| I’m a member of the Boston Authors Club, a great local organization, and I was lucky enough to be their featured interview for the April newsletter. Here’s what we chatted about: |
| Featured Interview: Clea Simon |
 Clea Simon is the bestselling author of three nonfiction books and 32 novels. Her crime fiction is divided between cozy mysteries (most recently her “Witch Cats of Cambridge” series) and psychological suspense, including Hold Me Down (a Massachusetts Center for the Book “Must Read”). A graduate of Harvard University, Clea has contributed to publications ranging from Salon.com and Harvard Magazine to Rolling Stone, Yankee, and The New York Times. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, the writer Jon S. Garelick, and one cat, Thisbe. Clea’s new novel, The Butterfly Trap, is a psychological thriller with what reviewers describe as “a can’t-put-down dual perspective narrative” and “a shocking climax.” In this interview, Clea talks about the novel’s inspiration, her writing process, and upcoming book launch events. Q: The Butterfly Trap sounds like a departure from many of your earlier novels. Can you share your inspiration for the book’s plot line? I would love to! The Butterfly Trap was sparked by a deep conversation with an old friend. He’s a widower and he’d started dating again. His marriage had been troubled, and when he and his new love came to stay for a few days, it pretty quickly became apparent that this match was going to have some of the same issues. By the third day, while his girlfriend was still asleep, he and I had a heart-to-heart at my kitchen table that ended with both of us in tears. At some point I said, “You always go for the crazy.” They broke up soon after. But that conversation – and my own reaction – started me thinking about what had been his late wife’s issues and what his own. And that led me to my parent’s marriage. Like the couple in Butterfly, my mother was an artist – a painter and a printmaker – and my father was a physician. And I started thinking about these fights they’d have. They always played out at the dinner table. She’d start needling him and at some point, he’d blow up verbally. He was a big man and loud, and my mom would run off to the kitchen to cry. And I would follow and comfort her, though I would also have this weird feeling that my father – confused by what had happened and his own response – needed comforting too. He was a bull in a China shop, really. It was an odd dynamic. But ultimately one that I believe I now recognize.I’ve found that a certain kind of straight man tends to fetishize or sexualize women artists. Like, the same woman could be an accountant but she wouldn’t be as attractive. The arts are a mystery, at least for certain sorts of people. They involve channeling other worlds or emotions, and as such they’re very sexy. But they’re not usually profitable, and that can create an unhealthy relationship dynamic. Although I believe my father really loved my mother and was happy to support her arts, he also expected her to have dinner on the table at six every night, no matter where she was in a piece, and to maintain a certain look as a doctor’s wife. After my talk with my friend, all those memories came flooding back with their themes of desire vs. expectations, gender roles and the power of money in a relationship. I wondered how this would play out for a couple today… and I started writing. Q: You are such a prolific author, having published 32 novels and 3 nonfiction books so far. What is your process for planning a new book and for the day-to-day writing and editing? I don’t do much planning, to be honest. What sparks me is a scene or a memory, like the one that jumpstarted Butterfly. Basically, there’s usually something I want to understand better – something that feels “hot” or painful, even – and I do that by writing it out, by seeing how people (my characters) would act or respond. At some point, in all my books, I have to do research – whether it’s checking out art supplies or cat behavior. But I’m usually deep in by that point! As far as my process: I’m a believer in writing every weekday. I usually set a word count goal and I make myself hit it. Often, I write really badly to do that, but that’s part of the process too: you have to get the tap flowing to get through the rusty water to the clear! Giving myself permission to write a bad first draft is something I have to re-learn every time, but it’s a necessary part of the process (and often there’s some good in there). Q: Do you have advice for new authors about how to stay engaged and productive over the long term? Yes! Make yourself write on a regular schedule. For me, it’s every weekday. Not everybody can do that, but you can set a schedule and stick to it. Q: Is there anything you particularly look forward to in launching a new book? What events and social media promotions are on tap this spring to introduce readers to The Butterfly Trap? I love doing in-person events! I’ve already done the book launch for The Butterfly Trap at Harvard Book Store (they have signed copies for sale) and I’ll be going to the Mysterious Bookshop in New York before this April newsletter comes out. I am convening a mystery conversation at Porter Square Books on April 15, 7 p.m.,that should be great fun. Joanna Schaffhausen, who writes thrillers, and Karen Olson, whose latest book is a re-imagining of the six wives of Henry VII, will join me and we’ll talk about plotting, process… everything you asked me. And we’ll be taking questions from the audience as well! Program details are below. Everyone is invited to join us! Interview by Mary J. Cronin |