Vanessa Chatterley
Reading classic literature with Henry
Cat nap with Simon & Piper
Rory helping me organize my books
About Me.
I'm Vanessa Chatterley, a writer, a lover of language, and someone who has always been a little obsessed with the weird, magical, and confusing time of growing up.
Why I write YA
I love how intimate and confessional contemporary YA can be. Adolescence is such a strange, wonderful, absurd time: you’re old enough to begin understanding the world, but young enough to believe anything might happen. Everything feels impossibly important, the smallest moments can become defining ones, and even the most ordinary days can feel full of possibility.
Beyond the page
When I'm not writing, I'm usually reading, spending time with my six cats, or rewatching '90s sitcoms and movies I've already seen enough times to quote from memory.
I'm also currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing because I have more stories in my head than I know what to do with, and I want to get better at getting them onto the page. I want to keep experimenting, making mistakes, and make sure the stories I write live up to the ones I can't stop thinking about.
One last thing
I believe there's something truly magical about being able to put a feeling into words, especially the ones that seem impossible to explain. That's what keeps me writing.