Kristin Harmel (also known as the "Lit Chick" on The Daily Buzz) is the author of How to Sleep with a Movie Star, The Blonde Theory, and the forthcoming Art of French Kissing. She's also teaches Media Bistro's class on Writing Chick Lit, which I took a few weeks ago. Here Kristin shares her insights into writing...
Urban Muse: Tell us about your next novel, The Art of French Kissing.Kristin: Well, I had a fantastic time writing it; it required a research trip to Paris! It was also really nice for me, because I lived in Paris several years ago, and a lot of the main character’s adventures happened in the locations I frequented. She even lived in my old apartment (although the one I lived in was slightly larger than the one in the book). So writing it was a really fun trip down memory lane, too. Plus, not only is it set in Paris, but I would describe it as a Sex-and-the-City-meets-Bridget-Jones’s-Diary adventure, all set in the City of Light (ed. note: ooh la la!).
UM: You mentioned in the class that many chick lit writers cross over into teen fiction. You’ve done this, too. Which do you prefer and why?K: It’s hard for me to pick a favorite type of writing; I like both women’s fiction and young adult (YA) fiction. I think that one of the things that really appeals to me about YA is that I think younger readers are, in general, more impacted by the books they read than older readers are. I remember reading voraciously as a preteen and teenager, and every book meant so much to me. To me, it’s very exciting to write for an audience like that. On the other hand, I really enjoy writing chick lit because it gives me the ability to explore issues that impact my life – and the lives of my friends – now.
UM: You also write a lot of non-fiction for magazines like People and Glamour . Do you think your nonfiction work helps your fiction projects? Or vice versa?K: Well, I’ve been a magazine writer for years, and I think that years and years worth of interviewing people from all walks of life has given me a really unique insight into human nature, which I think helps me build better characters. As a magazine writer, you get to ask questions that you wouldn’t ordinarily ask of a stranger. You talk to people about the toughest times in their lives and how they managed to turn things around. You talk to them about their fears, their hopes, their dreams. And although I never base characters on specific people, I think that that basic glimpse into human psychology helps me immensely as a writer. I also think that having done so many interviews also helps me to understand the cadence of people’s speech patterns, which I think helps me to write better dialogue.
UM: How do you distinguish yourself from the dozens of other chick lit authors out there?K: I love so many of the novels of my chick lit “sisters,” especially Sarah Mlynowski, Alison Pace, Lynda Curnyn, Melissa Senate, Jane Porter, Megan Crane, Liza Palmer, Brenda Janowitz, Laura Caldwell . . . I could go on and on!! I basically just try to write the best novels I’m capable of. I try to come up with fun, complex, different-from-the-norm plots that will both entertain and touch readers. I try to create vibrant characters that are easy to identify with and put them in situations that raise the stakes, so that readers will want to find out what happens next. And I LOVE coming up with fun titles. I think that helps novels to stand out in book stores that are, of course, crowded with great books.
UM: Let’s say that your chick lit novels were being turned into a movie (not a huge leap of faith since you mentioned negotiating film rights). If you could choose anyone to play your leading lady, who would it be?K: Ooh, I’d love to see Katherine Heigl (Izzie from Grey’s Anatomy ) as Harper Roberts, the main character of THE BLONDE THEORY. I think Reese Witherspoon would be great as Claire Reilly in HOW TO SLEEP WITH A MOVIE STAR. And for THE ART OF FRENCH KISSING, hmmm, can I go back to Paris and star in it myself as Emma Sullivan? ;-) Truth be told, it has been tremendously flattering to receive film interest in my novels, and I’d be thrilled to see one of them turned into a movie. I think it’s the kind of thing where I’d have to learn to let go, sit back and enjoy the direction that the producers, the screenwriter and the director take the film.
Thanks, Kristin. We'd love to see one of your book turned into a movie someday!