Tween Jen: So we grow up to be a writer? How cool is that! Of course, I always knew we would write books. Remember?

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: Um, actually I do now because I cleaned out the attic last month and I found the little cross-stitched door hanger that Mom made for our bedroom door when we were nine. The one that said "Writer at Work". And then I remembered we were gonna be a writer. Sorry I forgot for, well, a few decades. You were right. As usual.

 

Tween Jen: Duh. So we stop writing for awhile. Do we ever stop reading?

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: Nope. Never. We grow up to have an otherwise adorable husband who really, really doesn't get it when he visits his in-laws (that would be "Mom" and "Dad" to you) and everyone in our family has a nose in a book throughout breakfast... and lunch... and sometimes dinner. We don't get to do that at mealtimes when cute husband guy is around. But we still find plenty of time. And that bed thing that passes for a couch in our grandparents' cottage in Maine is still there. Last summer we reread lots of  Judy Blume in the exact same lumpy spot as when we were little. We loved them just as much.

 

Tween Jen: What about Little Women? Do we still love that too? 

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: We do. Enough to read it every New Year's Day. And when we grow up we live not so far at all from the March sisters' real-life house. And sweet husband will take us there on our birthday and won't even laugh when we fangirl over touching Jo's writing desk. Oh, sorry. "Fangirl"? Yeah, that's a newer expression. We do it A LOT. Like every time we read anything by Meg Cabot or Jen Lancaster or Lauren Myracle or Alison Cherry or Lindsay Leavitt or Tim Federle or Rachel Hawkins or Stephanie Perkins or or or... well, let's just say A LOT. 

 

Tween Jen: Why does it take us forever and ever to write a book? What the heck were we doing all that time?

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: What weren't we doing? We might be on a quest for the world's longest resume. We book appointments for people to try out hot tubs at a pool store, we book appointments for people to get their car serviced, we sell shoes, we sell french fries. Don't worry, when we get to college, the jobs get better. Ooh, you'll love this. We work at Disney World! Seriously! We do a marketing internship there and spend a whole summer driving a double decker bus around Epcot Center and saying, "To your left, you'll see Mexico. Inside you'll find..." (because at Disney you can actually go inside Mexico. I know. You'll see later this year. Oops, I just ruined a huge surprise Mom and Dad pulled off. Sorry!)  And after college, we work for a movie studio so we watch about a billion movies, which we really can't believe we're paid to do and which is awesome because it teaches us a ton about storytelling that we didn't even realize we were absorbing at the time. We're in charge of the movie premiere for Planet of the Apes, and we get to wear headsets on the red carpet a lot, and, well, it's just cool. Then we have twin babies. Meeting private jets at three a.m. turns into changing diapers at three a.m. So. Many. Diapers. But that's fun too. And reading to those babies (and then their little sister) makes us remember how amazing children's books are and one day we'll even think, "Hey, I should be writing these." So we do. 

 

Tween Jen: We sell french fries? Gross. Hold on, I need to go hug Hippy after that news.

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: Hippy! You might not believe this, but we still sleep with him every night. When we go to college, Mom will insist no boy will ever marry us if we don't grow up and give up our silly stuffed animal. She's wrong (we will think this many, many times throughout our teenage years and it's usually not true. This time it is.) She's good-humored about it though. She even sews him a tux and sneaks him into our wedding to make us laugh.  

 

Tween Jen: WHY WOULDN'T I BELIEVE WE'D STILL HAVE HIPPY? Anyway, this cute husband sounds pretty awesome. He's Craig Zimmerman, isn't he? Oh, PLEEEEEEEEASE say yes!!

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: No. 

 

Tween Jen: Who could possibly be cuter than Craig Zimmerman? Are we sure about this new guy??! Fine, then do Mom and Dad EVER let us get a phone in our room? If we don't get Craig, I at least need a phone so I can complain to Melissa about it without Kristen eavesdropping. 

 

(Somewhat) Adult Jen: Ooh, tell Melissa hi! I'll handle the hello's to Kristen. Believe it or not, that bratty little sister is now our bestie. Oh, phone. Yes. On our twelfth birthday. But we'll get it taken away a lot. You should really study math more. I'm just saying...

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(Wow. You made it all the way to the bottom of this interview? You should be rewarded. Here's a secret: if you go back to my home page and click on the hedgehog in the picture, something fun will happen!)