An Opera Diva on a Pig Farm? Kimberly Stuart’s Act Two, A Novel in Perfect Pitch

What kind of story do you get when you have a cover featuring red stiletto heels, a microphone, and the backside of a pig complete with curly tail? And equally interesting (at least in my opinion), is what kind of creative mind is behind it.

This is a “fish out of water” story if there ever was one, and it’s tailor made for humor. Just ask my mother-in-law (who moved from San Luis Obispo, CA to a cattle ranch in the middle of Nowhere, New Mexico) to share some stories from early in her marriage. But back to Act Two. Opera diva Sadie Maddox, a New Yorker through and through, is bordering on “has been” status, so for her second act she takes a professorship at a small liberal arts college in rural Iowa. When she arrives, she is horrified to discover that she will be living with a family on their pig farm!

That’s a great setup to a great story, Kimberly. Very unusual. So, since this book features such an interesting contrast in lifestyles, I have to ask–where did the idea come from?

I can’t possibly reveal that to the blogosphere, and I say that only partly because I’ve always wanted to use the word blogosphere. The other reason is that this one percolated for awhile. There was no lightning bolt moment. But I will say that I’m always interested in putting quirky characters in situations that make them woefully uncomfortable and allow the reader to laugh with gusto both at and with the character. A New York opera diva on a farm seemed like a situation that might work for that purpose.

You’re definitely right on that score! So what kind of research did you do?

It was intense. Lots of dangerous, Indiana Jones-type adventures, plenty of nights under the stars and without food or running water. Actually, I traveled to New York and was shuttled around by dear friends who love their city and were infectious in their excitement. I loved my time there and still wish I could drop off my laundry for someone else to do, begging out of the chore because my building just didn’t have a washer and dryer. The laundry, the insane number of fantastic restaurants, the ability to wallow in theater, dance, live jazz, high fashion—if I could only afford half of a studio apartment, I’d drag my family for an extended stay. As for research on Iowa…

The trip to New York must have been great fun. Having someone else do my laundry sounds like heaven right now! LOL So, if you don’t mind me asking, what kinds of struggles do you have with the writing process? Because every writer is different, we all seem to struggle with different parts of the process.

*Making myself sit down each day and crank out new material, especially on days when I’m feeling about as creative as a paint tarp.
*Pushing through the middle of a novel, when the characters have lost their initial intrigue and it’d be so much more fun to daydream about the NEXT story to write.
*Getting out of the way of the story. That is, allowing the story to flesh itself out without coercion on my part.
*Being able to, as Stephen King writes, “crucify my darlings,” to part with the elements, characters, plot movements that do not serve the story, no matter how fond I am of them.

Yeah, all those are definitely true for me, too. Love the paint tarp comment. I’ve certainly had a few of those days in my life! So what part do you enjoy the most? For me it’s the characters as they come to life.

Without question, hearing from readers who connect with, cry about, laugh because of the stories I write and then take the time and effort to let me know. Unbelievable and lovely.

What’s your schedule like? What do you do to make time to write?

For every writer asked this question, I’m sure you’d get as many answers. At this time in my life and the life of my family, I write in the afternoons when my daughter is at preschool and my son is napping. This is unfortunate for two reasons: One, my toilets become gross because the time I used to devote to being Martha Stewart is now devoted to being Kimberly Stuart, a woman with far fewer housekeeping ambition and far more dust bunnies. Two, afternoons are not my most creative time, mostly because I’d rather be napping. So I’ve had to force my mind and my body into thinking one o’clock is Do or Die and that by the time Mitchell’s awake and Ana is home from school, I’d better have a new scene or I don’t get any chocolate for dessert. (Okay, that last bit is a stretch of the truth. Self-denial is overrated.)

So, are you a “plotter” or a “pantser”? I generally know where I’m headed, but I still find that characters take detours and surprise me. How about you?

I begin a novel with barely more detail than that which I’ve pitched to the publishing house. I have a feel for the main character, the overall arc of the story, the central conflict. But the ancillary characters, the chapter-by-chapter breakdown, how my protagonist changes and what takes her there, those all flesh themselves out in the course of writing the book. My genre, comedic fiction, allows for this kind of approach but I’m sure a mystery wouldn’t be as forgiving. One can hardly decide whodunit as an afterthought. So, yes, I’m often surprised by what happens in my books, how some characters become unlikely heroes or heroines, how others reveal secrets I hadn’t anticipated. All in all, it’s quite the entertaining way to write.

As for characters, I always find that my characters contain interesting pieces of me. Sadie’s an opera singer. Do you sing?

I do. When I was a child, I wanted to be a “seener” (singer). Mostly, I wanted to be Amy Grant. That’s right, people: I was into STRAIGHT UP AMY GRANT. The hard stuff, the early years, like “My Father’s Eyes,” and “El Shaddai.” I rocked out (with choreography) in our basement, next to a record player roughly the size of an Escalade and was wholeheartedly convinced of my musical and entertaining genius. I studied voice through college, sang in the St. Olaf Choir (um ya ya), and continue to sing in church. My mom is a professional violinist, so we were cheerily forced into playing one stringed instrument and piano, for starters. Sadie, the protagonist in Act Two, took her love for music straight into a career, which was a step I did not take. But it was a riot entering her world and watching her both succeed and squirm.

Last, what’s your advice to someone who wants to become a published author?

Hone your craft. There are lots of fancy stories about getting one’s foot in the door to a publisher, how to get an agent, how to market oneself and one’s story. But the best way to ensure you’ll be ready to take on the publishing mayhem is to work your tail off at writing. Become your toughest critic (short of paralysis, of course), get up the guts to share your work with someone smarter and more well-read than you, spend the hours good writing requires. Most of a writer’s life is very quiet, unromantic, and isolating. Unless you’re ready to devote yourself to the less glamorous parts of writing a good story, you’ll be spinning your wheels for the time when a good break comes.

Great advice, Kimberly. Thanks!

Links:

Kimberly’s Website

Act Two: A Novel in Perfect Pitch on Amazon.com

Download a Sample at the Publisher’s Website

Here are the other blogs featuring Kimberly during our June 30-July 11 tour.
A Christain Romance Writer’s Journey
Behind the Mountain
Blog Tour Spot
Book Nook Club
Book Room Reviews
Canadian Prairie Writer
Chatter Matters
FictionaryFootprints in the Sand
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
His Reading List
I Don’t Wanna Blog
In the Dailies
Life with Missy
Lighthouse Academy
Musings on This, That, and the Other
Net’s Notes
Real Women Scrap
Refresh My Soul
See Ya On the Net
Sips ‘N Cups Cafe
So Many Books. . . So Little Time
Sumballo
The Friendly Book Nook
The Law, Books and Life
The Surrendered Scribe
Toni V. Lee
Write by Faith
Writing on the Edge