Kelly’s Writerly Q&A second interview for this month is with Casey Nott, a contemporary fiction author who writes about women and the challenges they face in modern society. Her debut novel, Forgotten is out today and I can’t wait to find out all about how it came to life.

Kelly: Hi Casey, thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. Congratulations on publishing your debut novel, Forgotten, what’s it about?

Casey: Forgotten is the story of Ava, who wakes up after a traumatic car accident and quickly realises she’s not the thirty-year-old woman she thought she was. She’s now forty and she’s lost the last decade of her life. She has a different husband, different friends and her career that she once loved is in tatters. The biggest change comes in the form of her four-year-old son, Noah. A child she wasn’t ever sure she wanted. She has to learn to live in this new life while trying to unravel what happened in her past.

This is a story for anyone who’s woken up at forty and wondered what has happened to their life.

Kelly: This premise makes my heart swell. Motherhood themed books are the best and I’m so grateful to have received an ARC of your novel. How did you come up with your story idea?

Casey: I kept having the same conversation with my friends about how we were drowning in motherhood and couldn’t remember the old version of ourselves. In gaining a new identity as a parent, we’d lost parts of who we used to be. Parts that we really missed! So I wanted to explore that sense of loss and importantly rediscovery. I gave my main character memory loss to dramatise the story, however, what I’ve found is that people are finding it incredibly relatable, even though they can remember the transformation of their lives.

It was also during the second COVID lockdown in Melbourne and I had three children under five and needed a way to escape everyone to catch my breath. I would spend a few hours a week alone, writing and it brought me back to life, giving me something that was just for me. It taught me to fill my own cup and I no longer feel guilty about self-care. It’s a non-negotiable.

Kelly: Yes to guilt free mum-time. Bookstagram was my saviour during lockdown and that evolved into so much more than I could have ever imagined, like this Q&A! How long did it take you to write Forgotten?

Casey: The first draft took about 12 months, then another 12 months to edit. Then another 12 months to get to publication, so a three-year process overall.

Kelly: A perfect three-part process, like a trimester - how fitting. What does your typical day of writing look like?

Casey: I do my best work in the morning and like to put new words down before lunchtime. If I’m editing, I can go all day, but I find writing a first draft really taxing and I need that afternoon break to do other things and stimulate ideas. I have young children so I don’t get to write every day, and I try to keep weekends free. But all bets are off when I’m on a deadline.

Kelly: This schedule is relatable. Writting around kids and weekend activities is what I do best, but sometimes, like when I’m doing NaNo, I prioritise my writing. Let’s go back to where it all began, how did you get your yes?

Casey: I entered my first draft (which was quite undercooked and in need of a structural edit) in the Hawkeye Manuscript Development Competition at the end of 2022 on a bit of a whim to test the waters. I was very green and didn’t really know what I was doing or how to send out queries. Before I’d had a chance to really think about approaching publishers, I received a call from Carolyn Martinez (the editor at Hawkeye) telling me that I was longlisted. Which was a huge shock in the best way! I didn’t make the shortlist, which I found quite devastating at the time, and spiralled into a bit of “What’s the point of all this?” hole. However, once the feedback on my novel came back from Hawkeye, which was incredibly encouraging, they then said they’d be willing to work with me provided I took on board their suggestions – which I was more than happy to do! That structural edit made the book so much better and I’ll be forever grateful to have had such a supportive team behind me.

Kelly: That’s so cool that you longlisted in your first manuscript comp! What a huge achievement! Thank you for sharing how not making the shortlist affected you. It’s not easy to keep the doubts away but I’m glad you overcame them.

Kelly: Can you tell me about what it was like to be longlisted in the 2022 Hawkeye Manuscript Development Competition?

Casey: It was an incredible moment. I remember thinking it was a turning point, that my work was being noticed and that my story had some legs. It felt like I was given permission that it was okay to try being a writer and that I wasn’t making a fool of myself. I’m not a formally trained writer, my first career was actually an accountant! So, having somebody that I didn’t know personally, tell me that what I wrote was good, was validating in a way that I hadn’t experienced.

I recorded a little voice memo to myself on my phone afterwards to capture the feeling so I could replay it when I was feeling discouraged. It’s important to pause on those moments and really take them in because they can be few and far between. Published or not, we all have creative worth and it’s important to remember that.

Kelly: What a moment! That’s so cool that you captured how you felt via a voice memo that you listen to when you need. It is so important to celebrate the wins and remember them when we start to forget. You started a newsletter in Jan, how are you finding the process of creating and distributing them?

Casey: I love writing my newsletter! It’s light-hearted and I enjoy sharing little pieces of my real life with my readers. I write about what I’m reading, watching and listening to, because I myself love getting these recommendations. I share writing tips and glimpses of what I’m currently working on. I also include a recipe of the month because, fun fact, I’ve got a degree in Nutrition, so I love talking about food too!

The newsletter doesn’t feel like work because it gives me an outlet to write and connect with my readers, which is the best bit about writing.

Kelly: Me too! Newsletters are such an unexpected joy. I always worry about sending out such vulenerable content and then I always get such lovely responses from readers. They are the best! Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Casey: Keep writing. The saying you will hear over and over again is, ‘You can’t edit a blank page’ and it’s much easier to shape a draft into something once it’s on the page. Embrace that messy first draft and get it finished. The rest will come.

Kelly: Great advice! What are you currently reading and loving?

Casey: I have two on the go, which is standard for me! Ghost Cities by Siang Lu, which is fabulously twisty and very funny. And The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, which is also a great page-turner. Ali Lowe’s, The School Run, is also hovering on top of my ever-heaving TBR pile! 

Kelly: Some great recs I need to add to my TBR. So, what can we expect from you next?

Casey: My current WIP is about a young woman who gets a devastating cancer diagnosis which forces her to examine her life. Her relationships all get rocked in different ways, with the threat of death bringing her life into sharp focus for the first time.

Kelly: That sounds like an emotional and intricate story I would love to read. Thanks so much for your time.

Read my review of Forgotten here. And why not Follow Casey on Instagram, her plant chats are hilarious.