Interview with Emily Giffin

Below is the interview that myself and three other lucky ladies conducted over the phone on April 17th with Emily Giffin. Big thanks to Alicia with Warner Brothers for including me, and Something Borrowed hits theaters this weekend!

Question:              I heard in an interview last year that you said that you had a speaking part for Something Borrowed written into your contract.  I was wondering if you made it into the movie at all?

Emily Giffin:         I did.  I don’t think it was a speaking part if I said that.  I was incorrect about that, but it’s a cameo.  There’s a little scene where I can be found on a park bench reading my book.  It was a lot of fun to be on set.

Question:              Was there a scene from the book that you knew absolutely had to be in the movie?

Emily Giffin:         I felt very strongly that there should be flashbacks that we were able to see since the movie starts the night of her birthday party, and in books you can write flashbacks so easily.

I wanted to see into the night where things change and how Dex ended up going for Darcy instead of Rachel, and I wanted to see a feeling of how all of them got to this point in their lives.

They’re actually my favorite parts of the movie, those moments.  Because I think we all have moments in our lives that we would look back to as a fork in the road or a turning point where we say that we took, you know, we broke up with that guy that night or we said this or we took this job or went to this school.

And so I really like that they capture the strong emotions of these moments.

Question:              Are you Team Rachel or Team Darcy?  Who are you pulling for?

Emily Giffin:         I’m pulling for Rachel in this movie.  And with this book, I’m pulling for Rachel because it’s her story.  It’s really about her art and her learning to stand up for herself and go after what she wants.  And so I really pull for her in that respect.

I think that there are a lot of stories where there’s definitely one person who you’re pulling for and there’s another person who you’re not supposed to like.

But I don’t feel that way about mine.  I didn’t felt that way as I wrote the book, and I don’t feel that way as I watched the movie.  It’s much more complicated than that.  And even though I’m more on Rachel’s side, you know I don’t hate Darcy.

Question:              I was really excited to talk to you because back in the day this book was passed around among all of my friends.  We all read it.  And I was really, really pleased with the casting from the movie.

Are you happy with the casting?

Emily Giffin:         I loved the cast – the cast is fabulous.  I mean, they’re so perfect.  Ginnifer Goodwin, with her face and her expression and her hair, is so much like the Rachel I imagined.  And John Krasinski, though a bit taller than Ethan, has that sort of original face that I had imagined for Ethan, but yet he is still very good looking.  And then Dex is gorgeous! Colin Egglesfield is so beautiful that he’s actually a little better looking than the Dex in my mind. He really is often such a nice guy and that comes through.  His performance is very sincere, and that was important to me.

And then Kate Hudson knocks it out of the park.  She taps into Darcy like no other actress could.  Hilary Swank says this, and I’m right there with her.  She is the only one we wanted for Darcy.  And that’s true even though her hair is the wrong color. Darcy is a brunette instead of a blonde.  And yet, you forget about the physical characteristics as soon as you see her in that very first scene.

Question:              I have a question about the other novels that you’ve written.  You often come back and revisit characters from previous books. Had you always planned on doing that and how you are able to incorporate them back into the story?

Emily Giffin:         I think in the beginning it was because I wrote the sequel and then there was a sense that there was going to be a series.  I never intended to even write a sequel let alone a series.  So part of it is just that I like to make my readers happy.  And I like to give them updates of what’s going on with these characters that they love.  And sort of answer questions like, “What do you think?  Do you think Claudia and Ben had a baby?  Or, do you think that Dex and Rachel still happy?” and so forth.

And so I think that’s really why I do that.  And then a nice little by-product of that is to show the interrelatedness of the people.  I like combining these different worlds.

Question:              I have seen on Facebook that Something Blue is kind of in the works for possibly being made into a movie, and I was wondering if that one is already going to be going into production at some point in the near future?

Emily Giffin:         That’s really the plan.  They’re already working on the screenplay.  Everyone’s on board, and Kate mentioned it yesterday.  I anticipate that that will happen.

Question:              What was the most exciting part about making the book into a movie?

Emily Giffin:         Just seeing these characters brought to life is as thrilling to me as it is for I think my readers, and the fact that they kept this world right.

For example, when I saw the set of Rachel’s apartment and then when I actually saw the scenes, that’s exactly what her apartment looked like.  And some of the details were even in a box.  She was also wearing an apron at one point that I never described, but if I were going to buy an apron for Rachel for her birthday, it would have been that one.

So, that was a lot of fun to see that world brought to life in a much more visual way than it can be in a book.

Question:              As a writer, I’m really fascinated by your books.  You kind of go into taboo areas, and I think you’re very brave as we all think about these things.  For instance, there’s Something Borrowed.  I mean everyone’s thought about getting together with their best friend’s boyfriend or whatever.  But you also go on in some of your other books, admitting that maybe it’s not so happy-go-lucky to be a mom, etc.

Have you had any trepidation or any fear about having some of these things out there?  Like, I’m fascinated by how you were brave enough to put out stuff that maybe women wouldn’t want to hear.

Emily Giffin:         Right.  You know, I think I tried to create their world with multidimensional, real characters.  Even though some mothers say,  “I love being pregnant.  Life is so rosy, and my husband and I never fight” I just don’t think that it’s realistic, and I think it’s unrealistic to think that our friends are never going to make us mad.

And we’re not going to never make mistakes and there’s never not going to be dishonesty between people. I think the trick is that we don’t abandon our friends.  We would probably abandon our friends if they slept with our fiancée or our husband, but, for being imperfect, we don’t sort of get rid of those friends.

And we forgive people and we expect to be forgiven and so I like writing about this things.  And then capturing the shades of gray of relationships.  And people aren’t all black and white, and good people do some hurtful things.  And people who are very obnoxious like Darcy can be redeemed.  They can change.

I believe people can change and so at the same time that I write about all these missteps and mistakes and these unsympathetic tasks, I believe in redemption and hope and change.  And I really believe in the forgiveness of our selves and of others.

And I think at that the theme of forgiveness has emerged in many of my books.

Question:              You books are very dialogued.  You have a lot of dialogue between your characters.  I’m an editor, and it seems like I’m always trying to make a dialogue better.  I just wondered if you have any tips on how to create great conversations between your characters?

Emily Giffin:         I think that as writers we all have weaknesses as well as things that we’re good at, and dialogue is just something that I don’t really necessarily work that hard at.  I feel like I have an ear for it.  And I like it, so they just appear as these conversations in my mind.  For me, it is harder to describe a room. Describing settings is something that I struggle with.

Questoin:              This is sort of a silly question, but with the royal wedding coming up, we wanted to know if there was something that you would give to Kate as her Something Borrowed, for her wedding.  What would you recommend?

Emily Giffin:         I don’t think I have anything that Kate, a princess, would want to borrow.  That’s a tricky one.  I would like to get her that jelly bean though of her likeness.  Did you see that on Yahoo?  Some man found a Jelly Belly with a design on it that looks like her.

Google “Jelly Belly,” and it’ll return with Kate.  And it’s going for $800 on eBay.  It’s crazy.  So I would get her the jelly bean as a gift.

Question:              At this point, do you think that after Something Borrowed and Something Blue are produced, the other books will go into production?

Emily Giffin:         Hopefully, yes.  Four of them have been optioned.  Hilary Swank and her partner, Molly Smith, also bought Heart of the Matter.  So, we’re starting to talk about that script and that movie.  So, yes, that’s the plan.

Question:              Going back to the idea of writing about uncomfortable topics…did you have an impetus that caused you to start to write Something Borrowed?  Did something happen in your life?

Emily Giffin:         The story is not autobiographical at all.  And all the characters, including Hillary who isn’t in the movie, aren’t based on anyone I know.  I think one of the broader themes of this book is learning to follow your heart and go after what it is that you want.  And for Rachel, it was telling Dex how she felt.  And sort of being true to her heart in the context of a friendship and her feelings for Dex.

And for me, it was upon turning 30, I quit my job as a lawyer, moved to London and wrote this book.  That was my dream and the things that I were going for the most and so, I could very much relate to the feeling of turning 30 and not being happy.  What can you do to get happy?  And what do you need to do to fix it?  I had to take that risk.  So that was more of how I related to Rachel.  That and hating being a lawyer.

Something Borrowed Movie Poster

I know everyone is anxiously awaiting the release of Something Borrowed, the movie coming to theaters based on Emily Giffin’s bestselling novel. With actors included Kate Hudson and John Krasinski playing lead roles, who doesn’t want to see it? Thanks to Alicia Leung with Warner Brothers Pictures, she is letting us see the movie poster for Something Borrowed! I love it- do you?

**Something Borrowed will be in theaters May 6th**

Chick Lit Plus Awards

And the Chick Lit Plus Award goes to……

BEST LOL NOVEL

Nominees:

Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski

Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank

Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Sleeping with Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner

Winner: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

BEST ROMANCE NOVEL

Nominees:

Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Anyone for Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy

Winner: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

BEST BFF NOVEL

Nominees:

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick

Winner: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

BEST VILLAIN IN A NOVEL

Nominees:

Miranda, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Olga, Moonlight in Odessa, by Janet Skeslein Charles

Cici, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

Patty, The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

Valerie, Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

Winner: Cici, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

BEST SCANDAL IN A NOVEL

Nominees:

Perfect Blend by Sue Margolis

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

Still Thinking of You by Adele Parks

Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins

Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell’

Winner: Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

BEST TEAR-JERKER NOVEL

Nominees:

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Promises to Keep by Jane Green

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain

On Folly Beach by Karen White

Winner: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

BEST NOVEL FROM A DEBUT AUTHOR

Nominees:

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Reunion by JL Penn

Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph

Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

Winner: I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

BEST NOVL WRITTEN BY A CELEBRITY

Nominees:

LA Candy by Lauren Conrad

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie

Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad

Star by Pamela Anderson

Winner: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

MOST INTRIGUING CONCEPT

Nominees:

The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

Tuesday Tells it Slant by Holly Christine

The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain

Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

Winner: Espressologist by Kristina Springer

BEST FEMALE

Nominees:

Willa, Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Darcy, Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

Rachel, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Sammy, Sammy’s Hill by Kristin Gore

Winner: Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

BEST MALE

Nominees:

Luc, See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

Ethan, Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Luke, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

Dan, A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Winner: Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

BEST SERIES

Nominees:

Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich

Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot

I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk

Enchanted Series by Shanna Swendson

Winner: I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk

NOVEL THAT SHOULD BE A MOVIE

Nominees:

A Total Waste of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder

I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph

Winner: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

BEST NOVEL MADE INTO A MOVIE

Nominees:

Flirty With Forty by Jane Porter

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Winner: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

CHARACTER WITH THE BEST JOB

Nominees:

Sophie, Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis

Lydia, The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

Heather, Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot

Marla, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Martenson

Winner: Sophie, Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis

BEST WEDDING IN A NOVEL

Nominees:

Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

Wedding Season by Katie Fforde

Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz

For Better, For Worse by Carole Matthews

I Do, But I Don’t by Cara Lockwood

Winner: Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER IN A NOVEL

Nominees:

Suze, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

Kelly, Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright

Dot, The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

Jessica, Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Candace, Reunion by JL Penn

Winner: Suze, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

BEST COUGAR NOVEL

Nominees:

Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter

The Cougar Club by Susan McBride

The Infidelity Pact by Carrie Karasyov

Winner: The Cougar Club by Susan McBride

BEST COVER

Nominees:

Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Misery Loves Cabernet by Kim Gruenenfelder

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr

Winner: Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

BEST SEQUEL

Nominees:

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

The First Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare

Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham

Killer Cocktails by Sheryl J Anderson

Winner: Something Blue by Emily Giffin

BEST MYSTERY

Nominees:

I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson

Killer Heels by Sheryl J Anderson

Looks to Die For by Janice Kaplan

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

Winner: Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED AND THE AUTHORS WHO DONATED THEIR NOVELS!

Best Sequel Nominees

The nominees for Best Sequel:

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

The First Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare

Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham

Killer Cocktail by Sheryl J Anderson

Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!

Best Male Nominees

The nominees for Best Male Character in a Novel:

Luc Martineau, See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

Ethan, Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Luke Brandon, Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella

Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

Dan, A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!

Best Female Nominees

The nominees for Best Female Character in a Novel:

Willa, Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Darcy, Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Becky Bloomwood,  Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella

Rachel, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Sammy Joyce, Sammy’s Hill/Sammy’s House by Kristin Gore

Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!

Best Romance Nominees

The nominees for best Romance Novel:

Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Anyone for Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy

Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!

Chick Lit Plus Awards: Day 7 Nominations

Categories: Best Cover, Best Sequel, Best Mystery/Cozy Mystery

Prizes: 2 winners will receive a copy of Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.

Winners will be announced August 23^rd.

Please post below to enter your nominations, or email me directly at Samantha@chicklitplus.com. The top 5 from each category will go on to the final voting process.

Some early nomination votes for these categories include:

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella – Best Cover

Something Blue by Emily Giffin- Best Sequel

I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Watson –Best Mystery/Cozy Mystery

Chick Lit Plus Awards: Day 4 Nominations

Categories: Best Female Character, Best Male Character, Best Series

Prizes: 2 winners will receive a copy of Reunion by JL Penn

Winners will be announced August 23^rd.

Please post below to enter your nominations, or email me directly at Samantha@chicklitplus.com. The top 5 from each category will go on to the final voting process.

Some early nomination votes for these categories include:

Rachel- Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin- Best Female Character

Ethan- Something Blue by Emily Giffin-Best Male Character

‘I Heart’ Series by Lindsey Kelk- Best Series

‘Shopaholic’ Series by Sophie Kinsella- Best Series

Click here to vote for Day 1 Nominations!

Click here to vote for Day 2 Nominations!

Click here to vote for Day 3 Nominations!

Guest Post: Smart Chick Lit

I’ve been asked in the past why I read chick lit, as if it isn’t “real” fiction.  I get that it isn’t the genre for everyone, but I like it.  But, why do I like it?   Why do any of us read what we read?  I thought about it, and polled friends who read chick lit to see what they thought.

 

What makes you like it, I asked them?  Overwhelmingly, we all said it is the heroine that draws us to the genre. When we read women’s fiction, we want to feel like we’re having coffee with a girl friend.  More than that, we want someone who isn’t perfect, because we know we certainly are not perfect. But we don’t want our heroine to be an idiot.  As my friend Katherine said “You like a heroine who has faults, but you don’t want one who makes the same mistakes over and over again.”

 

We want a heroine with gumption, who can find the happy ending but who can also get through things without relying on her man.  We want clever, witty heroines who may get themselves into a mess, but also have the ability to also get themselves out of it, preferably with an appropriately acerbic comeback.  We want a heroine who lives in the real world.  My friend Lisa, a working mother of three, said “One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when the heroine has kids and she’s out every night, never the mention of having to get a babysitter or fix dinner – makes me think what the heck am I doing wrong?”

 

I like heroines who struggle with the same mundane things my girl friends and I all talk about, like wanting to lose weight, wondering if that perfect guy really exists, fearing we’re not quite a good enough mother/wife/daughter/sister/friend/employee. I look for complex characters, perhaps who are facing fallout from their unpopular or unconventional choices. Mostly, I want to root for my heroine, that whatever her happiness is, she is able to find it.

 

We like heroines who aren’t a cliche.  Unique heroines are so much more interesting and believable.  In fact, it is when we recognize so much of ourselves in our heroines that we are completely drawn in to a novel. It is what brings us to laughter or tears, what really makes us cheer for her.  After all, when we like our heroine that much, we feel like we’re cheering for ourselves, too.

 

So who writes the heroines we like the most?  Jennifer Weiner is brilliant at writing a real, identifiable character, placing her in realistic situations, and providing the right amount of drama and humor as the heroine figures out her life.  Emily Giffin gives us very well drawn, complex heroines who may take an unconventional path, but still have us rooting for them.  Meg Cabot and Jane Green write heroines we like to read. I also love Marian Keyes.  Ireland, and Irish heroines are at the heart of most of her novels, but I adore them.  The heroines are quirky yet endearing, and Keyes is great at slipping in an unexpected plot twist. 

 

Smart Chick Lit, that’s what I think most of us are looking for, and the plucky, clever heroines written by these fabulous authors keep us coming back for more.

Guest Post by Ashley Williams from My Book Fetish. Visit her webiste here!

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