Claire’s Comments (group member since Oct 04, 2010)

Claire’s comments from the Claire LaZebnik Hosts a Q and A group.

Well, as someone very wise once said, "Where there's no choice, there's no problem." I have no choice--I have to do it this way. We'll see what happens when the kids grow up--maybe I'll lose my edge.

I don't focus very well. I think that's the answer. I write a few sentences then float away and do something else for a minute then come back and write a few more. It would be a bad system for anyone who has lots of free time but for someone who's always multitasking, it sort of works!

I usually start with the germ of an idea--or, ideally, two or three ideas that become more interesting when they're combined--and then gradually flesh out the characters and the plot. I leave a lot to be discovered as I'm working on the manuscript. I often find a character takes on a life of his or her own and some relationships become more important than I realized in the early stages. And after I have one draft, I usually edit it in a direction, emphasizing the parts that work well and reducing or cutting the ones that don't. I do like writing in the first person: I find the narrator takes over my job at some point and leads the way.

That's really moving, James. How old were you when he became your stepfather?

I wanted them to truly care about each other but with just a tiny bit of distance. Their relationship is based on genuine affection: they've come through for each other in the past and will continue to do so. I think sisters who grow up in the same household have a more complicated relationship (as I explored in THE SMART ONE AND THE PRETTY ONE). By making these two women half sisters, I could keep the relationship simpler and just positive. I also liked the fact that the mother's relationship with her step-daughter is less complicated than the one with her own.

Thanks for joining the discussion. Please feel free to ask me any questions about my writing process or my latest novel IF YOU LIVED HERE, YOU'D BE HOME NOW.