Joining LitPick today for Six Minutes with an Author Meg Leder! Meg is the author of Museum of Heartbreak. She loves cats and resides in New York City.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always loved reading books, and I wrote poetry in all my journals when I was growing up. In high school, I had an amazing English teacher, Mr. Geier, who really supported my writing, and he gave me the confidence to start thinking about integrating writing into my professional career. And then about 8 or 9 years ago, I was talking with a friend who’s a literary agent, and he encouraged me to try writing YA. So I think I have books, Mr. Geier, and my agent to thank… in fact, I dedicated The Museum of Heartbreak to Mr. Geier and my agent!

Who influenced you?

Beyond my agent and English teacher, I’d say all the authors I Iove to read: Jane Austen, Charles Baxter, Rainbow Rowell, Gayle Forman, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Deb Caletti, L.M. Montgomery. They all create such amazing worlds and words, and my goal is to someday write half as well as them.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

I adore Eleanor and Park. I think the way Rainbow Rowell made those characters come to life on the page is nothing short of phenomenal, and I find myself thinking about both of them frequently, wondering how they are and what they’re up to now.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

Read! The more you read, the more you get a sense of what makes good writing to you. Books are the best teachers out there (along with Mr. Geier!).

Where is your favorite place to write?

I like to write in coffee shops with a hot chocolate at my side. It’s the right amount of background noise and quiet for me.

What else would you like to tell us?

That I’m so grateful for anyone who takes the time to read my book—it’s amazing thinking that something I worked on for six years is out in the world, and readers are beginning to inhabit it. I think fellow readers are the best, so I’m sending a big shout-out of thanks and gratitude to anyone who spends some time with my words—it’s an honor!

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Meg, thank you for joining LitPick for six minutes! Your appreciation to your English teacher, Mr. Geier, is sure to warm the hearts of teachers everywhere!