By Jennifer H. McInerney
The NRAS Writers Workshop was extremely fortunate to welcome bestselling novelist Brunonia Barry to our Author Series on September 25. Despite the sweltering afternoon, the audience sat rapt for two hours, listening to Barry’s insights, wisdom, and inspiring words. Following her presentation, the author was kind enough to agree to a follow-up Q&A to share with anyone who missed this amazing afternoon.
Brunonia Barry is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lace Reader and her latest novel, The Map of True Places – both of which I highly recommend.
Writers Workshop: Please tell us about how you got your ideas for each of your novels.
Brunonia Barry: The idea for The Lace Reader came from a dream I had when I first moved back to Massachusetts, after living in California for about 10 years. The Map of True Places began to come into focus as I walked around Salem and thought about our history as a trading port.
WW: You mentioned, during the Author Series, that you could spend all of your time on the research phase of a book, if it weren’t for deadlines. Can you talk a little bit about your research process and how you’re able to extract the information and weave it so seamlessly into your prose?
BB: I love to do research. When I was writing The Lace Reader, the historical research was about both the Ipswich lace-making industry and the Salem witch trials. For the Salem history, I decided to focus on one story and learn everything I could about it. I wasn’t going to use it in the book, but I wanted to try to write a modern-day equivalent, so I had to understand it as well as I could. I chose Rebecca Nurse because she and her sister were related to my family. I like to be as specific as possible in my research. In the beginning, I always read around the edges of a subject, searching for metaphor. After that, the research becomes very detailed.
For The Map of True Places, I began by reading a ship’s log from the early 1800s, then reread all of my Hawthorne and Melville (as well as biographies of both writers). Then I moved on to celestial navigation, which became the image system for the book. That part was more difficult for me because I felt that I had to be somewhat proficient in the ancient art, and it didn’t come all that easily.
The psychological research is the most interesting for me. As a matter of course, I read a lot of psychology books as well as articles and journals. I would almost call it a hobby. These days, I know a number of professionals in the field on whom I can call to verify or challenge my information.
As far as weaving research seamlessly into my novels, thank you for that. I really just try to find the places where I think the research enhances character and plot or sometimes places where it seems to stand in contrast.
WW: What do you find is the most challenging aspect of writing a novel? And was it the same for both of your published works, as well as the latest project you’ve embarked on? If not, what were the differences?
BB: The Lace Reader was more challenging in one sense because I was working full time and had very little time to write, except on weekends. It was difficult to pick up where I left off (or even to know where I left off) without a lot of reviewing. As a result, the book took seven years to finish.
I think my voice has gotten stronger and my writing better for The Map of True Places, so that part was easier. By the time I started that novel, I was writing full-time, which made it easier to establish a rhythm.
WW: Specifically, in The Map of True Places, Finch, the protagonist’s father, suffers from Parkinson’s with Alzheimer’s crossover, which your own father had. What was it like to write about the disease and the effects it had on not only Finch, but the characters who were closest to him?
BB: I started the book with the description of Finch selling Melville’s belongings through the window. It was difficult for me because my father had died just a few years earlier, and, as I wrote about the disease, I remembered how difficult it was for him. I also remembered how stressed the rest of us were during that period. Both my mother and my father were still living at home, and each needed full-time care. Both diseases were heartbreaking, but the Alzheimer’s crossover was particularly disturbing, especially when it first began to manifest. Many of the details of Finch’s disease and of his reaction to it come directly from my father’s experiences, which made it emotionally wrenching to write. I would have to step away from Finch every so often and rest for a while before coming back to him.
WW: Were there other aspects of the story (or in The Lace Reader) that you’ve drawn from personal experience? If so, please tell us about one and why you felt compelled to include it in your novel.
BB: My niece was a victim of domestic violence, and that’s one of the things I was writing about in The Lace Reader. This is something that happens much more often than we realize, and it happens to people we know, yet nobody talks about it. I wanted to get readers talking in hopes that it might help someone along the way.
WW: After The Lace Reader, did you suffer from any “sophomore slump” or “second book syndrome” symptoms? If so, how did you overcome them?
BB: I didn’t have time to do that. The Map of True Places was on a very tight deadline, so I just kept my head down and worked as hard as I could. If I’d had time to think about it, I might have experienced writer’s block or panic. I’ve heard from many readers that they have liked the second book better than the first, so I guess it’s working out okay.
WW: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
BB: The best advice I can give is to just keep writing. I think it’s important to read a great deal as well, but putting words on paper is the most important thing you can do. I would also encourage writers not to show early drafts to people. Nothing can kill your creativity faster than sharing a draft that is not where it should be with people who are only trying to help but offering advice that takes you off track. After it’s finished, though, I advise sharing it and getting feedback.
WW: What is the most valuable advice you’ve ever received with respect to your own writing?
BB: When I was studying with screenwriter Robert McKee, he told me to stop being so literary. It took me a while to understand what he meant, but it had to do with the way I had been schooled to write. I was writing the life out of my characters by being too formal. I had to unlearn a lot of what I had been taught.
WW: Any comments on the self-publishing route, and the changes that have occurred in self-publishing since your first book came out?
BB: When we first published The Lace Reader and William Morrow/Harper Collins bought it, they brought us down to New York for a celebration. We asked them how many self-published books they had bought, and they said mine was the first. Since then, there have been several more that have come along. Lisa Genova’s Still Alice has had a great deal of success. The Shack was also self-published. These days, I think publishers are more likely to look favorably on a self-published book, particularly if the author has invested in promoting it.
WW: Finally, what are your favorite books (or who are your favorite authors)?
BB: I love the classics: To the Lighthouse, Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby, Ulysses. I like just about anything by Louise Erdrich. My favorite books this year are Nancy Pickard’s The Scent of Rain and Lightning and Lily King’s Father of the Rain.
