We chat with author K.L. Walther about While We’re Young, which is a whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off about four friends whose hearts are broken and mended over the course of an epic senior skip day!
Hi, K.L.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with my family and two high-energy, personality-plus dogs. My favorite childhood favorite pastimes included playing ice hockey, watching Gilmore Girls, listening to Taylor Swift, and weekend trips to Barnes & Noble. I majored in English at the University of Virginia, and now live in San Francisco with my fiancé, where we are spoiled by charming restaurants and vista views.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always been an avid reader—my parents have a video of me paging through picture books as a toddler—and I took a fiction writing workshop on a whim during my sophomore year of college. I started writing what would someday become What Happens After Midnight, my 2023 novel, and my fingers have been flying across the keyboard ever since.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
- The one that made you want to become an author: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Your latest novel, While We’re Young, is out March 4th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Senior skip day with feelings!
What can readers expect?
A lot of laughs, longing, and a grand tour of the City of Brotherly Love.
Where did the inspiration for While We’re Young come from?
It came to me in a dream! Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of my favorite feel-good movies, so after a rewatch back in 2020, I dreamt that I wrote a “genderswapped, contemporary retelling.” That was it. That was the dream.
Other elements were inspired by my life. I grew up about forty minutes outside Philadelphia, where I went on elementary school field trips—from Old City to the Linc—and I’ve gone to many a concert in the city (I recently saw FINNEAS at the Fillmore). Friendships are also incredibly important to me, so I wanted to pay homage to my family’s closest knit ones. They played such a key role in my childhood.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I like to think there are pieces of me in all my characters, but I can confidently say that James and I are nothing alike (with the exception of our love for ice cream). Which means I had the absolute best time writing him! I was a goody-two-shoes in high school, so he allowed me to live on the the “dark side” a little. He did all of these things that I never would’ve had the courage to do as someone his age. It was consequence-free fun!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
The most challenging part of writing While We’re Young was the four character perspectives, but I think it’s important to stretch oneself as a writer and I’m so happy with how they turned out. I kept track of the characters’ individual “vocabularies” in my notebook. Each character has his/her word or phrase or expression of choice. If James’s pulse quickens, another character’s heart rate speeds up or spikes. While drafting, I tried to limit myself to writing one character a day, or I took a break for a couple hours to make sure I wasn’t still in “Grace mode” when I started writing Everett. I really wanted each voice to be distinct.
What’s next for you?
I am currently finishing up revisions on We’re A Bad Idea, Right?, my 2026 fake dating romance whose shenanigans are inspired by Risky Business. It was a tough first draft, but I’ve really fallen in love with these new characters over the past several months! My second 2025 novel, A First Time For Everything, also hits shelves on June 3rd. Readers will recognize some familiar faces!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I am so behind on my TBR, but on my horizon are Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life (she’s one of my biggest inspirations), Love Unmasked by Becky Dean, and the longtime Hunger Games fan in me can’t wait for Sunrise on the Reaping.
