Interview: Patty Blount, author of TMI

Today Patty Blount, author of TMI, visits the blog to chat about her book, her difficulty with writing "best friend" characters, her favorite (four-letter) word, and more! 

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The Interview

Did you have trouble writing any of your characters or specific scenes within the novel? Or, were any characters or scenes particularly easy to write?

Bailey was challenging to write. I knew I wanted her to be more easy-going and fun-loving than Meg but in my first draft, she was flat and um…well, kind of boring. I had to give her some interests, some drive, some reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Once I found that, she burst off the page for me. One of the other aspects that was challenging for me to write is the concept of ‘best friends.’ I don’t have a life-long best friend. My friends tend to be situational and as a result, often transient. Trying to write girls who had been and will be friends forever was hard for me to imagine. 

Has the title changed or stayed relatively the same as your novel journeyed towards publication?

TMI was always the title for this story. It never changed. I love when that happens. :)

What book or author has most influenced you as a writer or in general?

The Harry Potter series influenced me from the moment I learned JK Rowling wrote that story while her daughter napped. It was then that I learned you don’t need to have an MFA to be good at this. 

What jobs did you have on your way to becoming a writer/published author? Is there a certain work experience that has shaped your writing?

I’ve worked as an executive secretary, a marketing coordinator, and even sold lingerie in home parties. But it’s my current job as a technical writer that shaped my writing. In fact, I wasn’t able to complete a novel, no matter how hard I tried, until I approached a novel as I approached a writing assignment at work. 

 If you had to pick a favorite word, what would it be and why?

Oh, this is easy. It’s a four-letter word. It’s the thing I’ve loved since I was little and reached for when I was lonely, sad, heartbroken or just bored. B O O K. :)

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?

See my response to #5. My escape from reality is to read anything I can get my hands on. I always read romance but as I got more active online and met other authors, I’ve branched out into genres like fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal. 

Find out more about Patty and her books here! 

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