Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Lisa Dailey whose recent memoir, Square Up: 50,000 Miles in Search of A Way Home, has been published on March 30, 2021. 

Lisa Dailey is an avid traveler and writer. In her time abroad, she unearthed new ways of looking at her life through her discoveries in remote corners of the world and she continues to enrich her life through travel. She is currently working on a recipe anthology as well as her first work of fiction.

A native Montanan, Lisa now makes her home by the ocean in Bellingham, Washington, but returns to her roots every summer for a healthy dose of mountains and Big Sky.

Lisa is the owner of Silent Sidekick and Sidekick Press where she helps guide authors through their publishing journey.

Bee: How long did it take you to complete Square Up? Include some of the research involved.

Lisa: Though I didn’t know then it would turn into a book, I actually started writing as we traveled around the world. My friends and family really wanted to be able to keep track of our adventure, so I blogged about each new place and new adventure.

It wasn’t until I returned home that I discovered that I needed to find some meaning in the journey and that delving more into the “so what” would help that process. I joined a memoir class and spent the next nine months compiling some of the blog posts and intertwining my personal story.

After another six-month class and putting the book through multiple critique sessions, I sent it to a developmental editor who gave me more work to do… a lot more work! Finally, after completing those tasks and sending it through critique one more time, I felt it was in the best possible shape it could be, and I published. 

Much of the research that went into the book revolved around the specific locations that we visited. I wanted readers to really get a flavor of the destinations we visited. I reviewed a lot of history, place names, local food, spelling, etc.

Bee: At what point in your travels with your family did you decide to write Square Up.

Lisa: I really didn’t think about writing a book during the trip. I was much more focused on dealing with the overwhelming grief and anxiety I was experiencing as a result of all the loss I went through. The blogs were simply a way to keep everyone back home up to date. 

I had always wanted to write a book and when I got back to the U.S. it is that book of fiction that I had decided I would work on.

But when I sat down to write it, what came out was the meaning making of the trip. And as fate would have it, I found an amazing book coach and program to help me get it done.

Bee: What was your favorite travel destination? Would your husband and sons agree, or do they have different favorites?

Lisa: We all get asked this question a lot and I think it changes from time to time for each one of us.

For me, one of my all-time favorites was the 1000 stupas at Indein on Inle Lake, Myanmar. The whole adventure of just getting to this destination was incredible. Standing among the stupas overlooking the lake was emotionally powerful. I write about this place in the book as well.

It’s holds very special meaning to me. I also really enjoyed Nepal, perhaps because we stayed in Dhulikhel for an extended time and got to know it better than some other places. 

I know my husband loved Vietnam. Also, because I think his experience there was much more in-depth as he got to work at a clinic for a month.

It’s hard to pin down the boys on one favorite place. We all have a place that we disliked, and I bet you could figure it out by reading the book!

Bee: Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself? 

Lisa: The cover was designed by a fellow writer and graphic designer. She had read the book in its entirety and really wanted to represent both the inner and outer journeys. I was reluctant to have my face on the cover at first, but she convinced me! 

Bee: When did you first have a desire to write?  How did this desire manifest itself?

Lisa: I have been writing for as long as I can remember. When my mother died, I found a box of artwork from my childhood and in it was a stapled, color pencil-illustrated booklet entitled How the World Turns about a family who moved from Montana to Arizona.

After that, there were a lot of journals, high school poetry magazines, and blogging… so much blogging. I guess you could say I’ve always been a writer.

Bee: How important do you believe having a good editor is for the success of your book?

Lisa: It’s an absolute necessity. As you know, finding errors in books is fairly common. But as a publisher, I want to make sure that the work I produce is as clean as possible and that it makes sense.

That requires several different types editing at different stages of the process. And not just one pass. The author is not a great editor because they are too closely tied to the work. Even if they read over their work, they will fill in gaps if something is wrong.

Finding and hiring a good editor is key. An author may also want to invest in developmental editing to make sure that the story flows from a reader’s perspective. Your friends and family who volunteer to beta read are fine for smaller points, but you aren’t going to get a deep analysis. At my publishing company, Sidekick Press, books go through at least five passes before publication.

Bee: What books did you love growing up?

Lisa: The books that really got me into reading were The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

This is another area, however, where it’s difficult to pinpoint just a few. I am a voracious reader so often I forget what I’ve even read. I have started keeping a list on Goodreads, but even that requires updating from time to time!

Bee: Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?

Lisa: I grew up in small town Montana where everyone seems to know something about you or your history or where you were last Saturday. I now live in the larger small town (city?) of Bellingham, Washington, nestled between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, right up against the Puget Sounds. We get mountains and skiing to the east and ocean sunsets and water sports to the west, small town living between two metropolitan areas…a perfect place to live.

Bee: What is your usual writing routine or do you just wing it?

Lisa: I have a dedicated four-hour window on Tuesdays that I am supposed to dedicate to writing. Does that always happen? No. But it’s on my calendar, which is the first hurdle, and I have a group that I meet with on Zoom for accountability. (So far no one has admonished me for not writing.) I am a plotter for sure, so trying to get the outline done is my first step. I need to know where I’m going, at least generally. I find prompts are great for this as well.

Bee: What kinds of jobs have you had in your life?

Lisa: My mother was the owner of a temp service, so I’ve had more kinds of jobs than you can probably imagine…hotel maid, grocery store sample distribution, oil refinery, all kinds of office work, writer, publisher, fast food, keno caller, legal secretary, bankruptcy court liaison, waitress, theater manager, accounting software implementation, database report writer…the list goes on and on.

Bee: How do you like to relax?

Lisa: First I have to find time! As an author and owner of two businesses, there are not enough hours in the day. But, when I do find the time, I love a good board game and have a room filled with them. Luckily, I have family who also loves a good challenge. I also try to get outside and away from the computer at least once a day. I’m currently training to run a 10K in Iceland in June, so that is some great incentive as well!

Bee: Do you have a new book or project you are currently working on?

Lisa: I am actually working on two book projects. I am writing that book of fiction that has been rewriting itself in my brain for 25 years. I am also working on a cookbook all about soup. I am accepting submissions for the soup book as well. Readers can submit at www.sidekickpress.com.

Bee: Where can our readers find out more about you and Square Up: 50,000 Miles in Search of A Way Home?

Lisa: My Website

Bee: Thanks again and good luck with Square Up!

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