Ask Jess Walter discussion
Ask Jess!
Did you follow the Tournament of Books and how did you feel about the final outcome? Did you yourself read any of the other novels nominated for the tournament?
Where did you get your inspiration for the character Pasquale? Loved him!
What is your writing ritual? i.e. Do you write at home? Or at a coffe shop? Do you write at he same time every day? How do you generally go about the daily discipline of working on your novels? And are you working on one a a time, or multiple works?
Are you working on another novel? If so, what is it about?
Richard Burton has had a big year. Beautiful Ruins, the Lifetime movie Liz and Dick, the release of his collected letters. What drew you to using Burton as a character and what stage of your creative process did the idea develop? Do you have a favorite Burton work?
Just curious, have you sold the movie rights to this book? If so who would you like to play the lead characters?
I am also from Spokane. I grew up in the Valley. What is your favorite neighborhood in Spokane? Do you plan on setting any of your future books there?
You've been teaching for awhile. Have any of your students been published, and does their writing show your influence?
Hello "again" Jess -- since you were kind enough a few months back to respond to an email I sent you :-)I'll repeat what I said then: my sweetheart had the good sense to introduce me to your books, and I'm so glad he did. In my opinion you are one of the best living American novelists: you are at once a wonderful, even writerly writer, yet also a terrific story teller -- an intoxicating combination for this reader.
My question: given the buzz about the whole "indie publishing" phenomenon, are you at all tempted to self-publish or adopt some aspect(s) of self-publishing as another way to put your books into readers' hands?
At what point in your writing process do you seek (allow?) input from a trusted reader?
Hi Jess,Beautiful Ruins was a departure in many ways to your previous books. While I enjoyed it, I felt it lacked the cutting edge social satire that, for me, makes you so unique and distinct as a writer. Did you intentionally publish a book that you felt would appeal to a broader audience? Do you feel you compromised your funny, quirky, sexy style or are you happy with the result?
Jess --Who or what inspired the character of Alvis Bender? And what was it like to get inside his head and write the novel chapter from his point of view?
Jess, have you read anything by Irish novelist John Banville? In particular Eclipse, or Shroud, or his most recent Ancient Light? I ask because I recently read the latter after reading your Beautiful Ruins and found some synchronicity in the story lines that involve fascinating and troubled movie actresses visiting Italy's Ligurian coastal villages near Portovenere. I love both of your unique styles and for a second entertained the idea that you guys discussed the idea over drinks. Then I realized this femme fatale en Italie" theme is probably not that uncommon.
This was my first time reading your work and I can't wait to read more! Next month, it is my turn to choose the book for my club, I'm choosing Beautiful Ruins! I have to share it with my friends, I can't stop talking about it!What do you want readers to take with them when they have finished reading?
What triggered the idea for this book? ("What's your inspiration?" I believe gets run into the ground ;) )
Who was your favorite character to create?
I have so much to ask but everyone else should get a chance too. I'm looking forward to hearing your answers!!
I loved this book. Your setting descriptions of Italy were stunning and beautiful. How did you come up with Pasquale's dream to build a tennis court?Do you have a tie or love of Itally that made the setting personal or reminesent for you?
Can you discuss your revision process? Your writing is so clean; how do you put it all together?
Jess, not to be too literal, but, often rumors swirl around movie stars about affairs and past 'indiscretions.'Were there any such rumors about Richard Burton at the time of the 'Cleopatra' filming? Did he ever father any children out of wedlock? Did he and Elizabeth Taylor ever have children together? Were you at all concerned that his heirs/family/estate might take action against you, considering that you were using a real person as a character in your novel?
Beautiful Ruins was the first Jess Walter book that I read and I quickly fell on love with the characters, the book's cinematic feel and romantic backdrop. I followed up with We Live in Water: Stories, which I also loved. I'm interested in the dark and slightly damaged nature of your characters. Can you discuss what inspires your writing and why these two books focus on ruined lives?
Hi Jess, thanks for doing this. You created so many rich characters for Beautiful Ruins, and I wondered: Which one came to you first? Also, did you worry at any point about having such a large character population in BR?
When is Citizen Vince (still my fav JW book) coming to the big screen?
The building of the tennis court on the edge of the cliffs just seemed so looney but also could have been breathtaking. Where did this idea come from?!
Over Tumbled Graves is one of my favorite books, particularly because Spokane is written like a character. Are you planning on writing any more featuring Catherine and Spokane?
Which of your books is your own particular favorite, and why?
One of the things I find particularly remarkable about your books is that they are each so unique from each other - to the point that it seems intentional. Do you try to "start over" with each book or if not, why are your stories so different in terms of time, plot, style, etc.? The Zero, Beautiful Ruins, Citizen Vince, Financial Lives of Poets and the mysteries ... All so different! And all so great!
I loved Beautiful Ruins and the situation with Richard Burton and Liz Taylor was so interesting. Is there any part of this story that is true or is it all fiction?Thank you,
Given their prominent roles in Beautiful Ruins, did you run into any trouble with Burton's or Taylor's estates? Thanks for all of your books.
The quote from Dick Cavett about Richard Burton at the beginning of your book is so perfect and wonderful. Was it the inspiration for Beautiful Ruins, or did other factors play a part? Thank you for creating what has become one of my all-time favorite books!
Hi Jess,I'm a huge fan of your novels and your short ficton. Does one form interest or challenge you more?
I read Beautiful Ruins while spending a month in Bogliasco. It was the perfect book to read while I was there. I wondered how much time you spent in the area in order to depict it so well.
Jess, I'm a fan and ThrillerFest veteran. Your books are quite literary. How do you balance the expectations of the thriller genre with stretching boundaries, composing poetic prose, and plotting unique stories? Thanks! Chris
Amy wrote: "Over Tumbled Graves is one of my favorite books, particularly because Spokane is written like a character. Are you planning on writing any more featuring Catherine and Spokane?"I second this one!
Hi Jess! Love your books ("The Financial Lives of the Poets" is one of my all-time favorites for its dead-on descriptions of the atmosphere of the U.S. right after the bottom fell out of the housing industry, which happened to coincide with the end of journalism as we know it. Great commentary on both!). I felt like one of the themes in "Beautiful Ruins" was how some take miraculous efforts to reconnect with people who have impacted their lives. This was absolutely touching, but I worry this kind of story—struggling to find people decades later—is probably one that won’t be plausible in the near future and may not even be plausible now. Everyone can find everybody on the Internet these days. Example: I once took an overnight train from Albuquerque to L.A. when I was 21, and I ended up talking all night long to a young guy who was one of the train conductors (yes, just talking—one of those long meaning of life conversations you tend to have when you are 21). We exchanged information in the morning and I held on to his card for a long time, then eventually threw it out. He ended up finding me on FaceBook about a year and a half ago and I was kinda creeped out…so I declined his friend request. That’s why life doesn’t imitate art I guess(*Debbie Downer sound* Wah-wah).
Did you worry about the Internet/Google-factor while writing this book?
And please keep posting book recommendations to your "Stuff I Like" Web page...I have found some of the most amazing books and authors by looking at that. Thanks!
Will we ever hear from Vince Camden again?
Down by one with 10 seconds to go, you've got the ball and Sherman Alexie is wide open in the corner. Do you take the last shot for the win or pass it to Sherman?
A question from my reading group, Is the characterization of Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor factual?
We're all, of course, familiar with Liz and Dick, but was the character "Dee" based on a real actress?
Are any of your characters semi-autobiographical? Like Elvis Bender? I like to listen to the audiobooks because I love the dialects. I especially liked the characters in Financial Lives of the Poets. I really, really enjoy your writing.
I just wanted to say ... thanks for sharing print journalists' stories with the world in "The Financial Lives of the Poets." What a brilliant read; I do have to admit the humor was what kept me in there. The rest was so painfully relatable (other than the drug dealing. But don't think I haven't considered it! :) ) Seven years at The King County Journal. Closed. Three years at the Seattle P-I. Closed. Landed at The Everett Herald, where my boss tells me the two of you worked together. I love this profession, despite it trying to convince me otherwise.
And before I forget: "Beautiful Ruins?" THANK YOU. So very much.
It was so interesting how you wove the lives of fictional characters into the lives of real people. What if any problems arise when you use real people and skew their past to fit into your fiction? Beautiful Ruins was an exceptional example of this and I loved every word.
Hello Jess,I so enjoyed your book Beautiful Ruins!
Any chance this could be made into a movie?
It is such mosaic of many stories, with strong
sense of many places. Any offers yet?
I would like to know what Mr. Walter is working on now.
I actually haven't read Beautiful Ruins yet, but have really enjoyed the earlier novels, starting with Citizen Vince, then The Zero, and quite recently, Land of the Blind. I'm impressed by the range of the types of books Mr. Walter tackles, and wonder if this is deliberate or just the way the germ of each idea ends up coming out. The current author he reminds me of most in this particular way is Arthur Phillips.
Hi Jess,Your books and stories cover a wide range of topics and themes. I was wondering how you find a source of inspiration for your stories and what type of things motivate you to develop these inspirations into characters and plots.
I read Beautiful Ruins based on author Kristen Hannah's recommendation on Good Reads. I really enjoyed the book. I am also a Washingtonian. I am wondering how much of this book is fact and how much is fiction. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. Where in Italy did this take place? Is this a real place? And was "Dee" based on a real person as Liz and Dick were? Your character development and plot were well written and kept me engaged in this book and story. I have recommended this book to friends. Where did your ideas for this book stem from? Experiences of your own? Or something or somewhere else? This is the first book I have read of yours. What are you working on now?
Your story, Thief, is written from the father's perspective in the third person. Wayne does this, Wayne does that. I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read it yet, but it ends with "mourning in my palm." Is the narrator a thief? You lost me there. Side note: I heard about Beautiful Ruins on NPR. Read it, and gave it 5 stars. I am halfway through the story collection, and in awe.
Hi Jess, I emailed you a few weeks ago after reading The Financial Lives of the Poets (thanks again for the response). As I listed it as a favorite on Good Reads, I was contacted to participate here. I am just starting out as a writer and when I heard about this, I asked my writing group what they would ask given the opportunity to ask a published writer a question. Here is the best question...
Given what you know now and how far you've come in your writing career, if you were able to go back in time to when you started out as a writer and leave yourself a note from your future self, what would it say?
Hi Jess,I loved all the different narrative forms you used to tell the story in Beautiful Ruins - third person narratives in multiple timelines, an excised first chapter of a biography, a play, a short story, a pitch and a pass that breaks a Hollywood contract. Did you start working on the book planning to use them all or did they just gradually come to life as Beautiful Ruins took shape?
Our book group read it and it was a big hit. do you see your book translating onto the silver screen?Who do you see playing the leads in the movie version of your book?
How did your bracket do this year, and more specifically did you beat your brother?
Get your questions in by April 5!