We chat with author Adi Alsaid about his latest novel Before Takeoff, which is described as The Sun Is Also a Star meets Jumanji when two teens meet and fall in love during a layover-gone-wrong at the Atlanta airport.
Hi, Adi! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Gladly! I was born and raised in Mexico City, currently live in Chicago, and spill things often. My 7th YA book comes out on June 7th, but more about that later. I’ve aimed for my books to be quite different from another, but the threads that tie them all together are coming-of-age themes, a touch of romance, and acknowledgments sections that I feel did not acknowledge enough people. When I remember to post on Instagram, you’ll likely see travel, food, cats, and bad self-promotion.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I imagine it was slowly stirred awake by my love of reading, but my first clear memory of enjoying the act of writing was when I was in sixth grade. We had a list of vocabulary words and had to use each in a sentence. I don’t remember the word itself or the sentence, but it was something you’d expect of a sixth grade boy, including a bit of blood and gore, probably influence by my transition from R.L Stine to Stephen King books.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
Wow, never thought of that question. First book I remember reading is probably a Garfield book in the first grade. Though that might be a false memory, confused by the fact that my first grade teacher was obsessed with Garfield and even celebrated his birthday by bringing lasagna to class.
Don’t think there was a single book that I could point to leading me to become an author. It was all of them, the fact that they exist, and that someone gets to write them. I didn’t really think I’d get to be an author until I wrote my first book, so technically that one (unpublished) can be pointed at as what convinced me I finally could.
I read it a few years ago, but my mind still often goes back to what I learned in The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap by Matt Taibi. Same with Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability by David Owen. Which is a misleading answer because my reading choices are rarely nonfiction.
Your new novel, Before Takeoff, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Weird airport almost love story.
What can readers expect?
Ruminations on life and fear, two teens getting to know each other and liking what they find, while indoor weather, blackouts, and other inexplicable occurrences turn the world around them into a microcosm of the terrifying world we live in. But also banter! And third person POV, which I mention only because it seems some people can be shocked by this choice, and I’d like to give them a heads up.
Where did the inspiration for Before Takeoff come from?
Partially from the Before Sunrise trilogy (my not-very-subtle nod in the title might make sense now). I’ve been wanting for a while to write a book where it’s just two people walking and talking, but knew it couldn’t work without a satisfying plot to hold it together. Bel Canto is a big influence in my writing, and for years I was drawn to having people stuck in the same place together, but have my own spin on it. And as someone who enjoys airports perhaps too much, I possibly wanted an excuse to live in their world for a while. Combine all of this with how growing up can be scary, and how these days seem to be especially scary, and you get Before Takeoff.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
This was the first book I wrote not under a contract since I began publishing books. Part of that was a little freeing, and allowed me to just write to my heart’s content, without the weight of expectations.
That did, however, lead to worries about whether the book would ever make it out into the world. If it was too weird for publishers or readers, if I was spending time on something that would never sell.
On a more granular level, I wrote without using an outline, so it was harder to keep to the three act structure I usually follow. And because of my meandering, anything-goes approach to the first draft, revising was a long and hard process which took years.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I think Before Takeoff has one of my best endings! It’s hard to remember now because I started writing the book in 2016 and have written a few things now (publishing makes time feel even weirder). That said, the conversations between the main characters James and Michelle are meant to feel like the philosophical, exploratory talks you have with someone you’re really vibing with, and I think it’s in those moments that the book shines the most.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best: Being original doesn’t matter. It’s more important to be personal.
Worst: Any hard and fast rules like “don’t use adverbs” or “write every day” or “semi-colons are spawns of satan” or whatever. The idea that all writing has to follow any common rule is pretty absurd.
What’s next for you?
I’ll have another YA coming out in about a year! This is my first time talking about it, so let’s reveal the title and plot, why don’t we? It’s called Actually Super, and it’s about a disillusioned teen’s decision to travel the world in order to find actual superheroes.
I’ll also have my middle grade debut come out in fall 2023. That one’s called The Greatest Living Warrior in Nefaria, which is a comic fantasy/adventure about a lonely and possibly invisible boy who gets sucked into a wacky and incompetent wizard’s attempt to take over the kingdom.
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
Even though I read a fair amount, I’m not always great at keeping up with new releases. I’m currently reading I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, which I’m very into. Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron had the perfect amount of charm and humor for a rom com.
