LISA KENWAY “There will always be another opportunity.”
Kelly’s Writerly Q&A August Author Interview is with Lisa Kenway, an Australian writer whom I started following before she was Longlisted for the Richell Prize in 2020. Today her debut psychological thriller, All You Took From Me is out and I’m so excited for her!
Kelly: Hi Lisa, thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. Congratulations on the publication of your debut novel, All You Took From Me, what’s it about?
Lisa: Thanks for having me on your writerly Q&A, Kelly.
All You Took From Me is a twisty psychological thriller set between the Blue Mountains and a Sydney hospital. Anaesthetist Clare Carpenter loses her husband and her memory in a single-vehicle accident. So why is a stranger following her?
After questioning patients about their dreams, she becomes convinced that an anaesthetic drug might help her access missing memories. But there’s no way to be certain without jeopardising her career or her life.
As unexplained threats escalate, Clare realises she must take matters into her own hands to learn the uncomfortable truth about her secretive husband, his connection to a mysterious club and what she did to trigger a stranger’s crusade for vengeance. But how far will she go?
Kelly: I love the sound of that! How did you come up with your story idea?
Lisa: My mind started wandering at an anaesthetic conference, and I got to thinking about how little we understand about how anaesthetic drugs affect consciousness. We know that there are many planes of consciousness between awake and deeply anaesthetised, but those planes are poorly understood. I could use this concept, I realised, in a work of fiction, to explore memory and consciousness – themes that have long fascinated me.
Clare, my protagonist, came to me soon after that. I knew she had to be an anaesthetist, that she would be dealing with amnesia (a nightmare for someone who makes their living giving drugs that affect memory and who values being in control) and that she would be struggling to cope with the tragic loss of her husband. To push her further into making the questionable decisions and leaps in logic necessary to propel the story and raise the tension, I added a dangerous stalker who wants revenge for something Clare can’t remember doing and dark secrets in her husband’s past, waiting to emerge. The story developed from there.
Kelly: I think it’s cool that you’ve explored what you know would be an anaesthetist’s nightmare situation and then pushed your character to the limit! How long did it take you to write All You Took From Me?
Lisa: I began this story during NaNoWriMo in November 2017, so the first half of the first draft only took a month to write, but the second 50K words took the best part of a year. So a year for the first draft, then another year of editing before I started submitting it.
Kelly: I find it encouraging to learn that almost seven years have passed since you first began this manuscript, as I know all too well how time can clock up while drafting, editing and then submitting. What does your typical day of writing look like?
Lisa: I tend to fit writing in whenever I can. But on an ideal writing day, I’ll go for a walk before sitting down at my desk. I won’t listen to podcasts or audiobooks; I’ll let my mind wander in the hope that my thoughts will gravitate towards whatever problem I’m trying to solve in the manuscript. If I’m writing a first draft, I’ll then aim for a minimum of 500 words a day. Often I write much more than that, but I prefer not to put too much pressure on myself unless I’m on a deadline. Although I’ve twice written 50K words in a month during NaNoWriMo, that sort of daily word count doesn’t feel sustainable to me and doesn’t produce my best work.
Kelly: Totally agree. Although I have also managed to write 50k words during two different NaNos, I cannot maintain writing that amount of words. Let’s go back to when being an author became real, how did you get your yes?
Lisa: It was a Friday afternoon and I was in the Blue Mountains (ironically the setting of my debut novel) on a solo writing retreat to work on the next manuscript. After three years of rejections and near-misses, I had almost given up on finding a publisher for All You Took From Me when the offer came through from my publisher via email.
Two weeks earlier, I’d noticed that Transit Lounge’s submissions were open and that they were looking for ‘upmarket genre like psychological thrillers’, so I sent my manuscript off to their slush pile with zero expectations. When the unthinkable happened and I got a yes, I had to read the email from my publisher multiple times before it sank in. By the time I phoned my husband to tell him the good news, I was sobbing hysterically. Needless to say, I didn’t get any more editing done on that retreat.
Kelly: I’m so glad you persisted and submitted to Transit Lounge, it sounds like it was meant to be.
Kelly: You have earned credits from some prestigious literary organisations, do you have any tips for writers entering manuscript awards?
Lisa: Believe me, I’ve missed out on far more competition longlists and fellowships than I’ve had successes – as with most things in publishing, it really is a numbers game. My advice would be to make sure your manuscript is as good as it can be by first getting feedback from trusted beta readers, take care to read and follow competition guidelines and spend time on the synopsis and other accompanying documents. But before entering, it is important to read the fine print. Know what rights you’re signing away if you do win or make the shortlist, and don’t enter if you disagree with the terms. There will always be another opportunity.
Kelly: That’s so true, you have to submit countless times to get one yes. Love these submission tips! When it comes to short fiction, you have also had some amazing success. Can you share some tips for writers dreaming of being published in a journal or anthology?
Lisa: Short fiction can be almost as hard to place as a novel. There’s so much competition out there, and again it is a numbers game. Feedback is important, as is letting your work rest before editing it. When it’s ready to send out, my advice would be to read the journals or anthologies you’re considering submitting to and target the ones that seem like a good fit for your writing style. Most journals will allow simultaneous submissions, so send your piece out to more than one place at a time, keeping track of your submissions with a spreadsheet or submission tracking software, and don’t take it personally when you get form rejections or worse, silence. As with novel submissions, there will always be another opportunity.
Kelly: I’ve never thought of tracking my short fiction submissions. Thanks for the tip. What’s your top tip for aspiring authors?
Lisa: Perseverance is key to achieving your goals, but it can be hard to keep going without the support of other writers who know what you’re going through, so my top tip would be to find your tribe.
Kelly: This is the best piece of advice! It took me a while to find my tribe but there’s nothing better than having that support network! What are you currently reading and loving?
Lisa: I’ve just finished Wild Ground by Emily Usher. Emily is also in the Debut Crew and lives in Australia but originally hails from the UK, where this stunning literary debut is set. It won’t be released here until the end of August, but it’s already out in the UK and US, and I was lucky to pick up a copy when I was in London in June. Described as a ‘working class Romeo and Juliet that will break your heart’, I can confirm that my heart was indeed broken in the best of ways for star-crossed lovers, Danny and Neef, who will stay with me for a very long time. One for fans of Sally Rooney.
Kelly: You had me at working-class Romeo and Juliet! Thanks for the rec, this sounds so cool! So, what can we expect from you next?
Lisa: I am working on another psychological thriller, this time set in a coastal town under threat from coastal erosion. I can’t say much more than that, but I am excited about this project and I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the story when the promotional activities for All You Took From Me begin to wind down.
Kelly: Amazing! I can already picture your next story. Thanks so much for your time, I wish you all the best and hope you enjoy every moment of celebrating the birth of your first novel!
