Q & ABelow are questions posed to Sophie Kinsella by readers. We will periodically give our newsletter subscribers the opportunity to "talk" to Sophie directly in this way. Interested? Make sure you're a member of our mailing list!
Do you have a hard time saying good-bye to a character? Or do new adventures (whether for Becky, Emma, or some other character) pop into your head and you decide whether to turn them into a new book?
I had originally planned for SHOPAHOLIC TIES THE KNOT to be the last book in the series — and I had a very hard time saying goodbye to Becky. As I wrote the final scene with her and Luke I was actually in floods of tears! Then, of course, having had some time away from her, I missed her too much and brought her back! There will be more Shopaholic books — but at some stage I'll have to say goodbye again and I know that will be difficult. It wasn't so bad with Emma because I felt her story was more resolved and 'contained'.
Recently I found myself wondering about what kind of trouble Becky and Emma could get into if they happened to meet. Have you considered writing a crossover with the two funniest women in fiction?
That has crossed my mind too! I don't have any plans for the two of them to meet right now but it's definitely one of those ideas that bubbles away at the back on my mind.
Who would be your dream cast (any actor/actress — living or dead) as the main characters in the Shopaholic movie? Who would you like to play Becky, Luke, Suze, Tarquin and Elinor?
This is so hard! Pinning down Becky to any one actress is almost impossible. My dream would actually be for a new, young unknown to be picked — and to make the part really hers.
I'd like to know if you visited all the shops mentioned in the books of Becky Bloomwood especially those in New York. And did you buy anything?
I would never write about a shop without sampling it! (Or inventing it). When I wrote the first book, set in London, I used shops I already knew, plus I made up a couple for variety. When Becky came to New York I made several trips over for research and all those shops mentioned in SHOPAHOLIC TAKES MANHATTAN are the shops I went to! I bought stuff at Barneys, Sephora, Kate's Paperie, the Guggenheim shop... (shameful to admit, like Becky I never made it to the actual Guggenheim museum!) Then for Shopaholic Ties The Knot I came back to New York and investigated wedding shops. I even took off my wedding ring, went to Vera Wang as a 'bride-to-be'... and tried on wedding dresses. It was such fun... although eventually sanity returned: I didn't actually buy myself a Vera Wang wedding dress! Though I was seriously tempted!!
My friend is a big fan of yours. How can I get a personally autograph book for my friend's birthday? I know it would mean a lot to her.
From the Dial Press: Unfortunately, we cannot take such requests at this time. Next time Ms. Kinsella is touring in North America we will announce in advance all the places she will be appearing. Often you can contact the store to purchase a signed copy even if you cannot attend the event in person.
I was wondering why you don't give us a physical description of Becky Bloomwood in any of the Shopaholic books (hair, eyes, height, etc.). Was this a conscious decision? If so, why? (And do you have a specific image of what she looks like in your head?)
Yes, this was a conscious decision. It's partly because when I write Becky, it's as though I'm "thinking" her thoughts — and I wanted to keep it as natural as possible. She might well think, "My hair looks fab today!" but she wouldn't think "My long, auburn-coloured hair looks fab today!" (or whatever). And I really like the fact that it's not specified: I think it means anyone can identify with her. I want my readers to feel they are inside Becky's head, seeing the world through her eyes, not looking at her from the outside.
Which Shopaholic book was your favorite to write?
Oh, that's an impossible one! I've loved writing them all in different ways. The first was in some ways the most exciting because Becky was so new and fun — but the second had all the fun of travelling to New York, the third had WEDDINGS (!)... And then, having thought I might have said goodbye to Becky it was such a pleasure to come back to her for SHOPAHOLIC & SISTER. In some ways I enjoyed that one the most because it was such a welcome return.
I have heard that CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? is going to be made into a film soon. I was wondering if there were any plans for the Shopaholic series to be made into films?
Yes, the first Shopaholic film is in development at the moment, at Disney. It should be very exciting to see Becky on screen!
What advice would you give to aspiring writers as to where to start? Do you have a certain story line layout that you begin with, or do you just start typing different parts of the story and piece them all together at the end? What do you find is the best time and environment to write in? What is your number one writing tip?
My first tip to writers is find an idea that REALLY excites you. You don't have to have the whole story yet — but you have to know that this one character, idea, story or whatever will keep you interested enough to spend months or even years working at it. Of course everyone works differently — but I find it essential to plan everything out before I begin. I can spend weeks just thinking about my story, making notes, often in a coffee shop or somewhere with a bit of a buzz. When I'm actually writing, I like to start in the morning, knowing I have the whole day ahead of me. I have to be totally undisturbed, so I switch off the phones and put on thumping music to block out the world. Then I take a deep breath... put my hands on the keyboard... and log onto eBay. No. Only joking (half) |
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