Fresh Voices: Q&A with Camryn Garrett
What inspired you to write FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE?
I really wanted to write something inspired by the teen movies that I grew up loving, but with a character like me at the center! I loved the idea of coming out being this really joyous thing, so I decided to center the story on that.
What was the most difficult part about writing the book? What part was the easiest?
I think revising it during the earlier parts of the pandemic was really hard. It’s supposed to be a rom-com, but I think it was hard to lean into the comedy when I wasn’t having a lot of fun myself, and I think it was really a struggle to do those first two rounds. Coming up with the playlists was probably the easiest!
What character or element of the story do you identify with the most and why?
I really identify with Siobhan not understanding how she identifies and trying to figure it out. I think that’s a struggle I’ve had for the past few years before getting comfortable with the idea that my identity may change and that it’s okay. I think it was always presented to me as something simple, like you knew you were gay or you didn’t, and even though Siobhan’s sexuality journey isn’t the main story, I like knowing that it’s there anyway.
What do you want kids today to take away from this story?
That they should celebrate themselves and who they are, especially if they’re Black or queer or both! I remember a period where editors and agents were saying that they didn’t want any more coming out stories and I think that all of our milestones are important and should be celebrated, especially when we live in a world that actively works to make things hard for us.
What are you currently reading?
An ARC of Morgan Matson’s first middle grade! I’m really excited about it!
