When I found out I’d be interviewing Allison Winn Scotch, one of my all-time favorite authors (Hello! The Department of Lost and Found, Time of My Life, and, out today, The One That I Want), I scoured the internet to find out what she’s already been asked. And as I sifted through pages of enviable interviews, beads of sweat formed at my temples and the perfectionist in me began to rear her ugly head. What could I possibly ask her that she hadn’t already been asked? What groundbreaking questions could I come up with?
And then after several moments (ok, an hour) of sheer panic, I calmed myself and decided I’d simply ask her what I wanted to know. And as it turns out, Allison Winn Scotch referred to my first question as GOOD, which is good enough for me! And, anyway, it’s not about my Q’s is it? Admit it: that’s not why you’re reading this post! You want to know about her. Because it’s about her and her answers, which I love and I know you will, too. They are perfectly reflective of her—honest, candid, and funny.
But before you dig in, there are a few exciting things I want to make sure you know about. In celebration of today’s release of her latest novel, The One That I Want, Allison is running a fabulous contest over at her website. You can win amazing prizes, including a Blackberry, Flip cam, subscription to Entertainment Weekly (she calls it her bible), books by Laura Dave, Sarah Pekkanen, Julie Buxbaum, and more…
She also made a video for us over at Chick Lit Is Not Dead and revealed some very juicy details about herself—including how she picked up her husband (wait until you find out where she scoped him out!). Oh, and we’re giving away FIVE copies of her book!
Ok, I’ve kept you waiting long enough. *Drum roll, please!* Here’s Allison Winn Scotch!
Lisa Steinke: What's the #1 thing on your bucket list?
Allison Winn Scotch: Oh my gosh, what a good question. Would you believe that I sincerely don’t have a bucket list? But if I had to really think about it, I’d say that I’d love to have the guts—and the opportunity—to live in Paris. These days, it’s too difficult with two small children, but it’s always been a dream of mine, and maybe one day, I can grow old there and stuff myself silly with brie and baguettes and Nutella crepes. In a more fantastical world, I’d love to be on American Idol. 
LS: With all of the information you have about the publishing world, etc.. what advice would you give your younger aspiring writer self?
AWS: Surround yourself with the best possible people you can. I think that too many writers—myself included—settle for an agent, for example, because an agent offers representation, not because he or she is necessarily the best candidate for the job. But the people you align yourself with can make or break you, and a bad agent is worse than no agent. My career really didn’t get a jump-start until I switched agents and found someone who believed in me 200%. And then, even beyond my agent, I switched publishers for my second book, and I’ve taken a few risks that my younger self might have been scared to take...but I really believe that an author’s success is contingent on how smart and steady and loyal the people are around her, and I’m grateful—always—to have taken those risks.
LS: You are a big champion of debut authors. Which new authors do you recommend?
AWS: I just read a fantastic ARC called The Stuff That Never Happens by Maddie Dawson, that I really, really enjoyed. I’m about to also start another ARC by Meg Mitchell Moore called The Arrivals. I’ve heard great things. I’m excited to see what Hyatt Bass does next: her writing is so nuanced and lush, and I really admired her debut, The Embers.
LS: The One That I Want is about Tilly Farmer, who has the ability to see into the future. Would you want the ability to see what your life has in store? Why or why not? If yes, what would you want to know?
AWS: I guess in theory, it would be a wonderful tool: to know that down the road, everything is going to turn out okay, or even better than okay. I’d like to have that security, in terms of what’s going to happen with my children and the state of the world and all of that. But in reality, it’s not something that I’d want or ask for. The risk that I would see something negative would be too hard for me to take. If, in fact, I DID see some sort of doomsday scenario, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself; I guess you spend the rest of your days living in dread, rather than actually living your life and dealing with the bad news when and as it comes. So, no, I’d skip it, all things being equal.
LS: To NOOK or not to NOOK?
AWS: Ooh boy, I hope I don’t get in trouble, but I haven’t quite made the transition to an eReader! I know, I know, don’t hate me! But for me, there is something about curling up in bed with an actual book, in my fingers—that visceral experience—that I’m not ready to abandon. That said, I used to mock the cellphone before I finally caved in ‘99 and got one, so what do I know?
LS: What's your writing routine? (Music: yes or no? Desktop or Laptop? No distractions or can work in the middle of a war zone? Cluttered work space or neat?)
AWS: I write at my desk in silence nearly every morning. If I don’t do it in the morning, I find that I’m capable of procrastinating the entire day through. I have music playing at nearly all other times in my house, but I’m so easily (and heavily) influenced by lyrics that I find it clogs my mind while writing. My desk needs to be neat—I have a bit of OCD in that sense—random papers and pens and general crap really gets under my skin—which is a problem with two kids under five and a messy husband, but even if I have to make neat, concise stacks of stuff on my desk, I do so before writing. I also—and this is admittedly weird—really need to chew gum. I don’t know. Don’t ask me why. I’m just coming clean here!
LS: What's your one "I will NEVER give this up" vice?
AWS: Gosh, I don’t have a lot of vices but if you consider chocolate a vice (and I suppose it is in large quantities), then I’ll say that. Or carbs. I cannot LIVE without carbs. I don’t get people who give them up entirely. I’d rather be five pounds overweight than go without my sourdough bread.
LS: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
AWS: As unimaginative as this is, I’d probably say the ability to fly. I love to travel but really, really, really hate flying, and if I never had to get on a plane again in my life, I’d be a happy camper. So, just to think, “Oh, let’s go to Paris for the day,” and jet off...that would be better than fantastic.
LS: You've said that one of your greatest qualities is your optimism. What do you do to stay positive and optimistic on your worst day?
AWS: I think about—quite pointedly—that I’m accomplishing exactly nothing by moping around and feeling sorry for myself. I don’t have a high tolerance for self-pity and self-indulgent behavior, and so if I’m feeling gloomy, I try to figure out an actionable plan to change things. Whining—and I tell my kids this all the time—does nothing! It just irritates the people around you! So I try to figure out what steps I need to take to put myself back on track. Honestly, just by pointing myself in the right direction—like, when I needed an agent, just by sending out new queries—can usually improve my mood because I know that I’m doing everything I can in my power to control my situation.
LS: Fill in the blank: When I'm not writing, I'm ________________.
AWS: Wasting time reading pop-culture blogs, websites, and magazines! What can I say? I’m a pop-culture junkie, and I honestly zone out and relax reading Television Without Pity, EW, or the like. You also might find me playing Scrabble on Facebook (full confession), tweeting, or when I’ve reached the end of the internet, going for a run. (I have to justify that bread addiction somehow!)
For more information on Allison Winn Scotch, visit her website, http://www.allisonwinn.com.
Lisa Steinke, along with her best friend Liz Fenton, co-authored the chick lit novel I’ll Have Who She’s Having and co-created the popular Chick Lit blog, Chick Lit is Not Dead.
