Ask the Author: Mary M. Lane
Answered Questions (5)
Mary M. Lane
This summer I was swamped with my book's release, but I took time to read "Middle England" by Jonathan Coe, a sweeping novel set during the years leading up to the Brexit vote -- a five-star for sure. I also enjoyed "The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen," a wonderful, witty fictional Dutch diary of an 83-year-old man.
For fall, I'm diving into cookbooks, namely "Love & Lemons" and "Ruffage," with I like because they are organized by the specific ingredient the reader wants to use up. For someone who hates cooking, I love cookbooks.
For fall, I'm diving into cookbooks, namely "Love & Lemons" and "Ruffage," with I like because they are organized by the specific ingredient the reader wants to use up. For someone who hates cooking, I love cookbooks.
Mary M. Lane
Aspiring non-fiction writers should find two things first: a topic they feel passionate about and a style they think fits that topic. Language is a code: find a style that you enjoy and deconstruct why you enjoy it. For example, when deciding how to write Hitler's Last Hostages -- a compelling topic I was fortunate enough to have fall into my lap as a journalist -- I thought of Anne-Marie O'Connor's book Lady in Gold and Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, which have narrative non-fiction styles -- lots of context color and quotations to give a movie-like feel. I used those as inspiration for my book.
Also, remember that people are investing time and money into your story. Be worthy of that respect and always remember to ask yourself "Why should readers care about my story?"
Also, remember that people are investing time and money into your story. Be worthy of that respect and always remember to ask yourself "Why should readers care about my story?"
Mary M. Lane
The best thing about being a writer is, incidentally, one of the worst things: a lack of colleagues. When my friends groan about a colleague or being stuck in an office building all day, I sigh with relief that the people with whom I work -- my publisher, editor, publicist, sales facilitator and agent are all behind my project and I get to pick my preferred hours and, often, work location. That being said, a writer has to stay motivated and professional in meeting deadlines, and it can be somewhat socially isolating working alone for years on serious topics, especially one as grave as the Holocaust.
Perhaps the coolest thing about being an author, though, is the fact that you are creating a work you can hold in your hands that will be around long after you are gone...You feel an intense pressure to live up to that privilege, but it's worth it.
Perhaps the coolest thing about being an author, though, is the fact that you are creating a work you can hold in your hands that will be around long after you are gone...You feel an intense pressure to live up to that privilege, but it's worth it.
Mary M. Lane
Writer’s block is made out to be this mystical affliction. In certain ways, it is. That being said, whether in a newsroom or by writing Hitler's Last Hostages alone, I have found that writer’s block comes when I am either unsure of what I want to say or when I know what I want to say but am insecure about saying it. If you’re unsure, research further. If you’re insecure, check your sources. Doing so may not bring all the answers, but it will bring further clarity.
Mary M. Lane
On 6 November 2013, as the twenty-six-year-old chief European art reporter for The Wall Street Journal, I launched a Page One exclusive series covering the roughly 1,300 artworks by masters like Monet, Rodin, Picasso, Grosz and Nolde hidden in the apartment of Cornelius Gurlitt in Munich. Cornelius’s father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, had been one of Adolf Hitler’s art dealers and Cornelius spent his life keeping the artworks secret. After covering covering his story as a journalist, I felt that it should be broadened into a non-fiction book with years of research behind it.
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