Author Q&A: Claire Varley
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| Claire Varley |
Claire Varley is a 29 year old Melbourne dweller, and the clever clogs has just had her first novel published.
This is her book:
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The Bit In Between by Claire
Varley, Macmillan Australia, RRP $29.99
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With no other place to be, Alison follows Oliver to the Solomon Islands where he is planning to write his much anticipated second novel. But as Oliver's story begins to take shape, odd things start to happen and he senses there may be more hinging on his novel than the burden of expectation. As he gets deeper into the manuscript and Alison moves further away from him, Oliver finds himself clinging to a narrative that may not end with 'happily ever after'.
After reading The Bit in Between, I was lucky enough to quiz Claire on writing real, self discovery, inspiration and fate.
First of all – congrats on your first
novel!
Thank you so much!
Did you intentionally set out to write a
lead female character that vomits, snorts and snores loudly but is still
likeable and cute? (And why does she?)
As with all my
characters, I aim to write people who are flawed and real. I didn’t
intentionally aim for my characters to be likeable, just real. And real people
vomit, snort and snore loudly, often in the same night if they have been imbibing.
Do you see family as an asset or a
liability for the purposes of self-discovery?
Family are an
absolute asset for self-discovery, you just have to be prepared for whatever it
may be that you discover.
Was there any particular spark of
inspiration that lead you to write this story?
I wanted to
write something that explored fate and choice, and how much influence we have
over where life takes us. I wrote it while living in the Solomon Islands
working in community development, and wanted it set against the backdrop of a
country so close to Australia that most of us know so little about.
Did you always know where the story
would go/end or did it evolve as you wrote it like it did for Oliver?
The final scene
was the first thing I wrote and then I had to work out how all the characters
got to that point. It was lots of fun tinkering about working out how to pull
the puzzle together.
Do you use specific incidents in your
everyday life to your fiction?
Yes but not
necessarily exactly as they occur. Sometimes it is more interesting (and fun)
to alter the ending or repurpose the incident. I like to think of it more so as
creating little Frankenstein monsters from all the things I have seen, heard,
pondered or made up.
Do real life drama and experiences make
for better writing?
Good writing is
good writing, regardless of if it is based in real life experience. I would say
that empathy and compassion enhance writing because they allow you to imagine
your characters’ experiences, reactions and responses. It depends on the
writer, but I write best from immersing myself in whatever I am writing about,
so in my case I appreciate real life experience, but more often what I write is
a pastiche of many many different experiences.
Why did you include small asides to
explain the backgrounds and circumstances of non-key characters throughout the
book?
The book is
both Oliver and Alison’s stories, and those of all the people they interact
with on a fleeting or more meaningful level. I was really interested in the
idea of fate and autonomy, and the fact that each of us is the product of the
accumulated backstory that has led us to this exact point in time. The little
asides are a way to explore these.
Why the Solomon Islands? (Was this just
a brilliant tax write off?)
I was living in
the Solomons when I started writing the manuscript, coordinating a project
preventing violence against women and children in a remote province. It is an
incredible country and I spent a lot of time listening to the stories of the
both the locals and foreigners who found themselves there. In Australia,
despite how heavily invested we are in the country in terms of aid and
development and the logging and mining industries, we know so little about this
country and I wanted to explore its history, cultures and beauty.
Who did you write the book for? Can you
imagine who your readers are?
I know you’re
not meant to say this, but I didn’t really write it with anyone in mind. I
suspect most of my readers are related to me, but of those aren’t reading the
book out a sense of familial obligation, I imagine they are lovely, open souls
adventurous in their reading habits and appreciative of a well-crafted pun.
What’s your view on whether we all
construct our own life’s narratives or are well mainly along for the ride and
subject to fate’s whims or the plan of a greater power?
I suspect it is
probably a mix of things. We’re at the helm of the ship but we can’t
necessarily predict what the weather is going to do.
What is your drink of choice?
Water. I choose
it above all else.
What is your dessert of choice?
The shared cheese
platter for one.
Dream destination?
Driving first
around and then through Australia, including sailing into the Tiwi Islands and Torres
Strait Islands, and also hopping a ship to the Antarctic Territory.
What’s been the best little moment of
your day today?
I have a head
cold and managed to fit in a power nap between a radio interview and writing
this. Subsequently feeling invincible and ready for my Wednesday night social
netball game.
What or who do you read religiously?
Zadie Smith,
David Sedaris and Annabel Crabb. I like to pretend that though we have never
met, we are all actually very good friends.
What’s your current go-to music?
They Might Be
Giants have been my go-to music since I was fourteen. I am a creature of habit.
How do you pronounce
‘project’?
Depends on if
I’m saying project or project. You should pro-JECT your voice when facilitating
the PRO-ject. I say both like a pro.
You can find out more about Claire Varley here.
