Interview with Megan Crewe!

Hello Megan Crewe! Welcome to The Writers Voice! 

Would you mind telling us something about your book that we wouldn’t know just by reading the blurb.

You wouldn’t know from reading the blurb that THE WAY WE FALL is written in journal format. I wanted to give readers the sense of living through the story as my main character does, not knowing what else might happen after she stops writing for the day, and to fully capture her feelings as her world starts to fall apart.

What’s your favorite non-essential item on your desk?

My tube of heavy-duty hand cream. Very important because I hate the feeling of dry skin on my hands!

What was the most challenging aspect of writing a novel?

I think the hardest part for me is finding the right ideas. To be able to write a book I’m happy with, I need an idea that’s different enough from what’s already out there that I don’t feel I’m rehashing old ground, that presents new challenges for me so I don’t get bored, that has enough to it to fill at least 250 pages, and that I find personally deeply provocative. I have tons of ideas that fit some but not all of those criteria. Once I come across one that has everything, I can usually overcome any problems that emerge during the actual writing.

What's a typical day like for you?

I spend most of the morning writing or revising. Then I take a break for lunch and internet surfing. I’ll get done writing-related business like answering e-mails and promo work. In the later afternoon, I either have another writing session, or I go out to my day job, depending on what day it is. And evenings are mostly for relaxing, and non-writing activities.

Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

As with most writers, I love reading and usually have a book on the go. I try to read widely from a variety of genres, which stops me from burning out on any one type of story. I enjoy a lot of the other arts as well, especially music and movies. I’ve been taking kung fu classes for the last five years. And I love traveling overseas and am often planning a new trip, months in advance.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned when creating your book?

I learned how incredibly carefully deadly viruses are handled in the lab—with more precautions than even occurred to me, and only very select people allowed to work with them—but also how easily mistakes can be made despite that, through human fallibility. It was scary and startling to find out how close to the catastrophe I write about in my book we may have come several times in the past.

Thank you for joining us today on The Writers Voice!!!