Q&A: Renée Watson, Author of 'Love Is A Revolution'

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson comes a new YA–a love story about not only a romantic relationship but how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Renée about her new novel Love Is A Revolution, writing during a pandemic, book recommendations, and more! PLUS we also have an excerpt from the first chapter for you to enjoy at the end of the interview!

Hi, Renée! Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m an author who writes for young readers, including picture books, middle grade, and young adult. I love words and even when I’m not writing or reading, you can find me in a spirited game of Scrabble or Taboo—two word games I love.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I first discovered my love for writing in the second grade. I’ve kept a journal since then filling it up with poetry, short stories, and plays.

**Your new novel, Love Is A Revolution, is out today! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

I asked a friend who’s read it already to help me on this one. She said: Relevant. Poetic. Funny. Thought-provoking. Relatable. (Thanks Ria!)

Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?

Love Is a Revolution is about a girl who pretends to be more “woke” than she really is in order to get the attention and affection of a guy she has a crush on. He’s an activist and she’s really trying to impress him. Once her lies are exposed she has to decide who she will really be and in the process of figuring out how to be true to him, she learns how to love herself.

What was the inspiration behind this novel?

I wanted to write a story about love and activism. And I wanted to write a love story that was not only about romantic love, but self-love.

Is there a character or scene that you really enjoyed writing?

One of my favorite scenes is a scene where Nala is put on the spot to make a speech. It goes very badly and while things don’t turn out too great for her, as the author I had a good time laughing at how impossible the situation was.

I also loved writing the scenes when Nala is with her grandmother. I didn’t intend for the women at the senior residence to become such important characters, but I’m they did. I really enjoyed writing them.

What challenges did you face while writing and how did you overcome them?

I was finishing Love Is a Revolution during the pandemic and while the Black Lives Matter protests were happening in the summer of 2020. It was very hard to write. I was sad, lonely, angry, and uninspired. But then, I remembered something I used to say to my students when I was teaching, “You can’t control much, but you can control how you tell this story. You have the power to write things not only how they are, but how you want them to be.” I had to take this advice. And so, while there was so much pain, I leaned into the joy. I wrote about Black teens enjoying their summer and living their lives without apology. I wrote about what I know to be true and what I want to see more of.

**What do you hope readers will take away from Love Is A Revolution?**

I hope readers will want to find ways to show up for the people in their community. I also hope readers make themselves a priority and focus on being kind, forgiving, and patient with themselves and each other.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

The best writing advice I’ve been given is to write from a place of questions and curiosity. The worst advice is anytime someone tells me, “you should write a story about…”