You have this idea that Hollywood is all about making money and is very impersonal. But 'Love, Simon' is such a passion project for director Greg Berlanti. Becky Albertalli More Quotes by Becky Albertalli More Quotes From Becky Albertalli Don't be afraid of growing up and changing and getting used to these newer versions of yourself and becoming more comfortable sharing those versions of yourself with the people in your life, even people who knew you when you were younger. Becky Albertalli yourself you life people I don't set up screenings. I can barely plan my kid's birthday party. Becky Albertalli plan i-can party birthday There are so many different environmental factors for just how safe it is for a kid to come out. Becky Albertalli how kid environmental different My book, 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,' is a gay love story. It's also a story about friendship. Quite honestly, it's also probably a 320-page product placement for Oreos. Becky Albertalli gay love friendship book I guess I feel it's funny to be looked to for advice on writing when I am still taking in so much from other people. Becky Albertalli i-am feel funny people There is no universal gay experience. All stories are relevant, and all stories are needed. Becky Albertalli relevant universal experience gay I've been fat since fourth grade and bullied for it, but I still knew I couldn't represent every kids' experience. Becky Albertalli fat still been experience Fat has a range of experiences. Becky Albertalli experiences fat range I've worked a lot with kids who identify as LGBTQ or gender nonconforming, and they are unquestionably some of the bravest people I've ever met. Becky Albertalli some who gender people As a psychologist, I'm painstakingly careful not to borrow my clients' stories for my fiction - but in a general sense, I'm very much inspired by all the teenagers I've been lucky enough to know and work with. Becky Albertalli know lucky enough work Greg Berlanti is in charge of a lot of superhero shows on television. He is a literal superhero. He is absolutely brilliant. Becky Albertalli he superhero brilliant television The Internet and social media can really be life-saving for some kids. Becky Albertalli some social-media internet media I think we're all a little bit caught up in the drama inside our own heads. Becky Albertalli inside own think drama Love is bumping along together with the people in your life and making mistakes and trying to make them right by virtue of the fact that these are people you actually love; you care about them enough to muddle through it with them. Becky Albertalli you love life people 'Simon' was such a charmed experience. Becky Albertalli simon charmed experience I am a psychologist. That's my training. Becky Albertalli am i-am psychologist training From a plot perspective, what I finally found for my touchstone was that I consider 'Upside' to be a loose telling of Jane Austen's 'Emma,' or 'Clueless.' Becky Albertalli finally telling perspective found It's so easy as a teen to feel like everybody is having this normal experience - except you. You're on the outside. Becky Albertalli teen feel you experience There are so many kinds of normal. Becky Albertalli kinds many normal It's really important to me to follow the kinds of conversations that happen around diversity and representation and writing inclusive books. Becky Albertalli me diversity important writing