“Squinting, she tries to see more than a few feet ahead of her, but the fog’s enveloping her, making her increasingly uneasy. She flicks the parking lights on and off to try to slice through the darkness and then the fog moves again and she sees, almost like pieces of a torn photo, patches of what’s there.”
~from Pictures of You
You know that feeling. The fog is so dense you think your windows are dirty. You flick the windshield wipers onto the highest speed. They cut across and back, again and again, but your vision is still blurred. You use your sleeve to wipe off the inside of the window. Nothing. Then, you panic.
Caroline Leavitt’s first chapter in her bestselling novel, Pictures of You, evokes that same frantic emotion in the reader, from the opening sentence to the last few words. The quote above suggests that fog can be blamed for changing the courses of two families’ lives. But, that moment described, just before the accident, also becomes a metaphor for the rest of the story: how does one recover and reassemble the pieces of a life broken by one event or another?
The book trailer for Pictures of You is haunting like the novel, and I could rave about several fantastic moments in the story. But instead, I’ve invited Caroline to share about her novel, and about writing, and I’m offering a free copy of Pictures of You. Just leave a comment below, and your name will be entered into the drawing.
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CC: The first line of Chapter One (“There’s a hornet in the car.”) set me on edge immediately. By the end of the chapter, I was deep into that breathless moment when cars collide and lives change. You’ve written an amazing first chapter! Are you a writer who fine tunes chapter one before moving on to the rest of the story? Or, do you plow through a draft and then return to the beginning?
CL: I fine tune chapter one. It’s my lifeline. If I have a good first chapter, then I know, when I get to the middle of the novel and I feel like chucking it all and going back to school to be a dentist, that that first chapter will call to me. It will say, “You can’t give up. What about me?” The first chapter is always proof to me that I can do this, that I have to push on. It’s like an act of faith to me. Plus, the first chapter really has the seeds of everything that follows.
CC: One of my favorite scenes in PICTURES OF YOU is when Luke returns home to care for Isabelle after the accident, despite her insistence that he leave her alone. You never once write about how either character feels, but the emotion presents itself through strong, natural dialogue and simple, yet powerful, descriptions. That scene cut right through me. Is there a certain scene or chapter in your novel that was your favorite to write?
CL: Ah, that comes from studying screenwriting, where everything is shown or expressed through dialogue, and not spelled out. And thank you, so much. (It also comes through 16 drafts!) I loved writing the last chapter, that leap ahead in time. I was so relieved to get everyone out of that time period, and I was so curious to see what everyone would be like so many years in the future. Plus, it was something I’d never done before and I was really happy that it seemed to be working for me. As soon as I made Sam in his thirties, I stopped worrying so hard about him, too, which was quite a relief for me!
CC: On the Reading Group Choices blog, you talk with Heidi Durrow about audience and say, “…if I think about an audience at all, it smothers the work somehow. Readers respond when you’re able to show the dark or hidden places that maybe they have been afraid or unable or unwilling to.” PICTURES OF YOU touches on several core conflicts found in life and in relationships. Has your audience responded to or connected with your story in ways that you anticipated or were surprising to you?
CL: Another great question.It’s always surprising to hear what readers say. I’ve found that people connect depending on what’s going on in their own lives. There were a lot of people who were upset at the way the book ended. They had an idea in their mind of how it should go. Some people were furious with April–I happened to love and understand her, though I certainly wouldn’t want her as a close friend.
CC: What are you reading these days?
CL: Everything I can get my hands on. I really loved Tayari Jone’s Silver Sparrow. I review for People and the Boston Globe, so there are always books coming into the house and I’m always, always reading.
CC: Do you have any advice for writers on the rise?
CL: Yes. Never give up. Pictures of You is my 9th novel, and before this one, I never had any sales to speak of, and it was rejected by my old publisher as not being special enough. With Algonquin, it went on to become a NYT bestseller, a NAIBA bestseller, and it’s now in 4 printings and sold to six countries! You have to sit down and write everyday, and always help other writers. We’re all in this together!
Caroline Leavitt has a host of amazing credits to her name (including nine novels and essays or articles in places like New York Magazine and The Washington Post!), all of which you can learn about by perusing her website here. You can also follow her on Twitter or look her up on Facebook.
Don’t forget to leave a comment, so that you’re entered into the book giveaway. Random.org chooses the winner on Tuesday, June 14th.
Oh Caroline I love your book trailer. Embarrassingly I have not yet read this book but it is going to the beach with me next week.
Christi I just love your blog…you are very good!
Doreen, I’m so glad you stopped by, and I know you’ll love the book!
Terrific interview with two of my favorite people! I do the same thing with my first chapter … it’s the lifeline I refer to when I’m drowning in doubt in the middle of the manuscript.
I love Pictures of You and already own it, so no need to enter me in the giveaway.
Thanks, Beth, for your comment. You (along with Caroline’s thoughts on the first chapter) just gave me a sense of comfort about going back to the beginning. I am in the middle, drowning, so your comment is very timely. xoxo
Great interview! I’m always inspired by Caroline’s insight, discipline & accomplishments. (Plus she’s just such a swell human being!)
I enjoy Carolines books immensely, and Christi your blog is a big help to this writing fool. Always a pleasure.
Thanks so much, Eileen!
Two things I have taken away from this interview….
I was right to spend so much time on my first chapter – Caroline, you articulated so well the ‘feeling’ I had that the first chapter was infinitely important to the rest of the story. Being an organic writer, the story just won’t flow if the beginning is not fantastic and a good foundation on which to build.
Secondly, Caroline, you mention studying screen scripts in order to ‘show’ through dialogue. Fantastic tip. I am going to pay much more attention now when watching movies, to the dialogue. I am so conscious of ‘showing’ not ‘telling’ that I nearly turn myself inside out sometimes! Hopefully, this well help me 🙂
Thank you so much Caroline
Thanks, too, for the great questions, Christi. Just fabulous!
It’s a unique idea, that a polished first chapter is like a lifeline. I understand it this time around. My first go around, I blundered through the opening, thinking I could just go back and ‘fix it’ later. That took years (finally think I got it). This go-around I started with what I thought would be a great opening–not just a hook, but a catalyst for the rest of the tale. I feel you, Caroline, regarding the first chapter not letting you quit on it.
Really great interview, Christi! The excerpts put this book on my TBR list.
Your description of the first chapter of this book has me hooked! I want to read this book now! The interview was great as well! I’m certainly glad I came across your blog!
You never get another chance to make a first impression. That’s what came to mind when I read about your first chapter. I was especially intrigued with your screenwriting reference. It’s awesome to stretch ourselves and to never give up. Great interview!
First time I watched the trailer or read through an interview with Carolyn Leavitt. I have been wanting to read and would like to snag a copy.
I’ve struggled with the concept of revising as I go along vs. letting it flow until the end. I’m halfway through the draft of my first book now and I have finally resigned myself to move forward until I finish it. So now I’m painstakingly taking notes for the first revision.
I shed several tears with Pictures of You. It was so lifelike with the twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes that happen in life. Emotions ran high in this story and Caroline shared it beautifully through dialogue and the little character nuances. I expected a different outcome in the end too; I knew where I wanted everyone to be. However, just as life, they knew what was best for them. 🙂
Tonya, Good luck with the rest of your draft and revisions. And, thank you for stopping by. I love what you said about the ending in PICTURES OF YOU, too.
Fandina, Jen, Emerald, and Vaughn, I love doing these author interviews, not only because I learn so much from the authors, but I gain even more from the discussions that follow. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Sounds wonderful — thanks for this interview Christi and Caroline!
(And, LOVE “We’re all in this together!”)
I read PICTURES OF YOU recently and am haunted by Charlie, Sam and Isabelle. It is an incredible story lyrically told with true insight into the ties that bind us all and how we are always searching.
Thanks for the great interview! My bookclub is reading Pictures of You later this month and I am really looking forward to it – I have seen so many great reviews!
I like her comment above about April – that she wouldn’t want to be her close friend. That has really piqued my interest in the character!
Great Interview, I have been wanting to read this book! Caroline is a great friend to other writers and her readers, I love her generosity that I witness on fb and twitter. Thanks so much tor sharing, and I hope I win!!!
AND THE WINNER IS….
Anita! Random.org chose lucky number 13, which coincides with your comment. Congratulations on winning a copy of Pictures of You. You should receive an email from me shortly.
And, thanks to Caroline Leavitt for stopping by and generating such a great discussion with your interview.