Life is about the gray areas. Things are seldom black and white, even when we wish they were and think they should be, and I like exploring this nuanced terrain.
Emily Giffin
Everyone wants to belong, or be a part of something bigger than themselves, but it's important to follow your heart and be true to yourself in the process.
I think it always feels riskier and scarier to go after something you really love and want because the rejection and failure hurts more.
'Something Borrowed' was initially titled 'Rolling the Dice,' but my editor said it sounded like a men's gambling memoir.
Darcy, the heroine of 'Something Blue,' is quite shallow and opinionated. At one point, she commented that she dislikes 'gingers,' i.e., men with red hair. I received several emails from fiery redheads who said they were offended by 'my' comments. I had to remind them that it is fiction.
Guilt is a supreme waste of time and energy.
The best thing about being an author is writing stories and having people - strangers all over the world - connect with them.
For an interesting nonfiction read, I really enjoyed 'Quiet' by Susan Cain. I read it with my husband, who is a true introvert, whereas I am an introvert masquerading as an extrovert.
I didn't drink in high school, and neither did any of my boyfriends.
I never outline my novels before I write. I do have a vague sense of beginning, middle, and end at the outset of each book, but for me, writing has always been a very character-driven process.
I have increasingly steeled myself to criticism, but it still can sting, especially when you feel that it is unfair - or that they are judging my book by its cover or by preconceived notions.
Like the rest of the planet, I'm absolutely dying to see Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' and am thrilled that Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in it - he's perfect.
I don't really know why I went to law school.
I have unabashed Bieber Fever and routinely Google 'Justin and Selena.' They are so cute together.
I try to recognize that there is no such thing as having it all - and it's impossible to be perfect. You just have to let certain things go.
I aim for four workouts a week. I work out with a trainer once a week. Then, I take a circuit class twice a week. The fourth workout is random, depending on what I'm in the mood for - either a run, a spin class, or yoga.
Inevitably I draw on my own relationships when I write, so if I'm writing about a fight between a husband and his wife, of course I'm going to think about a recent fight with my husband. Or if I'm writing about sisters, of course I'm going to think about my sister.
I was actually born in Baltimore! Although I moved away when I was quite young and consider Chicago to be my hometown, Baltimore is sentimental to me, and I still keep in touch with family friends I knew as a little girl.
I have always been drawn to coming-of-age stories and books and movies featuring compelling young characters.
Well, shoes, bags and clutches are usually my big weaknesses - my husband always laughs when I call them 'investment pieces.'
I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.
Writing a teen character is something I wanted to try again for a long time!
My favorite movie of all-time is 'Stand By Me,' and I re-read my favorite young adult books often.
I've always been intrigued by the power of secrets. When is it justifiable to keep them from the ones we love? And does keeping them irrevocably change who we are?
I really try to focus on my books and readers.
It's a funny thing - when I'm crazed with work, spending time with my children relaxes me. Yet, at the end of a long weekend with them, the very thing I need to relax is a little work and time away from them!
For true downtime, I enjoy going for light runs, having drinks with friends and going to the movies with my husband.
I think it's important to try to be present with whatever it is you're doing. And if you can't be present, take a break.
Often I feel that projects overwhelm us when we look at how many hours are involved until completion. But just getting started is usually not that difficult.
A theme in a lot of my books - and in my own life - is making choices that you feel you should make, or what society wants you to make, as opposed to what is truly right for you.
I like to match what I wear to my book jacket - it's a little bit cheesy, but it's my thing.
My mother has always been an Anglophile and taught my sister and me to love British history and literature.
To write convincingly, I think you must be able to relate, in some way, to what a character is experiencing.
I write about messy relationships, and they put pastel covers on them, but I can't complain.
I find flawed characters much more interesting than perfect ones and enjoy the challenge of making readers root for them in spite of their unsympathetic path and destructive choices.
My books are all relationship-focused, so much of my inspiration comes from my own relationships and the issues and concerns that arise among my friends and family.
I think exercise is critical to my writing and an essential way to recharge.
I'm a huge Elizabeth Berg fan. Her novels are always charming, thoughtful, and filled with lively, three-dimensional characters.
I've been obsessed with the Kennedys since I was a child, and Bobby Kennedy is, hands down, my favorite among them.
My books aren't autobiographical.
I did read all my old diaries and was quite surprised by the overwhelming melancholic tone. I remember things being rosier than they really were.
I try to have something in common with my protagonists, especially when I'm writing in the first person.
I feel a great connection with my readers and would never want to disappoint them.
