Suzanne Allain: Procrastination Causes Writer’s Block
Suzanne Allain is a screenwriter who lived in New York and Beijing before returning to her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where she lives with her husband. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Suzanne Allain
Jonathan Allain
In this post Suzanne discusses the process of writing her new Regency-era romance novel, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules, her advice for other writers, and more!
Name: Suzanne Allain
Literary agent: Stefanie Lieberman at Janklow & Nesbit
Book title: The Ladies Rewrite the Rules
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: January 9, 2024
Genre/category: Regency Romance
Previous titles: Mr. Malcolm’s List, Miss Lattimore’s Letter
Elevator pitch: When Diana Boyle discovers that she’s been listed in a directory of rich single women she contacts the other ladies and together they decide to turn the tables on the men. If the men want to marry a fortune, they’re going to have to work for it!
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What prompted you to write this book?
I love Jane Austen and romantic comedies, and when I stumbled across an actual Batchelor’s Directory published by a “younger son” in 1742, I knew instantly that it was the perfect premise for my next historical rom-com.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Berkley published my previous two Regency-era romantic comedies, and I wanted to pitch them this new idea, so I wrote a synopsis and the first three chapters and my agent submitted them in January 2022. My editor liked the proposal, and we signed a contract for this novel and a second one. The writing process went a little slower than usual because a movie based on one of my previous books, Mr. Malcolm’s List, was released in the summer of 2022, and promotional duties for that kept me quite busy. I finished the first draft of The Ladies Rewrite the Rules in September 2022.
My initial idea for the book didn’t change, but the title did. I had tentatively called it Mr. Dean’s Directory, playing off the nomenclature of my previous two books (Mr. Malcolm’s List and Miss Lattimore’s Letter). But my editor asked me to come up with a few other title options, so I submitted a list and the Berkley editorial team chose The Ladies Rewrite the Rules. And I’m so glad we made that change! I much prefer this title over the original one.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I was surprised by how beautiful the cover turned out! My editor and her team kindly ask for my input on book covers, and so I usually send them a document that contains descriptions of the main characters, suggested scenes from the book, settings and costumes, etc. But this cover totally surpassed even my (extremely high) expectations.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
No surprises necessarily, but I learned that it’s not good to procrastinate, because that actually causes writer’s block. Every day you spend not writing makes it exponentially more difficult to get back into a creative frame of mind and to re-enter the world of your story and characters. So don’t take long breaks from your novel, but even if you can only write for an hour a day it’s better to do that then to wait until you have lengthier periods to write.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Joy, giggles, and a heartwarming escape to Jane Austen’s England.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Always do research. It lends authenticity, interest, and depth to your writing. And occasionally it could even lead to your next book idea.
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