Goodreads asked Katherine Owen:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Katherine Owen My inspiration behind my latest novel, "This Much Is True" came from a writing assignment from one of my advanced fiction classes with The Writer’s Studio a few years ago, and that is when Tally Landon first came into being.

In early drafts, she was an artist. In early drafts, she was innocent and naïve.

In later drafts, she became the edgy, broken soul readers have come to know and, hopefully, love in "This Much Is True".

The opening scene gives readers an ever so brief glimpse of the old Tally. Promiscuous. Selfish. Self-serving. Talented. Tally Landon is a protégé on her way up in the world with no interest in anyone besides herself. And yet, the last line of that particular scene tells readers pretty much everything about Tally. “There is no God, Elvis.” Readers instantly know more about where Tally is coming from and where this story might take them with that one simple tragic line more than any other.

Readers learn straight away that ‘Elvis’ aka Lincoln Presley will be important. And is he ever. It is not easy to be tasked with saving Tally Landon, especially when it appears, she doesn’t want to be saved. One reviewer put it this way; and I have yet to find anyone who describes it better:

“…Linc is a great guy who kept on drawing the short stick all throughout the story since he meets Tally. He is caring, sensitive and occasionally a coward. He definitely is an American sweetheart, and his funny and witty side comes at some of the most inopportune moments. However, this gives him the power to diffuse the bomb that is Tally Landon….” Lit Jungle Blog

Back to the question. Where did you get the idea for your most recent book? I have a tendency to write dark love stories. They are angsty reads. All of them. For this one? Tally came to me. I lived with her for a year and a half in my head, and I came to know her. That sounds weird. The writing process is weird. People who write are part weird, part soulful. I can live with that. I do.

Another blogger recently asked: Do you think Tally was a tough character to write about? Why?

And I answered this way.

Tough? Hmmm…Tally was an absolutely awesome character to write. She appears tough on the outside but is mostly vulnerable on the inside in ways she doesn’t even comprehend. Her life situation is tough. Her response to it is somewhat tragic. She was a challenge to write in the sense that I really felt her awesomeness from a long way off and wanted to ensure I did her true justice with this storyline. The character of Lincoln Presley was set early on and never wavered. I gave him some challenges that his character would have to rise up to, and I feel pretty successful with those.

I just saw that these two coming together would be as explosive as fireworks. That was certainly part of the inspiration I felt for writing Tally and Linc’s story. And for continuing it now in my current Work-In-Progress, The Truth About Air & Water.

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