Writers Like Us - Huntley Fitzpatrick

I am so excited to have Huntley Fitzpatrick, author of My Life Next Door on the blog today to share her Writers Like Us answers. I am loving My Life Next Door, and if you haven't put it on your TBR list, you are missing out (plus that cover is gorgeous!).

Her answers are below in bold. Let us know what makes Huntley like you in the comments.

Huntley on Writing

• I've written 6 (complete—I’ve started so many more) books, and 1 so far has seen the light of day. I’m contracted for another and have my fingers crossed for more.

• My favorite type of scene/character/setting to write is: Oh, I love the awkward moments. The moments when your heroine just embarrasses herself or can’t pull it together in front of the hero. To me, those moments are sacred. If he can love you then, if you can laugh together, it will all work out.

• No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with perfectionism. My mantra is taken from Elizabeth Gilbert “Better ‘done’ than ‘perfect’”. But I still always think “with just a little more time, I could…”

• A typical comment from my critique partner is “He really needs to keep his shirt on more.”

• The book I wished I wrote is: Oh, there are so many. ALICE BLISS. THE STARBOARD SEA. THE NEXT BEST THING. Heck, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND and GONE WITH THE WIND.

Huntley on Getting Published

• If my agent (or editor) really knew how crazy I was, s/he would find out: how ridiculously much I obsess about every single word and every single choice. I am so foolish about making sure no hero ever has the same clothing style or makes the same gestures, even from heroes in books of mine that will never be published. As in “No, he can’t wear a white tee-shirt, Jase wore a white tee shirt.” As if there are all that many choices in guy-wear.

• When I was querying, I felt: like I had no clue what I was doing. Summarizing a story in a sentence? Forget it. I can take ten paragraphs to say what should be said in two sentences.

• The biggest mistake I ever made querying was: not knowing what was important.

• When I got "The Call," my first thought was:  “Are you sure you have the right number?”

Huntley on Life Outside Writing

• If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be a: librarian. That was the career everyone predicted for me. Whatever I was, it would always be book-related. And I adore that song, “Marian the Librarian” from THE MUSIC MAN. And also his great advice: “My dear Marian. You pile up enough ‘tomorrows’ and you’ll have nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.”

• Secretly, I'm terrified of: Spiders. Failure. Letting down people I love.

• My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is Nat Eaton from THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. Tom Shaw from AN OLD FASHIONED GIRL. Adam Eddington from A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT. Augustus Waters, of course, from THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Cal from THE STARBOARD SEA. Ethan from THE NEXT BEST THING. Okay, I need to stop.

• Sometimes, when no one is around, I sing along to songs from WICKED. Which my daughters have expressly forbidden me to do. Don’t tell them!

Huntley Fitzpatrick has always wanted to be a writer, ever since growing up in a small coastal Connecticut town much like the Stony Bay of My Life Next Door. After college she worked in many fields including academic publishing and as an editor at Harlequin. Huntley is currently a full-time writer, wife, and mom to six children. She lives in South Dartmouth, MA. Visit Huntley online at www.huntleyfitzpatrick.com