Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview.
Today’s guest for the WHAT is Kerry Chaput, author of Chasing Eleanor which releases on June 15
Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?
I’ve always dreamed of writing a manuscript set during The Great Depression, but never had a clear idea of what the hook would be. I started to freewrite a few scenes about a teenager named Magnolia in 1936. I had very little direction, until three chapters in when research led me to the time Eleanor Roosevelt visited the inn where my character worked—at the same time my story was set. As Eleanor has always been my favorite historical figure, it felt like serendipity! I rewrote the story that would become Chasing Eleanor. At its heart, it’s an admiration letter to Eleanor as seen through the eyes of a strong, lost, hopeful girl trying desperately to put her family back together.
Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?
I’m a sucker for the found family trope, so I knew Magnolia would go on a great journey with friends who could heal each other (also a nod to my childhood obsession with the movie The Journey of Natty Gann). I began by introducing Eleanor as a symbol of hope for Magnolia before the two have a chance encounter. In historical fiction, staying true to research goes hand in hand with crafting plot. I read dozens of memoirs to prepare for this book, and they all had similar experiences. Families losing jobs, putting food on credit, leveraging their houses, begging, bartering, often homelessness and usually broken families. Magnolia steps into the role left by her troubled parents with the youthful assumption she can manage the house and her brothers. She believes she can give them the life they deserve. Until reality hits—as it always does—and all Magnolia’s best intentions lead her down the same road. Although she begins to lose everything she cares about, her fighting spirit won’t let her give up. She must find something to hold onto, and a promise from the First Lady is as good a hope as any. After that, I crafted Magnolia’s journey through 1936 America, with dust storms and hunger, and all types of characters, including her new friends Hop and Red, who face their own struggles for survival. Chasing Eleanor explores friendship, family, and love as these orphans face the terrifying world together.
Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?
I don’t plot. I’m a pantser all the way. Rewrites don’t intimidate me, and I love when characters guide me in a surprising direction. Every story I’ve ever written unfolds as I’m in the pages. I don’t know what the plot will be until I’m in it, feeling my character’s choices and motivation. It can be unnerving to write without a plan, but I find the purest moments when I keep all possibilities open. My first draft of Chasing Eleanor was missing something. Magnolia was so close to my own struggles, yet I felt a distance in her words. I knew Magnolia deserved the best I could give, so I moved all 87,000 words to the recycle bin and started over. The next day, I jumped right in on a fresh draft. I stumbled, but I never gave up, inspired by the very protagonist I was trying to understand. This time, I yanked open the part of me I hadn’t realized I was protecting. I cried my way through that next version, but as I wrote The End, I knew I had left it all on the page.
Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?
New story ideas are my fuel! I always have 2-3 ideas floating around and keep a folder of everything that comes up. Most ideas take months or years to form, so I like having a few to choose from. I’m like a mood reader with my own stories! Interesting ideas for character or setting frequently pop up in my dreams, so I make sure to have a notebook ready at my bedside. Ironically, all those ideas find their way into my manuscripts in some way, even subtly as character backstory or motivation.
How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?
Intuition, mainly. When my character slides into my dreams and wakes me up at night, I know I’ve found my next project. Those ideas always transform into something quite different, so I never get too attached to any one thing. In true type A fashion, I usually draft two projects at a time to allow my brain to switch gears if I ever feel stagnant. The break helps me every time.
I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?
I have two! My black Labrador is my good luck charm. I write at 5am every morning and he loves to join me on the couch. I like to believe his cuddles ensure a successful writing session. We share a blanket, and he snores while I work so it’s a perfect setup for us both. I also have an adorable golden retriever puppy who comes and goes for attention, but doesn’t appreciate that I’m not constantly playing with him. I always break for puppy hugs. I would be lonely without my buddies. They certainly make the process more fun.
Kerry Chaput is an award-winning historical fiction author. She believes in the power of stories that highlight young women and found families. Born and raised in California, she now lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she can be found on hiking trails and in coffee shops. Connect with her at www.kerrywrites.com, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.