Suzzane Collins: The Architect of Dystopian Dreams

 

We all know and love Suzanne Collin’s work. From the original Hunger Games trilogy published in 2008 to her most recent prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, she has stood the test of time as one of the most well-known authors in young adult fiction. She is a critically acclaimed author and the executive producer and co-writer in the screen adaptions of the Hunger Games trilogy and her newest movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

Suzanne Collins first began writing in 1991 when she worked on a Nickelodeon series called “Clarissa Explains It All.” From there, she was encouraged to start writing books by a fellow author, James Priomos. The inspiration for The Hunger Games sparked when Collins switched her television between reality TV and news about the Iraq War. After that, she ran with that idea until she developed what we now know as The Hunger Games.

Collins attributes her creative process to a simple routine focusing on writing with minimal distractions. She believes in writing about the things you know and love and leaning on the things familiar to you. Along with her simplistic writing process, she also likes to draw inspiration from real-world events and often visits local museums and historical sites. When adapting her work into a movie, she takes meticulous care in focusing on the book and translating the words into images on the screen. A big reason why her films were so successful is because she works firsthand with the production company to ensure that her work is the most authentic it can be. 

Overall, she continues to be a timeless writer who also comes up with new and innovative ideas. She has been able to build this vast and complex dystopian world that still resonates with children and young adults. She has built a loyal fanbase that has followed her journey from the first Hunger Games book to her prequels, which she is still releasing. I cannot wait to watch where she takes us in the future of Panem.