Miriam Kahn asked Jessica Strawser:

Dear Jessica, I just loved your talk at Thurber House last night. The selections you picked to read were perfect. Since I've read, loved, and reviewed (for OHIOANA) both books, I was surprised I want to read them again already. I'm curious how you build the suspense? Thanks for sharing your story about writing and your experiences at WD. I cannot wait to read your next creation. Miriam Kahn

Jessica Strawser Dear Miriam: Thank you so much for the kind words (and for coming to Thurber House--their literary picnics are such a wonderful treat!).

I think my type of suspense is all about building to the reveals. Because my novels tend to be written from multiple points of view, I try to approach this from three angles: 1) What the characters desperately want to find out (the answer to the novel's central question, so in Not That I Could Tell, what has become of Kristin?), 2) What some of the characters might know but be keeping to themselves (holding back from one another and even from the reader), and 3) What the reader might know that a key character doesn't know. Trying to decide what to reveal and when and to whom is all part of the fun in crafting the story.

I think Forget You Know Me (coming in February) takes a similar approach, so I can't wait to hear what you think! And thanks again for your continued interest in my work. Warmly, Jessica

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