IndieView with Lorraine Devon Wilke, author of Hysterical Love

As for the initial idea: many years back, one of my brothers shared an interesting tale with me of a man who found an old story of his father’s about a woman who seemed to be the “one that got away.” This fellow was so intrigued by the idea of this mysterious woman from his father’s past (whose name and location were mentioned in the story), that he got her number via 411 and called her.

Lorraine Devon Wilke – 12 April 2015

The Back Flap

Dan McDowell, a thirty-three-year-old portrait photographer happily set to marry his beloved Jane, is stunned when a slip of the tongue about an “ex-girlfriend overlap” of years earlier throws their pending marriage into doubt and him onto the street. Or at least into the second bedroom of their next-door neighbor, Bob, where Dan is sure it won’t be long. It’s long.

His sister, Lucy, further confuses matters with her “soul mate theory” and its suggestion that Jane might not be his… soul mate, that is. But the tipping point comes when his father is struck ill, sparking a chain of events in which Dan discovers a story written by this man he doesn’t readily understand, but who, it seems, has long harbored an unrequited love from decades earlier.

Incapable of fixing his own romantic dilemma, Dan becomes fixated on finding this woman of his father’s dreams and sets off for Oakland, California, on a mission fraught with detours and semi-hilarious peril. Along the way he meets the beautiful Fiona, herbalist and flower child, who assists in his quest while quietly and erotically shaking up his world. When, against all odds, he finds the elusive woman from the past, the ultimate discovery of how she truly fit into his father’s life leaves him staggered, as does the reality of what’s been stirred up with Fiona. But it’s when he returns home to yet another set of unexpected truths that he’s shaken to the core, ultimately forced to face who he is and just whom he might be able to love.

Lorraine Devon Wilke, author of the acclaimed debut novel, After The Sucker Punch, brings her deft mix of humor and drama to a whip-smart narrative told from the point of view of its male protagonist. Hysterical Love explores themes of family, commitment, balancing creativity, facing adulthood, and digging deep to understand the beating heart of true love.

About the book

What is the book about?

The story is about Dan McDowell, a thirty-three-year-old portrait photographer, who, in the very first chapter of the book, is dumped by Jane, his fiancée. This inauspicious event occurs after he lets it slip that there was “overlap” with his ex- right after he and Jane started dating three years earlier. In the melee that follows, he’s “obligated” to move next door to his best friend, Bob’s, presuming it won’t be long before it all blows over. It’s long. And with each passing week, Dan begins questioning his future, his career, and—on a suggestion from his sister Lucy—the notion of soul mates…and if Jane is really his. But it’s when his father gets sick, and Dan discovers a fifty-year-old story of lost love written by this confounding man he doesn’t readily understand, that life turns upside down. Incapable of fixing his own romantic dilemma, and convinced the mysterious woman from his father’s past has pivotal answers about the meaning of love, Dan sets off on a wild road trip to find her. When he meets the beautiful Fiona along the way, his own confusion about soul mates and how true love is defined becomes a prevailing theme, leading him to some unexpected truths.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing in earnest in the summer of 2014…

How long did it take you to write it?

I was focused on meeting a deadline and would spend anywhere from 10 to 16 hours a day on an almost daily basis from August of 2014 until December getting a very solid first draft accomplished, often with the help of excellent readers and editors. Once that draft was done, I then spent the next couple of months fine-tuning, polishing, tweaking, etc. Odds are I’ll be doing that up until the very moment it’s submitted for final review before its publishing date of April 7th!

Where did you get the idea from?

Frankly, the reason I was able to get Hysterical Love done as quickly as I did (my first novel, After The Sucker Punch, took a couple of years!), was because I adapted it from a screenplay I had written several years earlier, so the story, the characters, the plot line, the general arc, had all been painstakingly worked out via that earlier process. Of course, adapting a 120-page screenplay into a full-blown novel was quite the challenge, harder than I’d imagined, but once I figured it out, it seemed to flow.

As for the initial idea: many years back, one of my brothers shared an interesting tale with me of a man who found an old story of his father’s about a woman who seemed to be the “one that got away.” This fellow was so intrigued by the idea of this mysterious woman from his father’s past (whose name and location were mentioned in the story), that he got her number via 411 and called her. When a woman answered, he panicked and hung up, and that was the end of it; he never took it any further. My fertile imagination, however, thought, “what would happen if the guy didn’t leave it there? If he actually went off to find this women?” That idea so intrigued me, I built a story to set up that eventuality, with an entire set of characters to bring it alive, and a plot line that took the idea all the way to its unexpected conclusion!

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Probably the adapting of the screenplay into novel form was the most difficult task. Digging deeper, fleshing out the characters’ thoughts and histories, finding the key points and expanding from there was a challenge. In screenplays you want to convey the story through visuals, dialogue, and action. There’s no introspection, no context, no internalizing. So pulling out that deeper backdrop of the story was, at first, a bit of a struggle. At some point, though, it clicked for me and then it was smooth sailing: I set up the basic story arc using the screenplay, then let it go and allowed these characters I’d created take me deeper into their lives and their thinking. It was actually quite fun once I got the hang of it!

What came easily?

I’ve always loved writing dialogue. After I’ve created the characters and have an innate sense of who they are and how they view life, it becomes a matter of “following” them rather than pushing and prodding them forward in the story. To me, it’s about “listening” to what they have to say, how they’d respond to this or that, what they’d do next from scene to scene. If you’re really listening, dialogue becomes almost a matter of transcription: giving the characters free rein and then recording what it is they’re saying, either to each other or in introspection. Quite fun!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

While none of these characters is based specifically on anyone I know, I suspect all writers “borrow” from real world people in one way or another! Traits, ways of talking, personalities, maybe even some life events and experiences. Given that this book is told in the first-person narrative of the male protagonist, I had to climb inside the male mind to make it work. For that, I relied on my experiences and interactions with five brothers, a husband, a son, loads of male friends, and my many years on the road with rock & roll bands! Dan, the protagonist, is a composite of traits borrowed from a variety of those fellows—his verbiage and vernacular, his humor, his point of view, his emotional depth, even his verbosity are based on a few different men I know. But beyond that, the characters have all been joyfully imagined!

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I’ve always preferred literary fiction, deeper stories that touch on human issues, real life relationships, the way we interact with each other and the world around us… life, family, living as a human being in this world. So the writers that write in that genre are always my favorites: Jojo Moyes, Rebecca Wells, Liane Moriarity, Pat Conroy, Richard Russo, Nick Hornby, Dave Eggers, Barbara Kingsolver, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Anthony Doerr, Khaled Hosseini, Sara Gruen, Mark Barry…

I’ve been inspired by way these writers create the depth and heart of their characters and the lives encompassed in their books. The journeys, the conflicts, the issues, even the humor and suspense, are conveyed with rich language, smart patter, a compelling mix of vocabulary deep enough to tickle your brain without having you run to the dictionary! I love the color, the way settings are created, the human emotion and interaction. I can remember reading Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and being so utterly moved by the prose, I said to myself, “why would I ever deign to write when this man is doing it so unfathomably well?” I got past that, figured I had my own voice, but I have to say, I did feel energized by that level of inspiration!

Do you have a target reader?

Age-wise, I hope I appeal to any adult demographic. But certainly my target reader would be one who appreciates the things I believe are meaningful in reading any book, but particularly literary fiction. The pleasure of a good story well told. The experience of feeling something. A plot that takes you places, holds your interest, pushes you to turn the page. That feeling of being inspired or transported. Enjoyment of characters that make you laugh, piss you off, get you to think; maybe consider a new idea. The pleasure of time spent in a world that may not be your own, but is one you might recognize, might find intriguing. The sense of seeing you own life reflected, with people you’ve known, experiences you’ve had, places you’ve been… at the same time, introducing you to something or someone new. Certainly readers who like that kind of book would fall into my target audience!

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I honestly can’t say I have a process. Or a ritual. Or a way I must do things. No special spot to write, shirt to wear, or music to listen to. I work with a laptop, so I can write anywhere and often do. I can write with others in the room, noise going on, madness ensuing around me, or I can write in complete silence and solitude. Very internal process for me, learned, I suppose, as one of eleven children in a very loud, chaotic family!

Also, I’m a power walker and it’s during walks I find my Muse often visits to inspire ideas for a story, suggest where to take a plot, or point out what I might have forgotten, left out, or misplaced. Walking helps clear my mind and make room for that “channel” of inspiration. I’d guess that’s the closest I get to a process!

Of course, if someone wants to endow me with a good cup of coffee or an excellent piece of chocolate, I find those items very conducive to excellent writing! J

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

My version of outlining is pretty loose, basically just a chapter list with a couple of sentences. I do like knowing where I’m going, the beginning, middle, and certainly the end, but I don’t like to get too caught up in detailing it all in outline form. Takes away the fun of discovery for me while I’m actually writing! Once I have the arc, I’d rather follow that and let surprises happen, new ideas pop up, unplanned directions appear as the characters develop and start evolving, perhaps differently than I first imagined.

Sometimes I’ll go back to read the outline later and see where I left some things out, maybe went off on a tangent, and sometimes that compels me to get back on track; other times I’m happier with the detour! My outlines are just the blueprint; mostly I want the living, breathing life of the characters to guide the plot as we go along.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Depends on my mood. Overall I wait to edit until I’m done with a solid first draft, but sometimes looking over earlier chapters and making smaller edits helps get me in the mood to write the chapters ahead, and often helps me clarify what feels most logical in terms of “what’s next?” But the BIG edit, the “sit down and see how the whole story arc works” edit has to wait until at least the first draft is done.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Absolutely and without question. I believe a professional editor is a non-negotiable MUST for any author, both a content editor and a copy editor.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Not as a matter of routine. I can have music playing in the background, that doesn’t bother me, but I don’t typically have it on.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I did with my first book, After The Sucker Punch. As much as I was intrigued by the idea of self-publishing, I’d done enough marketing and promotion of other aspects of my career (my music, photography, articles, etc.) that I had a strong desire to work with a publisher, someone who could participate in and have a farther reach than me on my own in marketing the book. Given that, I actually spent quite a few years going through the process of looking for a literary agent: querying, sending out chapters, sending out full manuscripts, waiting, waiting, waiting for responses, which most often didn’t come or, if and when they did, were usually form, generic, and unenlightening as to why the work was rejected. Frankly, it was a tedious, tortuous process (as it likely is for most writers!), one that I chose not to endure with my second novel, Hysterical Love.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

After the years of agent-wrangling described above, I finally made the decision to self-publish. I believed strongly in my book, had gotten tremendous response from readers and book professionals in the field, and felt, since I could get past the gatekeepers, that I had to take matters into my own hands if I ever wanted to move forward. I intended to self-publish After The Sucker Punch in early 2013, then two “agent events” happened that convinced me to wait a bit: One event was through a friend who had secured a big deal at a traditional publishing house, who so loved my book that she wanted her agent to read it. I got her a copy and she got it to her agent, assuring her “this is a gift you won’t regret reading.”

The second event, simultaneously, was when an agent who’d read a few chapters contacted me with a plea to “not sign with any other agent until I can read the full manuscript… I love the story and the idea.”

Both were during the second quarter of 2013 and both were such hopeful prospects I decided to hold off on self-publishing to give them the opportunity to play out.

My friend, after repeated entreaties to her agent, finally, after six months, called and said, “I’m so sorry and disgusted… I can’t even get her read it, I can’t do anymore, and I’m really disappointed in them.” I thanked her for her efforts and closed that door.

The other agent, after keeping me waiting for many, many months, ultimately dropped me generic note right before Christmas 2013, saying it just wasn’t right for her (or some such formulaic rejection line).

And that was it for me, the tipping point: I was done querying. It was time to get proactive and self-publish, which I immediately set into motion and finally accomplished in May of 2014, when After The Sucker Punch came out in paperback and ebook to tremendous response and a variety of honors and awards.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

As with editing, I believe a professionally designed book cover is a non-negotiable “cost of doing business.” I do judge a book by its cover and if one is sloppy and amateurish, I can’t get beyond that; it’s usually a sign that the work is amateurish as well. So it was imperative to me that my covers meet the highest standards and could comfortably sit on the shelf next to any traditionally published book. I hired a Chicago graphic artist whose work I love and who’d designed things for me before, Grace Amandes (www.graceamandes.com). Grace used my photographs in both my book covers and the artwork she designed completely captures the mood and sensibility of the stories. She does excellent work… she also happens to be my sister!

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I did all my own marketing and promotion for After The Sucker Punch, which went remarkably well (my years hawking my other creative work came into excellent focus during the process!). But this go-around, with Hysterical Love, I decided I needed and wanted some professional help. I’m working with the Julie Schoerke and her team at JKSCommunications, a book publicity company, in a pre- and post-launch campaign, to raise the profile of the book in advance of its publication date of April 7th, as well as continue that work for a period of time afterward. I’m absolutely thrilled to have this team in my corner—all very dedicated, knowledgeable pros who really know the marketplace. I’m excited to give Hysterical Love every chance it can get to do well, and look forward to the campaign having significant impact on that goal! Of course, all my usual marketing steps (social media, profiles at the top indie author websites, mailers, etc.), will happen alongside everything JKS is doing.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

The passion and artistry of writing a book is a major part—the major part!—but just one part of the journey of becoming an indie author. As exhilarating and satisfying as it is to write a novel, something most people consider quite an accomplishment (and it is!), being an “indie author” means also being a business person. You are the publisher, the marketer, the promoter, and the publicist. That aspect of it can be confounding, frustrating, exhausting, brutal, dispiriting, and endless, but if you do it right, with eyes wide open to every good possibility, clarity about your goals, and a bracing sense of reality about your work and how it fits into the marketplace, you can have quite the successful ride! It can even be empowering, vindicating… fun!

First of all, as mentioned above, you must be an absolute pro about the work: study and learn your craft, gain experience, write-write-write! Find the best people to offer critique (and be selective… everyone has an opinion; that doesn’t mean it’s right—or right for you); then listen, be humble, try things, experiment, but never lose sight of your own voice. Don’t publish until your book has been polished, fine-tuned, written, rewritten, read, critiqued, edited, copyedited, formatted, and put together with a professional designed cover. Do NOT cut corners; they not only reflect upon you as a writer, but on the indie community as a whole. Those unfortunate stigmas attributed to self-published writers by many in the media and the publishing business—“amateurish, sloppy, poorly edited, loads of typos and misspellings, horrible covers, bad writing, lousy plots”—didn’t emerge out of nowhere. They came from too many books that had those problems, mucking up the waters for all indie authors. Be someone who raises the bar. Do it right. Be as good as you can be. Be the kind of writer, with the kind of book, that could sit next to any legacy writer at Barnes & Noble and be right at home. Don’t publish until you’re sure you have a book like that.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Born in Chicago, raised in the little farm town of Richmond, in northern Illinois; high school in Crystal Lake, Illinois (no, not the one from Friday, the 13th!); college at the University of Illinois in Champagne/Urbana… left during my junior year to hit the road with a rock & roll band and just kept heading west, to Los Angeles, where I’ve been ever since!

Where do you live now?

Mostly Los Angeles, though we split our time between LA and the quaint little Victoria village of Ferndale in northern California, where we own a home.

What would you like readers to know about you?

Hmmm… that’s a good question! Beyond what’s already been covered, I guess I want readers to know that I really want whatever I create—whether books, music, photographs, essays—to hit people in their emotional center. I want to create work that strikes a chord of some kind, elicits emotion. As a audience member myself, I always want to feel something… I’m less interested in what’s hip, what’s viral, what’s trendy or considered “fan genre.” I’m interested in a GOOD STORY WELL TOLD (again, whether in music, art, books, films); a story that either excites me, terrifies me, kicks me in the gut, makes me laugh, cry or pound my fists; a story that transports me, uplifts me; again, makes me FEEL something. So important, I think. And so, given that that’s what I want as a receiver of art, I want readers to know that’s also my goal as an artist: to deliver that kind of work. If that’s the kind of books you like to read, well… come on over and enjoy mine. You may not like every character I create, some plot turns may surprise you, but I’m convinced they will leave you feeling something!

What are you working on now?

I’m knee-deep in the launch campaign for Hysterical Love, continuing my marketing and promotion for After The Sucker Punch, and will begin a new novel once Hysterical Love gets published. I have two ideas I’m pondering—one, another adaptation of an award-winning screenplay of mine that takes place in the world of rock & roll; another that’s a new story that would be much more dramatic and topical. I’ll have to see what I feel like tackling once I get Hysterical Love happily out the door!

Thanks, IndieView, for your interesting questions; I had fun answering them! I hope your readers enjoyed the glimpse and feel free to get in touch with any thoughts or questions. I look forward to sharing my books with you all!

End of Interview:

For more from Lorraine, visit her website or blog, follow her on Twitter or like her Facebook page.

Buy your copy of Hysterical Love at Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.