Today we get to hang out with author, Sarah Sumpolec. She’s not only written the Becoming Beka series, five books about a teen who is trying to live her faith and find her dreams, but is also the author of a very cool blog by a character in her novel. Lucy. 

This blog is called Totally Unfamous.

Let’s talk with Sarah!

Suzie: Hey Sarah, thanks for dropping by Real Teen Faith.  I’ve read a lot of blogs, but never one that was also a novel. What made you decide to try this? 

Sarah: I was interested in writing a spin-off from my “Becoming Beka” series and decided that I wanted to share Lucy’s story.

Because the story format is experimental, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to find a publisher for it and I wasn’t interested in self-publishing.

That left the Internet, and since the story is written in short poems I thought a blog platform was the best way to share it. That way it would be free for anyone to read. And hopefully enjoy.

Sometimes a story needs to be written simply because you want to share the story. That’s what Totally Unfamous was for me. It allowed me this amazing creative freedom, and no worries about trying to sell anything to anybody.

I did hire a designer for the website because I wanted it to have a particular look, and I love what they came up with.  

Suzie: I love how this is written. Is this you, or how your character likes to share her thoughts?

Sarah: I think, for me, it all comes down to the voice of the character. It felt right for Lucy to share her story in this particular way. I couldn’t even imagine trying it in prose because this felt right from the beginning.

There is another story I have that I would like to write in poetry form and even had a publisher tell me they’d be interested in it if I wrote it in prose.

I couldn’t do it! The voice of that character just wouldn’t be right any other way. I suppose I’ll have to wait for the right time.

Suzie: You were interviewed on the Tyra Banks show last year. Was that a positive experience? Would you do it again?

Sarah: It was an enlightening experience. The show itself was good and I was thrilled with the chance to sit on that stage with witches and Satanists and proclaim Jesus.

I had a lot of people praying for me so I felt very protected during the show.

I had an overwhelming urge to tell them that they were loved by God – despite what they were doing. It was after the show aired that the hard part really came. I got blog-bombed and received hateful e-mails from across the country.

The pagan community was outraged that I had dared to say there was “one truth”. The viciousness of the attacks knocked me off kilter for a few days, but God taught me an awful lot in the process.

So while I wouldn’t be anxious to enter the lion’s den again, I also know that I would have a hard time turning down any opportunity to tell others about Jesus, and all that he rescued me from.

Suzie: What would you say to a teen who wants to write a book?

Sarah: I’d say to get writing! The first two things any “writer-in-training” should do is read a lot, and write a lot. Sounds simple but it’s the best way to get started. There are also some great books out there to check out.

A couple that I like are “The Writer’s Journey” by Christopher Vogler and “Plot and Structure” by James Scott Bell.

I’m a mentor for the teen program at the Christian Writer’s Guild so that is a program I highly recommend. The program is designed to let you try lots of different kinds of writing. It’s great for building up those writing muscles!

Suzie: Do you have other blogs? What are they?

Sarah: My personal blog is “Girls & God” at www.girlsandgod.blogspot.com

I also get to hang out with you, and lots of other cool authors at Girls, God & the Good Life – that’s at www.girlsgodgoodlifeblogspot.com.  

I have spots at Shoutlife www.shoutlife.com/girlsandgod  and over at MySpace www.myspace.com/girlsandgod  but I’m really bad at those. But feel free to friend me.  

Suzie: Tell us a little bit about how you became a writer.

Sarah: I grew up with Harriet the Spy and Anne of Green Gables. I devoured books and dreamed of one day becoming a real writer.

When I got my first chance for an “elective”, I chose Creative Writing, arriving at school an hour early just to take the class.

Then when I was in high school, I mentioned my dream of becoming an author to my mother and she told me that some of my other friends had far more talent in writing and that it would be a waste to pursue it. (This is the same women who told me I wasn’t good enough at science when I went through my “I want to be a doctor” phase.)

Suzie: Really. So, how did that affect you?

Sarah: I gave up writing then and there and only wrote stuff that was required in school.

Fast forward ten years and my husband and I began working with our church’s youth group. A girl came to group every week, saying all the right things but you could just tell that she didn’t really believe it. I wondered what it would be like to be that girl, what she must have thought, what she would be feeling.

Suzie: That’s hard to explain to those who don’t love writing, but I understand that. And then?

Sarah: And that’s when Beka’s story began swirling around inside. It kept swirling around despite me trying to push it aside or stop thinking about. Eventually, I couldn’t help but sit down and start writing. And 50,000 words later I had a whole book.

During that process, God did a healing in me, and showed me that I need to believe what he says about me, rather than what anyone else says. (I’m still learning that one BTW!)

Once I had a whole book, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I began learning about the publishing industry and signed up for my first writer’s conference. Eventually, an editor at Moody saw the manuscript and contracted it. It was the most amazing thing in the world to hold that first book in my hands. It was like God had returned a dream that I had given up on.

Suzie: What’s next for Totally Unfamous?

Sarah: I’m not sure at the moment. I may, if I have the time (and the go-ahead from God), write the next book in the series, “Still Totally Unfamous”, because there is more of Lucy’s story to tell.

But waiting on God is a good thing, and that is what he has me doing at the moment.

Suzie: Okay, now for some random questions. What is your favorite color?

Sarah: Purple!

Suzie: If you could ask God for one thing, what would it be?

Sarah: There are so many things I ask God for every day. But if I could only ask one thing, it would be to know and understand him better. The longer I follow God, the less I feel I know for sure. Wisdom like that would help me in so many ways.

Suzie: If you could travel to one place, where would it be, and why?

Sarah: Ohhh. Again, there are SO many places I’d love to see. But my top one for a long time has been Greece. I’ve always wanted to see the ruins and walk a place that has so many years of history.

Suzie: Thanks for dropping by Real Teen Faith. We can’t wait to see what you have in store for your readers next!