Ask the Author: Rachel Hollis
Answered Questions (10)
Rachel Hollis
Sit your butt in the chair and write the words. I was at a conference years ago and I was listening to a class taught by Nora Roberts and someone raised their hand trying to get guidance and she was like “sit your butt in the chair and write the words.” The hardest part about being an author, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first book or your 50th, it’s always a slog, it’s always hard, it’s always you against you. And the only way that you are ever gonna hold one of your books in your hands is if you are bound and determined to finish what you start. Lots of us can start a thousand manuscripts, but very few people will actually finish that thing they’re working on. We just keep starting new projects. So, the best advice I can give you is to just sit down and write. And when you wanna tell someone about it, you’re like “oh maybe I should dream up the cover, etc.” Just write the freaking book. That’s my advice.
Rachel Hollis
Maybe not what you think I’m gonna say but my favorite book I’ve ever written is called “Sweet Girl.” It is from my fiction series, and I just love that book so much because I love the characters. I don’t know If you all have read it because I think you’re reading my non-fiction but I love that series, it was my first interest into publishing and those two specific characters, the main character is named Max and she just has to fight so hard for healing and for her happily ever after and I just love her love story. I love that book!
Rachel Hollis
My new book is called ‘Didn’t See That Coming’ and I wrote this book inside of quarantine. I was editing the third book in that trilogy which is called ‘Girl What the Health.’ So, I’d already written a book, I was editing, and it was meant to come out this December, and it just felt wrong. It felt like the wrong conversation to be having in a world where people are losing their jobs and their homes, and were scared, and people and sick. I just thought I want to be able to speak about what it looks like to go through crisis, or loss, or grief. And that was the impetus with this book. I did something called crashing a book, which is when you essentially get from the first page of writing to publication in two months, which is insane. But it felt really important for me to do. That was definitively different. Also, the tone is a lot more… I’m talking about hard stuff; I’m talking about losing someone you love; I’m talking about major breakups; I’m talking about what it feels like to have your whole world turned upside down. I feel like we as a global community have encountered that in a bunch of different ways in 2020, so I feel like it’s still very much my voice, and if you like my books, you’ll definitively hear me in there, but it’s a bit more real. I wrote the first draft feeling like I was gonna coach you through like I normally do and then when I started editing my marriage was over, and so I was editing a book about grief inside of grief. And I’ve never done that before. So, the tone is a lot more like “hey, you and I are going through this thing together” vs “hey I have all the answers.”
Rachel Hollis
Thank you SO much!! I absolutely want to write the other two sister's stories which is why I teased them at the end of Smart Girl. I just have to find the time... I've promised fans though, so someday, you'll find out who they end up with. xo
Rachel Hollis
Shoot! I don't know why it takes me so long to notice these questions... sorry this took me a bit Allie. The truth is, I don't know that Party Girl would have much of an actual chance at being made into a movie. It's too similar to Devil Wears Prada. That being said... a TV show on the CW where each season was about a different girl? That sounds very fabulous indeed. ;)
Rachel Hollis
Oh man Allie, I JUST saw this! I'm sorry for not responding sooner. This is a good question too! Um, for Party Girl the elevator scene pops into my head because it was funny and terribly awkward which I totally was in my twenties! For Sweet Girl, I loved the Renaissance Faire because I thought it was hilarious but my favorite scene is actually when Max admits everything to her family. That scene was the first time I ever cried while writing something. I was so invested in her and so proud of her for finally being honest and it's just so SAD... maybe that's a weird thing to have liked, but I did. ;)
Rachel Hollis
Great question Nancy! Selah is based on a few bosses all mashed together in their worst attributes. The individual scenes... being on the floor and having her say "isn't there something else THIS GIRL could be doing" or running to get her coffee and nearly having a panic attack because I didn't know if she wanted whipped cream, etc etc, those are all real life moments. The name Selah (this is so ridiculous) is from my arch nemesis in high school. In fact, she was a lovely sweet girl (who has no idea I thought she was my nemesis) but she got every part I wanted in all the school plays and so I didn't like her. When my sisters read the book for the first time they were like "Selah, really? You've gotta let that go dude!" So embarrassing but when I needed a bad guy that was the first name that came to mind! ;)
Rachel Hollis
Sorry that I'm just now seeing this Nancy!! I just started Miko's book actually, but I've known the story for a while. I actually forced myself to write Max's book first because I knew she'd be tougher for me to figure out. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Miko and all her book-nerdiness! ~Rachel
Rachel Hollis
I was at a conference last month and I heard Nora Roberts say "there's no such thing as writer's block, just sit down in the f-ing chair and write!" I might be paraphrasing a little but that was the gist of it. ;) I loved that because it's so true! If I think about what I'm writing next I'll come up with a hundred reasons why it's not the right thing. If I just start typing whatever comes to mind my characters will take the story exactly where it needs to go. So I listen to Nora, I sit in the f-ing chair and I write.
Rachel Hollis
I am just finished with Sweet Girl which is the second book in The Girl's series. This book is about Max (Landon's roommate from book #1) and as much as she was a little difficult for me to write in the beginning (because she can be kind of a jerk) I ended up really loving this story and this girl.
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