Anonymous asked: Why did you chose the cello to be the instrument Mia plays?
I didn’t. When the character of Mia arrived, she was a cellist. At the time, it felt like a massive homework assignment. But as I started listening to more and more cello pieces, I was so moved by the instrument. I found myself listening, with tears streaming down my face. In some cases, I’d already written about how Mia felt about the cello (it felt human to her, like it would tell secrets) even before I started listening. So I suspect that I was a closet cello lover; I just didn’t know it yet. In the book, Mia says that the cello was a choice that made her. I think the same is true of me.
- Gayle Forman
readsomemore asked: Are you content with the cast? Did you have a say in the casting? I read the book 3 days ago for the first time. And i read it in one day. It was really great! x
There were several moments when I started to suspect that the If I Stay movie was going to reflect the book I’d written. There was the script, of course. And there was when I met the director, R.J. Cutler (and he made me cry but that’s another story). But what really sealed it was the casting. Chloe was attached all along. Of course, I knew she was an incredible actress, but the first time she tweeted a photo of herself practicing the cello, I felt like I was looking at my Mia. With other actors, I was consulted, and every time I was sent news or a screen test to watch, I was blown away. Liana Liberato made me cry as Kim. Mireille Enos as Kat. Joshua Leonard as Denny. Yes and yes. And then, Adam. I don’t know where they pulled Jamie Blackley from, but I still suspect they surgically detached him from my brain. He is Adam. With an English accent (in real life, anyhow, not in the movie).
- Gayle Forman
Happy Emoji Day! Tweet us your If I Stay emoji story!
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Anonymous asked: Your such a brilliant writer, what is the thing that inspires you to write ? -@gracefulmoretz on twitter
Hi @gracefulmoretz, and thanks for such kind words.
There are several ways to answer this question, so I’m going to answer what is the inspiration for books. Usually, it’s two things. First, a premise: A what-if? question. In If I Stay’s case, that question was: What if something catastrophic happened to your family and you yourself were hanging between life and death, and knew what had happened, and could choose. What would you do? So I have this premise swirling around in my head for years (because writers are morbid people), but it’s not a book yet. It becomes a book when the character arrives. And she did. Out of the blue. One October morning. Seventeen years old. Serious. Smart. And a cellist. This collision of premise and character is the spark, the inspiration, of a book. And then the story itself becomes its own propulsive engine, inspiring me to keep going.
- Gayle Forman
Anonymous asked: heyy, so i wanted to ask if the by fan art you mean a drawing or an edit with HD pictures <3
Anything you want! A drawing, a painting, a collage, an edit with IF I STAY photos or your own photos, etc. Get creative!
— Team #IfIStay
Mia’s family means the world to her.
Submit your #IfIStay fan art inspired by the theme #LiveforFamily for the chance to win prizes including a trip to the Hollywood premiere!
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Life is a series of moments. Which ones do you cherish most?
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Have a question for If I Stay author Gayle Forman? She’ll be answering your Q’s this week! Submit them here: http://ifistaymovie.com/ask
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