Thalita Rebouças has a degree in journalism but has dedicated herself exclusively to writing fiction since she was 25, when she published Traição entre amigas. She has already published more than 20 works, such as those from the series Fala Sério and Confissões whose plots have been adapted for the movies and theatre. 

Junior reporter Juliana R. G. D., who is 13 years old, interviewed Thalita to find out about the behind-the-scenes of the writer’s career and where the inspiration for so many stories comes from. Check it out below.

What do you do so you can understand teenagers, our slangs, and feelings?  I feel you are very close to us.
I think teenagers are easy to understand; adults are complicated. When I sit in front of the computer to write, I am a 14-year-old teenager, and the one who revises it is the 45-year-old journalist.

Once I watched a movie in which the writer jotted down ideas. How do you get inspired? Do you meditate to get ideas?
I get inspired by the day-to-day, watching people, and by my teenage years. Anything can inspire me. I do not meditate to get ideas. I am not used to it; it is always magical when a new idea comes. There are no rules, no time, or place. It is very cool.

Do you have a hero in literature or outside of it?
I have always liked and been inspired by the writing of João Ubaldo Ribeiro, Fernando Sabino, and Luís Fernando Veríssimo because of their boldness, ingenuity, and the simplicity with which they write. If one day I can get close to what they did, I will be happy.

Have you lived through any of the moments described in your books? If so, which?
Several moments! I was almost run over and killed by a mallard and that is in Fala Sério Amor. Mixing imagination and reality is cool.

When and how did your interest in literature start? Were you a good student?
My interest in literature comes from when I was young. I read a lot when I was a child and a teenager. I was always a good student.

Which genre do you enjoy writing?
I like to write short stories and using colloquial language.

What do you most enjoy hearing about from your fans?
What I most like to hear is that they [the fans] did not like to read and began reading because of me.

How did you get to where you are?
Working hard, standing on chairs with a colourful wig in book fairs to draw attention. Spending Saturdays and Sundays in bookstores handing out lollipops to whoever would come in for two minutes of their attention to talk about my books. It was a struggle. Then, thank God, teenagers began to enjoy what I wrote, and it was beautiful to have my childhood dream come true.

When you are doing a book project, how long do you write for per day? Do you set a time limit for each day or do you write until you do not have any more ideas?
I try to write about six to eight hours every day. During quarantine, it has been more complicated, but that is the schedule I set for myself. There is no such thing as writing until I have no more ideas, because when I start a book, the idea is already in my head, so it is up to me to write to deliver it on time so you can get it.

What is your writing process like? Before writing, do you research the topic you will address?
I do. Normally, through informal interviews via social networks or with people I do not know. In the case of Davi’s book, Confissões de um Garoto Tímido, Nerd e (Ligeiramente) Apaixonado, there was major research. In the case of Valentina’s book, Confissões de uma Garota Linda, Popular e (Secretamente) Infeliz, I researched bullying and eating disorders a lot.

What tip would you give someone who wants to be a writer or journalist?
The tip is to read a lot, the more we read, the better we write. You also have to write often, even if it is just one line a day.

Questions

1) What did Thalita say about the challenges of the career?
a) That her books were successful without much effort.
b) That she had to spend several weekends in libraries.
c) That the hardest is figuring out how to end the stories.
d) That inspiration comes from her teenage children.

2) Have you been reading more during quarantine? Why?

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