Established in 2018, TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books.
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in
2-3 sentences?
Deena Williams is
an outsider with a secretive past who will risk everything—including her
life—to fit in.
At secluded
Bellerton College, Deena is desperate to join a powerful clique of wealthy
girls anointed the Belles. She’s welcomed into their group with the gift of a
black velvet ribbon, and the comfortable life she’s always dreamed of is within
reach.
But Bellerton hides a sinister history, and soon Deena is caught in a web of
secrets, lies, and dangerous games in this chilling Southern gothic dark
academia debut mashup of THE SECRET HISTORY, BUNNY, and HEATHERS.
Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And which
character gave you the most trouble, and why?
I loved writing so many of my characters, it’s hard to pick!
Ada May was a character who conjured herself, which is appropriate to her
character’s genteel sinisterness. I hadn’t originally envisioned her in the
book, but she quickly became the foil to my protagonist, Deena, and with her
presence the book became a better, more interesting story. I also loved writing
Fred, an iconoclastic young woman who is utterly unapologetic about who she is.
Fred might be my favorite character in the novel.
Mary’s character was more challenging to write than I
expected. I knew her background and her role in the story’s plot, but figuring
out how to put her on the page while revealing the bits of mystery surrounding
her at the right moments was difficult.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
Publishing is a journey of highs and lows! I’m very lucky
and privileged to have landed with an editor, the terrific Laura Brown, who
understood my vision of the book and worked with me to elevate it to the
greatest version of itself. And Atria has been terrific, the whole team there
has been wonderful to work with.
One aspect of the publishing journey that isn’t talked about
as much as the agent query process is the submission process. Writers are
immensely focused on getting an agent—an important thing, especially if you’re
interested in publishing with Big 5 and prestige indie presses like Graywolf or
Algonquin—but for every book an agent has sold, they have five books from
clients whose died on submission. I was, again, very lucky that this didn’t
happen to The Belles—but it could have!
I think it’s important for writers to know that the journey
doesn’t stop with getting an agent. There are no guarantees in this business.
The journey continues for a long time beyond the agent, and it’s an emotionally
challenging and difficult journey with no security at any point. Your book, and
your career, face numerous hurdles every step of the way. And again with the
next book. And again beyond that.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Stay connected to your creativity. The writing is yours;
publishing is a business, and it’s a brutal one. There’s so much
romanticization around book publishing. I encourage writers to stay grounded.
Write for you, first and foremost. Not towards trends. Not towards what you
think you “should” be writing. Not to the critics in your head. Not to the
readers in your head. Write for you.
Then, worry about all the other stuff later. It becomes all-consuming
and gets in the way of the creative work.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
I have a drawer novel that I labored over for a decade. That
novel was a book I wrote out of shoulds. It was not a book I wrote out
of my own interests or obsessions, though I didn’t recognize it at the time.
When I decided to write The Belles, I had two rules for myself, and the
first one was that I wanted to write a book I would enjoy reading. A book that
was wholly composed of things I love. What surprised me most was how much I
enjoyed the actual writing process of The Belles once I followed my own
obsessions, tastes, and interests rather than someone else’s ideas of a book.
How did you find the title of your book?
I’m terrible at titles! I think most writers are. The
working title for The Belles was awful for a long time. I can’t remember
when I decided on The Belles, but it’s perfect. It’s a title that
references the group, and the consequences of conformity are a major theme in
the book. The novel is set in Virginia, and the word “belles” is evocative of
Southern Belles, a deeply complicated heritage that the young women in my book would
be emerging from. The word “belles” also means “beauty” in French, and toxic white
femininity is one of the core themes of my novel.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book?
The young women of Bellerton College love drinking sweet
iced tea on the shaded porches of their dormitories. I personally can’t stand
sweet tea—I drink unsweetened tea only.
***
READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: www.laceyndunham.com
READ MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Belles/Lacey-N-Dunham/9781668084861
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-belles-lacey-n-dunham/22287589?ean=9781668084861&next=t
SUBSTACK: laceyndunham.substack.com
