Hello mes amies. Today is a wonderful day. Fellow author Kristyn Kusek Lewis is generously offering one free copy of her debut novel, How lucky You Are to my readers and has agreed to answer a few questions. Isn't the cover gorgeous? And the story is lovely too.
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1. What was the best part about writing your debut novel? The worst?
The best part was witnessing my three characters come to life as I moved through all of the various drafts. My favorite part of writing is filling in all of the little details and playing with language. To me, it’s all of those subtle brushstrokes and tiny details that make the characters leap off the page.
The worst part was not knowing whether I’d eventually sell the book. I took a serious break from magazine writing, the career I’ve had for the past fifteen years, and I had many anxious days when I wondered whether I was making a big mistake. It was a complete leap of faith.
2. What is the best/worst advice you received while you were trying to break into the book biz?
I didn’t get any horrible advice but the best advice was to take the long view—to not get hung up on a single bad day of writing, a single bad review, a single rejection. It’s important to focus on your ultimate goal, and mine is to write books for many years. It’s only natural that there will be highs and lows.
3. Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere! I’m ultimately interested in writing about how “regular” people get through the day, because I think that everyday, ordinary moments are the most interesting—what a couple talks about (or not) when they get home at night, what a person thinks about during her commute to work, and in the case of HOW LUCKY YOU ARE, how girlfriends relate to each other as we get older and our friendships change.
4. What's your writing schedule like?
4. What's your writing schedule like?
My daughters are 4 and 2 so I write every morning while they’re at preschool and I have a sitter who comes a couple of afternoons a week. I’m generally much better in the morning—when my workload is especially heavy, I always prefer to wake up early and work while the house is quiet rather than work at night.
5. How did you celebrate your book deal?
With champagne, of course!
6. Who is your writer crush?
I have many! Junot Diaz, Meg Mitchell Moore, Joshilyn Jackson, Tom Perrotta, Amy Hatvany, Allie Larkin, Susan Orlean…I can go on and on.
7. If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be?
No fair! Just one? That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child. I will say that The Awakening by Kate Chopin is the first book that I remember reading over and over, and Bird by Bird, Heartburn, and Stephen Dunn’s New and Selected Poems 1974-1994 have permanent spots on the bookshelf by my desk.
8. Any parting advice for new authors?
Write! If not every day, as often as you can, because it’s really difficult to get yourself in the groove of a work-in-progress if you don’t “have your hands in it” on a regular basis. Also, learn as much as you can about the business—the publishing industry has gone through such massive changes in the past few years, and it’s critical to understand what’s happening. Mediabistro and Publishers Weekly offer excellent e-newsletters to keep you informed.
Merci beaucoup Kristyn!
