Interview: Danielle Younge-Ullman, Part 2

If you missed part one of my interview with debut novelist Danielle Younge-Ullman–when we discussed writing a book in 2nd person, selling at auction and gave you the opportunity to read two chapters of her work–click HERE, then come back. Danielle’s novel Falling Under has been called urban fiction, women’s fiction and mainstream literary fiction. One thing’s for certain about this dark, contemporary novel, though: Mara’s unique tale will stick with you long after you finish the book.

Today, Danielle and I chat about neurotic protagonists, writerly challenges, mysterious endings, publicity and her experience as a debutante at The Debutante Ball grog.

Enjoy!

Interview with Danielle Younge-Ullman: Part 2

Q: Mara is a neurotic protagonist, really haunted by her past. Was it tough at times, trying to balance the telling of her story with her neuroses? What challenges did you face with your unreliable narrator, and how did you get past them to create an identifiable and compelling heroine?

DYU: I tried to give her a high level of self-awareness and a good sense of humor, alongside the neuroses, which, I think, helps the reader stay connected to her. I also worked hard to show how resourceful, brave and loyal she is in the face of repeated abandonment (physical and emotional) and how determined she is to find a better way to live, even on the days she can barely get herself out of bed. Mara is operating at all times, on the assumption that she’s on her own and she has good reasons for this assumption even during times when it’s incorrect, even in circumstances where she’d be better off trusting. I laid the groundwork for the founding of this worldview from the very first page of the book and I think it helps the reader understand Mara’s (often bizarre) actions and reactions.

Q: What is your writing and editing process? How long did Falling Under take to craft, from start to finish?

DYU: I do a combo of outlining and flying by the seat of my pants. It appears that I must have an outline but it also appears that I will never be able to follow one. So I outline, write, veer wildly from the outline, write until I run out of ideas, ditch the old outline, make a new one based on what I’ve written and so on, until I’m done. And then I edit, edit, edit. It isn’t pretty and I hope someday to have a more painless and smooth process. Falling Under took approximately a year to write, though I did pause in the writing to write two plays, so it was perhaps less than a year in total.

Q: What was your biggest challenge working on this novel? What are some things you’ve tried that didn’t work? What, if anything, did you learn about your writing style?

DYU: The biggest challenge was getting it done. Honestly. Second to that though, the final third of the book, was the most challenging to write and edit. The character of Erik became so much more important, emotionally speaking, than I intended. I loved that, but it threw things off at first because it wasn’t in the plans. (Surprise, surprise.)

In terms of my writing style: the biggest thing I have learned about my writing style is that I am not one for long descriptive passages. I appreciate lyric description in other’s writing but in my own work, I like to be very economical. I like to evoke something with a few well chosen words and let the reader’s imagination do the rest. I suppose I am a minimalist.

Q: About Erik… There are some unexpected twists for the readers when it comes to his part of the story; you left a few things open for interpretation. Without giving anything away, how does writing a somewhat mysterious ending work in your favor for a story like Falling Under? Was it a difficult ending for you to tackle?

DYU: People are starting to ask me about the ending, that’s for sure! The ending got rewritten a few times and I finally settled on one that is ambiguous and yet realistic and (I think) satisfying. I did it because I really feel there is more than one good and viable path for Mara at the end of the book and I wanted to leave those paths open. I wanted it for her, for myself and ultimately for the readers who go on the journey with her. I think people are going to talk about it, debate about it with friends who read the book and hopefully it will mean Mara and her story stay in people’s minds long after they’ve finished.

Q: You’re also a published playwright. How has your experience with plays influenced your writing?

DYU: I should clarify that I am a produced playwright but not a published one. But I did start out with writing plays because at the time I was a professional actor doing a lot of theatre. The theatre background has been hugely helpful in writing dialogue—specifically in giving me a feel for what is natural and for the rhythm of conversation. The theatre and playwriting have also taught me about motivation, building tension and shaping and structuring a scene. (Notice that? I think in terms of “scenes” rather than chapters.) There were a lot of things that I just understood how to do from the beginning, things that felt instinctual but which I’d actually learned over the years in theatre.

Q: For the last year, you’ve been involved with “The Debutante Ball.” What’s the site about, and how have you benefited from being part of it? How does the site go about finding new debutantes?

DYU: The Debutante Ball is about debut authors banding together to help cross-promote their books, connect with a broad audience of readers and share experiences on the road to publication. I’d never blogged before so it’s been wonderful from a creative and personal standpoint—it’s fun to write about something new every week and get immediate feedback from readers. It’s also really given me a sense of community, both with my fellow debutantes, (Eileen Cook, Jenny Gardiner, Lisa Daily, Jess Riley and Gail Konop Baker) and with other writers and booklovers from all over the world. And of course, we are getting lots of traffic and some great press about the site so hopefully that will translate into some book sales! We have launched a 2009 Debutante Search—there is info about it on the site—and will be wading through the many wonderful applications in July. We’ll be looking for an eclectic mix of energetic, dynamic female writers who have great books being published in 2009.

Q: Hard-hitting publicity for a debut novelist is critical. Aside from TDB, what have you done to ensure word of your novel gets out? What steps will you take once it IS out?

DYU: Honestly, I’m lying awake at night worrying about this. My publicists and Penguin in NY and at Penguin Canada are wonderful and I know they are pitching me for a variety of media. I am also participating in a bunch of conferences and literary festivals with my fellow debutantes—RWA, the Backspace Conference and the Wisconsin Literary Festival for starters. I’ve sent the book to a variety of respected bloggers and columnists and I’m planning launch parties in Toronto in NY that are open to the public. This past weekend I also attended Book Expo Canada where I did a reading, signed almost 100 advance reading copies and met a bunch of great bookstore owners, managers and employees. I’ve done interviews for a women’s newspaper, Canadian Booksellers Magazine, and the magazine my high school publishes and I just had an article published in Canada’s Quill & Quire. I’m just getting started but it’s a BIG job! And a lot of an author’s job, I’ve found, is coming up with pitch ideas that can then be followed through by the publicists, who have the contacts and know how to do things the “proper way”. So I’m doing a lot of that—sending ideas their way and hoping they run with them.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received on writing?

DYU: Not to wait for the muse to strike. You have to be disciplined and you can’t expect to be in creative ecstasy all the time or you’ll never get anything written. I can’t attribute this advice to any one person, but I particularly love Stephen King’s On Writing and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Q: What will you work on next?

DYU: I’m working another adult fiction set in Minnesota and Montreal. I’m mired in the middle of it and totally frustrated so I’m going to be coy about the premise for now. (See above description of writing process!)

Thanks so much for a great interview, Danielle, and best of luck with Falling Under and your new story!

Readers, you can order Danielle’s novel at Amazon HERE or through booksellers nationwide.