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Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is excited to have as our guest, Elise Blackwell, author of Grub, Hunger and The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish. Elise is also an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina in Columbia where she teaches creative writing and contemporary fiction.

Good day Elise and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

I believe Grub is your third novel. Was there anything different writing this novel as compared to your first two?

Elise:

While Grub is my longest novel to date, it was in many ways the easiest and most fun to write. It’s a retelling of an older novel, so I had something of a blueprint to follow. Plus it’s a satirical novel, meant to be read fairly quickly and I hope with a smile. So I say I had a good time writing it, which of course isn’t always the case.

Norm:

Why did you base Grub on George Gissing’s classic satire, New Grub Street?

Elise:

When I read New Grub Street, I was struck with how little the literary marketplace had changed since the 1890s. Yet society and literary styles have changed enough that it seemed time for a retelling. Grub is quite true to the original in its critique of the literary marketplace—what publishing does to writers and what writers do to themselves and each other—but I also wanted it to be more accessible and a quicker read. I also wanted to update the female characters, to make them writers and not only the wives and daughters of writers, and to poke fun of a few more recent developments in the literary marketplace. Still, I continue to be impressed with how well Gissing’s tale has held up, how accurate his portrayals of various character types are.

Norm:

How did you approach writing the various characters in Grub? Did you plan them out or did they evolve as you wrote the book?

Elise:

Each of my primary characters has a parallel in New Grub Street, in most cases right down to their initials and relationship to writing and ambition. But each of them—and particularly the women—evolved as I write them in the contemporary context. I also wanted to root the ambitions of the more despicable characters in sympathetic origins, to give them complexity even as they are meant to represent types.

Norm:

What do you want your work to do? Amuse people? Provoke thinking?

Elise:

Foremost, I want people to laugh. I want writers and publishing types to laugh at themselves, their friends, and the nemeses, but I hope that anyone who has ever felt a desire to succeed in any field or profession will recognize versions of people they know. I worked hard to plot the book tightly, and I confess that I want readers turning pages just to find out what happens. There’s a more serious purpose also, which is to take a critical look at how commercial publishing affects what gets read and what gets written. There have been some terrific developments in the literary landscape, including the growth of book clubs and reading groups, but other trends outright threaten our literature and that worries me. I also hope that some of the nicer but less successful characters in Grub might inspire us all to be a little kinder to their real-world counterparts.

Norm:

What do you think over the years has driven you as a writer?

Elise:

I’ve heard writing called “a dysfunctional relationship with paper products.” A joke of course, but there’s truth to the statement in that a relationship with words is where writing starts for a lot of writers. I am compelled to write, and most of the time it gives me pleasure. It’s something I’ve loved since I was very young, since I learned to use a pencil.

Norm:

In fiction as well as in non-fiction, writers very often take liberties with their material to tell a good story or make a point.

But how much is too much?

Elise:

A lot more goes in fiction than in non-fiction, which purports itself as not only truth but as fact. Composite characters are absolutely appropriate in fiction but generally not in non-fiction. Even in fiction, though, writers need to be judicious about flashing their poetic license. The aim should be truth of a kind, and that standard becomes more particular with basing fiction on real events. My first two novels, for instance, are loosely based on historical events, and I felt a responsibility to get certain classes of fact right, even as I was writing about fictional characters.

Norm:

Do you feel that writers, regardless of genre owe something to readers, if not, why not, if so, why and what would that be?

Elise:

“Owe” is an interesting word, because of course readers can always drop a book that doesn’t inform them or move them or entertain them or otherwise give them pleasure or value. But it is a presumptuous thing to put a book out into the world, with the implied request to “read me.” So, yes, writers do owe their readers something, but that something can vary. There should be some entertainment, some emotional truth, or some new idea—ideally all three.

Norm:

How long does it take you to write a typical novel, including research, writing and editing time?

Elise:

It varies. Generally it takes me 1-2 years, though my first novel germinated for even longer. During that time, I’m always thinking about the book but also working a day job. I confess that I wrote Grub very quickly once I commenced the actual writing. After I read New Grub Street, I spent a good long while toying with the idea of a retelling and imagining characters, but the actual writing and editing took only six months—in part because I had a blueprint (Gissing’s novel) and in part because I knew the people I was writing about all too well.

Norm:

Can you tell us how you found representation for Grub? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections?

Elise:

Several editors who wanted to publish Grub couldn’t get support from their higher-ups and/or sales types. I like to tell myself it’s because the novel is so critical of the commercial publishing industry, but that might just be a fun story to tell myself. One editor did, however, take direct umbrage with Grub. She said, “I love what I do too much to stand back and see it as satire.” I find that delusional and comical in an industry that publishes some of the books I’ve seen. Ultimately I decided to approach an independent publisher I thought could appreciate Grub’s irreverence. It turned out to be the right decision for this book, and I am thrilled with the support Grub has received.

Norm:

How important is it for aspiring writers to go to conferences? How do you know that a conference is worth your time and money?

Elise:

Conferences are great for writers who are working in the wilderness and want some company. But conferences can also be competitive and nasty, and not a few writers leaving them feeling dejected. Conferences can be a way to make contacts, but, again, many writers leave them disappointed. An editor or agent at a conference cannot take everyone on, nor are conferences necessary to obtain an editor or agent. There’s nothing wrong with the old-fashioned query letter; that’s how most writers get an agent. But for a young or newer writer genuinely seeking feedback or looking to talk about writing and make the acquaintance of others who write, a conference can be a good thing. Best is to choose a conference with a staff/faculty you admire and/or a location you would like to visit anyway. And apply for a scholarship or fellowship. If you’re on a tight budget, a conference may not be worth your money, and you’ll wind up bitter if you wind up having both bad memories and credit-card debt.

Norm:

Many writers want to be published, but not everyone is cut out for a writer's life. What are some signs that perhaps someone is not cut out to be a writer and should try to do something else for a living?

Elise:

If someone spends more time talking about writing than writing, that’s a bad sign. Most writers spend large amounts of time alone in a room, and that’s not a life suitable for every personality. Writers also need tremendous intrinsic motivation—the road to publication is generally long and the road to financial independence through writing is generally impassable. On the other hand, if you find that no matter how busy you are and how many hours you work your paying job, you still squeeze in as much writing as you can and get downright excited when you find just the right word—well, then you’re likely cursed with the writing life. The good news is that the work itself will reward you even if the world does not.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered and what is next for Elise Blackwell?

Elise:

I’m looking forward to my upcoming readings and signings of Grub, and to hearing back, particularly from writers, what they think of it. I’m just beginning a new novel that I’m really excited about. It’s called Water Damage, at least for now, and of course I want it to be the best thing I’ve ever written.

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

 Elise: Thank you so much for hosting me and for your great questions.

To read Norm's Review of Grub CLICK HERE

Click Here To Purchase Grub From Amazon