Danielle Younge-Ullman writes from Tononto. Her debut book is Falling Under (Plume)“Falling Under is an edgy urban drama about a troubled artist who has painted herself into a corner.”
Writing Habits: “My toddler wakes me up at 7:30am in the morning, so self-preservation dictates that I write in the morning and early afternoon.”
How Did You Get Your Break? “I entered Falling Under in some chick-lit writing contests. I was a finalist in two of them but the judges said it wasn’t chick lit—it was too dark, edgy and literary. This gave me the confidence to finish the book without worrying about genre.”
Time Frame: “Four and half years.”
Secret To Success: “I didn’t censor myself. I allowed myself to follow any tangent, go to dark place, funny, places, and play with language and style. That made the story and writing unique.”
Advice: “Find something you’re burning to write about, get it written and then edit, edit, edit. You’ll need faith, diligence, patience, more faith, perseverance, more patience and a sense of humor.”
Influences: “I love John Irving, Alice Walker, Barbara Kingsolver, Guy Gavriel Kay, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Jane Austen, Marion Zummer Bradley, W. Somerset Maugham and Robertson Davies.”
Weird Hobbies: “I like to move furniture. It doesn’t matter if everything is perfectly arranged; I still need to move it all around every few months.”
What’s Next?: “I’m working on my next book, which is top secret and making me crazy.”
06/03/08 4:09 Writer’s Digest June ‘08
