Q&A with Gerilyn Bass Greenberg

  

 

 

Gerilyn Bass Greenberg is the author of the new novel Drama Drama Drama. She lives in the Chicago area. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Drama Drama Drama, and how did you create your characters Mona, Grace, and Bubby?

 

A: My kids were in high school and college, and I was a stay-at-home mom figuring out my next steps now that my kids were older. They had experienced lots of drama in their lives, and it didn’t seem that many books talked about what girls went through. What a great topic for a book, and it was a good time for me to start writing it!

 

I created the characters of Mona (a middle-aged mom), Grace (a high school freshman), and Bubby (an octogenarian moving to assisted living) as a way to show that the drama continued throughout life.

 

Q: The author Catherine Drake called the book a “relatable and compassionate family story that honestly captures three ordinary women facing familiar transitions as they navigate the push and pull of obligation, resentment, and love.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it! Mona, Grace, and Bubby’s stories aren’t way out there. They’re relatable people dealing with everyday events that could happen to anyone. Yet, while the characters are at different phases of their lives, they encounter the same feelings of obligation, resentment, and love. As we all do!

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: This one just fit. There is drama in life wherever you look. Having the word repeat itself three times suggests that there are issues and struggles for each main character.

 

Plus, in the book, it tied in with the important Drama Club (a metaphor for popularity), and the novel is put into sections like a drama. Life is a series of matters that we need to navigate through the best we can.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: No spoilers, but I knew what the ending would be early on. At first, I started writing without much direction, but then I figured out that the ending was necessary.

 

What I did add along the way were a few male characters. This is a book for/about women, so I originally made the decision not to have men. However, I added a few for realism and necessity for certain character arcs.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have a few ideas for future stories, but I’m not working on them now.  I’m riding the wave that this book has brought!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I started writing this book 11 years ago, but I’m publishing it now, at 57 years old. It’s never too late to do something new or follow your dream! I’d love to hear from you at gerilynbassgreenberg.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb