In your bio it says
that after you wrote your first screenplay you decided not to do another one.
What made you decide that screenplays weren’t for you?
I think it was more of a matter of Hollywood
rejecting me than me rejecting Hollywood.
I wrote a script that was eventually made into a film (Plan B) and it bombed.
Then no one would read my screenplays anymore.
From there you
started your first novel in 2004. How long did it take to write your first
draft?
It took about eighteen months. Then more revisions. I didn't
start looking for an agent until the end of 2005.
Who encouraged you
along the way?
I was not encouraged. I was repeatedly discouraged and told
to get a regular job and a regular life.
Prior to writing your
screenplay and this first novel, what other published writing did you
have?
I had one essay in Salon "Confessions of a Hollywood
Sellout." [link: http://www.salon.com/2005/02/23/plan_b/]
What drew you to
writing a mystery? What mystery writer gave you the inspiration that this was
something you could do as well?
I never thought I was writing mysteries. I always thought I
was writing comedic novels. I've never been a writer with influences. I just
write what I need to write. I'm much more inspired by comedians and film than
other novelist. Not that I'm not a huge fan of many novelists, but I've never
tried to emulate anyone.
What was your process
in finding an agent?
I bought a book on how to get an agent and followed the
instructions. Many query letters.
From the time you
were signed by your agent how long did it take to get the publishing contract?
I was signed in November and we sold the book in January. I
don't know if that is a normal timeline.
Will there be more
books in this series?
There will be more Spellman books, but I think the series
will take a turn (which will seem obvious if you read The Last Word.)
How much time daily
do you have for writing?
It just depends on where I am at in terms of my
deadline.
You wrote another
book, Heads You Lose with David Hayward. How do you jointly write a book? How
did that collaboration come about?
I had the idea for a meta mystery novel and I knew Dave was
the only person who I could write it with. I'd always been fascinated by how
writers collaborate on a book. It seemed impossible that their egos wouldn't
get in the way. So I wanted to essentially expose the beams in a collaboration
process.
You also have another
book called, How to Negotiate Everything which is co-authored by David Spellman
and you. Spellman is the family name in your series. Is it a serious guide or
more tongue in cheek?
David Spellman is a fictional character. I'm sure there are
David Spellmans, but I don't know any. The picture book is a story point in the
fifth Spellman novel where we discover that David wrote a book, essentially a
business book for children that he tested on his baby sister. The book had some
unfortunate side effects on Rae's character. It is most definitely tongue in
cheek. There's no one more difficult to negotiate with than a child. It's
really intended for adults.
What advice would you
give someone who thinks they have the great novel in them just waiting to be
told?
Write it.
What is the best
advice you’ve been given from either an editor or your agent?
When you're done with one project, don't waste your time
fretting about the publication, reviews, etc. Just start working on the next
book.
Are there any other
books in the works that you would like to tell my readers about?
You Were Here is my next book after The Last Word. It's
a complete departure from anything I've ever written. That's about all I'm comfortable
saying now.
If you would like to
learn more about Lisa and her books, here’s two links to do just that…
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