Interview With Linda Smolkin
Linda Smolkin always wanted to be a writer–ever since she saw her first TV commercial and wondered how to pen those clever ads. She got her degree in journalism and became a copywriter. Linda landed a job at an ad agency, where she worked for several years before joining the nonprofit world. She’s the author of AMONG THE BRANDED, THE SECRET WE LOST, and LOVE THE WAY THEY LIE and currently working on her fourth novel. When not in front of the computer, she’s behind the drums escaping into her pretend rock-star world!
We are delighted to feature this interview with her!
How has writing changed you as a person?
It has made me more open-minded. Often with writing, I need to do a lot of thinking, research, and reading before putting pen to paper. When reading about situations, circumstances, and others’ experiences, it makes me realize the following: people go through a lot and there’s never one way of dealing with what life throws your way.
Can you tell us a bit about your novel LOVE THE WAY THEY LIE and what inspired you to write it?
I often get book ideas while driving or walking, and one day the following thought came to me: When is a lie forgivable and/or acceptable? I started thinking about the storyline around it and, right after, wrote the outline and got working on the draft. The story begs the question of what lies (whether big or small) are okay. It also deals heavily with all types of relationships and how Maggie, my main character, comes to terms with betrayal and how she navigates life during and after that.
What would be your 6 word memoir?
Storyteller fueled by laughter and music.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever had, and the worst?
The best advice: read your work out loud because you’ll catch many things such as missing words or how a dialogue scene sounds. The worst is probably: make the writing the best it can be before moving on to the next page. I never really followed that advice because it messed with my writing flow. I’d rather get the entire draft done and then go back and improve it over and over again.
What is your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I’m definitely a plotter. I have to outline the scenes and know where the story is going. Sometimes, I change the middle or add to it. The middle is always the hardest, and sometimes I change the ending after getting it into the hands of my editor and beta readers. But overall, the story has been planned out.
Do you need a special place to write?
No, I just need a place to put my laptop! I do love looking out the window. It helps the creative juices flow. Also, pre-COVID, I often spent time in coffee shops. Since I couldn’t do that during COVID, I’d sit on a bench in my neighborhood and write. The change of scenery helps, and it forces me to sit and write or edit.
What is your experience with social media as a writer? Do you find it distracts you or does it provide inspiration?
Actually, both. It is somewhat distracting because I could spend hours on Instagram looking at book covers and learning about new book releases. But it also provides inspiration on how to improve on my own social media. I have a lot of good ideas for posts but then when it comes time to do them, I get sidetracked with work or drumming—and looking at book covers!
Who are your favorite authors?
So hard to choose! Instead, I’ll choose some books I’ve loved over the years: the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Beach Music by Pat Conroy, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain, Somebody’s Daughter by Rochelle Weinstein, and The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. I’m sure there are many more that I’ve left out.
What are you reading currently?
I’m deciding on my next read at this moment. I just finished Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby and really enjoyed it, and before that I loved The Forest of the Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel.
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Find out more about her on her website https://lindasmolkin.com
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindasmolkin
Love The Way They Lie, Linda Smolkin
In a matter of minutes, a speeding ticket turns her life upside down.
Thirty-eight-year-old Maggie Simmons has another reason to hate the Department of Motor Vehicles—other than the long lines. A visit to the DMV reveals a photo from a speeding ticket with her husband in the arms of a mystery woman. Maggie’s happy marriage to Nate shatters, but he refuses to leave her alone. In her attempts to move forward, remnants of her old life tear apart.
After separating, she fills the void with her dog, Chili, and a string of unexpected relationships. She finds herself with multiple people vying for her attention—and she enjoys the distraction. However, Maggie soon realizes they may have ulterior motives.
One by one, more betrayal weaves its way into Maggie’s life, leaving her devastated by the idea of being heartbroken and alone. In order to escape her reality, she flirts with the unthinkable—the one thing that triggered her suffering in the first place. A lie.
Love the Way They Lie is the third novel by author Linda Smolkin whose debut, Among the Branded, was called “a beautiful and fascinating novel that will keep readers hooked” by San Francisco Book Review.
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Category: On Writing
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