Jay Asher's career as a children's author started in his first year of college when he wrote and published three children's books.[2] Although none of his children's books sold over the course of nine years, he continued to write.[2] Asher continued to write children's books while he simultaneously started the three-year process of writing Thirteen Reasons Why — Asher's first entrance into teen literature.[2] After facing twelve rejections, Thirteen Reasons Why was finally accepted and published on his thirteenth attempt.[5] The inspiration behind Hannah Baker's story came from a family member of a similar age who attempted suicide.[2] After hearing her story of how she saw suicide as the only escape from her pain, Asher was deeply affected.[2] To ensure he fully captured the emotions of the story's main character, Hannah Baker, he gathered information from women about their high school experiences.[5] After travelling to Las Vegas and attending an audio tour, he found the structure that he wanted his novel to be told through — cassette tapes.[2] Asher wants readers to understand that it was a conscious decision not to make any mention of mental health issues, as his story is more about how we treat people.[5]
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