Before We Were Blue is a YA contemporary written in dual POV. In a treatment center for their eating disorders, former cheer-lebrity Shoshana and headstrong rebel Rowan develop an overwhelming bond. Ultimately, they will have to make a choice: get healthy on their own—or stay sick together.
We chat with debut author E. J. Schwartz about Before We Were Blue, as well as writing, book recommendations, and so much more!
Hi, E.J.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, readers! I’m E.J., short for Elizabeth Jeanne.
Recently, I received my MFA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, so basically I’ve been putting writing first in my life for a while now. Before We Were Blue is the payoff of years spent writing in coffee shops and editing at odd hours in my childhood bedroom. I’m a roller-skater birthed from quarantine, and a relatively new booktoker (@ejschwartz)!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Before I discovered writing, I, of course, discovered reading. When I would curl up on the couch and devour an incredible book, I could feel the adrenaline build in my veins and knew I wanted to hold the power to make people feel that same way. At fifteen, I started writing creatively and taking it seriously.
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!
One of the first books I remember reading—well, my mom read it to me—is The Doll People series by Ann M. Martin. I was ten, I think, and I flipped for it. The Hunger Games is an obvious choice, but it really did make me want to become a writer! To this day, I think about “Girls on Fire” by Robin Wasserman. It’s a master class in girlhood rage.
Your debut novel, Before We Were Blue, is out September, 14th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Before We Were Blue in five words: layered, rocky, fused, mirrored, and electrifying.
What can readers expect?
In Before We Were Blue, readers can expect to see complex teenage girls who are realllllly going through it. The book is an angry love letter to myself of-sorts, and so people can expect to see a lot of feminine adoration, sexual confusion, and intense competitiveness that I experienced growing up. It’s not a light, fluffy read; there’s a trigger warning at the beginning of the book to prepare my readers. But I think those who pick it up will be SO glad they did. The satisfaction of those last few lines—writing them, and reading them—will hopefully be worth the journey.
Where did the inspiration for Before We Were Blue come from?
Before We Were Blue started as a short story that spiraled into a novel! The inspiration came from a bunch of different things: my life, music (BWWB playlists coming soon!), documentaries, my friends, the absolute encapsulation of the competitive cheerleading world, and other novels, etc.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
When I wrote most of Before We Were Blue, I was in LA for the summer interning at a film production company. I was living in a room of this older couple’s house—I was nineteen, they were in their late fifties—and it was just lonely. I didn’t have many friends there, and so I let myself be a slave to the book, to the two girls who narrate it—Shoshana and Rowan. The girls take turns telling their side of the narrative and their voices helped me process a lot during that time.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing all of Before We Were Blue, but Rowan’s point of view was such a weird hypnotic treat. She’s a firecracker in lots of ways. I understood that almost instantly about her. Mostly she kept talking and I kept listening and that is a pretty magical experience for any writer. There’s also a scene with Shoshana towards the end of the book—no spoilers—that was intense to write and I suspect readers won’t see coming!
What do you hope readers gain or take away from reading Before We Were Blue?
If readers close the cover of Before We Were Blue with a little more compassion for the people around them, I think that’s good—but it’s not a self-help book and I want to be very clear about that. I can only hope readers examine these characters and their choices and reflect on their own lives as a result. Is social media helping or hurting us? Are our friendships balanced or imbalanced? Mostly, I hope the girls and women who read the book will feel seen in some small way and know they don’t have to be perfect.
What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I want to say LONG, but I’m twenty-five, so that feels wrong! The road to publishing this book was a mixture of hard work, privilege, and luck. In 2018, I landed my amazing agent Kaitlyn Johnson. She’s the absolute best, and she helped me polish up my manuscript before it got scooped up (timing is also vital in publishing) by Mari Kesselring, my superstar editor. Since then, the publishing process, through the pandemic, has mainly been a mixture of emails and waiting. My favorite part is reading reviews of the Before We Were Blue ARC. When people say they feel moved and touched by Shoshana and Rowan, or educators say they want the book in their classrooms—that’s surreal for me.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best writing advice I’ve received is always changing. When I was eighteen, it was “show don’t tell,” at twenty-one it was, “all writing is rewriting,” and now it’s “read what you want to write.” Few writers I know make the long-haul writing journey with just one great piece of advice. Depending on the circumstances, you’ll probably need to hear different things at different times. I know I do!
The worst writing advice I’ve received is “write every day.” It’s excellent for some writers, but it doesn’t pass the vibe check for me. There’s too much pressure on writers to be writing all the time—on weekends, on vacation, during any spare moment they have. But writers gain so much material from living life, and while we do have to “show up” to the page and do the work, we don’t have to do it every day. My priority is on enjoying the process and not burning out. If I have a writing session once or twice a week, I’m excited.
What’s next for you?
Gah! The dreaded question for anyone in their twenties—just kidding (kind of)! Next for me, life-wise, is a move to Richmond, VA, which I’m super happy about. There’s such a great art scene there and hopefully a writing community I’ll join. Writing-wise, I’m working on a few different projects and hope to share more soon! But first and foremost, I’m planning to prioritize reading for reading’s sake.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Yes, so many I could recommend! All these get five stars from me!
- Young Adult: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, The Program by Suzanne Young
- Adult Fiction: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Conversation with Friends by Sally Rooney,
- Non-Fiction: Educated by Tara Westover
- Poetry: Good Bones by Maggie Smith, and Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith.
