Ask the Author: Clémence Michallon
Answered Questions (5)
Clémence Michallon
Okay, I love this question. Thank you for asking it. I've thought about this a lot. I do think that Carmela holds some moral culpability. She clearly feels that very heavily; it comes up in various way throughout the show. But I also think that she does really love Tony, and when you love someone, you learn to want what they have to give.
Clémence Michallon
A lot of times, the setting comes first, or at least very early on in the process, for me. I don't make a very deliberate decision—this is one of those things that tends to happen intuitively. I will say that I'm sensitive to weather both as a reader and as a writer, so that aspect plays a big part. I also find it easier to write settings that I've actually visited—Google Street View only gets me so far.
Clémence Michallon
But of course! Our Last Resort, my next thriller, will be published in July 2025. You can pre-order it now!
Clémence Michallon
It is a rare and joyful event when I do get inspired. Most days, I sit down and write because I have to finish a first draft to get to the part I enjoy the most: revisions.
Having said that, I'm trying to be better at noticing what makes me feel creative. Letting my mind wander while listening to music, often while walking my dog, is a big one.
I also make use of the Notes app. When inspiration does happen, it's not so much that it drives me to sit down and write on my laptop right away, but I do get ideas for lines of dialogue, or little bits of insight into a character's mindset and motivations. I write those down as fast as possible.
Having said that, I'm trying to be better at noticing what makes me feel creative. Letting my mind wander while listening to music, often while walking my dog, is a big one.
I also make use of the Notes app. When inspiration does happen, it's not so much that it drives me to sit down and write on my laptop right away, but I do get ideas for lines of dialogue, or little bits of insight into a character's mindset and motivations. I write those down as fast as possible.
Clémence Michallon
I spent April 2020 living in a house upstate with my husband’s family. I was grateful to be there, but I was also struck by the disruption we were experiencing. After years of having our routines dictated by the rhythm of our respective commutes and jobs, we were suddenly spending a lot of time together, without reprieve. I found this fascinating. I mean, we know what our loved ones do for a living, but how much do we really know about their day-to-day activities?
This got me thinking about how our routines can be disrupted, and what the implications of those disruptions might be. Say, for example, someone had a dark secret they had been able to keep from their family because they were never in close proximity during the day. And then, suddenly, they were no longer apart (early 2020 in a nutshell!). This had the makings of a novel.
I began to play with a few scenarios in my head, eventually landing on a serial killer who keeps someone captive, unbeknownst to his family, thanks to the setup of his property. But then he must move, and as a result, his captive inches closer, becoming somewhat adjacent to his life and family. To me, there was something irresistible about this narrative of worlds colliding.
This got me thinking about how our routines can be disrupted, and what the implications of those disruptions might be. Say, for example, someone had a dark secret they had been able to keep from their family because they were never in close proximity during the day. And then, suddenly, they were no longer apart (early 2020 in a nutshell!). This had the makings of a novel.
I began to play with a few scenarios in my head, eventually landing on a serial killer who keeps someone captive, unbeknownst to his family, thanks to the setup of his property. But then he must move, and as a result, his captive inches closer, becoming somewhat adjacent to his life and family. To me, there was something irresistible about this narrative of worlds colliding.
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