With a career spanning over two decades and a catalog that includes both bestselling books and a Disney Channel movie adaptation, Julia DeVillers creates worlds her readers want to live in by exploring nostalgic experiences from the awkward feels of having a first crush to the culture shock of getting one’s first job.
Though she studied journalism, Julia’s creative direction shifted when a graduate professor recognized her love for children’s literature. A stint in educational publishing taught her how kids learn and think, which later enriched her fiction. Since then, Julia has continued to center young voices in her work, especially girls navigating awkward firsts and the hilarity of adolescence. Her newest upper middle-grade rom-com, Meet Me at Wonderland, is a prime example: a lighthearted story rooted in Julia’s personal experiences. It explores working an embarrassing job as a tween, drawing from her real-life stint as Chuck E. Cheese, and reflects on her journey as a cancer survivor.
In this interview, Julia DeVillers opens up about the evolution of her career, from her early love of writing to the surreal experience of seeing her characters on screen. She discusses her post-cancer return to fiction, the importance of writing worlds she wants to live in, and her chaotic creative writing process.
Her Agenda: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? Was there a specific moment that you knew this would be your career? Especially because I know you started from journalism, but you have different modes of journalism—so when did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Julia DeVillers: So in first grade, when I was about six years old, my teacher used to let me (when I finished my work) write stories. She would take the stories and Xerox them, and pass them out to my classmates. She’d hand out my little books around the classroom, and I would write and illustrate the stories. My classmates would come to me and say, ‘Oh, I loved your story.’ That was such wonderful feedback for me when I was little.
But I remember asking, ‘What did you think of the pictures?’ and everyone kind of looked away and said, ‘Well… maybe not so much the art.’ So it was back then that I discovered my strength could be in writing stories.
Her Agenda: So, how did you pivot from journalism? Did you ever work in journalism, or did you start writing as soon as you got your degree? And if you didn’t work in journalism, how did you pivot to writing your first children’s book, and what inspired you to continue in this industry?
Julia DeVillers: Thanks. I do love what I do, but originally, I thought that authors of novels and fiction were not human. They were, in my mind, icons and legends. And how could anybody get their story published and become a novelist? I grew up thinking that was just a wild, wild dream.
I went to school for journalism and took a class in children’s literature because I’ve always loved children’s books. I had been a huge reader growing up. In that class, the teacher would say, ‘We’re going to be reading this book next,’ and I’d raise my hand and say, ‘Oh, I love that book because of this and this.’ And she’d say, ‘Alright, what about this book?’ and I’d raise my hand again. She called me aside and said, ‘You’ve read everything.’
I laughed and said, ‘I think I have.’ And she said, ‘You might want to consider making children’s literature a more important part of your life.’ I ended up getting a concentration in children’s literature. When I graduated, I worked in educational publishing with textbooks. I was an editor, and I would edit textbooks, but I found myself rewriting a lot of things. So I thought, maybe I could write a nonfiction book.
I pitched an idea to a publisher for a nonfiction book and it sold. That was my very first book. It was called GirlWise: How to Be Confident, Capable, Cool, and in Control. I interviewed women about what they would have wanted to learn or know when they were teenagers.
Flash forward a little, and I sat down one day and decided, Maybe I can write a novel just for fun. So I started writing, and it really poured out. I’ve been writing all my life and writing stories, but this one really felt like it was my voice. I wrote a whole story and turned it in to my agent, and she called me and said, ‘Dutton wants to buy your novel. You have an offer on your book.’
So that was how I kicked off my career as a novelist. That book was super special, not only because it was my first, but also because it became a Disney Channel movie called Read It and Weep.
Her Agenda: Your first one was the movie?
Julia DeVillers: Yes! It’s been hard to top that ever since. Disney Channel bought it and put it on the air. I actually got to go to the set with my daughter, and we have a cameo in the movie. So, I mean, yeah, glory days.
It wasn’t the first thing I ever sat down to write. I’d written a million things that weren’t good, but this one just felt really authentic to who I was. The character was kind of a little bit of me, and wish-fulfillment of what I would have liked to have happened as a teenager.
I’ve been writing mostly fiction for tweens and teens ever since.
Her Agenda: That leads to my next question: How was your experience of turning your book into a Disney movie? And what did you learn from it, especially as a writer?
Julia DeVillers: It was such a fabulous experience. Just think of the concept: you make up these characters in your head and put them on paper, and then suddenly there are actors and directors and sound people and production people all taking the world you’ve created and bringing it to the screen.
Her Agenda: That sounds like an incredible experience. Let’s talk about your new book, Meet Me at Wonderland. From my research online, I saw that your experience with cancer inspired this book. Can you also talk more about that?
Julia DeVillers: Yes! Think back to one of your most embarrassing moments when you were a teenager. Maybe think back to your first job, your first crush, those are all incorporated in my new book.
There are some real-life moments, and the way they meet is something that actually happened to me. Meet Me at Wonderland is about a girl, Coco, and a boy, Henry. It’s their first job, and they’re working at an amusement park. On Coco’s first day, she has to dress up as the moose mascot for the park, and it’s a sweaty, stinky, terrible costume.I knew how to describe that perfectly because, in high school, I worked at Chuck E. Cheese as Chuck E. Cheese. So, I was in a sweaty, stinky, smelly rat costume for my first job.
One of the things that happened to me at work was that I was in the costume, and again, you get very smelly. It’s rough there, and I went into the employee break room. I walked in, and there was a very cute boy sitting there filling out a job application.
My first thought was, ‘Oh no, he’s cute,’ and my second thought was, ‘Oh no, I’m dressed as a rat.’ And that’s how I had to meet somebody. That actually became the meet-cute or moose-cute, in this case, in Meet Me at Wonderland. Coco meets Henry while in the moose costume. They become frenemies, rivals, and then fall for each other, a classic first crush.
Her Agenda: I love how one moment in your life basically snowballed into this huge story.
Julia DeVillers: It’s true! I remember I was at my publisher, Simon & Schuster, with my fabulous editor, Allison Heller. She asked me, ‘What’s an embarrassing moment that happened to you in high school?’ And when I told her the story, she said, ‘Wait, that’s your book.’
Her Agenda: I also saw that in your book, Coco’s mother had cancer, but you framed it in a hopeful way. She already went through treatment and recovered. Why did you choose to focus on the joy of overcoming cancer rather than the usual journey through treatment?
Julia DeVillers: This book was such a joy for me to write, not only because it was fun and funny and based on my own experience, but also because I actually wasn’t going to put cancer in the book at all.
When I began writing, I was still traumatized from a cancer battle. Chemo brain left me foggy, and I feared my writing career was over. As I healed, I tried again and drafted Meet Me at Wonderland, a joyful book without cancer. In revision, I realized kids might face similar experiences—if not themselves, then through loved ones. Since I was in NED (No Evidence of Disease), I reflected that in Coco’s mother: in remission, working, moving forward. Writing about cancer, instead of being painful, was cathartic. It gave me comfort, joy, and a chance to highlight resilience.
Her Agenda: You overcame such a great challenge, that’s really inspiring. So, what has over a decade of writing female characters taught you about being a woman?
Julia DeVillers: When I first started, like I told you, my first book was GirlWise, and it came out in the early 2000s when ‘girl power’ was a big topic. It was the era of Mean Girls, and there were growing conversations around girls supporting girls.
That theme, women uplifting women, is something I’ve always held onto. In my books, I always write strong female friendships.
Even in Meet Me at Wonderland, there’s a girl who also likes Henry, Coco’s crush, but I didn’t want her to be a stereotypical ‘mean girl.’ Instead, they work it out maturely. Henry ends up liking Coco, but it’s not about pitting one girl against another.
Empowered girls, healthy friendships, and authentic crushes are consistent themes in my work. I want my characters to be confident, passionate, and supportive of one another.
Her Agenda: What are you most proud of in Coco’s development in the story?
Julia DeVillers: I love how Coco starts off the book thinking that she has to be perfect, that she has to be the best. Everything is going to go exactly as she plans, and everything is going to be happy and perfect.
And as we know in life, that’s not the way it goes. So, I love the fact that Coco’s emotional arc isn’t just about connecting with Henry and becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s also that Henry helps her become confident in herself, but confident that she can make mistakes, that she doesn’t always have to be the best, that she’s worthy even if she messes up.
Her Agenda: Okay, so can we talk about your writing process in the next few questions? How would you describe your creative or writing process, and how has it developed over the years?
Julia DeVillers: Chaotic.
I get up, have my coffee, and the first thing I really do is sit down to write. But sometimes it’s research. Sometimes it’s linear, you know, what’s the next chapter?
So I give myself grace not to have to write every single day. I take time to recharge in between. Sometimes the advice is to write every day so you don’t get writer’s block, and I understand that if you’re away from it too long, sometimes you sit down, look at the blank page, and think, ‘Oh no, I can’t do this. I can never do this.’
But I get up, have my coffee, and I create worlds I want to live in. So I really look forward to it.
Oh, another tip is when I’m done writing for the day, I try to leave it not on a stressful note where I don’t know what’s coming next. If I’m in the middle of a scene that’s going really well, I’ll actively stop. So the next morning, I get up and I know what I’m going to do. It makes it a little less stressful because I get in and say, ‘Oh, I know what’s going to happen next.’ That’s one way I alleviate writer’s block.
Her Agenda: What are you looking forward to or excited about next?
Julia DeVillers: I get to write another upper middle-grade rom-com, which I’m so excited about. Yeah, I got another book deal, which is thrilling.
Her Agenda: Congratulations!
Julia DeVillers: Thank you! Every book deal is a celebration.
It’s about two teenagers who are taking their driver’s test. They distract each other, both fail the test, blame each other, and then end up having to spend the summer in a remedial driver’s ed class together.
Her Agenda: Wow. I love that! Lastly, what is your personal motto?
Julia DeVillers: ‘A rising tide lifts all ships.’ It’s the idea that when you support other people and you’re all in it together, your success begets other people’s success.
[Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.]
