John Green meets Dan Howell Part 3 | “I wasn’t ready for the success of The Fault in Our Stars”

TL;DR

John Green says Nerdfighteria’s future is unknowable, but he hopes it remains a force for good online by raising money and drawing attention to people without the internet’s megaphones. He also explains why his online community diverged from his book readership and how writing Looking for Alaska became a personal message to his 17-year-old self. Read on for his advice about audience, difficult material, and writing as a gift.

Transcript

all right well um speaking of internet lurkers and people we have had a bunch of lovely questions from the people that have been very patiently enjoying us waffling here so i'm going to dive in with a nice one from matt monk who said that you and your nerdfighter audience hai have all grown up a bit and with that they feel like they may have moved ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥺 The evolution of an audience can lead to changes in content consumption.
• ❓ Writers should consider personal experiences when tackling difficult subjects.
• 😫 Setting boundaries is crucial when dealing with public interest in personal life.
• ❓ Fiction provides a unique opportunity to empathize with characters and escape reality.
• 🙂 Understanding the origins of museum artifacts can shed light on ethical practices.
• 🤞 The next generation's awareness of climate change offers hope for positive action.
• 🧑‍🏫 Reflection on childhood memories can teach valuable life lessons.

Questions & Answers

Q: Where does John Green think the Nerdfighter community will be in 10 years?

John Green says he has no idea where the community will be in 10 years, noting that in 2011 he would have been surprised to learn he would still make YouTube videos in 2021. He hopes Nerdfighteria will remain a force for good online, raising money and attention for people who lack access to the internet’s megaphones.

Q: How has John Green’s audience changed as Nerdfighteria has grown up?

Green describes a divergence between his online community and the audience for his books. He says the vast majority of people who read The Fault in Our Stars were not Nerdfighters, while many Nerdfighters later felt that Turtles All the Way Down was simply not for them.

Q: Did John Green plan to make his books grow up with his audience?

No. Green expected to write young adult books for his entire career and did not believe his books needed to grow up merely because his internet community was aging.

Q: Why did John Green begin writing more directly as himself?

Green says the more important change occurred in him: the stories he could tell and felt comfortable telling changed. He realized that he wanted to write as himself, which likely resonated with Nerdfighteria because that audience was accustomed to hearing him speak as himself.

Q: What does John Green say about career young adult writers?

Green expresses admiration for career YA writers such as Jacqueline Woodson. He says she has written YA novels for 35 or 40 years while continuing to find ways to speak to contemporary young people.

Q: What advice does John Green give someone writing about boarding school?

His first recommendation is to read boarding-school novels. He specifically mentions The War for Jenkins’ Ear, describing it as a British boarding-school novel from about 25 years earlier that he likes.

Q: What was John Green trying to accomplish when writing Looking for Alaska?

Green says he was writing back to his teenage self, warning him not to romanticize another person or treat that person as fundamentally different from a human being. He believes readers may have responded deeply because the book was personal and directly addressed his 17-year-old self.

Q: What does John Green believe makes writing work for readers?

Green says writing ultimately has to be a gift made for others. He identifies one of his own challenges as resisting the temptation to make his work unnecessarily about himself or place himself at the center of everything.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Green reflects on how his audience has evolved as they have grown up.

• He discusses the divergence between his online audience and book readership.

• Green emphasizes the importance of writing authentically and the future of his community.