Stephanie Klein is a blogger, writer, mother, TV show writer, and author of Moose and Straight Up and Dirty. She describes herself as “A foodie who sometimes abuses hair care products, I write about love, relationships, fashion, family, and strength of self. I’m a writer, photographer, and lifestyle connoisseur living in Austin, Texas–a respite from New York, where I was born and raised.”

There is a Broadway musical, Avenue Q, in where there is a song, “What Do You Do with a BA in English?”  You have a BA in English – what can you do with that?
Stephanie – I actually got a BA in English with a concentration in creative writing and psychology.  When I graduated, I got offers in editing, but because I could not afford to stay in Manhattan and be an editor, I was forced to look for other work.  I actually got a job in 1997 with a dot com doing editing, and then designing websites for large clients.  Companies will hire smart people that they can train properly.

Right now, you seem to have quite a few jobs: mother, photographer, blogger, writer – Do they equality take up your time?
Stephanie – Every day I wear a different hat and some hats just don’t come off – like being a mother.  If I were to go to a dinner party and someone asked “what do you do?” I would at first be a writer and a mom.  Under the writer category it would come down to author, blogger, screenwriter, and a TV writer.  Photography is last, it fits in when I’m on vacation or when my kids are getting ready for Halloween.  Writing / storytelling has always been my passion.  You can tell a story with any medium, so as long as I can tell a story, that is what I enjoy.

What are your kids going as for Halloween?
Stephanie – I am going to be the Queen of Hearts , my husband the Mad Hatter, my daughter Alice, and my son the March Hare.

Do you see yourself blogging 10 years from now?
Stephanie – Probably, if there are still blogs 10 years from now!  In one form or another, I will always be writing and sharing it publicly.  I love the interaction that I get with readers.  It helps me.  Sometimes I will write myself into a shell when I’m writing a TV show or a book, and it is a tool that helps me to vent.

Do you ever feel like there may not be something worth blogging one day?  What do you end up posting?
Stephanie – Oh yes, very often.  Of course there’s always something worth blogging about, but sometimes I get lazy or tired or burnt out and sometimes posts aren’t going to be good.  I can’t always just bitch about a long day and the problems I face.  I will just throw up a picture or in some cases I will hold off on a post for a day or two.  I do try to post at least 4 times a week.

Your latest book, Moose, is about your youth where you were overweight and went to fat camp.  What advice do you have out there for overweight children?
Stephanie – For Elementary/Middle School age – It’s hard not to fit in.  You need to focus your attention on doing things to bring out your talents in life.  If your family focuses on weight – your parents are wrong.  Focus outside of losing weight, focus on things you like doing and are good at doing.  If you like taking pictures, grab a disposable camera and take pictures of your town.  Set goals for yourself – make a new friend, get up every morning before school and take pictures.  Reaching your goals is how you build self esteem.
For high school age – take it easy on yourself.  Remember that when you die, our weight is not written on our headstone.  People remember us for the things we’ve said and done in our life, not how much we weighed.  If your doctor tells you that you need to lose weight, do it, but if the doctor says you’re healthy, then you are healthy.

What advice do you have for those skinny kids?
Stephanie – Be nice to the people who sit next to you in school, because you never know if one of them will turn out to be a memoirist and will write badly about you.  No matter who you are, everyone gets made fun of at some point.  We hold on so tightly to whatever identity is given to us when we’re kids.  You aren’t who you are right now – you don’t have to be the person you are right now forever.

What was the most shocking thing for you when you were writing your first novel, Straight Up and Dirty?
Stephanie – How much publishing and PR and marketing you need to do on your own.  An author is responsible for the success of their own books.

Was it easier or harder to write the second book?
Stephanie – I guess it was harder because it was so different.  Straight Up and Dirty was an adult memoir – about my adult life.  Moose is a childhood memoir, so I had to remember and relive all the memories.  I did have all my childhood diaries to remember and review those events.  One of the hardest things about writing a childhood memoir is trying to look and be authentic to what voice you want to go in – your childhood voice or your adult voice.  Every time I interjected the adult voice, I needed to make sure it was worthy.

You have some exciting things in the works and even a TV show. Do you see yourself writing another book?
Stephanie – Yes – definitely.  It will be a book about friendship.  It will be a memoir and it will be experienced-based.  It will be about how I moved to Austin and knew no one.  It goes into how I met friends as an adult.  Also: how to get rid of toxic friends.

What is your favorite children’s novel?
Stephanie – The Olivia books.  They are fun because she has attitude.  Also Dooley and the Snortsnoot.  It’s about a little boy who is a giant, but he’s little and doesn’t understand why he’s little.  It’s a book about bravery and how he stood up for himself.

If you were stuck on a broken elevator with an author, which author would you want to be with?
Stephanie – John Irving, because he’s such a master storyteller.  He knows when to turn plot around, which details to weave through successfully.  I know I could sit there for hours upon hours with him and stay gripped about whatever event we were going through.  He brings your emotions along for the ride. Laughing, crying, scared – that’s what makes us feel alive.

Why do you think your blog is so popular?
Stephanie – The reason that my blog has gained popularity is because I am honest.  I think people relate to honesty well, just putting things out there and not worrying about what people will think.

Thank you, Stephanie. We wish you luck with your writing!

-Nick