Any chance I get, I'll tout from the rooftops the books of my pals. It's an honor to do so for Margo Candela, an award-winning novelist whose latest book, Good-bye to All
That
(Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; July 13, 2010; $14/paper;
1-4165-7135-3), is a must-read those of us who love the combination of sharp wit and heartfelt pathos in contemporary women’s fiction.
After reading an advance copy of the book, I realized how much in awe I am of Margo, and asked her to share her process with me (and you). I also dared her to answer something truthfully, befitting my latest effort: Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives: "What is the one lie you've told -- or one secret you've kept -- from your husband?"
I hope you enjoy her answers as much as I have,
--Josie1. Why did you just have to write Goodbye to All That?
I work from home and have no one to boss around, gossip with or annoy but myself. As a consequence, I’ve developed a thing for office life. I’m fascinated by it and can listen for hours when friends talk about their lives at the office. When I started to think about writing this book, I knew I wanted it to be about working in an office for a big company and how a character lets her life be taken over by her job.
2. What writers inspire you?
I have writer crushes on Anne Tyler and Delia Ephron. I read Anne Tyler’s books when I was a teenager and had no idea that I could or would ever do any sort of writing in my life. She’s just a wonderful story teller who makes quirky people the center of her books. Delia Ephron is such a tidy and funny writer. Being funny isn’t easy and she does it with such grace. If I could become a writer of tidy, funny novels featuring quirky people, I’d be very happy.
3. Explain your process as a writer.
I treat what I do as a job. Even when I’m not writing, I’m on the clock. I set goals and expect myself to meet if not exceed them. I mark my productivity by how many words I write and spend plenty of time shuffling around numbers to make sure I’m where I’m supposed to be by the end of the day, week and month. The closer I get to the magic end number, the better I feel. I guess it’s kind of like running a marathon and at some point you just feel no pain. You know you’re going to finish one way or another and that’s what keeps you going.
Another big part of my process is outlining. I can’t start a book without one and they’re not much more elaborate than what I was taught in 8th grade English. In fact they might be even more pared down now as I’ve found what works for me. After I get the outline squared away, it’s just a matter of sitting down to do the work. If I don’t put in the time and the effort, nothing will get done. And, I’ve found, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a manuscript to its completion. It’s such a relief to have something come together after months of work. And I live for the moment when I can say “I’m done” and I really am.
4. If you could give an aspiring writer just one bit of advice, what would it be?
I still consider myself an aspiring writer because with each Word document I open, I want to be better a writer and for the process to go smoother than the last time. Really, it’s all about doing the work and knowing what you want to and can write. I’d never attempt science fiction, even though I read it, because I know I wouldn’t do a good job. I write to my strengths, accept my weakness and always strive to be a better writer.
5. What is the one lie you've told -- and the one secret you've kept from -- the man in your life?
I’m married so I lie a lot by just not saying certain things. If I can’t keep something to myself, I just come out and say what I’m doing or have done. Because I’m so open about it, my husband assumes I’m joking. Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not. It keeps him off balance. Poor guy doesn’t know what to believe anymore, but it works for us.
If I do have to fess up to something, I’ll finally admit that I’m really not some super freak genius at the Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle with Will Shortz on NPR. What I do is wake up early and listen to it when it’s first run during the 6 a.m. hour and get back into bed. When the clock radio goes off later that morning at 8, I know all the answers. Sorry, honey, your wife is more crafty than smart. Wow, that’s a weight off my shoulders. Now I can finally start sleeping in on Sundays.
About Good-bye To All That:
"Margo Candela combines a cunning wit with a deep understanding of the office politics specific to the entertainment industry to create a frantic atmosphere and a near breathless momentum as the story barrels toward an ending that's anything but your focus grouped happy fade-out." --Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Raquel Azorian, 25, has worked her way from temp to executive assistant and is this close to a promotion to junior marketing exec at Belmore Corporation, the media behemoth she’s devoted herself to. She’s learned to play the Hollywood game while still keeping her skirt length to her knees and her pantyhose run free. All she needs is for her boss, a venerable marketing legend, to sign her promotion memo. Instead of putting pen to paper, he suffers a very public meltdown that puts not only his future at Belmore, but also Raquel’s on the line.
It’s not just Raquel’s professional life that’s a mess, her whole family is in turmoil and Raquel is forced to become the intermediary between her father and mother and her brother and his wife while trying to figure out how to save her job and not derail her office romance with the man of her dreams. A chance encounter in bookstore café with a toothsome star in the making provides Raquel with the perfect opportunity to climb the next rung on the Belmore ladder. Unfortunately for her, the clashing of her personal and professional life is making that rung hard to reach for.
When the chaos of juggling so many lives reaches a breaking point, Raquel realizes she’s going to have to choose—success at work or happiness at home. Whatever choice she makes, Raquel knows it going to cost her, but part of her is still pulling for her very own Hollywood ending.
SingleMindedWomen.com is running an excerpt of GOOD-BYE TO ALL THAT. To read it, click here...