Archived- Promotional Q&A's: Q&A with Allison Rushby - CLOSED

[Preet]

What attracted you to this time period? And the idea of triplets?

[Megan]

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Do you have a favorite place to write?
If you could go back and change anything about any of your novels would you do it? What would they be?
Any tips for aspiring writers?

[Allison]

Chanpreet wrote: "What attracted you to this time period? And the idea of triplets?"

Hi! I've always been a huge 1920s fan and my favourite authors are P.G. Wodehouse, Stella Gibbons, anything at all Mitford etc.. It's a fascinating time period, especially when you look specifically at the problems of the young people living within it. They were sandwiched between two wars and this made for a very heady and pressure-cooker feel when it came to living, I think. I thought it would be a great setting for NA.

As for the idea of triplets, I'm ashamed to say this came directly from Dr Phil! I can't say too much as it will spoil the plot completely, but I saw a segment on Dr Phil that involved a family and their genetic makeup and asked my husband (a medical specialist) about it all that evening. This led me to wondering how this family's scenario might have played out if genetic testing was not available to them, which is the case in The Heiresses, set in 1920s London.

[Allison]

Megan wrote: "Where do you get your inspiration from?
Do you have a favorite place to write?
If you could go back and change anything about any of your novels would you do it? What would they be?
Any tips for as..."

Hi! Inspiration definitely comes from everywhere -- from overhearing snippets of conversation, to situations friends tell me about, reading the newspaper etc.. I've just started a new ms and the inspiration came from reading a book on the Magnificent Seven, seven huge cemeteries built in London in the 1830s.

I don't really have a favourite place to write (now that I have two kids, I am far less picky and will squeeze writing in anywhere and anytime, even at swimming lessons!). When I wrote The Heiresses, however, we were living in Cambridgeshire, in the UK, in a converted flour mill on a river. I had views over the countryside and a visiting swan with eight cygnets. It was pretty idyllic!

If I could change things about my previously published novels? Hmmm... I'm not sure. I've just been able to do that as I've had some of my back-list titles released by a publisher and I'm about to self-publish them, so I have been able to in this case. To be honest, though, I haven't made gigantic changes. I guess I'm realistic about it as I know all of my books were written at a certain time and that's just how things are.

Tips for aspiring writers: read and write. It sounds simplistic, but it's true. And don't fuss too much about social media. I get a lot of writers asking a lot of questions about Twitter, Facebook etc.. A basic media presence is a necessity these days, but it always comes back to the manuscript. Without that amazing manuscript, you have nothing. Spend your time on the manuscript!