Q&A with Melissa O'Connor

 

 

 

Melissa O'Connor is the author of the new novel The One and Only Vivian Stone. She lives in Buffalo, New York. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The One and Only Vivian Stone, and was your character Vivian based on a particular actor?

A: In many ways I was inspired to write a character like Vivian (and my other POV character, Margot) because of what I was going through as a writer at the time.

 

The One and Only Vivian Stone is my fourth book, and I hadn’t had any luck when I queried my previous ones. It was frustrating and scary, not knowing if my dream would ever become a reality.

 

Writing Vivian and Margot’s stories was a way for me to work through a lot of my feelings of, on the one hand, being too passionate—and stubborn—to quit (like Vivian), but on the other hand having this tremendous imposter syndrome (like Margot).

Before I wrote a word of this story, I knew I wanted to model Vivian, Kit, and their sitcom, in part, after Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and I Love Lucy. I used to watch reruns on Nick at Nite when I was a kid, so I’m a huge fan.

 

But the more I learned about them, the more I realized, like many comedians, Lucy’s life was not as happy as what was portrayed on screen, specifically when it came to her marriage to Desi. I wanted to play with the idea of a couple who had great chemistry on-screen but had so much trouble off-screen.

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

A: Like many historical writers, I love research. What I found the most fascinating was how the studio system worked. After actors signed their contract, the studio could make unreasonable demands: who an actor could date, how they needed to dress, what their backgrounds were, what films they had to be in. If the actors didn’t comply, their salaries were threatened.

 

I read about how Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney were forced to take pills to keep them working 72 hours straight. Or how Rock Hudson married Phyllis Gates because the studio wanted to hide that he was gay. Loretta Young kept her out-of-wedlock pregnancy a secret because the studio wanted to protect her image, and she later adopted her own child, hiding that she was biologically hers.

Q: The novel has been compared to the TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the Taylor Jenkins Reid novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo--what do you think of those comparisons?

A: On the one hand, I appreciate any comparison that has my book sharing space with TJR and Midge Maisel. They’re both fantastic! Evelyn, Midge, and Vivian are all strong, independent, and creative women of the ’50s who defied expectations.

 

On the other hand, because those titles are so buzzy and have such a tremendous fanbase, it can feel like my book needs to live up to certain expectations or have a particular similarity, which can vary depending on what someone loved most about them. I hope readers know that Vivian’s story is entirely her own.

Q: The writer Neely Tubati Alexander said of the book, “Immersive, vivid, and wistfully nostalgic, The One and Only Vivian Stone is a poignantly beautiful story of the span of connection.” What do you think of that description?

A: I think many people can find themselves nostalgic for the days gone by. For the days before the internet. Before cell phones. When it felt like Hollywood was making movies that would become quotable classics. Even those who were born after we all walked around with the internet in our pockets can find themselves wondering what life was like before.

 

I like writing stories like that. If two characters are taking a walk, no one is checking their phone—they can be in the moment. It also forces characters to say things out loud more often than people have to these days with texts. We can all be nostalgic for simpler times.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I tend to be writing one project, waiting for time to edit another, and dreaming up a few more! The project I’m most focused on right now is about a pair of feuding musicians who are forced to work together. It’s fun!

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: Feel free to find me on Instagram @moconnorwrites, where I share book-related updates!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb