Wisconsin writer Ali Novak's 'My Life with the Walter Boys' thrives as new Netflix series

Ali Novak began writing "My Life with the Walter Boys" as a 15-year-old student at Menomonee Falls High School. But did she ever think her debut novel would turn into a top Netflix 10-episode series? Or even be on the New York Times Bestsellers list?

"I did not think an agent would be interested in a story a kid wrote," said Novak, a pen name for her real name, Alex Kalnins, a 2009 high school graduate.

She was wrong; a coming-of-age teen drama based on her book premiered on Netflix Dec. 7. Less than two weeks later, it was renewed for a second season.

"Only word I can use to sum this up is surreal," Novak posted on X on Dec. 8.

This is because she thought in her thirties, her career path would have had a different trajectory. While she knew she was going to be a writer, she thought she would be overwhelmed with this question: How do I get an agent so I can write full-time?"I figured I would do the traditional route. I would get a job I was not interested in to support my career, spend years writing, and finally get an agent to sell my book," she said.

Wrong again: "They (agents and publishers) came to me," she said.

Early version of 'My Life with the Walter Boys' 'blew up' with 81 million views

When Novak was in high school, she did not share her writing with others; it was something she had fun doing. In high school, she was captain of her swim team, swam in the state meet and pursued art activities. Even her high school sweetheart and husband, Jared, did not know she was writing her stories until she was a sophomore in college, she said.

Because she was eager to share her book, Novak posted it on Wattpad, an online reading and writing platform, in 2010 when she was editing her book. When she was done editing, it had 5 million views, and it rose to over 80 million, she said. "It blew up," she said.

By the time she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she had a book deal for "My Life with the Walter Boys" from Sourcebooks Fire.

The book was released in March 2014. It was nominated in the Best Young Adult Fiction category of the Goodreads Choice Awards and won a Young Adult Library Services Association’s Teen Top Ten Reads award in 2015, according to her website. In 2019, she was inducted into the Menomonee Falls High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame.

Novak optioned the rights of her book to iGeneration Studios, a production company in 2017.

"There were no guarantees it would be a TV show or movie," she said. But Netflix picked it up in June of 2021.

"When I found out, it was the best I felt in a long time," said Novak. "It was the high in a year of lows."

But she was still a bit cautious about getting her hopes up. She said it was "quietly released" on Netflix so it was possible not many people would watch it, she reasoned.

Again, this was not the case.

"I hoped it would do well as the audience connected with it online (on Wattpad)," she said.

The week it premiered, it made Netflix's Global Top 10 at No. 2. For the next two weeks, it was No. 1 with more than 20 million views those two weeks. It currently is at No. 6.

Love triangles and the 'quirky, fun dynamics of a large family' inspired 'My Life with the Walter Boys'

Self-classified as a "book nerd" growing up, Novak said her high school experiences were not the inspiration for "My Life with the Walter Boys." Instead, it was the love triangle, from "The Vampire Diaries," a teen supernatural drama that was a book by L.J. Smith that was turned into a CW television series.

Novak also was inspired by the "quirky, fun dynamics of a large family," another premise of "My Life with the Walter Boys." She loved the movies "Cheaper by the Dozen" — a 2003 movie starring Steve Martin that was a remake of a 1950 film — and "Yours, Mine and Ours" — a 2005 movie starring Dennis Quaid, a remake of the 1968 film.

Novak only has two younger siblings, but when her extended family all comes together, her family is huge.

"I love the big family dynamics," she said. She added that her favorite part of love triangles is the "tension" that exists, and that encourages readers to keep reading.

But she said, with most writing, when a writer writes, he or she may begin with an idea or an inspiration, flesh out the idea, and the story can be different than envisioned.

This was true for "My Life with the Walter Boys," said Novak, as it was inspired by a love triangle, but there are other elements to the story, she said.

Team Alex or Team Cole; A viral love triangle

Novak said the first two chapters of "My Life with the Walter Boys" were very close to the Netflix series.

The premise of the book is that Jackie Howard, a 15-year-old girl from New York City, had to move to Colorado with her mother's friend Katherine after Jackie's mother, father and older sister died in a tragic accident. But then things take a turn when Katherine drops a bombshell: she has a massive family of all boys.

"Jackie, honey, did I ever tell you that I have twelve kids?" Katherine says in the book.

Jackie had to adjust to living on a ranch in Colorado while still focusing on her goal of attending Princeton University. As she adjusts to her new life, she begins developing feelings for both Alex and Cole, two of Katherine's sons.

Novak said she loved how Netflix portrayed her book, although she said they "overdramatized" the love triangle. She said in her book, it is obvious Jackie is more interested in Cole, but Alex is the "safer choice."

"I had fun writing his character," Novak said of Cole. Novak said that Cole was kind of "snotty" and "sarcastic," but had another side to him. "That was played up a bit on the show," she said.

Although the character Jackie was involved in a love triangle in Colorado, she did not grow up with boys and attended an all-girls private school in New York. She was "shy and awkward" which Novak admitted she herself was while growing up. Novak thinks other girls can relate to that.

"Fifteen-year-old girls eat that stuff up," said Novak. "It's wish fulfillment. That is a big reason why they (the movie and book) are successful."

Ali Novak's other books to find life on screens, too

Novak's books have been translated into eight foreign languages and her collective online work has been read more than 150 million times. Besides "My Life with the Walter Boys," she also authored "The Heartbreak Chronicles."

The four books in the series follow the individual stories of Oliver, Alex, Zander and JJ, members of a boy band. Their potential love interest narrates each of their stories.

"Heartbreakers," which was published in July 2015, became a Junior Library Guild Selection and "Paper Hearts," published in 2017, won YALSA's Teen Top Ten Reads award. "Heartstrings," the third book in the series, is completed and set to be published and "In a Heartbeat," the last book, is in progress, according to her updates on Wattpad. Sourcebooks Fire is also publishing these books.

Soon, "My Life with the Walter Boys" won't be the only Novak story on people's screens. Novak said that iGeneration Studios is developing "The Heartbreak Chronicles" as a show and that Novak will be a producer.

"I will be more involved in the development of the show. I am excited," Novak said.

Where to buy 'My Life with the Walter Boys'

"My Life with the Walter Boys" is in many bookstores. It can also be purchased at www.barnesandnoble.com and at www.amazon.com.

Anyone can follow Novak on social media on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authoralinovak, Instagram at @authoralinovak and X (formerly Twitter) at www.twitter.com/authoralinovak.

Updates are also on her website at www.alinovak.com and at www.wattpad.com/user/authoralinovak.

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Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy