In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new website and a series of new short stories.

The first installment of Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994) and Dark Visions (1995). She chose the setting of The Vampire Diaries in Virginia because she has family there and was inspired by the small towns and lifestyles. The Vampire Diaries series was commissioned by Elise Donner, editor of Alloy Entertainment in 1990: Smith immediately wrote the scene when Elena, Bonnie and Meredith are decorating the gym and the heroine meets Damon (scene later included in the first novel), while, as for the other characters, she adapted those of The Garden of Earthly Delights, an adult book she was writing. They sold poorly, as they were labeled for 9 to 11-year-olds and not for young adults, as Smith wanted. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, written during high school and college, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by Heart of Valor in 1990. Smith has said that she realized she wanted to be a writer sometime between kindergarten and first grade, 'when a teacher praised a horrible poem I'd written', and she began writing in earnest in elementary school. Smith began her career as an elementary school teacher, but left in 1989 after three years to pursue writing. She later attended San Francisco State University to obtain teaching credentials.

Smith studied experimental psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It was here that her high school English teacher, Zoe Gibbs, gave Smith the confidence to write. As a child, she grew up in Villa Park, California and attended Villa Park High School. Her reported date of birth varies, with sources noting as early as 1958 or 1959 or as late as 1965. Smith was born in Orange County, California. Her books, particularly The Vampire Diaries and Night World, have been in the New York Times Best Seller list and have been nominated for five awards. Lisa Jane Smith is an American author of young adult fiction best known for her best-selling series The Vampire Diaries, which has been turned into a successful television show. Young adult, horror, science fiction, fantasy, romance University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A.

The Struggle by L.J. Smith