Andy Budgell
asked
Kendra Bean:
What is the single biggest challenge you had to overcome while writing "Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait"?
Kendra Bean
Hi Andy,
I started out with an idea and no knowledge of how to make that idea into a tangible reality, so everything was challenging on some level. But I think in particular, there were two big mountains to climb. The first was actually getting a publisher. In my mind Vivien Leigh is still totally famous (hello, everyone knows Gone With the Wind). But publishers didn't see it that way. She wasn't considered a "safe subject" like Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, so I had to really sell the idea that Vivien deserved a new book and that she was still relevant and had a fan base.
The second major hurdle was getting everything turned in on a tight deadline. I've never been someone who can just sit down at the computer and have the words flow out of my fingertips onto the keyboard. I scrutinize and rewrite until it sounds the way I want it to. So it was tough, and there was a lot of anxiety that went with it. But it was very rewarding in the end to know that I could do it.
It's been a HUGE learning experience for me, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I started out with an idea and no knowledge of how to make that idea into a tangible reality, so everything was challenging on some level. But I think in particular, there were two big mountains to climb. The first was actually getting a publisher. In my mind Vivien Leigh is still totally famous (hello, everyone knows Gone With the Wind). But publishers didn't see it that way. She wasn't considered a "safe subject" like Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, so I had to really sell the idea that Vivien deserved a new book and that she was still relevant and had a fan base.
The second major hurdle was getting everything turned in on a tight deadline. I've never been someone who can just sit down at the computer and have the words flow out of my fingertips onto the keyboard. I scrutinize and rewrite until it sounds the way I want it to. So it was tough, and there was a lot of anxiety that went with it. But it was very rewarding in the end to know that I could do it.
It's been a HUGE learning experience for me, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
More Answered Questions
Robin Chippendale Bellamy
asked
Kendra Bean:
This isn't so much a question but since you wrote a book about Vivien Leigh's life I am trying to research her ancestry because my paternal grandmothers maiden name was Hartley and she was born in Yorkshire, England. I would like to find out if I could possibly be related to Vivien Leigh?
Jennifer
asked
Kendra Bean:
Hi Kendra :) do you have any advice on getting in contact with people that worked with or personally knew a celebrity for interviews etc.? As a young classic film fan without substantial experience hoping to eventually publish a book, I feel like a lot of important people won't take me seriously. Thanks so much!
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