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1. What is your favorite podcast to listen to and why?
I actually don’t listen to podcasts! I know, I know, how could I write a book about podcasts when I don’t listen to them? The truth is that I can’t focus on something if I’m only hearing it—I don’t listen to audiobooks for the same reason. That said, I was inspired to write Truth Be Told (originally published as Are You Sleeping) after listening to the first season of “Serial.” My brother recommended it to me, and I was immediately hooked!
2. How long did it take you to write the first draft of Are You Sleeping?
I can’t quite recall how long it took me to write the first draft of Truth Be Told, but it took me approximately five months to write the first version that I began querying. That number, though, is misleading—I started developing the characters (mainly Josie, Lanie, and their family) many, many years before that. I knew these characters had a story, but it wasn’t until I listened to “Serial” and got the idea for the true crime podcast framework that I knew what that story was.
3. How many hours a day do you write in general?
I spent around five hours writing four days a week. I would love to spend more—particularly when I’m engrossed in a project—but this is what I works for me so that I can balance my family life with my writing life.
4. What were the challenges( Literary, research) in writing Are You Sleeping?
For me, the big challenge in writing Truth Be Told was linking the “big” scenes—the scenes that had been ruminating in my head for years, the ones that I could see as clearly as if they were on film—with the rest of the narrative. It was a struggle to remind myself that I couldn’t just have all drama, all the time—that kind of breakneck pace isn’t sustainable, and I don’t find it enjoyable to read in a novel. (But it sure is fun to write!)
5. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in Are You Sleeping and why?
The scenes with Josie and Lanie, particularly the flashback scenes of the sisters in high school, really did it for me. Those were the moments in which I felt most connected to the characters. There were so, so many more of those scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor—I loved them, but a reader only needs so much backstory.
6. Did you ever get writer’s block when writing Are You Sleeping? What do you do to get back on track?
Definitely! When I have writer’s block, I usually just power through it. I give myself permission to just throw words on the pages, knowing no one else will ever read them. They’re sloppy and they all have to be cut or edited later, but at least it helps me move forward. Somewhere in there, I usually find my stride again.
7. Silly-Game Question: From Are You Sleeping novel could you please leaf through the pages and point at a random place. What is the full sentence? And what is the page number of this random sentence?
At fifteen, I had so eagerly welcomed Ellen’s guidance that I had practically genuflected at her feet. – page 79
8. Were you ever on set for the making of TV adaptation(Truth Be Told) of your novel? If so, could you tell me what screen you were present at that was very memorable to you?
I spent two days visiting the set, and it was such a special experience! Everyone associated with the production was so warm and welcoming, and it was really interesting what happened behind the scenes. In particular, I found the sets so interesting! For example, I got to walk around Poppy’s house, which was much more like an actual house than I had imagined a set would be. Another day, they were shooting on location, and I visited the house that was used as Melanie Cave’s and met the woman who actually lives there.
9. How did Reese Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine discover your novel? Also, were you able to meet her?
My film agents get all the credit here! I’m represented by Michelle Weiner, Michelle Kroes, and Olivia Blaustein at CAA, and they got my book to Reese Witherspoon. I never met her in person, but I did speak with her on the phone.
10. What are your thoughts on Octavia Spencer playing the lead character Poppy Parnell?
Octavia Spencer is a phenomenal actress and I’m so humbled that she brought to life a character that started out as a figment of my imagination. If you’ve seen the show, you know that it varies considerably from my book—and one of the main differences is that Poppy is the central character of the show, whereas she was a supporting character in the book. Nichelle Tramble Spellman, the talented writer who created the series, took Poppy and reconstructed her into a fully fleshed out woman. It was incredible to see, and I love watching Octavia Spencer as Poppy Parnell!
11. Did you make any cameo in season 1 or 2 of Truth Be Told?
I did not! It would have been fun, but I’m not an actress and I live across the country, so it wasn’t in the cards.
12. Could you give a brief summary about your sophomore novel “Follow Me”?
Follow Me is about a social media-obsessed woman who doesn’t often think about what she posts, and what happens when a certain admirer decides he wants to follow her offline as well as online.
13. How would you compare your experience writing Are You Sleeping to Follow Me?
When I wrote Truth Be Told, I had all the time in the world. I didn’t have an agent or an editor, and so I had the luxury to only write when I felt inspired and to spend time wandering down tangents—but I also didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of. In contrast, I sold Follow Me on proposal, so I then had to write the book on a deadline. Also, my agent and editor were involved from the beginning, so I could reach out to one of them when I felt stuck. The processes were very different.
14. Silly-Game Again: From Follow Me novel could you please leaf through the pages and point at a random place. What is the full sentence? And what is the page number of this random sentence?
My sister mocked me mercilessly for living a digital life while collecting something so hopelessly analog (but Maggie worked as an accountant for a paper company, so, really, who was she to criticize something for being analog?), but I loved the tangibility of records. – page 61
15. What was your favorite book when you were a kid? Do you have a favorite book now?
I loved The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, although We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson had a special (dark) place in my heart. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is one of my favorites to this day!
16. If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be?
Hmm, interesting question! I think I’ll invite Nichelle Tramble Spellman, the creator of the Truth Be Told series, because I’m in awe of her talent and would love to chat more about her creative process; Nicole Byer, the host of Nailed It!, because I can’t get enough of that show and I think she’s hilarious (we could do a segment with her critiquing some of the truly sad cakes I’ve baked in my life!); and Michelle Obama because I need an intellectual to balance out the silly cake content, and also because I find her inspiring. Now, the question is whether any of them would actually join me on my show …
17. Last question, what type of snack (or food) do you plan to get while watching season 2 of Truth Be Told?
I’ll be too nervous to snack during the show! Haha, I’m so excited to see what happens next for Poppy, and I think I’ll need to be totally focused!
Get to know more about Kathleen Barber by visiting her website. Thank you for stopping by here and have a great day/evening.