Behind the Scenes with Arley Nopra

Where do you most like to write?

“When I’m writing scripts for The Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, I really like to be at cafés. They’re relaxing, and it’s nice to have pastries and coffee around while I’m working.”

What emotion do you find hardest to write about? 

“Grief and sadness are the hardest to write. I get emotional easily and sometimes I tear up when I work on these kind of scenes. Have you ever tried writing or drawing with tears in your eyes? It’s very hard.” 

What’s the strangest thing in your workspace? 

“Gosh, I have so many strange knick-knacks. One of my favourites is a glass figurine of a frog doing a ta-da pose while surfing on a leaf. His name is Freggory.” 

Which character from your books would you most likely befriend? 

“I’d get along really well with Claudia Kishi. We’d bond over art and our love for quirky earrings while munching on our favourite junk food.” 

What moment in your life felt straight out of a novel? 

“This moment happened when I was out with my family for dinner and I was around my late teens to early twenties. On this particular day, I was feeling super confident about taking the lead and acting more like an adult. 

“So, picture this: I walk into a small restaurant while my parents and younger sister trail behind me. I spot a waitress smiling at us from behind the cash register across the room. I raise four fingers and confidently say, 'Table for four, please,’ and I mentally pat myself on the back for taking initiative and being sooo adult. The waitress doesn’t say anything and continues smiling at me. I assume she didn’t hear me, so I repeat, ‘Table for four.’ Again, she doesn’t respond. She. Just. Keeps. Smiling. I almost make a third attempt, but my sister nudges my arm and flatly says, ‘That’s a poster.’ 

“The 'waitress’ was a woman in an advertisement that was on a wall behind the cash register! She wasn’t real! There were so many witnesses in that restaurant!! Ahhhh!!! 

“I absolutely believe that this scenario would happen to the clumsiest character in a novel. If I ever get the chance to write about a clumsy character, I’m definitely giving this moment to them. We can share the shame.”