TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
A Year of Mr. Lucky is a memoir of submission, loss,
and longing. When Meg Weber - a recently divorced, queer, single parent -
realizes she's ready to date again, she comes across the profile of Mr. Lucky,
a smart dominant with similar interests. But not all goes as planned.
What boundaries did you break in the writing of this memoir? Where does that sort of courage come from?
This book pushes the limits of the epistolary form to
include the modern modalities of email, texting, and dating app messages as
well as the transgressive content of a kinky relationship. My memoir also breaches
the boundaries between two aspects of my life I’ve distinctly kept separate: my
involvement in consensual BDSM and my relationship with my family. Living the
events of this book - the relationship with Mr. Lucky, the death of my sister,
meeting Molly – returned me to my writer self which gave me the courage to tell
this story.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
It took me roughly six years to write this book. Most of it
was written 2500 words per week for deadlines in online writing classes with
Ariel Gore. It was rejected by 41 agents and presses before it was picked up by
Sincyr Publishing, a small press which had already published some standalone
pieces of mine. Other adventures in publishing this book included: hiring an
editor for the first full draft of the book, which led to a challenging and
tumultuous three year romantic partnership with said editor; obtaining explicit
permission from Mr. Lucky to use his emails as he wrote them, as well as his
general blessing to publish this story the way I wrote it; deciding to use my
own name and not my pseudonym; coming out to my siblings about my involvement
in kink; and discussing the book with one of my therapy clients before this
client ran into the book due to our overlapping communities and connections.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
“Words matter. Write to learn what you know.” -Writing
advice from my friend and mentor Mary Anne Em Radmacher
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
The ending of the book surprised me. I didn’t know precisely
where I’d end it until I heard myself say the words that set me free. I knew in
that instant that this would close the story.
How did you find the title of your book?
The title is a bit of an inside joke with myself, which is
weird but true. I often say that I can’t count, and there’s a bit in the book
where we’re playing a word game and I struggle to add up my score. The events
of this book take place from roughly March of 2013 to August of 2014, which is
definitely more than a year. Calling it A Year of Mr. Lucky reflects my
sentiment that I can’t count. Also, folks often mistake the title as A Year With
Mr. Lucky. It’s always been of in my mind. One could argue that other than the
six times we played, and the three other times we shared space in person, I was
never really with Mr. Lucky.
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READ MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK: https://www.megweberwriter.com/a-year-of-mr-lucky
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK:
READ AN EXCERPT, “Wardrobe”:
https://rabblelit.com/2018/01/01/wardrobe-meg-weber/