Meg Cabot - 2002

Here are some of the highlights from the Interview.

Tommy: Hey Meg, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you did as a kid?

Meg: I grew up in Springfield Indiana and lived there for 22 years. We didn't have air condition in our house so the only place I could go where it was cool was the library. I would sit in there for hours in the summer and read all the books they had. The Monroe County Public Library, it was my home away from home.

Tommy: So do you think reading is important at a younger age?

Meg: I definitely think its important but I don't think it matters so much what you read. I know a lot of parents are upset because their kids only read comic books, but that's all I read for a long period of time. So I think as long as your kids are reading anything, even just email, I think its good. I don't think it matters if your reading "junk" or literature, as long as you get a feel for the story that your doing yourself a big service.

Tommy: I think its really neat how you started going to libraries when you were younger and now your filling the libraries with books. Its like the full circle.

Meg: Well what happen, was I had read everything. My library was not that big. The Monroe County Library was kind of small in those days. So I had read all the kid books that they had and most of the adult books were a little to hard for me. So I just had to start writing my own books. Which is kind of sad, but we didn't have cable or VCRs. They were the olden days, and that's what I did.

Tommy: So what actually inspired you to create "The Princess Diaries"?

Meg: Well I was inspired to create it because I felt there are a lot of girls out there who are portrayed as popular, beautiful, always got the boyfriend and that was not my experience growing up at all. I wanted to write a story about a girl who basically would consider herself a total freak because that was my experience and I have since found that there are tons of little girls who appreciate it.

Tommy: And of course they can relate to it.

Meg: They totally can relate to it. I even get some popular who relate to it. You find out that they even feel like freaks even though they are the most popular girls in school. It's interesting because I think every girl growing up feels unpopular and like a loser. Its kind of funny because its like I hit a chord.

Tommy: Everyone's trying to fit in, and even though they may think they fit in, its not always the case.

Meg: Yeah, that person may not feel like they fit in at all.

Tommy: Are some of these stories from your diaries growing up?

Meg: Yeah, actually everything except the Princess stuff is totally true. My mom started dating one of my teachers, which was extremely disgusting to me. And they are still going out which is totally gross. So that's basically what inspired the story. Its so gross, they kiss in front of me all the time. I know i'm in my 30s so I shouldn't be so grossed out but I am. So I started writing a story about a girl that it was happening to and the whole princess thing kind of evolved because people were like I don't think a story with a girl and a teacher is enough. So we threw in the princess thing and who knew but it was an explosion.

Tommy: Were any of the other characters based on real people?

Meg: OMG their all based on real people. But so far, Tina Hokenbaba was one of the characters and she is the only one who has figured out who she really is. But none of my other friends have figured out who they are. And in fact the girl that Lily is based on actually called me up and said "I read your book, and it was really good, but I hated that Lily character! She was so mean!" and I was just like "Oh My God" but i didn't tell her. I didn't want to get in trouble. But just for the record, I did not have a crush on her brother. That part was made up.

Tommy: What was it like to see your book "The Princess Diaries" turned into a major motion picture?

Meg: It was so bizarre. I couldn't believe it. The first time I had seen it was at the premiere. So I walk in and there were all these stars. There was Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Erik Von Detten, Gary Martial, and there all standing around. I look up on the screen and there they are. All acting as people I had made up! When they had the guy get up and sing the Genovia National Anthem, I almost died. Because I made up the country of Genovia and the fact that they actually paid some one to make up a Nation Anthem was so great. I had the best time. I just loved the movie, and i'm so excited they are thinking about making a sequel.

Tommy: What was your favorite scene in the movie?

Meg: My favorite scene is when she was wearing the Ore strip on her nose. That was my favorite scene. It was so much like me life.

Tommy: That was a great movie, but it also had a soundtrack. Do you have any favorites on that?

Meg: Oh God Yes, I loved that song... Um, I can sing it but I don't know what its called (sings) "I like life, and life likes me, everything makes me happy"

Tommy: Did you know that soundtrack just went Gold?

Meg: SHUT UP!? I had no idea!

Tommy: Did you get a chance to hear the song "Heart Break Lullaby?" It was sung by the Ateens on the European release for the Princess Diaries Soundtrack.

Meg: Nobody sent me that one. I had no idea, I'll have to call Disney now! Where's my European Soundtrack???

Tommy: As far as the Princess Diaries Series, your own number three "Princess In Love". Can you tell us right now where Mia's at in life?

Meg: Sure, well the books are a little bit different then the movie. Those of you who have seen the movie, know that at the end she gets together with Michael, her best friends brother. In the book, she's not quite so fortunate. Things are going a bit more slowly, book two, she released she liked him but they still hadn't gotten together, book three Mia has released Michael may have a girlfriend and she may have to do something about it. She may have to be really brave, maybe even tell him how she feels. That's why its called "Princess in Love". She's still being tortured by Lana, the cheerleader. She's still being forced to go to Princess class by her grandmother. And in fact she is about to go to Genovia to have her royal introduction to the Genovian people, so there is a little bit of a time limit to let Michael know how she feels before she gets on the plane. However in the book, she is actually still in New York with her mom and she probably won't be moving to Genovia until after she graduates college.

Tommy: She's also having a good time with her friend Joseph.

Meg: Yes, well... actually in my book Joseph's name is Lars and they get into some pranks. Lars actually encourages her to be a juvenile delinquent and i'm not sure that's what her father hired her to do so thankfully he doesn't know.

Tommy: The book is a real easy read because its in the diary format with notes and top ten lists and daily entries.

Meg: I totally copied that out of my own diaries. I kept all my diaries from when I was growing up. There completely peppered with pieces of homework, lists, a lot of to do lists, a lot of stuff like "Stop Lying To Mom" and stuff like that. Actually, when I first thought of writing books for kids. I took a kid to a bookstore and said pick out the books you like. All the books she picked were diary books so I realized that that was a form of literature I've never explored before. Their so fun to read because you feel like your the character, your right there! Its really easy to write too because it just flows.

Tommy: Or from the other prospective, you get to snoop and its okay!

Meg: Right, there a pleasure to it!

Tommy: Do you plan on writing more volumes to "The Princess Diaries In The Future"?

Meg: Yes, book four which is called "Princess in Waiting" is done. Its going to press very soon, but I don't think it will be out for another year. Then book five "Princess in a Prom Dress" will be out next year as well. So I think i'm going to keep on writing them as long as people keep on buying them. I really don't plan to go past high school but if people still like them I'll just follow Mia up to all four years.

Tommy: Of course were hoping to see a sequel on the big screen as well.

Meg: yes, that should be great. There working on a script right now.

Tommy: You also have quite a few books including a new one coming out soon called "All American Girl" Are there any similarities between the two? Like similar characters or a similar format?

Meg: Well, "All American Girl" book is not in the diary format, but it is in the first person. Their are a lot of lists, this is a lady who likes to make a lot of top ten lists. She's also a girl similar to Mia, she is a lot older then Mia but similar to me, she is a bit of an outcast in her school. She is very artistic, not into sports, and she likes to wear black because she is in mourning for her generation. She put white out daisies on her combat boots, which actually play a large part in the story later on, but what happens to her is she saves the president from being assassinated. So she is hurled into instant celebrity status because she is an American Hero. She's not really the hero type so its really hard on her.