The Bold Type meets Younger in How Maya Got Fierce by Sona Charaipotra, a YA fish-out-of-water contemporary novel! We chat with Sona all about her new release, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Sona! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m the author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and most recently How Maya Got Fierce, and co-author of The Rumor Game and the Tiny Pretty Things duology, which is now a Netflix original series. I got my masters in screenwriting at NYU—where my thesis script was developed by MTV Films, but didn’t end up produced. So I started writing fiction, realized it’s a whole different thing, and then got my MFA in creative writing from the New School. All along the way, I was working in magazine journalism—first at People and TeenPeople, then at the Barnes & Noble Teen Blog (RIP), and am currently senior editor at Parents.com. I’ve also interviewed your favorite celebrities and authors for publications like the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and TeenVogue. I’m a former We Need Diverse Books board member, and cofounded CAKE Literary, a book packager creating high concept diverse titles. But these days, I’m more focused on writing and editing my own projects. In my off-hours, I’m mom to two, and big on books, Bollywood, and chai.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I’ve been telling stories as long as I can remember. According to old, grainy video, I wanted to be a newscaster when I was about 6 or 7. I started writing stories in elementary school, and studied journalism and then creative writing in grad school. But for a long time, I told myself I didn’t have a book in me. Too many words. Guess five books in and counting, I’m finally proving myself wrong.
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!
Ah! I would say Anne of Green Gables. It lives in my brain. I recently re-read and listened to it and watched the movie series with my daughter, who’s 12, and now it lives in her brain, too. Anne was so very writerly, and honestly, so very ADHD, which is something both my kid and I realized we have in the past few years. It’s so interesting, because when I look at the characters that have a hold on me, so frequently, I feel like I can diagnose them with the same. The flightiness, the big dreams, the tendency to hyperfocus, the rambling storyteller voice that lives in their heads. In so many ways, it makes me feel seen.
Your new novel, How Maya Got Fierce, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Oh wow. This is hard. Here we go: Turning dreams into goals. Yup.
What can readers expect?
They can expect NYC energy, big dreams, lots of fashion, winks to bombastic Bollywood drama, romance, and to be very, very hungry. NYC is all about exploring and eating to me. I think that captures Maya’s vibes well.
Where did the inspiration for How Maya Got Fierce come from?
I worked for many years in the magazine industry—and still do now—so that was the inspiration. I pitch it as The Bold Type meets Younger, with a healthy dash of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead energy, for those in the know. It touches on the fashion and fun of the business of creating culture, for sure, but also doesn’t shy away from calling out the systemic issues, like racism and appropriation.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Oh, this is a good question. It was DRAMA. Even before the pandemic, publishing was dealing with a lot, and my imprint (Imprint!) folded, so I was moved and had a new editor, and we reworked the manuscript and then the actual pandemic publishing stuff started, so the book got pushed and here we are. It’s been a process. But I think Maya’s ready to face the world.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One of my favorite characters is Shenaz, who is sort of like Maya’s Fairy Fashion God Mum. She’s very stylish, very British, very bossy, and if you follow her, you’re going to find trouble. But that’s what makes her fun. I also heart Ericka Turner, who’s based on one of my former People colleagues, who’s also one of my best friends. She is Maya’s mentor at Fierce, and I feel like in so many ways Ericka was my IRL publishing confidant, too.
What helps to motivate you when it comes to writing?
Deadlines. As I mentioned, I got diagnosed with ADHD about two years ago (during the pandemic), and it explains SO MUCH. I am definitely motivated by outside accountability, so I need hard deadlines, outlines, pomodoro timers, writing sprints, and someone scolding me and checking in to see that the wordcount is actually growing. My 12yo is an excellent taskmaster when it comes to that.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently editing an anthology (with Samira Ahmed) called Magic Has No Borders, which is a collection of YA sci-fi and fantasy short stories from some of your favorite authors. It’s going to be gorgeous and the stories are amazing! On shelves next summer!
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
I definitely have to mention Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions, by Navdeep Singh Dhillon. Yes, he’s my husband. But it’s so funny and pacey and adventure-filled—it’s about a cosplaying Sikh teen who’s dreams of a perfect prom night implode when he goes off chasing the truth about his brother’s death (and life). All about grief, self-discovery, and firsts and lasts, but also literally crying laughing.
I haven’t gotten to read it yet, but Lamar Giles has a horror-thriller called The Getaway out in September. And knowing Lamar and how his brain works, it’s going to be SCARY. The perfect fall read to send shivers up your spine, and I can’t wait.
I also love Harper Glenn’s debut, Monarch Rising, out in October, which is dark, delicious, and very dystopian. It feels so relevant to the current moment, and really begs the question: is love the one thing that can really save us?
Find Sona at SonaCharaipotra.com, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
