Now is Not a Good Time for a Breakdown Book and Author Feature

Title: Now is Not a Good Time for a Breakdown

Author: Mel West

Author Interview

At what point did you decide to be an author, and what was your path to publication?

Since I can remember, I have always felt like a writer—even after my dreams of being a published author felt squashed by the world, I continued to write on my own, join writing meet-ups, and even participate in a few slam poetry events. I decided to become an author when my debut novel, Now is Not a Good Time for a Breakdown, progressed beyond an idea I was working out and I could see its potential to become a book. I had explored traditional publishing but after multiple conversations with various people in the industry, I decided to go the hybrid approach of supported self-publishing because it gave me more control over the process and the timeline.

What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?

I wouldn’t say I chase the squirrel, but if it feels like there’s something really interesting there, I will follow its path to see where it takes me. Once that squirrel starts hiding from me, I get back to my current project. I personally believe that creativity has a kind of inertia to it so nurturing it, in whatever form it shows up in, benefits you across all your creative projects.

Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding of your attention and detail as a writer?

I feel torn. On one hand, my favorite character to write is usually someone that I can see myself in, where I feel like I’m exploring my own inner curiosities through them and their eyes. For better or worse, this tends to be damsel in distress who knows she has to save herself. On the other hand, I love to write a character who is nothing like me, who I cannot relate to at all to try and understand them and what makes them tick. I think they’re both sides of the same coin: trying to understand the world and how we all take our place in it.

Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?

I take a hybrid approach here. I like to let the idea evolve more organically until I get to a point where I feel stuck and then I like to use the structure of outlining to help finish bringing it to life. I find that the baseline of the outline gives my creativity a structure to land in and then I can always change what I outlined if it starts to feel too confining for how the narrative comes out after that.

What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?

I love Dolly Alderton, I appreciate her rawness mixed with humor. Heart the Lover by Lily King pulled me in from the start and broke my heart in all the best ways. Tart by The Slutty Chef transported me into a younger timeline of myself set in the backdrop of London’s kitchens in a way that was delectable.

Tell us what you enjoy most about writing Women’s Fiction.

I like that it allows you to explore what it is to be a woman in this modern day with a lot of nuance, humor and messiness. Women aren’t reduced to our romantic relationships or roles in society and here you can explore how that all intersects with each other, on top of our relationships with other women, our bodies, and our dreams.

What have you found to be most challenging about writing in Women’s Fiction?

Sometimes I feel like I need to share something especially profound. I am a woman talking about what it is to be a woman. But I find there is so much poignancy in exploring the mundane parts of our life, where we spend most of our time. I also think it’s hard because you’re exploring one experience of womanhood and don’t want to try and boil down the entire spectrum of being a woman in your story but still feel the weight to do so.

Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?

I do use experiences from my jobs in my work, but more in terms of power dynamics that occur in those settings and the desire to find fulfillment there like all good millennials were programmed to do.

Do you identify with your main character, or did you create a character that is your opposite?

I identify heavily with my main character and her struggles. I feel like I was able to better understand parts of myself through her. She is not me, but I see her and feel like we could be great friends. Though, I hope she does go to therapy one day, for her own sake.

Describe the book or series in 10 words or less for people just learning about it.

She’s falling apart in NYC—two men won’t save her.

Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?

I want people to feel seen and understood through the book and to walk away with a giant permission slip to not have their life figured out, no matter their age.

Do you have any odd (writing) habits?

I write a good chunk of my work in the Notes App of my phone. It’s not efficient by any means but I do have a pretty strong thumb and it seems that inspiration hits me most when I am out experiencing the world versus sitting in front of my computer. Like something I’m trying to work out in the story gets worked out while I’m walking in nature and I don’t want to wait to write it down.

What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?

I wouldn’t call it criticism but the toughest responses have been from people who treat your book like a commodity to trade and not something you put your heart and soul into. It was a real adjustment to realize that the creative space I’d poured myself into was, on the other side of the door, just another industry running on numbers. The best compliment has been from people who have told me that they felt seen in the novel.

Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?

I don’t think I would tell my younger self anything: she got us here, didn’t she? I think, in general, my biggest piece of advice is to learn how to shut down all the voices of everyone around you and learn how to listen to yourself and your gut. Your intuition will never steer you wrong but it can be very hard to listen to in this world where everyone has an opinion and wants you to hear it on social media.

What is your favorite line from your book?

My life is exactly like my skin: I am endlessly frustrated and disappointed with it but eternally hopeful that I will stumble upon the next thing that will make it better.

To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?

The very last chapter was the hardest for me. It required me to get really honest emotionally to write it the way it needed to be written and I also wasn’t ready for the book to end. I had so much fear about finishing my book and the responsibility of what comes next that it took me six years to finally finish it.

What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real-life men” impossibly high?

I don’t think book boyfriends actually exist but who cares! They are fun, they show you what you’re wanting more of in relationship and what turns you on. Is a “real-life man” going to ever be exactly like them? No but I don’t think most people reading really expect that anyway. So I say, enjoy them, honey!

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?

I wouldn’t call it writer’s block so much as blocks from fear. When I have been overwhelmed by how to tackle a book so I just stare at the page so the next part comes out, I find I need to wrangle my overwhelm by creating a plan for myself. Or when I’m afraid to write it because I’m afraid of the vulnerability of it, I’ll actually do a little dance ritual to work through that fear. Maybe that’s my weirdest writing habit?

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to explore—either through travel, reading, or diving into the mystical world. I’m an American living in Switzerland and feel like an interloper into another way of life which gives me plenty to explore daily but I have also been to 32 countries and counting. I have a channel on YouTube called Pocket Mystic where I share my esoteric explorations.

 

About the Author

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