Q and A: Interview with a Debut Author

May 29

Kim Catanzarite’s novel, They Will Be Coming for Us, published June 1. It’s her debut, and she sat down with Grace Kona recently to discuss challenges, process, advice, and more.

1) How long did it take you to write the book?

In terms of how long I worked on this book, it was about three years. But all of the years of writing that came before this novel were practice for this book. I’d had some success with short stories and I’d written five or six novels before They Will Be Coming, but it wasn’t until this one that I feel like everything clicked.

2) What was the most challenging thing about writing the book?

By far the one thing I have the most trouble with is the time line and making sure all of the pieces come together correctly according to real time. For instance, at one point, I was writing a scene and it was winter, and I wondered whether the holidays had passed. Most people notice when Thanksgiving or New Year’s occur in their lives, so I had to make sure the holidays made an appearance in some way. Also, birthdays have a way of confusing me. Svetlana is twenty-three at the start of the book, but a couple of years pass by the time the reader gets to the end. I wing the time line during early revisions and then I go back and tighten it up—but for this book I was making corrections even during the proofreading stage.

3) Where, when, and how often do you write?

I write most days. I don’t have a set schedule. I’m an editor and an instructor, so I have many tasks that I have to accomplish daily. I’m also a mom and a wife, so I’m often pulled in several directions, which is fine because that works for me. But when I’m in the middle of writing a novel, some part of my brain remains in the game a lot of the time. I’m often thinking about what’s happening in the book even when I’m doing something else.

4) What are you reading right now?

Self-publishing and marketing books. Also, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab.

5) Who are your favorite authors?

I love E. M. Forster, but I have more favorite books than favorite authors. Some are Pride and Prejudice, A Secret History, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Beloved, Big Magic, Never Let Me Go, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Self-Help by Lorrie Moore, Amy Hempel’s Reasons to Live. Also Rosemary’s Baby, The Outsiders, The Hunger Games series, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Brideshead Revisited. The Fellowship of the Ring. I have a lot of favorites.

6) What is the biggest impediment to your writing life?

My busy schedule. I always load myself up with work. I’m pretty much a workaholic, but only because I love what I do. I love editing for independent authors. It brings me a lot of satisfaction to help them push their writing to the next level.

7) Would you recommend writers pursue an MFA?

Maybe. I think it’s a good thing because doing so allows you to be submerged in the writing life: going to readings, meeting other writers, getting plenty of feedback from your peers. But I’d also say no because it’s not a necessary prerequisite for writing a great book. If you are disciplined and you read a lot, and you know some writers that you can use as beta readers and form a small community with, I don’t think it’s a necessity. You can join a critique group, participate in virtual events of all kinds, take online classes. The opportunities are vast these days.

8) If you could go back in time and talk to the writer you were years ago, what would you say?

I’d say, keep doing what you’re doing. And be brave. It’s not going to be easy.

9) What will you miss about working on the book?

I loved writing the first draft of this book so much. It was the best fun I’ve ever had writing. I’ll miss my characters. I love Svetlana and Andrew. I’ll miss being in Sveta’s head and hearing her accent. I’m currently writing the second book of the duology, so I don’t miss them yet. They’re still very much with me right now.

10) What’s the best piece of writing advice you ever read or heard?

Years ago, when I’d had little success placing stories, I told a friend of mine that I didn’t know why I was writing anymore. I really wanted to be successful, but I’d received my share of rejections and I was beating myself up. He said, “You have to be getting something from writing other than whatever you consider success. Otherwise you wouldn’t spend so much time doing it with so little in return. So what are you getting from it?”

That’s when I realized how much I enjoy the writing itself. Talking about writing with other writers. Learning more about writing craft. My friend was right. As much as I craved positive feedback, it was about a lot more. It’s the writing life that I love.

—April 23, 2021

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