Today’s guest is Stacey Swann. She was one of my professors at the Stanford University Online Novel Writing Certificate program, and I learned so much about writing from her. Her debut novel, Olympus, Texas(Doubleday) was a Good Morning AmericaBook Club selection, an Indie Next Pick, and was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Swann holds an M.F.A. from Texas State University and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Her writing has appeared in LitHub, Electric Literature, NER Digital, Epoch, and other journals. She splits her time between Austin and Lampasas, Texas.
SS: What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.
SS: I worked at a used bookstore (Half Price Books) for a big chunk of my twenties, and being surrounded by books and booklovers definitely shaped my identity and made me want to be a part of that culture. I did a short stint as a bartender, which helped hone my observational abilities, a good skill for a writer. I worked for a year at a large telecom company, in the file room, which made me realize I’d never be a good fit in corporate America and should seek employment elsewhere. And I’ve spent many years teaching writing and working as a freelance editor, jobs that have been invaluable in improving my own writing and my ability to revise.
SS: If I could live in Half Price Books, I probably would 🙂 If you time-warped fifty years into the future and found that something you created has become a trope or buzzword, how would you feel? Would you feel cheated of royalties or vindicated as a genius?
SS: I’d be so delighted to have created something that stuck around so long and lodged itself in the culture. Well, as long as my books don’t become a trope of badly written fiction!
SS: Do you believe in writer’s block? How about reader’s block?
SS: Yes and yes! I sometimes teach a class on writer’s block, as I have had a lot of experience with it. I like the term “writing resistance” better, though. It’s more than just sitting in front of a blank page, unable to find words. It’s also about finding the motivation to sit down and spend the many, many hours in the writing chair, as often as you can. There are tons of reasons we might have resistance, but thankfully there are also tons of ways to triumph over that resistance. As for reader’s block, I definitely had that in the first year of the pandemic. I think the stress of it all really did a number on my attention span. Luckily, my ability to read books (rather than just things on the internet) has returned.
SS: What works best for you: typewriters, computer, dictation, fountain pen, or longhand?
SS: I used to swear by longhand, and I still do it on occasion, but I mostly draft on my laptop. It’s just so much faster!
SS: How do you make your readers regret they’re coming to the end?
SS: I think the main reason I don’t want a book to end is because I am having such an amazing time in the company of the main character or characters. I just want to keep hanging out with them! As a writer, I try to make my characters seem as human and compelling as possible in the hopes that the reader wants to stay with them.
SS: I certainly had that experience when reading Olympus, Texas. Lisa Cron (Wired for Story) says, “We think in story. It’s hardwired in our brain. It’s how we make strategic sense of the otherwise overwhelming world around us.” In what way are you trying to make sense of the world?
SS: Most of what I write is triggered by me trying to figure out something about the world. There’s a question that I don’t have the answer to. In my debut novel, I realized part-way into the draft that I was trying to figure out the ways humans can forgive what seems unforgiveable.
SS: Do you believe you write the kind of book you’d want to read?
SS: I hope so! I love books that are character-based but still have a strong plotline, with lyrical prose. That was my goal for my novel, too.
SS: What’s something memorable you’ve heard from your readers/fans? What’s been the best compliment?
SS: For me, the best compliment is from Texan readers who say that I’ve really captured the state in a way that feels true. I also love when readers from rural areas and small towns say Olympus captures that world well.
SS: I agree with that. Your book was truly Texan in a way that Larry McMurtry’s books are inherently Texan. What is your most recent book? In twenty-five words or less, tell me why your book should be a reader should start your book next.
SS: You should start Olympus, Texas if you love dramatic stories about messy families, a strong sense of place, and dialogue with both venom and humor.
SS: At what point did you come up with the title? Did your publisher change it?
SS: For most of my drafting and revising, the title was Olympus, TX. I seem to always be drawn to place names as titles. My agent and editor were both on board with it, but in the end we went with spelling out “Texas” rather than using the abbreviation because it looked better on the cover design.
SS: What marketing strategies have borne the most fruit for you?
SS: I am a huge, huge fan of the Bookstagram community on Instagram. There are so many amazing readers doing beautiful reviews and photos, and I’ve found the community very warm and welcoming. I’ve always thought the best book marketing was word of mouth between readers, and Bookstagram takes word of mouth to a whole new level. There is so much creativity there, too!
LIGHTNING ROUND:
Another genre that you would love to write: mystery
When writing, are you a night owl or morning person? More morning than night, but my sweet spot is the afternoon.
Pantser or Plotter? Pantser early in my WIP, plotter once I’m farther in
Book you’re currently reading: River, Sing Out by James Wade (it’s excellent)
Your favorite guilty pleasure: Funyuns
What’s your favorite movie based on a fictional work? Emma Thompson’s version of Sense and Sensibility
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Olympus, Texas is available through:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Penguin/Random House
You can find an excerpt of Olympus, Texas here.
You can read my review of Olympus, Texas here.
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You can follow Stacey on social media here:
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