Hi Julian! Thank you so much for taking time to speak with Geek Vibes Nation about your new novel, As You Walk On By. Could you start by telling our readers a little about yourself and your work?
Hi! I’m honored and ecstatic to be chatting with you and Geeks Vibes Nation!
I’m an author of several young adult novels, including Running With Lions and Right Where I Left You. I love to write books that unapologetically center joy for queer and BIPOC characters. Stories where people like me can finally see ourselves being the hero, falling in love, and thriving in a world that often wants to erase us.
I’m also a total nerd who loves comic books, anime, pop culture, and spends way too much time googling movie facts.
I read and reviewed your previous book, Right Where I Left You, and I’m amazed with how you continue to remix and reimagine the coming-of-age story and place LGBTQ teens at the center. How did you come up with the plot for As You Walk On By?
It came to me in a dream, which has never happened before! I was supposed to be revising Right Where I Left You, but I took a nap and woke up to this idea of subverting The Breakfast Club’s concept and tropes while incorporating elements of Can’t Hardly Wait. What would it be like if five teens chose to hide away from their issues at an epic house party and slowly discovered more about themselves and each other? I immediately knew I wanted most of the cast to be BIPOC and queer since many films from that era didn’t really include us. I emailed my agent the idea and the rest fell into place.
So many of your stories center on joy. Why do you think it’s so important to make that the core of your novels?
To be honest? We don’t have enough of it. Especially if you’re queer or BIPOC or both. Before I started drafting this novel, I took some time off and watched a lot of movies/series on streaming apps. While there’s some great media out there, we’re still lacking a multitude of stories starring QBIPOC characters and giving them happily ever afters. Showcasing their joy and triumphs. I know what that lack did to me as a teen. I refuse to continue the cycle of telling marginalized people they don’t deserve the same magic their peers see all the time for themselves.
This is your fifth novel, and I was wondering, was it easier to write? Did this novel provide its own unique challenges? If so, how did you deal with those?
I wish it was easier! In fact, I wrote 30,000 words before having to start all over again. From the beginning, I knew I wanted to discuss some important topics for the first time in story form. And I needed each character to have a story that was not only significant to Theo, but to readers as well. So I turned to friends for help. This book truly wouldn’t have been possible without Adib Khorram, Natalie C. Parker, Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, and Tessa Gratton. Their encouragement and suggestions helped me find the confidence to write the novel I dreamt of.
Theo is such a great protagonist, and you can’t help but root for him. How did you go about creating and fleshing him out?
Theo was the most fun I’ve had with a protagonist. He’s funny, goofily charming, and a complete mess. Deep down, I’ve always needed to write someone like Theo—a queer Black boy who has his issues and is a complete disaster too. But his messiness doesn’t make him a terrible person. Growing up, I need a protagonist like that. A reminder that, despite who we are or our background, we’re all still learning. Mistakes are part of the process.
My incredible editor, Dana Leydig, really helped me pull back the layers of who Theo is and why he makes the choices he does.
What’s your process when it came to creating Theo’s supporting cast?
I started out with some classic teen movie archetypes. The Heartbroken Ex (Luca), the Awkward One (River), the Life of the Party (Makayla), and the Outcast (Aleah). But the more I looked at those archetypes and the stereotypes they carry, the more I wanted to put my own twist on it. I also wanted Theo’s relationship with his dad and friend group to reflect the opposite of what he ends up building with the other teens he hides out with.
the characters surprise you and deviate from their original function in the story?
Oh my goodness, so many characters! By far, River, Makayla, and Darren surprised me the most. River just kept growing into this character that I needed all the time and Makayla’s role was much smaller, but she felt like this perfect balance for the side of Theo’s life he thinks he understands but doesn’t. Darren also had a smaller role, but I loved writing his friendship with Theo.
What would you say is the core message of the novel?
There are so many! Owning and apologizing for your mistakes, second chances, giving yourself permission to walk away from a toxic situation, winning on your own terms. One of my favorites is: never be afraid to dream of big, amazing, magical things for yourself.
What are you working on next?
My next YA novel is called Prince of the Palisades, a royal romance, where a rebellious prince heads to America to makeover his image after going viral for badmouthing his country’s prime minister and accidentally falls for an American boy who just might be his fairy tale dream come true… or another disaster waiting to happen.
Where can our readers find you online?
Readers can find me on Instagram (@wintersjulian), sometimes on Twitter (@julianw_writes), and one day I’ll figure out how to work TikTok (@julianwintersbooks)!
As You Walk On By is available now anywhere books are sold.
Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.
