Interview with Allie Larkin, Author of STAY

I absolutely adored STAY by debut novelist Allie Larkin so I was thrilled to be able to interview her for BookFinds.

Enjoy!

What was the most challenging aspect of writing STAY?

I think the most challenging part of STAY was simply the fact that I’d never written a book before.  Everything from writing a book, to finding an agent, to going through the publication process was completely new.  It made things exciting, but it also meant I had a lot to learn, and a lot of self-doubt to squash.  It was a little hard for me to come to terms with the fact that I wanted to write a book.  It’s an overwhelming task.  For a long time, I had myself convinced I was just writing a very, very, long short story.

What is the message you want readers to take away from your book? Friends are important, four-legged or otherwise.  I wanted to honor how complicated, beautiful, and durable friendships can be.  Also, one of the things I really admire about Van is how earnest she is in her struggles.  I think she’s at her strongest when she figures out how to accept herself, flaws and all.  I’ve learned a lot from writing her.

Describe your writing schedule. Do you outline? Any habits?

It really depends on what stage of the process I’m in.  If I’m revising, I like to get all set up with a good supply of food and coffee and focus entirely on my manuscript until I get through the draft.  But in the creation stage, I write until I get stuck, stop and do other things– like cleaning or hiking or yard work– to give myself time to think about my story and get unstuck.  I can’t do the staring at a blinking cursor thing, so I try not to sit at the computer when things really aren’t working.  That said, I do sometimes find it helpful to write through a problem.  I’ll write awful dialogue to get to the next scene and then fix it when I have a better idea of what really needs to be said, or I’ll write a scene that is only action and fill in the description later.

I don’t really like to outline, and for the most part, I write in order, so I get to take the journey with my characters, almost as if I’m reading the book.  But my manuscript file is full of notes to myself in the future, and scenes I’ve thought of, but haven’t gotten to yet in the chronology of things.

As far as habits?  I like to wear my writing sweater, when I work.  It is quite possibly the ugliest sweater ever made, and it’s kind of itchy, but it’s very warm, and it’s got some kind of writing magic going on.  Or at least I like to pretend it does, so if I’ve been having a hard time getting focused, I can put my writing sweater on and feel like I’m ready to dive back in.

What books are on your nightstand? What are you currently reading?

I’m reading AWAY by Amy Bloom right now.  She was in Rochester this month, reading from her new book and talking about what it means to be a reader.  She’s not only an incredible writer, but also an incredible speaker.

Amy Hatvany has a book called BEST KEPT SECRET coming out next year.  I was lucky enough to read an advance copy recently.  It’s such a brave and beautiful book, and it’s still on my nightstand, because I want to read it again.

I just picked up THE COLLECTOR by John Fowles for my book club, but we’re not meeting again until January.  I don’t want to read it too soon and risk forgetting too much before we meet to discuss it, but it’s calling to me.

Which authors inspire you?

I feel so lucky to be a women’s fiction author.  There are so many writers in the women’s fiction community who not only write amazing books, but also reach out and support other writers.  I’m really inspired by them.  Claire Cook, Julie Buxbaum, Allison Winn Scotch, Sarah Pekkanen, Alison Pace, Melissa Senate, Beth Hoffman, Sarah Strohmeyer, Susan Elizabeth Philips, Beth Harbison, and so many others (I know I’m going to kick myself for not mentioning another amazing lady five minutes from now) really set the tone for what it means to be a writer of women’s fiction.  Their support, advice, and kind words, has made it so much easier to be a new author, and inspires me to nurture the community they’ve established.

What have you learned from this experience?

Fear of rejection is stupid.  When I first came to terms with the idea that STAY was a book, I worried so much about facing rejection and the possibility of failing.  When I sent my first query letter out by e-mail, my hands were actually shaking.  I paced around the living room.  I felt like I’d never be able to handle the waiting, and I’d fall apart if I got rejected.  About an hour later, I got a very kindly worded e-mail back saying, basically, ‘sorry, not for us,’ and I thought, Wait, that’s what I was afraid of? I am so thankful for that rapid rejection.  It was like ripping the band-aid off in one quick pull.  It took all the fear and worry out of submitting my work, and I think it’s made me more brave in general.

I spent a lot of time in my teens and twenties aiming for things just under what I really wanted, because I was scared to fail. As a result, I either ran myself in circles, or I fell on my face a lot harder than I would have if I’d just been honest with myself about my goals and tried my best to reach them.  I am so happy to be over that hurdle!  With STAY, I’ve learned that it’s okay to dream big and try for the things I really want. I won’t succeed at everything I try, some people aren’t going to love everything I do, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’m learning how to trust myself, take risks, and enjoy the experience of putting myself out there and reaching for the things I really want, regardless of the end result.

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Allow yourself to write a solid first draft (and even a second or third or fourth) of your book before you start worrying about publication.  It’s really easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed with information on how to submit and where to submit and how the industry works.  It’s important to learn all of those things, but there’s no point to it until you have a book to submit.  So, I think it’s important to enjoy the process of crafting a story and creating characters without all that other noise involved.  Once there’s a solid draft in place, then you can start thinking about word count, audience, submission requirements, etc., and work through the next draft accordingly.  Writing a book takes time and it’s okay to take that time before you have deadlines and publishing dates looming on the horizon.

What are you working on now?

I have an essay about our younger dog, Stella that will be in Wade Rouse’s anthology of dog essays called I’M NOT THE BIGGEST BITCH IN THIS RELATIONSHIP next year.  I’m also working on a new novel, and I have a fun little secret side project I’m writing with one of my dear friends.

If you could go back in time and give your pre-published self some specific advice for the road to publication, what would you say?

Find ways to carve out time to relax and recharge, no matter what else is going on.  For a few months around STAY’s release, if I wasn’t working, I felt guilty.  I was still holding myself to the same standards in every aspect of my life that I did before I had a book hitting the shelves.  Instead of taking time for me, I’d jump from promotion work, to housework, to working on my next project, and then I’d start the cycle all over again.  I’ve finally learned that downtime is important no matter how busy I am, and that a little dog hair (okay, a lot of dog hair) on the rug doesn’t really matter in the greater scheme of things.

What 5 things would you bring with you on a desert island?

I’m not going to list my husband and the dogs, because they aren’t things.  But don’t think I wouldn’t want to take them!

1. I’m totally cheating and saying an e-reader loaded up with every book I’d ever want to read, instead of listing books individually.
2. My writing sweater.
3. My laptop.
4. A solar charger for said e-reader and laptop.
5. Matches, because I’m pretty sure rubbing two sticks together gets really boring, really fast.

Favorite TV show and movie? I’m really torn between NORTHERN EXPOSURE and VERONICA MARS for my favorite TV show.

I’m not sure if I can even come close to picking one movie as my all time favorite, but TiMER by Jac Shaeffer is my favorite of all the films I’ve seen this year.  It’s smart, sweet, well-written, well-acted, and the concept is brilliant.

Favorite Quote (either from STAY or in general) and why?

I came across this quote by Willa Cather recently: “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.”  I love the suggestion that there’s value in going through a storm.  It’s more than just saying, “This, too, shall pass,” it’s recognizing that there are things to be gained from chaos and hard times.  Life is full of ups and downs and calms and storms, and I like to see all of it as an opportunity.

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Thank you, Allie! We look forward to all of your future work!