FAQ Pretty Girl

Such a Pretty Girl FAQ

I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way. -- Robert Frost

Where did you get the idea for this story?

Several years ago a news show was doing a story about child molesters being released from prison. If I remember correctly, one of the statistics quoted was that the average pedophile molests roughly nine to twelve children before he's caught. This number was considered more of a guesstimate than solid fact though, because this type of crime isn't always reported, and so some molesters have their way with dozens of kids before they're caught.

Some molesters go on for years, some forever.

Beyond the miserable nature of the crime itself, other things about this report angered me. The first was that the language describing these predators and their crimes had been so overused -- words like molest, rape, sexual assault -- they had lost almost all their power to incite, and that was appalling. It seemed the more we were battered with the words, the blander the words got, and that didn't seem to bode well for the survivors of these heinous crimes.

That initial surge of fury birthed Meredith, the main character in Such a Pretty Girl.

Before I knew who she was or what had happened, her voice ran through my head and said something to the effect of: Well, if 'child molester' doesn't freak you out anymore, then maybe the details of what happened will. I won't mince words, if you don't turn away. Don't you dare, because I can't.

Then I started wondering how many pedophiles never had to molest other peoples' children because they were busy having and molesting children of their own. That thought, with all of its ugly ramifications, pretty much sealed the deal and launched the research.

I watched a very disturbing documentary along the way, one I highly recommend to anyone who still refuses to believe that any mother would ever leave her child in harm's way. It's called Just Melvin: Just Evil directed by James Ronald Whitney and a more astounding film I've never seen. It's agonizing, brutal and unflinching, it's all the jagged details that mainstream words like incest, rape and molestation smooth over, and if you can take it, it is well worth the time spent. Warning: Discretion is advised.

So that's how Such a Pretty Girl was born, in a nuclear flash of fury, frustration and an overwhelming need for Meredith, a girl stuck in hell but refusing to give up, to tell us her story.

Is this a real story?

No, Such a Pretty Girl is fiction, although unfortunately there are plenty of kids enduring their own living nightmares right now.

Weren't you afraid people would think you were writing about your own family?

No, because my family and the fictional Shales are light years apart, and I wrote from a position of knowing it was fiction, so it never even occurred to me.

My parents read the first draft of Pretty Girl, and the ones after that, and can never resist an opportunity to recommend it. :) I'm very lucky in that my husband and family have always supported my work.

Question from conference attendee: I work in a prison population and most of these guys are so obviously messed up that they don't have wives at home waiting for them to get out. I had a hard time believing that any woman would stay married to a child molester so I want to know if Sharon Shale is true. Did you research this before you wrote it?

Such a Pretty Girl is fiction and none of the characters are real people. That said, based on research during writing the book (especially speaking with childhood sexual abuse survivors) and the avalanche of reader emails that have come in, I can say with certainty that yes, there are plenty of kids out there who told their moms or other adults about the sexual abuse and for whatever reason, the kids were hushed up and left to deal with it on their own.

So while the Shale family is fictional, the act of a father molesting his daughter and the mother turning away, determined not to see it is not anywhere near as uncommon as we would all desperately like to believe. And this adds insult to injury in my opinion, as everytime we decide Oh, that's not real, that doesn't happen we end up turning away and denying the truth of it, too.

And the child remains alone in the nightmare.

Do you get a lot of reader mail?

Yes, and I sincerely appreciate the kind and enthusiastic feedback sent my way. So far I've read every single email, and tried to respond in a timely manner. Fingers crossed I can continue.

Some of Pretty Girl's readers have also been generous enough to share their personal stories of past sexual abuse, likening their feelings and parental circumstances to Meredith's. I'm awed by their strength, and deeply grateful and humbled by these emails, which will always remain private.

I'm doing a book report; can I ask you some homework questions?

Here's a quick and easy rundown, which should help:

AUTHOR: Laura (Battyanyi) Wiess
BOOKS: Such a Pretty Girl
HOMETOWN: Milltown, NJ
FAMILY: Husband Chet, and a bunch of rescued animals
FAVORITE COLOR: Black
HOBBIES: Reading, feeding animals, exploring woods, photography, raising and releasing Monarch butterflies, studying nature, wondering and 'what if-fing'

And more specifically:

1. Why did you choose your career?

I love books, and being swept away by a good story, whether I’m the reader or the author of that story. I wanted to spend my life doing something I loved, and was willing to work very hard to learn how to do it.

2. What are the special skills your job requires?

Here's what works for me:

a. Determination.
b. empathy
c. the ability to not only endure rejection, but to learn from the advice of professionals
d. an active love of words, books, stories, detail
e. the willingness to work hard for years, if that’s what it takes, without ever knowing if you will ever have any of your work accepted for publication
f. a very active imagination
g. self-discipline
h. being able to type helps

3. What do you like best about being an author?

Being in The Zone: When the characters become real people, and I’m right there with them laughing, crying, being terrified, struggling, making it through triumphant. Getting a call from my agent with a publishing offer. That’s an incredible high. Letters from readers. When MTV Books sent me my first copy of Such a Pretty Girl, and I got to see it for the first time as a real book.

4. Would you choose this career again?

Absolutely. Reading and writing are what I’ve always loved best, and being able to spend my life doing what I love and getting paid for it, is my own personal definition of success. I would go through it all again without hesitation because in the end, it’s all about telling a good story. And what could be better than that?

Read slayground's Live Journal Author Interview for more information

Read literaticat's Not Your Mother's Book Club Interview

Read author Carolyn Lehman's article Hero, Victim or Monster?in the October 2006 issue of School Library Journal to see where Meredith, the main character in Such a Pretty Girl, fits in.

More questions? Email me and I'll post as many answers here as I can.

Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is. -- Will Rogers