Ask the Author: Anne Michaud
Answered Questions (6)
Anne Michaud
A friend suggested it to me. I had written a couple of book proposals that didn't sell -- and these were big endeavors that together took years. So, I was looking for something new. She said, no one has answered the question of why women stay with politician husbands who cheat on them. I thought that was intriguing, so I began to research famous political couples who had stayed together after infidelity. I find the modern ones, whose scandals play out in public, to be most intriguing. Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, for example, kept their arrangement to themselves after she discovered Lucy Mercer's love letters. However, as you'll see in my book, and as others have written, the chill between them was not lost on their five children. As for the wife who stands by her husband in front of a bank of reporters and cameras, while he confesses to cheating... that, I believe, is a behavior that might be fading into history.
Anne Michaud
I suppose I'm not very original in choosing Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They're a popular choice! I find it thrilling that Elizabeth is so smart and independent and that Darcy ends up loving those qualities in her. For his part, he is a good and noble friend, even when nobody is watching. To me, noble is sexy.
Anne Michaud
I find someone to help me. I've been working toward publishing a book for years -- probably a decade. I researched and wrote a couple of other book proposals before I sold this one. When I got discouraged or blocked, I tried to find an online class or editor or coach that would help me get past being stuck. I've found it's good for me to have deadlines and to work on specific tasks, and to have readers who hold me accountable.
Anne Michaud
When I don't feel inspired, I talk myself into doing one small task that moves me forward. It might be researching something online, or sending an email, or reading and highlighting article. Afterward, I find that I've moved past that boggy feeling of not wanting to do the work, and I feel a bit of good feeling of accomplishment. That's usually enough to get me moving again -- that, and deadlines.
Anne Michaud
Follow what intrigues you. Assuming you have other obligations besides writing, find small pockets of time throughout your day to dedicate to the work. Break it down into achievable tasks. Know that every writer has wanted to give up, and you probably will, too, at some point. Take a break. Find a way to keep plugging away at the work. I believe writing is more a matter of determination than inspiration.
Anne Michaud
I would say there are many things I love about being a writer. Because I write nonfiction and journalism, I love the activity of looking for evidence that fits the theory I'm working on at the moment. For example, with "Why They Stay," I was looking for commonalities among the couples I was profiling. I got excited each time I found a theme that resonated among them -- to a greater or lesser extent, given the couple.
I love the moment when I've done the research, and I'm about to begin writing. I know I'll be putting the pieces together in a way that I hope makes sense for the reader and conveys my message entertainingly. Usually, time slips away from me as I'm working on this part of the process. I guess it's what people refer to as flow.
Finally, I love making some sense out of events and human behavior. I can step back after I've written something and see that I've imposed order on events that are just happening (with my newspaper writing) or that are hard to understand (why they stay). I'm curious to see whether my explanations hold up over time.
I love the moment when I've done the research, and I'm about to begin writing. I know I'll be putting the pieces together in a way that I hope makes sense for the reader and conveys my message entertainingly. Usually, time slips away from me as I'm working on this part of the process. I guess it's what people refer to as flow.
Finally, I love making some sense out of events and human behavior. I can step back after I've written something and see that I've imposed order on events that are just happening (with my newspaper writing) or that are hard to understand (why they stay). I'm curious to see whether my explanations hold up over time.
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