Author Interview: Aaron Starmer on Night Swimming, Bioluminescent Mischief, and Cross-Universe Chaos

Aaron Starmer has a reputation for writing the weird and wonderful side of teen life—whether it’s kids spontaneously combusting in Spontaneous or stumbling into magical realism in the form of mysterious midnight pools in Night Swimming. We caught up with him to talk about what makes his characters so chill in the face of the bizarre, and why he’ll never stop writing “Wait, WHAT?” moments into his books.

Spoiler: it involves glowing water and supernatural existential crises.

And just in time: Night Swimming released Tuesday!

Night Swimming

by Aaron Starmer
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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From the author of Spontaneous comes a '90s mixtape of a young adult novel that delivers a summer romance with an unearthly twist.
It was just one swim… How could they know it would never end?
It's the summer of 1994 and Trevor can barely wrap his mind around the fact that he and his friends have graduated high school. The future is a murky thing, filled with a college experience he feels neutral about at best, endless mixtape relistens, and the growing realization that his crush on the enigmatic Sarah isn't going anywhere.
That is, until Sarah approaches him with a mission: they're going to swim in all the pools in the neighborhood. Soon, their quest leads to them sneaking into backyard pools every night and continuing to get closer. But not close enough for Trevor, who yearns for Sarah despite her college boyfriend, despite her "not yet"s, despite the way she keeps pulling away the moment things feel real.
So when they learn about a natural pool hidden deep in the woods, it starts off as just another spot to check off their summer bucket list. But once they get there, they soon realize the natural pool has a curious hold on them, and something very strange is happening…

Night Swimming, Bioluminescent Mischief, and Cross-Universe Chaos

Night Swimming involves secret pools, mysterious figures, and possibly the weirdest friend group this side of a fever dream. If you had access to a hidden pool that only appeared at night, what is the first ridiculous thing you would do in it?

I’d figure out how to make it glow in the dark. Obviously. Down in Puerto Rico, they have those bioluminescent bays where the water twinkles like a 1990s rave. I think we could use the equivalent up here in the forested pools of New England. That way the wayward youth would have somewhere memorable to hang out (without wasting too much electricity). Plus it would be nice if the bioluminescent stuff wasn’t made of toxic algae, because it would still be essential to swim in the water. I call upon science to drop all other research and figure this out for us!

Spontaneous gave us spontaneous combustion. Night Swimming gives us something just as strange but way more subtle. Is there a secret rule in your writing brain that says, “Each book must contain at least one thing that could make a reader say ‘Wait, WHAT?’ out loud”?

If an idea doesn’t excite me, then how will it excite readers? At least that’s what I’m always telling myself. And that’s why I’m always searching for big hooks (and a few twists) to keep me writing. Of course, the writing has to be grounded in relatable characters, real emotions, and fun, readable prose. And the hook has to actually mean something. In the case of both of these books, the “Wait, WHAT?” moments are tied to very particular feelings many kids experience during their senior years of high school.

You write teen characters who handle the surreal with alarming chill. If the Spontaneous crew and the Night Swimming gang were thrown into the same weird-universe crossover, what would go down (and who’s making it out with their weirdness intact)?

I can certainly say that if Mara from Spontaneous was stuck in the Night Swimming world, she’d love it, and never, ever leave it. Though other characters would probably leave her (because she’s exhausting). On the other hand, if Trevor from Night Swimming was stuck in the Spontaneous world, he’d probably have a nervous breakdown before the combustions got him. I guess I need to write a third book, where they all meet up in college together and form a secret society dedicated to exploring and navigating supernatural existential crises.

Whether it’s combustions or secret night pools, Aaron Starmer reminds us that sometimes the weirdest moments are the ones that hit the hardest. Night Swimming is a surreal, heartfelt ride through friendship, longing, and glowing water. Add it to your summer TBR, you’ll thank us later.

Don’t forget, Night Swimming is out now! Grab your floaties (and tissues).