5 Q's with Tracy McArdle

I attended a book reading a few months back for Tracy McArdle's latest novel, Real Women Eat Beef . I loved her clever dialogue and sarcastic sense of humor so much that I literally devoured Real Women and her debut novel, Confessions of a Nervous Shiksa . In her "other life," Tracy is a VP at Arnold Worldwide , so I was really interested in how publishing and advertising coexist in her world. Read on... Urban Muse: Could you tell us about how you came up with the clever little narrative devices that open both of your novels?
Tracy: Well, for Shiksa, I was working as a Hollywood publicist at the time, and I actually had those call sheets (ed. note: list of phone calls for the uninitiated) – every day. Some of the messages that open the chapters are actual messages I received, and I thought it was a quick way to introduce the reader to the daily absurd struggles of the main character. For Real Women, I needed to get all the exposition with Jill’s previous life out of the way in an entertaining way, and the wedding announcement was something that came to me after reading the NewYork Times wedding pages – you know, the sports section for chicks. I didn’t want to waste pages detailing what had happened up to that point,and I didn’t want the dialogue to ring false with excessive expository detail.
UM: Both also draw situations and sayings from your work in marketing, PR and advertising. Has the same been true in reverse: that your fiction writing impacts your day job?
T: Sure – you tend to view things – meetings, conversations, assignments, in a more narrative, literary way. You notice traits and idiosyncrasies of your colleagues, too. Of course, you’re always on the lookout for a good piece of dialogue. You also tend to write better presentations and memos and even emails – I’ve found that words matter to me, in every context of my life, and it makes my work more enjoyable.
UM: At the book reading I attended, you talked about how hard it was to find a publisher. Any insights or experiences you could share about that process?
T: Get a good agent who believes in you – and come up with a list of targeted editors / publishers together. If you don’t have an agent,find out who the editors are at the houses where you think your book might belong. Here’s a tip: agents and editors are almost always mentioned in the acknowledgements up front. And of course, network,network, network. Talent and luck help, but like anything in life, it’s who you know (or who you find) that sometimes makes the difference. Don’t be afraid to ask people to recommend agents or editors – you have nothing to lose.
UM: You also talked about the importance of only including details and scenes that advance the plot. How can a writer distinguish between a scene or description that they themselves really love and one that their readers will enjoy (I struggle with this constantly)?
T: Oh god, remember this is the toughest thing to do as a writer. Ask yourself one question: What does this scene do to advance a) the story or b) the reader’s understanding of the character or c) the character’s journey. Be careful with b), because that’s a broad field. Above all, if three readers you trust tell you it feels superfluous, (did they get antsy and wish, “Get on with it!” as they were reading?) swallow your pride and listen to them. The clichés are true: Less is more. I promise. And finally, if your editor wants to cut it, she or he is usually right. Remember, they sell books – you don’t!
UM: And now for the fun question. Since Real Women Eat Beef has a lot of juicy food descriptions, what is your perfect meal?
T: Depends on my mood, but the Italian in me loves a nice, gooey eggplant parmesan! Waffles with butter, fruit and real Vermont maple syrup is a great breakfast (or huevos rancheros, a toss up) and lunch is a tuna melta toasted roll - with fries, of course!Thanks, Tracy. I'm craving a Belgian waffle right now! Come back next Wednesday to hear from the authors of How Sassy Changed My Life .