Marissa chats with Tirzah Price about her debut novel - PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION - as well as deepening your romantic storylines by considering each conversation from your love interest's perspective; using Excel spreadsheets to plot a murder mystery and keep your clues organized; immersing yourself in the source material for a retelling in order to stay true to the original characters, even if you decide to go a little wild with the plot; and writing in a period style while still making the language approachable to modern readers.
Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer
Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377
Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/
Marissa chats with Tirzah Price about her debut novel - PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION - as well as deepening your romantic storylines by considering each conversation from your love interest's perspective; using Excel spreadsheets to plot a murder mystery and keep your clues organized; immersing yourself in the source material for a retelling in order to stay true to the original characters, even if you decide to go a little wild with the plot; and writing in a period style while still making the language approachable to modern readers.
Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer
Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377
Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/
[inaudible]
Speaker 2:Welcome to the happy writer. This is a podcast that aims to bring readers, more books, to enjoy and to help authors find more joy in their writing. I'm your host Murcia Meyer. Thanks so much for joining me. One thing, that's making me happy this week and I'll admit I'm a little embarrassed that I'm just now getting to it, but our family has finally started watching the Mandalorian and yes, I am a huge star Wars fan and yes, I know I totally missed the trend on this one. Um, but I was kind of waiting for the girls to be old enough to where they like, sort of have a clue as to what's going on. And so we started watching it and we're a few episodes in and yesterday, the girls were playing with their Ana and Elsa dolls, and I heard one of them talking about the bounty Hunter came and got me and you weren't here to rescue me. And I just get such a kick out of those little by little, the ways that their imagination takes off with things. So the Mandalorian loving it. Of course it baby Yoda, who doesn't and so excited to finally know what everybody's been talking about all this time. And of course I am so happy to be talking to today's guest, a former bookseller and librarian. She didn't how it works as a contributing editor at book riot, the debut novel pride and premeditation is the first of a trilogy of Jane Austin inspired murder mysteries. And it just came out last week. Now please welcome tears up price.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I am so happy to have you as well. Uh, congratulations on your book launch. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:Good. I'm so happy that it is, you know, out and people are reading it and yes, it's very much a thrill. Yeah,
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I, I know there's nothing quite like the publication of your debut novel. I hope you're embracing it and taking the time to really just enjoy and appreciate what a cool, cool moment this is. Thank you. All right. Why don't we start by you telling listeners what is pride and premeditation? Okay.
Speaker 3:Yes. So pride and premeditation is a murder mystery retelling of Jane Austen's pride and prejudice, and it is set in a historical Regency era, London and Lizzie Bennet is recast as this teenager who all she wants to do is follow in her father's footsteps and become a barrister. However, the way to career is barred to her because she is a young lady. And so she decides she is going to prove that she has what it takes to go into law. And she being no small achiever decides to prove herself by solving a murder mystery. And so she's just learned that Mr. Bingley has been accused of murder, and she thinks that the case is a little bit suspicious. And so she goes and tries to get hired by him, but he already has legal counsel in the form of Mr. Darcy. So they find themselves sort of working against each other and then again, eventually working with each other to solve a murder.
Speaker 2:Okay. So I just have to start by saying, I love this concept so much. I mentioned before that I remember reading about your book deal when it first came through in publishers weekly. And it was one of those moments where I read the description and was like collaborate and combined two things that I absolutely love a bride and prejudice, Jane Austin novels and murder mysteries. And I just think it is absolutely genius. So on that note, I don't usually like to ask guests on this show where the idea came from, because that seems so unoriginal, but I have to know this idea come from
Speaker 3:Well. Oh, thank you. Yes. It is one of those ones that I think people are kind of like, Oh, like those two things don't normally go together and yet, um, and I've always really liked and loved historical fiction, especially the Jane Austin, you know, romance and drama. And I totally ate up death comes to Pemberley, um, which was written by PD James, which I never actually read the book. I should probably, uh, rectify this, but I saw the TV, um, little, uh, short series, limited series and I loved it. So I've always loved historical fiction. I've really, really been into mysteries for a while now. And so, you know, I was just, I had gone through this period where I wrote two books with my agent and they didn't sell and, you know, they'd gone on wide submission and they were very different books and I was feeling really just, I don't know, kind of down about it and I didn't want to quit writing, but I was just kind of like, something's got to change. I'm not quite sure what that change is gonna have to be for me. But, um, I was just kind of grasping for like the joy in writing and trying to remember how it felt like, you know, before I had an agent before I was really like seriously working towards writing for a publication and this idea was, you know, kind of came to me and I was, I, you know, I've always kind of internally scoffed at the idea when writers say like, Oh, you know, the characters voice just came to me and I couldn't stop writing because I, that had never happened to me before, but it totally happened to me with Lizzie. Like the first line of the book just kind of clicked and then I was off and it was like the most fun that I'd had writing in years. And I, I really just went with it and I guess it was just kind of the idea of like, you know, well, you've written retellings before. So sometimes I feel like I had to stay too, too true to the original source material and retellings. And for that reason, um, I would not get very far and retellings, but with this pride and premeditation, I, I kind of felt like if I'm going to write Jane Austin, but murder mystery, like might as well just go wild with it and have fun. And, and that's kind of how, how it ended up happening.
Speaker 2:Well, I love that. And I love that you bring that up because obviously going into a retelling, uh, as a reader, like there is this expectation, like, okay, there's going to be these moments. You know, I love the story of pride and prejudice. I, I know what to expect. There's going to be the ball where they, he makes a bad comment about her. There's going to be the marriage proposal. That's rejected. There's going to be these moments. And I was surprised, but in a very good way to see that you did subscribe to that, like you have these beloved characters, but you've given them a completely new story and it was unexpected, but so enjoyable because it was like getting to spend time with these characters that we know and what you love and getting to watch Lizzie and Darcy fall in love all over again, but at the same time, completely unpredictable. So were you, I mean, were you nervous, were you intimidated to be taking on this, this very beloved book that so many people just love pride and prejudice. Um, and, and what, what did you have to say to yourself to convince yourself like, no, it's okay to go wild to do my own thing here?
Speaker 3:Uh, yes. I was very nervous because I love, I love Jane Austin's work and I know that the Jane Austin community feels very, very strongly about her work and her retellings. And I mean, I, I work in the book world, so I'm constantly reading about books and people's reactions to books. And I know that when Jane Huston fans don't like her, it's telling, like they really don't like it. So I was like, okay, you know, I'm going into this. And I just kind of, I think I knew at the beginning that like, this might not be for everybody, but I was really just having fun myself. Uh, but one way that I tried very hard to, you know, make Jane Austin readers happy. And also myself happy was even though I was completely throwing out most of the plots of the books. Um, and you know, this goes with the second book as well. I just really re read and re-read, Austin's work to try to get to like the essence of the characters. And I tried to keep that as intact as possible in my own retellings, um, because I love the characters. That's really what it comes down to. I think that they are fantastic and it was a very fun exercise to just reimagine them in these completely different settings. And, you know, some of them are in a very anaclitic stick, the settings and the situations, but, um, I don't think it was too much of a stretch to kind of imagine how they would react in those, those various roles. So, yeah, I mean, I was nervous, but at the end of the day, I was pleasing myself while writing first and, um, you know, my, my agent and my editor were super supportive and very enthusiastic along the way. So I just kind of was like, okay, fingers crossed that, you know, some people will read and love this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no. And it's a good reminder, I think to everybody that you are your first reader and if you're not loving it and you're not having fun, then how can you expect your readers to love it and have fun? Exactly. Um, well, I, I loved it. I did, and I do not. I am a huge pride and prejudice fan and I will be honest. I have felt very disappointed by many prejudice, prejudice, retellings over the years. And for me, this one did not disappoint, um, because of all the things that I said earlier, but because it, the characters, they are the characters. I mean, you did a fabulous job of bringing them to life and still feeling like, yeah, Oh, this is totally Darcy, Oh, this is totally something that Darcy would say, this is totally something that Collins would say, uh, you could tell as a reader that you are a fan and that you are approaching this story with a lot of love and respect for the original.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you. I'm so happy to hear that.
Speaker 2:So of course, the reason that so many of us love pride and prejudice is because of Elizabeth and Darcy, they are like the quintessential hate to love romance. I can of course say that they're the original, but for so many of us, they feel like the original. Yes. So what was your strategy for approaching the romance plot in particular? Oh,
Speaker 3:Very good question. Well, I admit that in early, it was very easy to just lean into this whole idea of like, you know, Lizzie thinks that she's right. And that her way is the only way the entire time through. And I, I kept going back to like, you know, the idea of, okay, she thinks that she's right, but obviously Darcy has a different perspective. So at one point I did a pass through the draft where every single time, um, Lizzie and Darcy are in the same scene and their sparring, um, I made myself stop and try to imagine it from Darcy's perspective. And in some ways I almost started writing, like from his perspective, which is something I don't often do while I'm drafting, just to try to get into his head. And I, I think that like the beauty of pride and prejudice is like, when you read it for the first time, um, or, you know, even reread it, you see that like Thursday is not as bad as Lizzie thinks he is on that first impression, but she really holds onto that first impression. So just, you know, keeping that in mind of like how we form those first impressions, but then like how they change, um, was interesting because as you're, you know, as I was approaching each scene, I kept trying to like, give these little, little hints of like, no, you're, you're kind of wrong about him. And, and as she slowly is realizing this, um, you know, my editor said to me, like, we need a moment where like, it hits her over the head. So I, um, she asked me if I'd ever heard of like the locked room trope where you like, literally lock your characters in a room. And I was like, Oh, I can do something with this. So that, that suggestion ended up, um, producing like my favorite scene.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah. So yeah, like that,
Speaker 3:The realization, and I think that, like, it can be pretty powerful in romance in particular when, when you have like this aha moment of like, this person is not exactly who I thought they were. And like, you know, looking back, you can see the little clues of it all along, but then like when you're forced to confront it, that's pretty powerful. I think for me as a reader, whenever I read stuff like that, so I try to kind of replicate that, um, and this book, but I, I did struggle with the romance a little bit because, uh, you know, Lizzy is very obstinate, so it takes her a little while to see things, but I enjoy enemies to lovers romance so much. I had so much fun writing this one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I could tell that you were having fun and just like the banter, of course, the banter is what we just live for. And I loved the scenes where they were bantering with each other. And I, again, when they give us Lizzy and Darcy was like getting to read Lizzie and Darcy
Speaker 3:Really happy.
Speaker 2:And, okay, so as you were talking, I had a brilliant idea that I hope you'll steal. If your publisher ever needs some bonus material, it would be so fun to get to read one of those scenes, like the locked room scene from Darcy's point of view.
Speaker 3:Oh, yes. That would be fun. I don't know if I actually wrote that scene from his point of view, but I could, I could dive in into that. That would be fun
Speaker 2:If in case you're need any ideas, any promo materials. I'm going to throw that one out there. Cause I would love to,
Speaker 3:I read that. Oh, thanks.
Speaker 2:All right. Um, let's talk about murder mysteries. Uh, because as much as I say, like, I wish I would have had this idea because I think it's such a brilliant idea. Uh, people who have listened to this podcast a lot, know that I am very intimidated by the idea of writing a murder mystery. I find the craft involved in creating a plot in which you are layering clues and red herrings and, you know, giving just the right bits of information at just the right time. It gives me a headache. Just thinking about, so how did you approach the, the murder mystery genre?
Speaker 3:Oh, it's so hard. Um, no, there's like totally this moment where I was like, Oh, what have I gotten myself into? Um, I am very much a plotter and I like structure. So before I even really got into like writing this book, like, you know, the details and the plot, I spent a lot of time trying to get my mind around the mystery and seeing how it would actually work. And then I plotted everything out, even like the clues and all of that in an Excel spreadsheet. And I've never plotted a book in an Excel spreadsheet before, but this was like absolutely necessary for me because I could have like my columns with like my chapters. And then I broke it down by scene and I could have, you know, this is what's happening, but this is the conflict. So this is how they kind of, you know, go from there. And then off to the side, I had just had like these like cell after cell, after cell of notes of like, this is the moment when we need to like, you know, drop a hint about this. And this is the moment when they find this clue and that really did help, like keep me on track and keep me, you know, organized enough to get a draft out. But I would say that a lot of like the knowing how much to reveal and you know, when to drop this bit of info and that bit of info for me that a lot of that has come in revision because it's, I'm the type of writer that I need to know how a book is going to end in order to start drafting, because I need to have something to write towards. But by the time you get to the end of a draft, like, Oh wow, it can change in your perspective, on the book can change a lot. So that's why when I go back and I revise, I, you know, really do a lot of like shifting around of, of like the clues and like the mystery elements. Um, but I also, I mean, it's sometimes it's just like trial and error. Um, I had readers who were like, wait, if that happens in this chapter, then how does this happen in that chapter up until, you know, like right before we were going to copy edits. So I also have to credit like my amazing readers and agent and editor read and helps keep me on track as well. Cause it was a lot to keep in your brain at once. And I definitely learned a lot while writing,
Speaker 2:Well, that gives me some confidence because I often I will read murder mysteries and just feel like I don't have a brain. My brain just doesn't function this way. Like, it's, it is a lot to hold on to. And, you know, not just with giving the actual clues that can't really seem like clues because you don't want to give it away too early, but then you have to give your, your detective character something to work with. It's going to kind of lead them in a drawer. And anyways, I just think that it's impressive, but I feel like I can see how it would take multiple drafts of like, okay, maybe it's too obvious here. Maybe we need to move this over here. And it'd be a lot of back and forth I would think. Yeah. And you know, it's, it's one of those things
Speaker 3:To where, like you have this character and the characters got a hunch and you kind of know where the character needs to go. And every now and then my editor would be like, we need actual evidence. And I was like, Oh yeah, Just run off because she has a feeling. And I was like, I guess you're right. Um, but no, she was really a great instrumental and definitely helped keep me on track. Um, but I, yeah, it's, it's can be hard, but I do feel like, I mean, cause I've written two of them now and you, you do start to get like a sense, I think for like mystery plotting and like pacing and like, okay, we need something more here. Even if you don't quite know what the exact moment, what that thing is. Um, but yeah, my like total hats off to some, you know, mystery writers who just like make it look easy because I definitely struggled a bit during the plotting of both this book. And then the second book, the sequel,
Speaker 2:Well, I will say as a reader, I thought that you made it look pretty easy. So done it.
Speaker 3:Did you know
Speaker 2:The answer when you started writing? Did you, or were there any surprises as to the who done it portion?
Speaker 3:No, I knew going in who the villain would be, you know, who would, uh, but the surprises I think come in like the side characters and how they developed and then like their contributions to the mystery. And even like Lizzie, like where she is left at the end of the book is, you know, without any spoilers, it's not quite exactly where she imagines herself at the beginning of the book and that's surprised me as well. Um, so that's, you know, I, I like it when books can evolve like that and sort of make me take a step back and go, Oh, okay. I didn't realize I was doing that, but here we are. And how can I work with this? And what can I do with this?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, and I loved it because I thought it showed a lot of how her character had, had changed over the course of the story. And she learns so much about herself and about other people and about this world that she's in, I found it very fitting, so good, good choice to change that.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:So you now have two more books coming out, uh, and I have to read their titles because they are so good. So your next book is sense and second degree murder followed by manslaughter park. How hard was it to come up with those titles?
Speaker 3:Um, actually my editor came up with them so I can not claim, but I love them. So your editor they're great. Yes. I, I love puns. I love punny titles. They just, they make me laugh. So
Speaker 2:They're so good. And as a trio, I mean, they're just so good. I'm just like really, like, I just love everything about it.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Can you tell us anything about the books to come?
Speaker 3:Yes. So sense. And second degree murder is the next book I'm working on the revisions right now and it stars Eleanor and Marianne Dashwood whose father dies unexpectedly. And they begin to suspect that it was no, um, natural cause, but actual actually poison. So they begin to investigate and manslaughter park had a, you know, I can't say too much about it yet because I I've yet to really get into the drafting, but it will be a retelling of Mansfield park, hopefully with a little bit more autonomy for Fanny price.
Speaker 2:Um, so I know that you've got your hands full, obviously with these next two books. Is there any hope for a Northanger Abbey retelling? Because it's one of my favorites and I just think that the Gothic murder mystery would just fit together really well. I know it would be,
Speaker 3:It would be really perfect if, if I were to write it, I would call it more thing or alibi.
Speaker 2:And I spent probably like 20 minutes yesterday trying to come up with a good punny title, just so that you wouldn't be able to say no, you'd be like, Oh, that's so funny.
Speaker 3:Well, they're always like, are you going to do Northanger Abbey? Because it's, it's kind of, you know, she thinks there's a murder mystery and I would love to, um, it's probably going to be up to my publisher whether or not I can, but that would definitely be fun. And I've already got a title for it. So, you know, just have to come up with the plot and all that other stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You know, all the actual writings. Right. Well, I hope it does. I hope it does because I think it'd be super fun. But in the meantime, I'm looking forward to the whole series. So I'm sending lots of inspiration your way. Thank you. So you, before you became a writer, you used to be a bookseller and a librarian. Uh, thanks for that because we love our booksellers and our librarians. Um, how do you feel like that work kind of has impacted your, your writing or maybe your approach to now starting a writing career?
Speaker 3:Oh, it definitely had like a really great impact because as a bookseller and I was a bookseller, the longest, I, you know, just sort of got to see up close and personal, how people think about books and talk about books and how they approach, um, like just buying books and looking at them. And I was able to talk with so many people, um, because they're always asking booksellers, like, you know, is this good? What should I read? I really liked this. Do you have something that I would like along these lines? And it really helped me, I think just like learn how to talk about books in a way that will reach readers. And also it helped me see what readers gravitate towards. Um, so that was just a lot of fun. And I got to have like pretty much complete control over the children's and wise section at the indie bookstore that I worked at. And it was a lot of fun yeah.
Speaker 2:Face mask. So it was
Speaker 3:Called green lakes books in Michigan. It has sadly closed. Um, yeah, I know that was kind of the bummer. I would have happily, you know, worked there for years and years and still would work there if it was still around. Um, but then after that I got hired at my local library and they kind of were like, Oh, you know, you know, bucks, they put me in charge of the teen section and I was like, cool, this is awesome. And you know, that was a completely different experience because, you know, book selling is, is about the books and just kind of keeping on top of like, what's new, what's coming out, what people are buying. But library work is really about the people. So I, you know, the books were still there of course, but like I really had to like change my way of thinking and just kind of connect with the teens and the people first. And that was an amazing job because I got to work with so many wonderful teens and I got to work with teens who, you know, would hang out and they would tell me about the books that they love and they would go into greater detail and we had book clubs and we had, um, you know, just times when we'd hang out and eat pizza. And they'd just tell me about all of the books that they, they loved and why. And that was kind of like a deeper connection that I didn't necessarily get while working at the bookstore. So that was really cool just to kind of hang out with them and gain insight into what they're reading and what they're loving thing, but like also the things that they cared about in their lives and like what they were going through and what they were hoping to achieve and do. And that was a really amazing experience that definitely informed my writing and how I wrote for teens. And, you know, just both experiences were very different, but definitely very helpful for me as a writer.
Speaker 2:So when you're writing now, how often are you thinking about the teens? Like whether they are, or do you specifically think about, Oh, this team that would come into the library? I think they would love this book, or, I dunno. Are you trying to appeal to, to those teens in particular? Are there voices in your head when you're working?
Speaker 3:Oh, that's a good question. I do feel like first and foremost, I, I write to please myself, just because I'm, you know, I love stories and I was one of those teenagers that just always was thinking about stories. So I'm, I do rely on like my memories of what I loved and what, you know, really got me excited as a teen and how that has continued into my adult years, but at the same time. Yeah. I think that, you know, just having that firsthand experience with the library, teens really got me thinking more about like the real audience that I have outside of myself. And that has been very beneficial. I mean, I think that I would not have thought that a retelling of a classic would appeal to any teen who hadn't already read the classic. Um, before I did it really fantastic book club with a bunch of teens and we picked a study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavalero and I, you know, was able to get a bunch of copies and give them out to all the teams. And then we have this really great book discussion, and I asked them, I was like, how many of you, you know, have read Sherlock Holmes or, you know, anything like that. And not many of them had actually read trawl homes. A few of them had, um, like watch some TV series or movies, but like more than half of them immediately were like, Oh, I loved it. It didn't matter that I didn't know who Sherlock Holmes was. I'm going to go check out some of Arthur Conan Doyle's books now. And that was kind of like an aha moment for me, where I was like, Oh, like, you know, they, they will go and they will seek this out. Like, it doesn't matter if they've not read the source material before or not, like this is, this is something that they're into and retellings really, um, keep the cannon alive and relevant to a lot of teams. So that was kind of an exciting little insight.
Speaker 2:No, that isn't that such a good point that had not even crossed my mind. Um, because of course in the retellings that I've done doing fairytales, like most of us are familiar with the fairytales. We've had these stories read to us, or at least I've seen the Disney movies. Um, but you're right. Probably not most teenagers, the majority of your readers will have read a whole lot of Jane Austin. Um, but I love that. I love to think that one, it's still a great book on its own. Like you don't have to be familiar with the original to get so much enjoyment out of this, but also then in hope you can hope that it will inspire readers to be like, Oh, this is really, I want to know more. I want to see what Lizzie and Darcy were up to in the original. And that'd be awesome if you start hearing from readers who are like, no, I'm a huge Jane Austin fan, because if he,
Speaker 3:That would be amazing. And I've been very lucky that some early videos have reached out and said like, you know, I've never read any Austin, but I thought that your book was fun. And I was like, yes, like that is, that was one of my goals is making it something that people who both, um, our big Jane Austin readers and people who have never picked up gene Austin will hopefully enjoy. Uh, but I do like the idea of, uh, you know, teens to then reading Austin after this. Because I think sometimes when you read retellings, it gives you a little bit of confidence with the source material. So if it's a challenging book in a challenging classic, like you aren't as easily discouraged because you kind of know what you're getting into and what to expect it. And maybe you kind of want to read ahead and see, you know, does this, does it unfold the way I'm thinking it's going to, you know, how is it going to play out?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, for sure. Were you, did you struggle at all with trying to kind of capture the, the Regency era, voice and language, but also make it approachable to today's readers?
Speaker 3:Yes, I did. I, I mean, because I went in deep and I was reading so much Austin before I started drafting that, that language and like the cadence of the words and just kind of the way that they speak, which can feel very overwritten at times, especially to a modern reader was like, so like saturated in my brain. And like actually the first trend of revisions that my editor wrote back, she was like, okay, we're going to cut a lot because we've got to make this, you know, like just not necessarily easy, but like, you know, a little bit more readable for a teen audience at first, I was like, Oh, but all my words, Oh my beautiful words. But then I, as I got into it and I could see the difference between, you know, what I had originally written and what we were revising, I was like, yeah, this is going to read better. And like, you can still have like that language. And, um, you know, just like you can have that without it being like too much of a barrier. And I think my first draft wasn't bit too much of a barrier. So it was definitely a delicate balance. And there were some words and some turns of phrases that I fought to keep, because I was like, no, no, no, you don't understand. This is like a direct quote from the book and it's, you know, just going to be perfect here. So, um, you know, I did fight for that, but I did a balance
Speaker 2:Excited whenever there was a direct quote or like something that was really close. It was like Easter egg. I got it. I saw it. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes. I had that. That was like one of the most fun parts about drafting for me was I had this like notebook page of like all of these direct quotes that absolutely cracked me up in the original book. And I would write them down and be like, okay, how can I work this into the, like my telling? And it was really fun to do that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Did you feel like, um, finding that balance in, in the language, was that easier with the second book? Like, did you feel like by then you kind of just had a better feel for, for how to walk that line?
Speaker 3:Yes, I think so. It definitely feels like with this round, you know, we haven't really gotten to like the line edit stage yet, but I didn't struggle quite as much partly because I knew in the back of my mind, I was like, if I write that sentence, that way my going gonna, she's going to cross some things out. So I would, you know, write it again and be like, okay, I think that's better. Um, but also I also feel like, you know, having gone through in Britain pride and premeditation it, it was a good opportunity for me to say like, okay, this is kind of like the balance that we're shooting for. And I was able to replicate that a bit easier drafting the second book because of the first book I was just, you know, I'm not sure what it's going to end up. Like, I'm just going to write it. So I'm definitely somebody, like, if you give me a good example, I can try to follow that and replicate it going forward. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I can totally see how that would be a challenge, especially when you're reading and rereading the source material. And you're like so immersed in that world and that language. Um, but at the same time to modern readers, it's very daunting. The language can be. Um, but I, I think you did a great job. I don't know if you've read this Cindy ANSI books, but I love them. And they also are like, why a, but Regency era mysteries and it all hit like all the same notes for me, like really well done.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Yes. I've read one of her books. I need to read more of them. I love the humor in her books. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. They're very, very funny and charming, um, as was yours though.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you. Okay.
Speaker 2:We're going to wrap this up with the happy writer bonus round
Speaker 3:First up. What book makes you happy? Oh, this is why is it always a difficult, I'm always happy to talk about books when like, nobody is asking me about books, but the second somebody asks me about a book. I'm like, what, what have I read? Have I read books?
Speaker 2:No, I know. Like, it always comes up in interviews. What are you reading now? And I'm like, I'm reading three books. Why can't I think of a single one?
Speaker 3:Right. Well, I will tell you one book that made me really happy lately, even if I don't know if people think of it as a happy book, but I, I think I do, um, last night at the Telegraph club by Melinda Lowe. I love that book so much. It made me happy because it's a story. That's historical that does not have a tragic ending. And it's just a really beautiful, fully realized historical setting. I just thought it was so wonderful. I was happy reading the entire book, even though there are some challenging things to it. There's, you know, racism and homophobia. Um, but she just wrote it with such an amazing balance.
Speaker 2:Um, I have not read that book, but I love Melinda Lowe and her, her version of Cinderella, um, her Mirella story Ash. I mean, it was groundbreaking when she wrote it and so, so good.
Speaker 3:That's so amazing. Yes. And I recently really bad that like about a year ago and it's just as good, you know, 10 years later as it was my first strategy. How do you celebrate an accomplishment, um, with cake with food? No, I love good food. And I think one of the hardest parts about, I mean, this is like a trivial hardship of the pandemic, but like one of the things that I've kind of struggled with is like, you know, when something happy happens or we want to celebrate, it's like we can't go out to restaurants. We can't, you know, order food that I haven't picked myself. So, um, I do, I do miss that, but I, I love celebrating good news with like a slice of very good cake.
Speaker 2:How do you fill the creative? Well, Oh,
Speaker 3:Reading always. I would love nothing more than to just have like long on interrupted, stretches of time where I can just read. But I also feel like since writing has become more of a creative professional endeavor, I need something that's like purely creative. That's not going to be monetized or marketed in any way. So I do a lot of knitting and embroidery.
Speaker 2:I just took up embroidery. That was one of my new year's things. I needed a new hobby,
Speaker 3:So much fun and it makes me feel like a Regency lady when I do it.
Speaker 2:Totally. What is your personal mantra?
Speaker 3:Oh, that is a good question. Um, I think let's see when I'm writing, um, I try to tell myself pages, not perfection just to get stuff down on the page, because as much as drafting is like my, my love, I know that, you know, you can't, you can't make something better until you've written it. So I am always telling myself that when I'm drafting,
Speaker 2:Lastly, where can people find you?
Speaker 3:You can find me so many places online. Um, my website is tears of price.com, but I'm mostly hanging out on Instagram and Twitter at, at tiers of price. It's T I R Z a H P R I C E. Uh, but I also am on a few podcasts over at book riot. So you can find me on the, all the books podcast and at least for a little while here, I'm going to be filling in on the haywire podcast. So I'll be on there for the next few months.
Speaker 2:No fun. A thank you so, so much for joining me today. Thank you so
Speaker 3:Much for having me. This has been so fun
Speaker 2:Readers, be sure to check out pride and premeditation. It is out now. Of course, we always encourage you to support your local indie bookstore if you can, but if you don't have a local indie, you can check out our affiliate store at bookshop.org/shop/marissa Meyer. If you're enjoying these conversations, I would love it. If you subscribe and please leave us a review, you can follow us on Instagram at Marissa Meyer author and at happy writer podcast until next time stay healthy and cozy in your bunkers and whatever life throws at you today. I do hope that now you're feeling a little
Speaker 1:[inaudible].