I sat at my computer, tears streaming down my face, but I didn’t give up. I still cry each time I edit or reread that section.
Susen Edwards – 15 November 2022
The Back Flap
In this fast-paced coming-of-age novel we meet Fiona, an art student at a New Jersey college who is brilliant, beautiful, and struggling to find herself. Through her eyes we relive the turbulent culture of sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll, the first draft lottery since World War II, the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, the Kent State University shootings, and the harsh realities of war for Americans in their early twenties.
Fiona’s best friend, Melissa, is in a dead-end relationship, pregnant, and going nowhere fast. After Melissa’s abortion, Fiona and Melissa spend a week in Florida, where they are introduced to tarot cards and the anti-war movement. Following this experience, Melissa becomes obsessed with the occult; Fiona, though intrigued, approaches the tarot cautiously, with the voice of her conservative Christian mother screaming in her head.
After Fiona’s return from Florida, she begins dating Reuben—a journalism major and political activist. Reuben decides to move to Canada to avoid the draft and encourages Fiona to accompany him. But is that really what she wants? Caught between her feelings for Reuben and her own aspirations, Fiona struggles to define herself, her artistic career, and her future.
About the book
When did you start writing the book?
I began writing What a Trip in April 2019.
How long did it take you to write it?
The first draft took a little less than a year.
Where did you get the idea from?
(Possible spoiler alert) I wrote a short essay about losing my best friend to a drunk driver when I was twenty-one. Writing the essay gave me the courage to confront the PTSD that had stayed with me since the night of the accident. Once the essay was on paper, I knew I had much more to tell, and What a Trip was born.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Writing Part One of What a Trip was easy. I knew I wanted the story to lead into the accident, but I had no idea where to go next. I began following historical events—Woodstock, the Vietnam War, Nixon’s draft lottery, and the Kent State Massacre—and the plot and characters began to take shape.
Once I got to the night of the accident, I froze. I sat at my computer, tears streaming down my face, but I didn’t give up. I still cry each time I edit or reread that section.
What came easily?
The dialogue was surprisingly easy to write. I immersed myself in the zeitgeist and the words flowed.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
My characters are fictitious. I think all writers borrow from real world people, and I’m no exception. Bits and pieces of me can be found in many of them as well.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
My current favorite author is Matt Haig. His creativity and imagination are an inspiration to me. I tend to focus heavily on dialogue in my writing and am motivated by the dialogue of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler in their hardboiled crime fiction.
Do you have a target reader?
My ideal reader is female, forty to eighty years old, who may have come of age during the 1960s and 1970s or the adult child of someone who grew up during that time.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I engage in a yoga and cardio routine most mornings before I write. During cardio I review my plans and goals for the day. Yoga helps clear my head and usually (not always!) puts me in a meditative state to begin writing. After making myself a cup of green tea, I move to my computer, review my prior day’s writing, and begin.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I don’t outline. I much prefer to allow my characters to guide me. I do keep a path in mind of where I want the story to go. I may jot a few notes down here and there, but that’s it.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do both. I often agonize over the perfect word or phrase as I write, knowing I should move on. Once I’ve finished for the day, I review what I’ve written and edit where necessary. The next day I review and edit once more before I begin writing. Once the manuscript is complete, I go back to the beginning and begin the editing process again. Editing is infinite.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I belong to a writing group and receive edits and comments from other members. Editors at She Write Press (publisher of What a Trip) provided outstanding editorial guidance as well.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Because I am easily distracted, I prefer silence to music. My office is located on the second floor of my home, and my desk faces a wall of windows and an ancient oak tree. I gain inspiration from the creatures who call the tree home.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I sent my manuscript to two agents, neither of which were interested.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I knew the challenge of finding a traditional publisher. I also knew self-publishing wouldn’t give me the exposure I wanted. A friend in my writing group suggested I submit to She Writes Press, a hybrid-indie publisher.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The phenomenal design team at She Writes Press created the cover.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
BookSparks, a division of SparkPointStudio is handling my marketing. I’m also working on some local marketing ideas independently and with other local authors.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your writing out there. Don’t think you have to go with a traditional publisher to gain recognition. Today’s publishing world is full of great opportunities from self-publishing to indie publishing. Taking the plunge transforms you from writer to author.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Whitehouse Station, a small town in Central New Jersey.
Where do you live now?
I live in Middlesex Borough, New Jersey, a community about thirty miles west of Manhattan.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I love the spoken and written word, and I’ve always loved writing. It’s taken me a lifetime become an author, and that’s okay.
I’m fascinated with concept of time and time travel. Can we move forward and backward it time? is it linear or circular? Can we step back into our past and make amends for the would’ve, should’ve, could’ve? These thoughts occupy my mind more than they should.
I have great respect for our planet and the creatures who inhabit it. I believe in the power of positive thinking and being a force for good in the world (hope that doesn’t sound too woo-woo!)
What are you working on now?
I’m writing my sister-in-law Barbara’s memoir. It’s a story of a young woman rejected by her family who takes a deep dive into the world of international drug smuggling. She has shared with me her tragedies and joys, and her eventual recovery and salvation.
End of Interview:
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