Author Interview: Ellen Meister

Welcome fellow readers. Please, help yourself to some coffee and take a seat. Today we have a special guest, Ellen Meister, who is here to answer a few questions about her book Secret Confessions of The Applewood PTA.

According to Library Journal, “Meister’s debut novel is heartbreakingly funny, her characters facing life’s dramas and disappointments head on with wit and spunk.” I have to agree. I enjoyed Applewood immensely, and as a writer myself, I’m excited to have the opportunity to chat with Ellen about her characters and their relationships.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s review, I found your characters to be one of the most interesting facets of Applewood. How did you go about “casting” the character types for your novel?
Most of the women in my town seem to think I found all my characters at a PTA meeting! Actually, the choice of characters was driven by the plot and theme. I knew from the start that this would be a book that looked beneath the surface of picture perfect suburbia to reveal the secret pain and passion of these women, so I wanted at least one character who wrestled with the idea of staying home with her children versus being in the workforce. Hence, Maddie was born. I wrapped her career issues around a troubled marriage, and very intentionally gave her problems that resulted as much from her own internal conflicts as anything going on in her life. This way, she was able to have an arc that allowed her to mend her marriage by mending herself. Ruth, who wears her wealth on the outside, was created to drive home the idea that even the women who seem most enviable can be hiding secret pain. That’s why I gave her a giant heart and a disabled husband. And timid Lisa was created to balance Ruth’s brashness, and wound up becoming one of my favorite and tenderest characters.

The heroines of Applewood are all very complex characters with both admirable qualities and critical flaws. How did go about creating such well rounded characters?
Thanks for that compliment, Trish! I think the trick, for any writer, is to find something about the character she can relate to on a very basic emotional level. Once you do that, the rest falls into place.

The women of Applewood are also very dynamic, developing as individuals over the course of the story. When faced with personal challenges many of your characters transition from a state of self-absorption to participants in win/win solutions. Was this intended as a critical element of their characterization or an aesthetic choice to tie up all the loose plot lines?
All of the above. It was very important for me to give them all arcs. I wanted each character to learn and grow by the end of the book, and to have that tied to their friendship. As far as inventing win-win solutions, I’m a gal who believes in happy endings, and wanted to deliver on that for my readers.

Your main characters are all women and the relationships between them and the other minor characters are diverse and intricate. Why do you think women are so fascinated by relationships ?
I think we’re hard-wired to be social creatures. As a mom to two boys and one girl, I see that dynamic playing out in my children. To us humans of the female variety, everything is about relationships.

Just like many of your characters, you appear to be quite the multi-tasker. How did you find the time to complete a novel length work while juggling all of your other responsibilities?
It’s hard, but if you saw the way my house looks most of the time, you’d know the answer to that! In truth, the only way I was able to get this novel written was to get up at 5:00 every morning and work for two hours before the family awoke. I guess some people can accomplish this by writing at night after the children go to sleep, but I’m a morning person. I’m at my sharpest in the wee hours, after my first cup of coffee. It’s all downhill from there.

Once you get through the long process of writing (and re-writing), it’s time to publish. Tell us about some of the unique challenges you faced as a female author in this industry?
Woman or man, getting commercially published is tremendously difficult. To succeed, you have to start by being a perfectionist about your work and end by being relentless in your pursuit of the goal. In such a competitive field, a bit of luck is also essential. In my case, I somehow wound up with a dream team of the world’s best agents and editor.

Chic lit and Mom lit still seem to be struggling with credibility in literary circles. Does that frustrate you as a writer or do you think the commercial success of these genres are vindication enough?
Most of the harping against commercially successful genres has the distinct tang of sour grapes, and I feel sad for individuals who wallow in that. It ’s a bit frustrating to see how close-minded some people can be, but I don’t dwell on it.

Booklist gave you rave reviews stating that “with sexy characters, sharp, dialogue, and snappy pacing, Meister’s sexy, saucy debut novel could well turn into a movie of its own”. Now be honest, did you cast George Clooney as the Hollywood hunk just in case that should happen? Do you secretly harbor a Beryl like fascination for him?
 If someone ever decides to make a movie of this book and actually casts George Clooney to play himself, I’ll have to spend a lot of time on the set to make sure he gets it right. My cross to bear. Oh, the sacrifices we make for art!

Ellen Meister is a PTA mom herself, with a background in writing advertising copy and short stories. She currently lives in Long Island with her husband and three children where she says, “I write, I swear, I sing, I dance. All from the front seat of my minivan.” For more information on the author, visit her website at: http://www.ellenmeister.com.

Click here to read my review of Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA.

Secret Confessions of Applewood is now available through Amazon.com.