SE Hinton's real name is Susan Eloise Hinton. It was suggested that she use her initials, SE, because in her day it was almost impossible for a woman to write such exceptional books. His books were about the hardships of the 60s and 70s. “Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn. Sixteen years on the street and you see a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to see. Hinton's writing was heavily influenced by childhood friends living on the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma (Cliff Notes). Hinton was born in 1950 in Tulsa. His first book, The Outsiders, was written when he was fifteen. It was later published when he was only seventeen. This was published while he was still in high school. Although The Outsiders was about gang violence, she was not a member of any gang. In 1970, Susan graduated from the University of Tulsa where she received her bachelor's degree in education. However, she learned that she couldn't handle the pressure of being a teacher. She taught all day and then worried about the children all night. While still a freshman in college she met her husband David. Since Susan no longer wanted to be a teacher, David helped her start writing her second book by encouraging her to write two pages every day. If she didn't complete this challenge every day, David would refuse to go out with her that night (Cliff Notes). Nick Hinton was their only child together (Cliff Notes). The Outsiders, That Was Then This Is Now, Rumble Fish, Tex, and Taming the Star Runner were all young adult books that Hinton wrote and published. He has won several awards for his novels. He won 3 for That Was Then This Is Now, 7 for Tex,...... middle of paper......and he doesn't discuss what he's writing while he's writing it. He is afraid that if we talk about it, it will wear down his idea. He says: “If you want to be a writer, I have two pieces of advice. One is to be a reader. I think it's one of the most important parts of learning to write. The other piece of advice is: just do it! Don't think about it, don't worry, sit down and write." SE Hinton's inspiration for writing began in elementary school. Elementary school inspired his love of reading. She believes that sometimes reading and writing were the only things that kept her going, because you love itWorks CitedCliff Notes. (n.d.). www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/…/the…/se-hinton-biography.html. Retrieved from Cliff Notes.February 26, 2014. . http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/author.pperl?authorid=13074&view=sm l_sptlght