Michele Gorman's fabulous new novel Single in the City was released at the
end of June, and Trashionista couldn't wait to ask her all about it! Here
Michele talks about her inspiration for Single in the City, her tips for
aspiring authors, and some exciting new on future projects!
Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.
A young American woman blunders her way into a new life in London.
What inspired you to write Single in the City?
Spite. I started life as a literary fiction writer, and had just had a book that
I'd worked on for two years rejected by my New York agent. On the way to
Italy on holiday I picked up my first chick-lit book. It was awful. It was a best-
seller. I figured I could write something better. It was a rash, rather wine-
fueled decision to change genres, and I outlined the idea for Single in the City
that night. Happily, I found my natural voice in chick-lit, and I love writing it.
Besides, I WAS a young American woman who blundered her way into a new
life in London!
Where do you do most of your writing?
Comfortably reclined. I'm not much of a desk person, so I write on my sofa,
or chair, or bed. When the weather is nice I also like to write in Regents Park.
All ensure that I am free to exercise my constitutional right to nap at any time.
What is your favourite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird, though Great British Wit is a close runner-up.
Which part of Single in the City was the most fun to write?
The 'fish out of water' experiences were most fun because they involved
remembering back to when I first arrived and everything was so alien to me.
The sex scenes were excruciating!
Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published
authors?
Find a hungry agent. By this I don't mean someone who's starving. But you
want someone who has recently been promoted to agent, who is building her
list of writers, because she's going to put in the time and effort you'll need
as a new writer. Plus, her connections in the publishing houses will also be
new, rather than editors who already have a stable of established writers and
don't often look for new ones. Unfortunately few publishing houses take on
unsolicited manuscripts, so a good agent is worth her weight in gold. I would
literally ask my parents to adopt my agent if she didn't already have perfectly
healthy parents of her own.
Who is your favourite heroine?
Scarlett O'Hara. Margaret Mitchell created a complex heroine that I think of
as very early chick-lit. Scarlett is beautiful, surrounded by men who adore her,
but she's got her heart set on another, which causes no end of trouble. And
she has to use her own flawed attributes to overcome the roadblocks in front
of her.
What are you currently reading?
I always have a few books on the go, so I'm reading Cally Taylor's "Heaven
Can Wait" and Kiran Desai's "The Inheritance of Loss". I love them both.
Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell
us?
I've got two books up my sleeve. Without wanting to spoil the end of Single
in the City, I can write a follow-up if it sells well. I'm also writing chick-lit for
an older audience. The heroine in that one is on the cusp of 40, but without
the usual cheating spouse, body issues, date-hindering children or deafening
biological clock. She's happy, well-adjusted and independent, optimistic and
enthusiastic about her future. I don't see much of this kind of writing, despite
all of the real-world women like this that I know. So I'm writing one for them.
Thanks, Michele!
