In which I pester Kate Moretti, New York Times-bestselling author of Thought I Knew You, Binds That Tie, and While You Were Gone, with nosy questions about her writing career.
Hi
Kate! Welcome back to Zigzag Timeline. Since the last time you were here (in June 2014), you’ve taken the leap from small
press author to Big 5 author. What’s that been like?
Well so far, it’s not that different
than small press J.
I’m still writing, revising, editing, repeat, repeat, repeat. I think things
will pick up next summer, with the release of THE VANISHING YEAR in September
2016, but I have no idea what to expect. I’m nervous and excited, though! I
can’t wait to see what happens.
Your
latest book, While You Were Gone, is
a companion novella to your first book, New York Times bestseller Thought I Knew You. What inspired you to
write WYWG and tell part of TIKY’s story from a different perspective?
I love the idea that there’s always two
sides to any story. I’ll admit the idea to write
it was a bit strategic, I wanted a novella out between my novels. But I really
don’t know any writers who can write something from strategy alone. You still
have to get into the plot and characters and feel the story. For me, it was a
natural progression. Greg was never an evil person in my mind. He made morally
suspect choices, but he had reasons. Karen was always kind of victim of
circumstance. Once I thought of them like that it seemed so possible for them to get together. I
wanted to know their details.
What
was it like revisiting the character of Greg, who first made his appearance in
TIKY and is depicted from an entirely different perspective in WYWG?
It was fun. I like Greg. I’m probably
the only one? I just like that how a person is viewed has everything to do with
perspective, right? To Karen, he was this laid back, kind of fun guy who saw
her for who she felt she was, deep down. Something that most people never
bothered to do. Then to Claire, he was stressed out and miserable. Some of that
is projection, too. You see people based on what you need them to be in that
moment. Then who is the real person? I think the answer is “all of them”.
I’m
a total sucker for classical music, so I love that Karen’s a violinist! What
inspired you to make her a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and what
was it like writing about a musician?
Well you can only write so much if you
only write “what you know”. I know nothing about classical music, symphonies,
orchestras. Nothing. I played the piano for a lot of my life but I struggled so
much with timing because I didn’t have a lot of patience. I would have been a
terrible musician! In short, it was scary because I never knew if I was saying
the right things, doing the right things. I worry about the things you can’t
find on Google, the minor details. I have good beta readers!
You’re a member of
Tall Poppy Writers, a group of women’s fiction authors. What’s your work with
them been like?
I love the Tall Poppies. We write
similar fiction, or at least share an audience. Collectively, we must have a
hundred years of publishing experience. I can ask them any question I have and
someone will know the answer. We read each other’s work, promote each other,
support each other, and commiserate when required. I love having a small tribe.
We’re meeting for a summit in New York City at the end of October. If I say
summit, I can write it off. If I say pajama party with wine, I can’t.
Every
writing journey has its ups and downs. What’s the most terrifying, awful,
OMG-why-am-I-doing-this moment you’ve had to face as an author?
So, I can’t be sure, but I think my
agent is kind of a renegade. Our first round of submissions was huge. Like 40
editors. I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s pretty unusual (most others
I’ve heard are 10-20 subs at a time). I was at Walt Disney World with my
family, the happiest place on earth and within that week, we got back about 30
rejections. I know rejections suck for everyone. But, I do think most people
don’t get back 30 rejections in the span of four days. I just kept reading
these rejection emails, one after the other, set to It’s a Small World. Just a little
maddening.
Though
you’re primarily a women’s fiction author, you stepped outside your comfort
zone to write a YA sci-fi short for Brave
New Girls (and it is amazeballs). What was it like shifting gears like
that?
It was HARD. My story was by far the
weakest story in the book. I couldn’t write aliens or futuristic or dystopia or
whatever. I don’t even read that! I had to set it on earth, in the real world,
today. And it still took me forever. I
just love the cause, I had to be part of it! I’m so lucky to be included. I
love Meg, I love her character but sometimes I don’t think I did her justice.
How
is 2015 Kate—bestselling author of three books who’s signed with a power agent
and has a contract with a Big Cat Publisher—different from 2011 Kate—aspiring
author seeking advice on writer’s forums? If you could tell 2011 Kate one
thing, what would it be?
This question is embarrassing, Mary.
For God’s sake. I’m the same person. I might even tell 2011 Kate to enjoy all
her ego and bluster because it’s the most confident she’ll ever feel. She was
so stupid, she didn’t know enough to doubt every sentence.
What
advice would you give to an aspiring writer aiming to be a bestseller like you
someday?
Just keep writing and if someone tells
you you can’t do something, find another way to do it. There are a million ways
to keep going in this industry. Keep an open mind and do your homework,
research, and make the best decisions you can. And keep writing.
What’s
next for you? Can you tell us a bit about the book you have coming out next
year?
The Vanishing Year (Atria Books, Sep
2016) is about a woman who runs from her past. She seeks out her birth mother
only to discover that someone will stop at nothing to keep them apart. It’s a
redemption story, really. I can’t wait to see the final book!
ABOUT KATE
Kate Moretti lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and a dog. She’s worked in the pharmaceutical industry for ten years as a scientist, and has been an avid fiction reader her entire life.
She enjoys traveling and cooking, although with two kids, a day job, and writing, she doesn’t get to do those things as much as she’d like.
Her lifelong dream is to buy an old house with a secret passageway.
Visit Kate:
Goodreads page: http://bit.ly/1W4cgMS
Twitter: @KateMoretti1
Blog: A Beaker’s Reflection
Red Adept Publishing Page: http://bit.ly/RAPWhileGone
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