Becky Albertalli chats exploring parasocial relationships in Amelia, If Only

Becky Albertalli is here to grace our page one more with her presence. Last time she was here to chat with us about Imogen, Obviously and all the bi memes. This time, she’s here to chat Amelia, If Only, a YA book that explores parasocial relationships and online culture, and features great bi rep. And because the book is written by “chronically online” Becky (her words, not ours), you know it is good.

Amelia’s journey begins with her inviting her favorite YouTuber to prom. What inspired you to explore parasocial relationships in Amelia, if Only?

Parasocial relationships are really fascinating to me, because I’ve experienced them from both directions. I’ve been very parasocially connected to certain content creators, artists, and fellow authors (and even fictional characters)—but I’ve also had the somewhat surreal experience of being on the receiving end of parasocial energy. I think these dynamics can be really complex, and sometimes they’re more fluid than I’d initially expected. In Amelia, I particularly wanted to explore some of those gray areas. Where’s the line between parasocial and social? Can that line ever shift? How do public figures navigate the contradictions inherent to being both a person and a persona?

The novel is told with different media, including social media posts and “wiki” pages. What is it like writing those sections? Did you write them in separate writing sessions?

I had an absolute blast writing the social media snippets—it felt like I’d finally found the hidden purpose of all my years lurking on forums and going down online rabbit holes. For this story, I wrote the main Amelia road trip narrative first, and then I filled in the social media pieces later. But I’d already mapped out the lore in so much detail that these fictional conversations almost wrote themselves. Creating the many social media handles was a particular highlight for me—if you study them closely, you’ll find references to many of my favorite YA books and other pieces of media. I avoided accidentally using real people’s handles by making sure I violated the naming rules of each particular platform—so if a platform requires handles to be ten characters or fewer, I’d make sure my fictional ones had eleven. But I did slip in a few YouTuber friends’ real handles (with permission!).

People sometimes view fandom, shipping, and internet culture in such a negative way. Did it make writing Amelia, If Only feel more pressure because you need to do it justice, or even to defend it a little?

Fandom is such a rich, complicated world—no one piece of media could ever fully capture its nuances. For the fictional fandom in Amelia, I did my best to faithfully recreate the types of conversations I imagine would exist in this particular online world. It’s full of love, snark, sincerity, misinformation, obsession, and solidarity. For this story, it felt important to leave space for all those contradictions.

This book has such a chaotic gen Z energy and we mean it in the best way possible. How chronically online are you to capture that energy so well?

I’m an elder millennial, so this is actually the greatest compliment I’ve ever received. I am, unfortunately, extremely chronically online, and I’ve been at the center of enough queer discourse that I’m very, very familiar with its usual beats. I kind of love how this book turned out to be a very nostalgic, Simon and Garfunkel-infused road trip story, set in a hyper-online fandom discourse space. That contradiction really does feel like the heart of this book.

Again, loving the bi rep here. Since writing Imogen, Obviously, has your approach to bi rep changed in any way? How do you make sure each portrayal feels fresh and specific, while staying authentic?

Thank you so much! I think I have a strange relationship with the concept of representation. I recognize how critically important it is, as a person who grew up without very much of it. But I think it’s easy to box ourselves in—as writers and as people—by the idea of “good representation.” For my bi characters, I’m always trying to portray an experience that feels authentic to that particular character. I tend to draw heavily from my own experiences, but what feels authentic to us as readers is always going to be a bit subjective.

And finally, Imogen, Obviously fans are loving the cameos. Can you do more of this please?

I loved getting to spend a little extra time with Imogen, Tessa, and the gang! Close readers may also notice a tiny extra cameo from an Imogen, Obviously character participating in the discourse. And there may be a few surprise visits from characters from my previous books, too (along with a few characters from friends’ books!). Honestly, I live for easter eggs.

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli is out now (Harper Fire). Get your copy here.