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A Conversation with Jessica Rao, a Contemporary Fiction Author
Jessica Rao is an award-winning journalist and media professional who has held contributor roles at CNBC and Gannett and overseen communications for Fortune 500 companies.
Jessica Rao is an award-winning journalist and media professional who has held contributor roles at CNBC and Gannett and overseen communications for Fortune 500 companies. In addition to her media career, she is the Vice President of the White Plains Library Foundation and she hosts and produces literary events. She lives outside of New York City with her family.
Let’s get started with a quick rapid fire.
Q1. If you could be transformed into one mythological creature, which one would you choose?
Hmmm. How about a fairy?
Q2. Favorite Dessert?
Strawberries and real whip cream.
Q3. What are the least-likely three words someone would use to describe you?
Quiet, Stoic, Punctual.
Q4. Where did you go on your last vacation?
Paris.
Q5. Would you rather do your dream job for a lifetime or win the lottery? You can’t do both.
Dream job.
Q6. What is one thing you regret spending money on?
I get tripped up in clothing stores when the sales person tells me I look good. I buy everything then regret it when I get home.
Q7. If you were a spy, what would be your codename?
The Brooklyn Babe.
Q8. TV Series you’re watching right now?
I only watch the NY Knicks.
Q9. What never fails to make you laugh?
Me.
Q10. Favorite Drink?
Coffee.
Q11. You are to go back 10 years without retaining any memory and you can only take a handful of Scrabble tiles with you – which ones would you take, that your past self would be able to decode?
W-R-I-T-E-R.
It’s time for a more detailed conversation, Jessica.
You’ve answered our rapid fire so well, Jessica. Now, it’s time for our readers to know more about the person behind the book.
Q. Tell us about your journey.
It’s been a windy road. I graduated from college, knew I wanted to be a writer, and took jobs that I thought would marry well with a writing career. It wasn’t until I was a mom working as a freelance writer that I was able to start working in earnest on a novel. And that has been a journey unto itself. Lots of rewriting, editing. Took a while for me to develop the craft. Really relate to that saying every overnight success is ten years in the making.
Q. So, what books have you read more than once in your life?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Catcher in the Rye. Pride & Prejudice. Charlotte’s Web. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Q. Interesting. Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
My writing group and the community I developed through the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute.
Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Not on purpose but there are a few funny snippets — Easter Eggs if you will — that I pulled from parts of my life that a few friends will recognize.
Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
Not well. Going to try my best to look the other way. An author friend who I admire told me not read Goodreads reviews. I have to trust that my work will find the readers who will get it.
Q. What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?
The characters. I have to be interested in the people in the story. Particularly the main character. But even the other characters have to be textured, interesting, and make me wonder. I like not knowing exactly what they’re going to do.
Q. You got 100 points. You need to divide (equally or not) them on the basis of how relevant and important they are to you for your book or someone else’s as a reader. Your categories are Plot/Story, Dialogues, Book Cover, Marketing, and, Reviews.
Plot/Story (40), Dialogues (20), Book Cover (20), Marketing (10), Reviews (10).
Q. So, now, about your book. Talk to us about it. No major spoilers.
Nowhere to Go but Everywhere is a gritty coming-of-age story, set amid nineties youth culture. It focuses on nineteen-year-old Helena who drops out of the University of Albany in 1994 because she wants to go west and find herself. But instead, she takes a job waiting tables near the state capitol. There’s men. There’s grunge music. There’s big life lessons.
Q. What part of the book did you enjoy the most while writing?
I got a chuckle out of the restaurant scenes and the characters that appeared there. Also, the scenes when Helena and her friends are just hanging out.
Q. What is your kryptonite as a writer?
A regular practice. It’s something I’m working on. It took me ten years to finish this first book and I’d like to get into a groove with a second book and finish it next year. My mom rolled her eyes when I told her this.
Q. Would you and your main character get along in real life?
Yes. Even if she’s not the most “together” in the book, Helena isn’t uptight. She’s curious and up for a good time. She’s a good person.
Q. What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?
Pantser. As I mentioned earlier, the first thing for me is character. I have to feel the character and then what they’re doing comes along, or rather, they stumble into different scenes and settings.
Q. What do you hope readers take away from your story?
Helena isn’t what you’d consider traditional. She’s not a fan of college. Doesn’t have a road map for life. Wants to discover the world on her own terms. Perhaps you’ve seen those t-shirts or bumper stickers that say not all who wonder are lost. That feels like the message.
Q. What was your hardest scene to write?
Sex scenes are hard. So was the ending.
Q. Well, this has been great. Now, before we wrap this up, do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? If so, what are they?
Keep at it. Good things take time. Don’t be frustrated if your first draft needs work. I’ve never met a writer who said otherwise. Also, find writer friends who will give you support and honest feedback. This last one was game changing for me.
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