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. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Kristen Loesch, author of The Last Russian Doll, a haunting, epic novel about betrayal, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center. The Last Russian Doll releases March 14.

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 wouldn’t say there was one specific origin point, but when I started to burn out during my PhD in Slavonic Studies, I enrolled on a two-week creative writing course to get my mind onto something else. During that course, I wrote the first few scenes of a novel set in Russia. I think it was at that point that I realized that it wasn’t my love of research, reading, writing, or Russian history and culture that had diminished, not in the slightest; it just wasn’t going to the right place. I withdrew from my PhD eventually and it would be several years before I attempted a novel, but that was a wake-up call.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

In the most painful way possible. I took the initial idea and I ran with it and abruptly discovered, in the middle of that first draft, that I had no idea what was supposed to happen next; I had no idea where the story was going. It’s like that moment when you’re swimming off a beach and the ocean floor drops out from under your feet. It’s swift and brutal and weird, because you’re still swimming, nothing has really changed, but you know it. You’ve above the abyss. That’s what that discovery felt like. I scraped my way to the end, but I’ll never forget that feeling. 

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

Over several drafts, the story exploded out of the initial vision for it that I had and took on a life of its own (if you know that famous ‘chestburster’ scene from the film Alien? It was kind of like that…!). Nowadays I tend to think it helps to have a plot outline, even if you don’t necessarily stick to it, and even if you already expect the story to change along the way. I like to have something to fall back on!

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

Great question. The story ideas come fast and furious. Especially while I’m driving, taking a shower, or trying to fall asleep. In a way this is great, because it keeps me excited and motivated. At the same time it can be frustrating, because there’s not enough time to turn every idea, or even most ideas, into something concrete. I have to choose between them, which leads neatly to your next question…

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I usually go by gut instinct. Novel writing is such a marathon that it really helps to start out with peak enthusiasm, energy, and passion, and often there will be one particular idea, however unformed, that makes me think ‘ooh, that’s the one’. Otherwise, I’ll start out by writing a pitch or a few paragraphs expanding on the initial story idea; some ideas sound good in your head but once they’re on paper you’re like, OK, nobody ever needs to know this crossed my mind, ever.  

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 checked your feed and I’m jealous! I grew up with dogs; my parents still have one, and while I do often claim him as my own, in my household we don’t have any. My children have been clamoring for a pet, though, and they’re finally reaching an age where they could handle some caretaking responsibilities, so all that remains is to convince my husband…stay tuned!

Kristen Loesch grew up in San Francisco. She holds a BA in History, as well as a Master’s degree in Slavonic Studies from the University of Cambridge. Her debut historical novel, The Last Russian Doll, was shortlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award and longlisted for the Bath Novel Award under a different title. After a decade living in Europe, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children.