Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.
Today’s guest is Jessica Strawser (jessicastrawser.com) editor-at-large for Writer’s Digest and the author of five book club favorite novels: Almost Missed You; Not That I Could Tell (a Book of the Month bestseller); Forget You Know Me; A Million Reasons Why (named to Most Anticipated lists from Goodreads, SheReads, Frolic & E! News); and her latest, The Next Thing You Know (March 2022), a People Magazine Pick for Best New Novel (all from St. Martin’s Press). She has written for The New York Times Modern Love, Publishers Weekly, and others, and is a popular speaker at writing conferences. She lives with her husband and two children in Cincinnati, where she was named 2019 Writer-in-Residence for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Follow her on Facebook & Instagram @jessicastrawserauthor.
Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?
I was doing research for an entirely different book when I stumbled upon a reference to a death doula. I’d never heard of that before—someone who is trained to be with people and their families in the final stage of their lives—and was instantly fascinated by what it would take to do that job. Because it’s not medical: It’s all about finding peace, whatever that means to you. I instantly thought a death doula would be a fascinating protagonist.
Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?
I brainstormed reasons someone might be drawn to this profession and hit on a compelling backstory—one that would also be the character’s deepest secret. (I love a character with a secret!) I made her a motorcycle-riding free spirit who plays loose with the rules, and paired her with a client who would be her biggest challenge yet: A handsome yet prickly fallen rock star, Mason Shaylor. I decided on dual timelines, with a mystery at the center: In the present day, she’s being accused of mishandling Mason’s case, and he’s no longer there to defend her. In the past, we see their relationship unfold from day one and slowly learn what really happened between them.
Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?
All. The. Time! Although really, I’m not sure the plot is ever firmly in place before I start writing—I usually know where I’m going but not how I’m going to get there.
Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?
Whenever it comes time to write a new novel, I usually have an idea or two already marinating in the back of the fridge, but I definitely don’t have a pantry full of extras.
How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?
I usually start with a concept or theme, so if I have more than one, whichever starts bringing actual characters to mind first usually wins. But sometimes it’s about timing—what might seem topical or more right for the moment.
I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?
I find it distracting—which made this book a challenge to write during lockdown! I have two elementary-school aged kids who were home with me full time for six months (remote school, the whole works) in the time leading up to this deadline.