did I steal their boyfriend? When I see a really bad review sometimes I feel like they haven’t really read it.

But the funniest thing I saw, and I thought it was so hilarious. Apparently, there was some girl who tried to get her book published, and the publisher was like, ‘No, this sounds like you’re trying too much to copy Andrea Portes, and she’s already her. So you don’t seem original.’ This girl’s boyfriend took it upon himself to hate me. And he created a video online talking about how horrible I am.

And what’s funny is, if you were gonna draw a troll, it would be this guy. I was laughing so hard and my son was asking why I was laughing, and this person hates me so much that they made this video. This person is giving away so much energy that it’s almost kind of flattering. 

GNO: You’re active on social media. You have a fanbase and you have people who look up to you, especially young people who see you as like a role model. Are you conscious of that at all. Do you see yourself as a role model? 

AP: I don’t see myself that way, but I appreciate the fact that I should behave a certain way. And that means being respectful. But I do also hope that some of my ideas that are like anti-xenophobia and anti-racism, anti-materialism, all of that stuff, I’m glad for those message to get out there.

I’ve been really upset and distressed about the tone in the US, with Donald with the orange hair. I’m kind of really shocked about it. And so I feel very protective of my Latino and LGBT and Arabian friends. I feel really concerned. And really shocked honestly that this guy would actually get votes. It’s a little bit bewildering to me.

I thought everything was getting better and then he’s unleashed as this kind of ugly monster. So I think more than ever my messages about people not being Islamophobic, and people not being xenophobic, and whatever it is, I think those messages are important to get out there; more important than ever. 

GNO: You’re a writer living the life. Do you feel that way? Are you living the dream?

AP: Yeah, it’s absolutely a fantasy come true. The successes that I’ve had are beyond my wildest imagination. On the other hand, I’m pretty ambitious. I really have so many other stories that come knocking at my door that it’s really about getting the stories out.

I feel like, more than anything, there must be a reason why I come up with so many stories, why I’m a storyteller. And why writing them comes so much easier to me than it does to other people. Whereas things like getting a bill in the mail, writing a check, that’s hard. I don’t understand things like that. But staying in, and writing a book in a short period of time, that comes easily to me because when the voices come, that’s what makes me feel like I’m supposed to be doing this. I’m supposed to be a storyteller. Because every two seconds another story is coming to me. And I get really excited about it. — AT, GMA News