"Right now I'm focused on the book," says Molly Ringwald. But she also is adapting the screenplay, and she has an album due in spring 2013.
By Fergus Greer"Right now I'm focused on the book," says Molly Ringwald. But she also is adapting the screenplay, and she has an album due in spring 2013.
1. Did you marry a Greek-American so you can vacation there?"That's right. All part of the grand plan!"2. It says here that you write with "a deep compassion for human imperfection." Do you relate?
(Laughs) "I think it's impossible to be human and not relate to that. Absolutely. We're all pretty flawed, but that's what makes us interesting." 3. In these tales, you follow a Los Angeles family through everyday life. Could that family sometimes be yours?
"No, they're very different from mine, although I do have a daughter and a husband. But no, fortunately it's not my family!"4. Writing is so solitary, the opposite of being on stage. What's harder, acting or writing?
Writing. I started acting as a child. It was very instinctive. In many ways children are the best actors. It just flows and it's natural. Writing is, like you say, very solitary. It's hard.5. Do you write these stories thinking they could be turned into a movie or play?
"I didn't when I was writing it. To write a novel just to be turned into a screenplay, you're cheating the art form. However, now I am thinking about it, but I also know that it's going to have to change quite a bit."
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3. What does she think of the new book?She liked it, except she doesn't like stories from when I was dating other women.4. And is your dad still your first reader?Always. He has no problem at all telling me if he thinks something I wrote is terrible.5. Sh*t My Dad Says flopped as a TV show. What are the prospects of I Suck at Girls as a TV series?We'll see if the option (bought by Warner Bros.) gets picked up. And if it does, this time it won't be a sitcom with a live audience. I'd like it to be more like The Wonder Years. As a kid, I loved that show.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. 
3. You reread old journals for research?There were lots of stories about how my mouth has gotten me into trouble. There was a time when I was an intern at CBS News and someone pulled me aside to tell me to "tone it down." I was just like, well, this is hilarious.4. Dream guest on Watch What Happens Live?A great female politician like Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama or Sarah Palin.5. What advice do you want to give readers?Follow your passion. Be yourself, but check yourself before you wreckyourself.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.