Cara Lockwood

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew from as far back as I can remember, probably since I first started reading. I loved books (then and now!). There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book.

Q: What are the greatest perks of being a full time writer?

No cubicles! No annoying coworkers sitting next to you. No nagging bosses staring over your shoulder (Instead you’ve got an editor that’s a few hundred miles away). It’s just you and your little blinking cursor on the screen.

Q: On the other hand, what can be the hardest part about being a full time writer?

Well, it’s just you and your little blinking cursor on the screen! Sometimes it gets a little lonely. Although, I have to admit, I still don’t miss those annoying coworkers or the cubicles.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your books?

Everywhere! Friends, family, my (so-called) life, television, movies, other books.

Q: Are any of the characters you write about based off of you or people you know?

Absolutely – most of them are. I think the best characters are grounded in people you know.

Q: Do you find anything difficult about writing both adult and young adult novels?

Well, they’re very different in some ways, but in the big picture ways, they are the same. Both audiences want compelling characters and interesting plots. The bigger challenge about writing young adult fiction is that I have to dig deeper to remember what it was like to be an adolescent.

Q: Has there ever been an odd time or peculiar place that you have had a great idea for a book or character?

I nearly always come up with my very best ideas just when I’m lying down about to go to sleep. I think it’s because it’s the only moment of quiet I have in my day. I’ve got two kids under the age of three, so my house is very, very loud. I keep a pen and paper near my bed just for scribbling ideas down. Otherwise, I’ll go to sleep and forget them.

Q: I just finished reading I Did (But I Wouldn’t Now) and it is mostly set in London. Have you traveled to London, or how did you get the idea to set the novel there?

I have been to London twice. I love that city. I’m a bit of an anglophile (I’m addicted to BBC America) and the idea of setting it mostly in London was just a kind of fantasy for me. I would have loved to live there. Plus, it gave me the excuse to subscribe to Hello! Magazine (the British equivalent of People) for a whole year under the guise of “research.”  

Q: You wrote an anthology, This Is Chick Lit. What made you want to write this?

There has been so much negativity about Chick Lit, which I just think is ridiculous. That particular anthology was edited by fellow author Lauren Baratz-Logsted as a reaction to a short-story collection called “This is NOT Chick Lit” by a group of writers who were very negative about the Chick Lit label, mainly because of what critics have said about it. I think people should be able to read what they want, whether that’s sci-fi, romance, mysteries, chick lit, literary fiction, without someone else trying to belittle them for it. I love literary fiction, but I also love young adult fiction and mysteries and chick lit – so does that make me shallow? I think when people get on a high horse about what should or shouldn’t be “literary” it ultimately just sounds snobbish.

Q: What is your favorite chick lit book and/or author?

My anglophile roots are going to show here. I am a huge fan of Jane Green (my favorite is one of her classics “Mr. Maybe”) and yes I still love her work even though I think she now lives in Connecticut. My other all-time favorite is Marian Keyes (another classic –“ Watermelon.” It was after reading this book that I was inspired to write “I Do (But I Don’t)”). I would talk about newer books, but now I have so many chick lit author friends who are all so equally fabulous, that if I started listing them, I think I might not be able to stop. 

Q: What would be your advice to aspiring authors?

I say just read everything you can get your hands on. Even reading bad novels can teach you something about writing.

Q: What would be or is your favorite place to travel?

Since I’m an anglophile, I’d say England. But a close second is Hawaii. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places.

Q: And finally, when you are not writing, how do you enjoy your free time?

I wish I had free time! My toddlers keep me pretty busy. But, when I’m not writing or chasing after them, you can find me playing tennis, watching “Glee” or reading new books on my Kindle. I am completely addicted to that thing. Best invention ever!

 

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