Why did she want to write a book exploring the boundaries of sexual attraction that society has? How did she research this book? Which character and which scene were her favorites? What age was she when she first had the desire to write? What advice does she have for writers?
What made you want to write a book exploring the boundaries of sexual attraction that society has?
I’ve always been fascinated by how America has this diametrical relationship with sex. On the one hand, we pride ourselves with being open and progressive. But deep inside, we’re puritanical, judgmental, and immature compared to some Western European countries. This has been a theme in our literature since The Scarlet Letter, and it has been explored in a lot of contemporary gay-lesbian fiction. Yet we have Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and now Caitlyn Jenner pushing the envelope on what it means to be a sexually free woman. We chastise women who express themselves sexually, as if that is something taboo. We see this with the public reception of Fifty Shades of Grey, which readers have to read furtively on their Kindle or be subject to ridicule. But what if a woman dabbles in something that is by law taboo – becoming involved with an underage boy? How do we feel? What do we think? Does what we feel trump the laws of the State?
Which character was your favorite? Was there a character you just didn’t like?
I’ve always liked the main character, Laney, for her intelligence, her kindness, her loyalty, her honesty, and her enigmatic qualities as well. I felt very connected her throughout the writing of this story. That’s why I chose to tell it always from her viewpoint, despite the advantages I would have had opening Christopher and Bill’s points of view.
I had feelings of dislike for a few characters. Officer Wilkins and Laney’s mother, for instance. I don’t believe either are interested in helping other people, except in a very narrow way. Laney’s best friend Erin also bothered me. I didn’t care for her racist and classist ideas.
How did you choose the names for your characters?
Almost all of my characters have names from people I’ve known in real life. They don’t correspond to the character as written, but occasionally they do have similar traits, whether it be a physical characteristic or a personality quirk. But the characters are completely fictitious, and the people who share their names would never recognize themselves.
How completely do you develop your characters before beginning to write?
I become very familiar with my characters before I write about them. I know their backstories, their hopes, their psychology, and their fundamental personality. I’ll often have specific details of some characters, though many of these surface as I’m writing.
Many who read this book will have mixed feelings about Laney and the kind of woman she is. How do you feel about her?
That’s the best question that I’ve been asked about this novel. One of the surprising things about publishing my work is to see the reactions that people have to some of the characters, Laney in particular. I love Laney. I think she is perhaps judged harshly and not entirely understood, solely because she has feelings of attraction for a teenager. Readers view everything she does through this lens, and everything she says and thinks is colored by it. She’s a very kind person and very honest, perhaps to a fault. She’s been very hard on herself since her husband died. The guilt and the grief have consumed her. This novel is about her healing, and many seem to want to crucify her. I think much of this stems from readers unable to accept similar feelings and misdeeds from their own lives.
Which scene was your favorite? Which scene was the most difficult for you to write?
The scenes that were most difficult for me to write were in Chapter 1 when Laney’s son Brian is first introduced. They have dinner and she reads a bedtime story to him. Laney has just met Christopher and she knows that she has feelings for him. In some way, she’d like to tell someone, but she can’t. She doesn’t try to tell Brian. After all, he’s just seven. She pretends that the feelings don’t exist. The scene was hard to write because I wanted to show how Laney would interact on a normal level with her child, whom we don’t know. The challenge was not to make it boring and not to let the tension dissipate.
My favorite scene was when Laney visited the high school to spy on Christopher. I loved how she became paranoid and was filled with denial. Despite this, her feelings of attraction intensified after seeing him play on the field.
Explain why you decided on Monday, Sunday for the title. Were there many other possible titles you had picked out? If so, what were they?
I never had a title for the novel other than Monday, Sunday. It was in line with what I set out to explore thematically, which was the emotional growth of a woman over the course of a week. For me, the title suggested a bit of a reversal, as we normally think of Sunday coming before Monday. To have them ordered differently makes you think that the ordinary will be challenged. I liked that Sunday was the last day in the title as it is a day of introspection and the Christian day to demonstrate faith. For Laney, it marks a rebirth of sorts, a new week that she will start, having shed her old skin and become transformed.
Is there some lesson or truth you want people to learn from reading your book?
I wanted to explore the idea of a woman who is attracted to a much younger man. In this case, he’s a teenager. It’s something that is forbidden in our society, very much of a taboo. From what I’ve observed, both men and women often have these feelings towards youngsters, especially when the younger person has matured to a certain point. Where do the desires come from? Why do we refuse to acknowledge them? Why do we have laws in place that are inconsistent from state to state? Why do other countries not have our same laws? In what are they rooted? Are the laws fair? Are there certain youngsters who are in fact quite mature, as mature as some who are in their twenties? And yet, the activity is still illegal.
I also wanted the reader to realize the impact of not following our desires or being true to ourselves. If we repress what we feel, other feelings, actions, and behaviors take root. These are often destructive and detrimental to our well-being. We see it a great deal in our society. Our feelings of gender bias, homophobia, racism, classism – I could go on and on – all manifest themselves as offshoots of hate, bigotry, discrimination, fear, and despair. We will never become who we are capable of being if we deny who we truly are. And many of these denials have their roots in laws and social norms that are outmoded.
When did you first have a desire to write? How did this desire manifest itself?
I had a desire to write since I was about ten or eleven. I would look at books and stories and imagine what it would be like to write them. I marveled at those books, most of which were popular fiction, bestsellers of the time. My first attempts at writing were in poetry, beginning in junior high school. I created little stories that were in verse. Years later, I pursued screenwriting, which led me to novel writing.
How much research was involved in writing this book? Did you have to look into one of the many cases where older women were prosecuted for being involved with guys who were not yet of an age for them to be legally involved with?
I knew a lot about the Mary Kay Letourneau case from the media coverage through the years. I saw several interviews with her. I vividly recall her referring to the “pinky promise” between her and the boy. I thought it was such a juvenile expression. I read of other cases where women, mostly teachers, were arrested for becoming involved with a male student. I didn’t focus on any cases where the perpetrator was a male. The media never portrayed these stories with the emotional intent that the women were given The men were simply depicted as sexual predators and deviants. A double standard? I think so. In Monday, Sunday, I don’t think men and women interpret the relationship between Laney and Christopher the same way.
Did you plan out the entire book before you began writing? Or did you just sit down and write?
In the case of Monday, Sunday, I did not plan the entire novel. The storyline evolved after I wrote the first draft. After completing the first draft, I outlined the trajectory of the story. I am now a firm believer in outlining before putting pen to paper, though. I think it can save a lot of time and headache in the long run. With proper planning, there’s less to cut, less to change, and the first draft will more closely resemble the final draft.
Do you have a set time that you write each day? Or do you wait to be inspired?
Although I’m not a morning person, I do like to write first thing after I’ve awakened. This is the time when I don’t have that critical voice already established in my brain, and I’m free to write what I want and how I want. This is especially helpful when creating a first draft. You can let the characters be who they are, say what they want, and allow them to guide you where they want to go. I don’t like to reign them in at this point. Being fresh without any worries of the day allows me not to judge them, just to play along with them, and write. I’m a creature of habit, so I like routine when it comes to my writing. I will wake at the same hour, write for the same amount of time, usually an hour, and then go on with my daily life.
Did you ever become bored with what you were writing? If so, how did you get past that point?
I was never bored with what I was writing. On the contrary, I usually found so much fertile material that I had to cut it back. I couldn’t explore all the things that cropped up, particularly with the point of view that I was adhering to. If I had ever actually been bored, I wouldn’t have continued to write whatever it was that I was writing. I would have moved on to another subject, story, or scene. If it’s boring to you as a writer, it will most certainly be so to a reader.
How important do you believe having a good editor is for the success of your book?
I think having an editor is critical to a book being well received. By “editor,” I don’t mean one person in particular who is hired to edit the book. The editors can be multiple, and some may only work on parts of the book and not all of it, depending on how much is finished and the course that it ultimately takes. People who edit, be they fellow writers or professional editors, find things that you as the writer will simply fail to see. I’ll give an example, not from my writing, but from the design of the cover of Monday, Sunday. There was a draft cover that had the main character’s face covered, near the nose and mouth. It’s similar to what it is today, but previously the woman’s face was more covered and darker. I didn’t like the image as much as the final version. One person who saw it mentioned that it looked like she was wearing a burka. I never thought of that, and it’s not an image I would have wanted to convey. But I’m sure other people might have had the same impression. That’s where a good editor, a second pair of eyes, comes in. They will spot things about character, plot, story, word choice, sentence structure, and many other areas that the writer herself won’t catch. That’s not to say that the editor’s word is final. The writer’s always is.
What is your biggest fear as a writer?
Being boring. There is no greater sin for a writer. You always have to make the scenes and passages that you write as interesting as possible to the reader. If you can’t, you must cut them.
How do you manage to balance your time between family, friends, and writing?
That’s a great question. It’s difficult to juggle these demands along with a career outside of writing. You also need to carve out time for relaxation to enjoy life. One of the things you learn very quickly is that you have to make sacrifices, and big ones if you want to be a writer. You’ll find that there isn’t as much time to do everything you want. One of the areas I’ve made the most sacrifices is friends. I can’t spend as much time with them as I’d like. Writing is a lonely profession. You have to be willing to spend that time alone or you’ll never end up with a working novel.
If you could spend one hour with just one person, dead or alive, whom would you choose? Why?
I would have to spend that time with Jesus. I would like to know whether what is written about him is true. And then I might actually write about the experience, as fiction of course.
Do you have any advice for writers?
My advice would consist of the following: Be yourself, don’t try to imitate anybody else, take time learning the craft of writing. Seek professional help, from writers, classes, workshops, and editors. Don’t rely on your friends and family for an assessment of your work. Enjoy life, and remember that there is a life outside of writing. Experience as much as you can. All of this will enrich your writing. You will be a happier person for it.
Where can your fans find you on the Internet?
I have a website, fentongrace.com. I’m also active on Twitter:https://twitter.com/fentongraceus.
Recommended Article: Monday, Sunday – a Review
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