I think women who identify as being on the fringes in different ways will relate to the story most strongly: queer women, women with mental health struggles, Jewish women.
Gail Marlene Schwartz – 1 February 2024
The Back Flap
Audrey Meyerwitz wants to fall in love and have a family. But for this queer 30-something insomniac who’ s struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder since childhood, it’ s a goal that’ s far from simple. When best friend Jessica, a recovering alcoholic, helps introvert Audrey with a profile on SheLovesHer, Audrey takes that scary first step toward her lifelong dream. Through online dating, immigrating to Canada, and having a baby with Down Syndrome, she struggles and grows. But when Audrey unearths a secret about her mother, everything about her identity as a mother, a daughter, and a person with mental illness ruptures. How do we create closeness from roots of deep alienation? With humor, honesty, and complexity, Audrey learns that healthy love means accepting gains and losses, taking off the blinders of fantasy, and embracing the messiness that defines human families.
About the book
When did you start writing the book?
Falling Through the Night was originally a collection of essays I began when my son was an infant, 12 years ago.
How long did it take you to write it?
Falling took about ten years from when I wrote the first essay to when I completed the final draft.
Where did you get the idea from?
The novel is loosely based on my immigration story as well as some similar experiences with anxiety. I had originally wanted to publish a book of essays on queer motherhood, but when I had a developmental consultation with author Betsy Warland, an incredible writer and advisor, she asked me if I thought perhaps this material wanted to be a novel. Turns out she was right. It did.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
When I first began “translating” the essays into a novel, wrangling all the pieces into a cohesive plot and structure was a huge challenge. I’d never tackled a project with so much length and complexity before. Figuring out how everything fit together was overwhelming, but it was also enormously satisfying when I actually did it.
What came easily?
Dialogue is always the easiest part of writing for me. Part of it is my training as an actor and part is being a very verbal person. I actually hear the characters talking as I’m writing.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
For three of the characters, I borrowed heavily from individuals I know in real life, but the rest are totally fictitious. Interestingly, its the fictitious characters who are my favorites, and I don’t think that’s an accident.
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?
Some of my favorites are Anne Lamott, Nina LaCour, Ann Patchett, and Curtis Sittenfeld. I also love the writers in the online magazine I’m part of, Hotch Potch Literature and Art: Marco Etheridge, Heather Pagano, Felicia Strangeways, and Christine Ma-Kellams. Reading shows me other ways of tackling writing challenges that I may not have thought of or that aren’t my usual style. Something I struggle with but have been experimenting with recently is moving between two periods of time. Curtis Sittenfeld does this remarkably well. Anne Lamott weaves together self revelation with a wicked sense of humor, and her work is always a reminder to me that the funny bone can be such an important and joyous part of engagement with a text.
Do you have a target reader?
I think women who identify as being on the fringes in different ways will relate to the story most strongly: queer women, women with mental health struggles, Jewish women. People who have been adopted will also relate as this is a big piece of Audrey’s story and her trauma.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I’m a very erratic writer. If I don’t have a deadline, I have to set one for myself or else nothing will happen. I also don’t write every day, although when I am in a more habitual writing space, my writing is much better and it comes more easily. I do a lot of automatic writing to see what bubbles up. Sometimes I’ll use what I discover in my automatic writing sessions as the basis for a story. Sometimes I use structures as warmups. One of my favorites is the four-line pattern “I’m the this, you’re the that” that’s found in the song “Le Toi de Moi.” An example would be “You’re the fire, I’m the wood, You’re the refusal, I’m the could.” Something that is almost always true for me is that my first drafts always feel painful and difficult. Often, I scrap the story if the foundations aren’t working. If I like characters, I’ll save them and put them into a different structure. I just did that with a new story for Hotch Potch. I involve critique partners fairly early on, then it’s just revision and sharing with readers.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I didn’t use an outline for Falling because I had the essays. I pantsed my way through, and if I were to do it over, I would absolutely use an outline instead. On the other hand, I’m incredibly happy with how the book came out, so maybe it was worth it! For my second novel that I’m working on now, I started with an outline, and it’s SO much easier.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
It depends. If I leave a project for a while, when I go back, I reread what I’ve written. Sometimes my editor’s brain will be engaged and I have to jump in and start revising. But if I’m in a period of writing regularly, I’ll usually skip rereading. Ideally, I wait until I’ve completed at least a first draft before tinkering.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I am being published by a small press, but I also did hire an editor at one phase. It was one of the best decisions I made, because that editor, the Canadian writer Betsy Warland, was the one who suggested turning the collection of essays into a novel. I actually wish I had hired a second one later on for a second round of developmental work. Unfortunately, I had no budget for that.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No. I am super passionate about music and would be way too distracted. Some faves: Lily Rose, Regina Spektor, B52s, Lady Gaga, Fiona Apple, k.d. lang, Courtney Barnett, Lizzo, Talking Heads, Bette Midler, Tracy Chapman, Simon and Garfunkle, Prince, Rina Sawayama, Sally Seltmann, the Beatles, Chappell Roan, Tegan and Sara, Meghan Trainor, Julien Baker, Rezz, Ani DeFranco, Janelle Monae, Brandi Carlile, Melissa Etheridge, Arlo Parks.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I went to a writers’ conference and had a very interesting experience at a publishing session. 12 agents were onstage, and they all agreed that even if you get a publishing contract with one of the big five, you will still need to send gifts to each of the different departments at the publishing house in hopes that your book will get the proper attention. That really stopped me in my tracks and made me think deeply about my goals. Because what I want is readership rather than money, it made a lot more sense to go with a small publisher who could give the book the kind of attention it needs. And my own experience in the publishing process was very important to me. It’s turned out to be a fantastic choice. I’ve worked with four presses and all of the experiences have been super positive.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My partner Erin is an artist and designer, so I lucked out!
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have a loose plan, plus I hired Books Forward to help with promotion.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Try to build as large a following as you can before your book is out in the world.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Rochester, New York
Where do you live now?
Montpelier, Vermont
What would you like readers to know about you?
Like Audrey, I struggle with anxiety (along with OCD and high-functioning autism). I’m Jewish and I teach writing and communications at the Community College of Vermont. I am on the editorial staff of Hotch Potch Literature and Art, a collective online arts magazine, and I have a fabulous 13-year old son. I play piano and cello and am looking forward to getting involved in my new community.
What are you working on now?
Hotch Potch Literature and Art is in the editorial phase of Volume 2 Issue 2, and I’ve written a piece of short fiction that’s related to the Israel/Palestine war. I’m also in the middle of a new novel about two women in the northeast kingdom of Vermont, one of whom inherited a dairy farm from her grandmother.
End of Interview:
Get your copy of Falling Through the Night from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
