Goodreads
Goodreads asked M. Elizabeth Lee:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

M. Elizabeth Lee I came to New York City to pursue acting. After a couple of years of having the same uninspiring girlfriend roles roll into my inbox, I began to explore screenwriting as a way of creating more complex and challenging characters for myself and other actresses. I was surprised by how natural the process felt, and how much I really loved writing. Then a few years ago, I was away from the city traveling for about a year and I needed a project to moor me creatively. I decided to work on a long form story. The inciting spark of the tale that became "Love Her Madly" came when I was backpacking in Costa Rica with my husband. We had a rough day where everything went wrong, leading to sixteen hours of bumpy bus rides and sweltering waiting rooms that provided ample time to daydream. Somewhere between the second ferry trip and the hour long slog uphill to our hostel, the idea of a romantic rivalry, where one friend goes missing and the other is left to explain, had taken root. I handwrote most of the novel in a water-warped composition book as we trekked across India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Working on the book gave me an anchor at a time in life when I was far from home and facing challenges.

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more