Neal Shusterman: A Journey Through His Literary Universe

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Writing isn’t something that comes naturally to many people, especially when it consists of creating completely new worlds, weaving complex webs of characters, and forging intricate plot twists into the pages. But as the beloved author of The Arc of a Scythe series, Challenger Deep, and Unwind—just to name a few of his eighty-six works—Neal Shusterman leaves readers electrified from page to page. 

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman shared that his writing journey took off on a rough start as he recalls “I was in third grade and it was a Halloween Story . . . and my teacher failed me.” mention, it was a story of how the ground opened up and swallowed his English teacher. Now, as the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, Shusterman has surely come a long way and marked his name as a respected writer of the publishing world.

Shusterman was just a high schooler attending school in Mexico City when he first picked up his pen as a writer. Discovering a passion for both film and writing, he ambitiously dreamed of “becoming the next Steven Spielberg or Stephen King.” To this end, Shusterman pursued a psychology and theater degree at The University of Southern California. “Everything you learned and have an interest in goes into who you are as a person and ultimately who you are as a writer,” he stated. “Psychology is the science of the mind and behavior and theater is the art of mind and behavior. . . All of my stories are very psychological and dramatic, so it all works out together.”

When Shusterman comes up with ideas for his novels, he always thinks “a lot about stuff and questions.” His pure imagination is where his ideas blossom, which make up the creative storylines for his novels or at times movie scripts. Throughout his career, Young Adult fiction has been the central stage for Shusterman’s books. He believes the books we read as teenagers are the ones that we remember forever, creating lasting impacts throughout our entire lives. He hopes his books inspire teenagers to look at the world less objectively and to pose questions “that are worth asking and thinking about.”

While his books are occasionally criticized for being too dark, he emphasizes that the heaviness of his topics is what brings life and contrast to his characters who persevere through tough circumstances. But there is a light at the end of his twisted tales as he states, “All of my stories end with hope.” For a sneak peek into his upcoming novel, Shusterman hinted that it will be “a romance set in a juvenile detention center.” As a proud tide changer in the trend of books, his goal for this book is to “break the barrier that boys don’t read romance.”

Aside from being a full-time writer, Shusterman enjoys swimming  and indulging in his creativity by creating stained glass works. He is constantly on the move as he also is passionate about traveling. He commented that one of the best things about being an author is that “my office goes with me wherever I go . . . [it’s] in my head.” Just like he finds himself fascinated by the various landscapes he encounters in his travels, he hopes his writing opens and builds readers' perspectives of their own and “in a small way, makes the world a better place.” 

Thank you to Mr. Shusterman who graciously accepted The Spirit's interview request!