The next big thing (find out what I’m working on)
I was so honored (and, to be honest, a little nervous) to be tagged by the novelist Stephanie Cowell on this questionnaire about my current work in progress. I always feel a bit weird talking about a book that’s not yet published. But I also wanted to share a little of what I’m working on with you. So — deep breath — here goes:
What is your working title of your book?
Mastering the Art of French Eating
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I was in the shower in my apartment in Paris, when the idea for the book appeared, almost fully fleshed out. Why not write a food memoir set in France, investigating the true story behind the country’s signature dishes like boeuf Bourguignon, cassoulet, or crêpes, to name a few? The year I spent in Paris alone, while my diplomat husband was posted at the embassy in Baghdad, would be the thread that tied the story together. By the time I’d washed the soap from my hair, the title had appeared as well. Really, I think my subconscious was just looking for an excuse to travel around France and eat.
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s a food memoir but it also offers a bit of gastronomic history. And there are recipes. After all, I had to share the secrets I gleaned from talking to French grannies!
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is a weird question for me. Weird because the book is a memoir, so the main character is, well, me. Weird, also, because I’m Asian American and there are about two (and that’s being generous) Asian American actresses working in Hollywood right now. But I do think Philip Seymour Hoffman would be terrific as the charcutier who teaches me how to make andouillette, or tripe sausage. And I could definitely see Maggie Smith as a tart-tongued Provençale grandmother zealously protecting her soup recipe (I wore her down in the end, though).
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A memoir in food, a blend of travel, gastronomic history, and personal journey by a young diplomat’s wife who must reinvent her dream of living in Paris when her husband is sent to Iraq, and who then discovers France through its regional cuisine — and learns to build a balanced life — dish by dish.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will be published by Pamela Dorman Books/Viking next fall, 2013. In one of life’s odd twists of fate, my editor is actually my former boss — I worked for her out of college as an editorial assistant. I still remember how she takes her coffee.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me almost two years to complete both the research and the writing.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It feels very strange to compare my book to so many I admire. But here are a few that have inspired me: Heat by Bill Buford. My Life in France by Julia Child. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik. The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Finn.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
France herself — her veneration of history, the respect for the land, the continuity of place and food, the pride in one’s region, the generosity and eagerness to share. The more I traveled around France, the more I wanted to eat. The more I ate, the more food stories I discovered, stories that begged to be shared.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This book talks about most of the things I love — France, food, my husband and family — and it feels extremely personal. As a reader, I know that some of my most favorite books reveal the vulnerability of their authors. But as a writer, I’m pretty terrified to share this with the world.
Okay, phew, thanks for reading! If you’d like to learn more about my new book, check out these posts here and here.
Meanwhile, I’m delighted to tag four talented writers below and I hope you’ll follow me over to their sites to find out more about their next big thing:
Zoe Fishman, fellow veteran of the editorial assistant trenches, author of Saving Ruth, which I just finished and loved!
Alison Singh Gee, journalist, memoirist, former Hong Kong expat.
Laurel Zuckerman, American expat in Paris, founder of Paris Writer’s News, author of Sorbonne Confidential.
Sion Dayson, another American in Paris, blogger at Paris Imperfect, MFA (Vermont College of Fine Arts), and novelist.
Message for tagged authors:
Rules of the Next Big Thing
***Use this format for your post
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.
Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.
Be sure to line up your five people in advance.
