Anyone who wants to relax and have fun. You’re not learning anything with this book, but you’ll have a good time.
Christine Stringer – 10 June 2025
The Back Flap
Hollywood, 1997. When Charity Trickett moves to LA to assist the director of the biggest blockbuster film of the year, she quickly realizes that Hollywood isn’t all red carpets and Rodeo Drive. But her determination to become a screenwriter and producer in this glamorous yet cutthroat industry cannot be stifled. Working harder than she ever has before, she impresses the top brass at Canopy Studios and inches herself closer to her dream. But her ambitions and tender heart are threatened by backstabbing coworkers, an evaporating bank account, love gone wrong, a mistake that could cost the studio hundreds of millions of dollars, and an FBI investigation that could land her in jail.
Surrounded by fame and money but unsure how to access either one, Charity’s grit and kindness steer her toward devoted friends and hopeful artists. If she can manage to stay out of trouble, maybe she can change bad to good.
About the book
When did you start writing the book?
2016
How long did it take you to write it?
The book started as a screenplay in 2007, at the time I worked in film and TV, and had a career as a screenwriter. Unfortunately, Not So Glamorous, the script never sold. Years later, I left the film industry, and in 2016 I was in search of a creative outlet. That’s when I started adapting the screenplay to a book. I never studied novel writing, and I had two small kids at home, so the process of writing was slow, to say the least. By 2020 I had a finished product I thought I could take to market. But it was the pandemic and nothing was selling. I used that time to hire an editor who helped me shape the book into what it is today. So almost ten years after beginning the book, it’s now in bookstores. I couldn’t be happier!
Where did you get the idea from?
The premise of the book is based on my real life, when I worked at MGM in LA when I was in my early 20’s. I was the assistant to the director of their big blockbuster film, that starred The Rock. Through a series of mishaps, I ended up under FBI investigation for piracy of that film. It was, no doubt, the worst time of my professional life, and it scared me so much that it shook my confidence in my career for years. As I matured, I could see the absurdity of what I went through. I mean, me under FBI investigation! I was not raised for a life of crime. At University I studied theatre, where most of my classes were taken sitting cross-legged in a circle, like in kindergarten. I was a nanny and volunteered at animal shelters. I began to see the comedy in what I went through. So, I took inspiration from my favorite romcoms, films and books, and wrote Charity Trickett is Not So Glamorous. Charity is everything I wish I was when I worked at MGM.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I have so much respect for authors who write about real pain and trauma. What I went through was minor in comparison with what most people endure in their lives. Yet having to revisit the death of my Hollywood dream over and over while writing this book was laaaaame!
What came easily?
I love writing dialogue. I’m a natural talker. And with a background in theatre and film, dialogue’s where it’s at.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
There are characters like Pup and Albana who are so borrowed by real people that I even used their real names. Love you ladies!
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 love how Taylor Jenkins Reid blurs the line between real and fiction and has the reader question which is which. Not So Glam is kind of like that… I hope.
Do you have a target reader?
Anyone who wants to relax and have fun. You’re not learning anything with this book, but you’ll have a good time.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My writing process has evolved since having kids. Before kids, I would take a few months off work and completely dive into the creative process, not talking to people for days, except my partner when he came home from work. If the mood hit, I could write all night, knowing I could sleep in the day. You can’t do that when you have kids. I had to learn how to schedule creativity. I make sure that my week is structured for creative space, I mark it in the calendar and make no excuses.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I love a cork board. It comes from years in film and TV. Old school, recipe cards on a cork board outlining the plot is my jam. I usually describe the scene and have some dialogue in there. A scene for me comes out of conversation, either Charity’s inner dialogue or conversations between characters.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit as I go. It gives me a creative break and lets me process the next step.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I did and she’s awesome. I worked with Kendra Harpster from Kevin Anderson and Associates.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I write to music for two reasons. One, to drown out the noise in the house. I’m listening to Mark Farina right now to drown out the TV show my sick kid is watching in the room next to me. I also listen to music to inspire the vibe / tone of a scene. When I’m really amped on a vibe, I’ll get up and sing – full voice with all the feels. But I need an empty house for that, so it doesn’t happen as often as I like. A lot of my chapter headings are song titles or lyrics. Lots of music references in the book!
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did. I signed with a wonderful agent named Richard Curtis. He tried to sell the book in 2020, but like I said before, it was the beginning of the pandemic and nobody was buying books. We’ve since parted ways, but the notes he gave me on the book were wonderful. I’m so grateful for that relationship.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
In 2020 Richard Curtis pitched Charity Trickett to a bunch of publishers. In hindsight, I should have held off pitching, since publishers were acquiring very few new authors due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. As time marched on, I worked with Kendra, my editor, to fine tune the book into what it is today. In 2023 I started the path of pitching agents again, but they didn’t want to take me on given the book had already been pitched in 2020. Bad timing on my end. I hooked up with Crystal Patriarche who is now my publicist, and she advised me to publish with SparkPress, a hybrid publisher. I’ve had a great experience over there and so far, it’s been the best of both worlds. One of the big 5 (Simon and Shuster) is distributing my book, while I get to control things like marketing, advertising and cover design. These are important elements that, in the traditional publishing structure, I wouldn’t have access to. Seeing as Charity Trickett is a series, I am building a brand. As a new author, it’s hard to sell that to a traditional publisher, and even harder to get them to invest in you like you envision.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Sparkpress has a talented team of cover artists who worked with me in creating a fun cover that captures the essence of Charity Trickett.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
While working with BooksSpark publicists in the US, I’m also working with ZG Stories in Canada. There is no winging it.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I am a newbie!
About You
Where did you grow up?
Mostly Vancouver, Canada
Where do you live now?
Vancouver
What would you like readers to know about you?
My Britany Spears impression is pretty rad.
What are you working on now?
Charity Trickett The Fame Game and Charity Tricker is Having it All. The next two books in the Charity Trickett series.
End of Intereview:
Get your copy of Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous from Amazon US.