Q&A with Allison Winn Scotch

 

Photo by Kat Touhy Rosenberg

 

 

Allison Winn Scotch is the author of the new novel Take Two, Birdie Maxwell. Her other novels include The Rewind. She lives in Los Angeles.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Take Two, Birdie Maxwell, and how did you create your characters Birdie and Elliot?

 

A: I truly started from wanting to write from a place of joy and deliver a book that sparked joy for readers. I knew Birdie had to be a character who had a very public fall from grace, so once I sorted her out, I was able to craft Elliot as her foil.

 

I loved this idea of two people who have had success then also seen it yanked away, as well as two people who are the only two in the world who can help one another. From there, I tend to write draft after draft and hone exactly who they are with each pass.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the novel says, “Scotch balances wit and introspection beautifully throughout, peeling back her characters’ emotional layers.” What do you think of that description, and what did you see as the right balance between wit and introspection as you were writing the book?

 

A: I was so flattered by their review! How could I not be! I try to write the types of books that I like to read: which means fast-paced and well-written but also with some heft without being too too heavy.

 

I think if you’re asking readers to tag along for 300 pages, it’s your job as an author to, as PW said, peel back some layers and give readers something to dig into with your characters, but man, I also love to make people laugh. 😊

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Birdie and Elliot?

 

A: Very much push-pull. They know each other in ways that no one else does but also, there are boundaries in place – reasonable boundaries – that prohibit them from getting even closer.

 

So they are in a constant state of wanting to be more than they can be and wrestling with that whenever they are in each other’s presences.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

A: Honestly, I just hope they are able to lose themselves to a good book for the hours that they spend with Birdie and Elliot. I think joyful entertainment is a lost art these days, and nothing makes me happier than hearing from a reader who felt a little lighter when they finish one of my books.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m about three-fourths of the way through my next novel, which isn’t quite a romcom, more a commercial fiction book about a group of strangers who find their way toward each other. (Vague, I know! But we haven’t yet announced it. 😉 )

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: My last book, The Rewind, is in the script revision phase at Netflix, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Allison Winn Scotch.