Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series was inspired by her experiences attending the prestigious Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City.
- She was interested in depicting the "secret" lives of the school's elite students.
- Ziegesar wanted to explore the darker side of wealth, privilege and the pursuit of popularity as well as the superficiality and decadence hidden beneath the glossy veneer of the Upper East Side.
- Ziegesar's intention was to show that even the seemingly perfect lives of these affluent teenagers were marked with insecurity, betrayal, and turmoil.