Author Chat: Romantic Comedy Author Elle Viviani

Summer is the perfect time to find your new romantic comedy book addiction. Enter Elle Viviani! This new author is publishing a book a month of light, sassy reads with great sparks of humor. Plus her debut novel, Fiancée Forgery, weaves in her fascinating former career. Meet her here!

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Is Fiancée Forgery your first book? How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Fiancée Forgery is my first book and it only took me a day to plan it. Once I get an idea, I tend to move quickly until the idea is out of my head and onto the page. In fact, it only took sixteen days to write! I saw Archer and Quinn so clearly. All I had to do was share their love story.

Is this book part of a series? How often do you plan to publish new books, whether part of a series or not?

This book is part of a “Fake Relationship, Real Love” series. I love the fake relationship Fiancee Forgery covertheme and find them so fun to write. There will be three books in all—the second will launch on July 22nd.

Do you mostly write in the romance genre or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?

Romance all the way! I’ve written in suspense as well, but didn’t find it as enjoyable as writing about saucy heroines and devilishly handsome heroes.

What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?

I tend to make my heroines stand on their own two feet. They have lives, personalities, and jobs of their own before they meet Mr. Hunk. Although they’re stronger with their leading man, I make sure they are more than just a beautiful face. They’ve got gumption to boot!

You and your main character, Quinn, have something in common—you both had fascinating careers working for important museums. How did your career experiences influence your story?

It was so much fun writing Quinn. I was a front-line fundraiser at a national museum before quitting to write full time, so you could say I’m intimately acquainted with the highs and lows my heroine went through. Although I never had an ornery co-worker quite like Valerie, I did have my fair share of Archers and Marisas!

Two of your favorite authors are Gillian Flynn and Charlotte Bronte. Their works are extremely opposite—is there anything that you find in common between them or is it their differences that you like?

Although a hundred years separate the two authors, they both write the best hero stories. Oh—I’ll also add Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. The heroines have to overcome insurmountable odds to come out the other side alive (literally). Their journeys are heart wrenching and real and impassioned. I truly feel like I’ve stepped into Jane’s or Amy’s or Tess’s shoes whenever I crack open their stories.

What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

I’d love to say “incredible imagination” and leave it at that! But it’s more like a combination of real life, books, and talking with my husband—a fellow romance author. We go on long walks every day and talk about a random idea that popped into our heads. Usually, by the end of that walk, it’s turned into a full-blown idea that one of us is dying to write!

Do you plan your writing with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

Oh my goodness, I’m a bonafide outliner. I spend no less than a few hours and no more lights camera fiancee coming soonthan a day outlining my stories down to the chapter. I don’t know what I’d do without my roadmap!

I use Libby Hawker’s method, found in her wonderful book Take Off Your Pants to write character arcs, identify the theme, outline, and plot my books. Once I started using Libby’s method, my writing pace skyrocketed.

I stick to a religious writing schedule. I get up early and write roughly 6,000 words a day (never less than 5,000). It lets me complete my books in just over two weeks, leaving a few days for editing before it’s off to my beta readers. Some days I finish right after lunch. Others, just before quitting time, which is before 7pm. I need that buffer between work and sleep to let my brain quiet down.

Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing? 

You bet! Before I start writing in any genre or trope, I take a week to binge read all the bestsellers in that category. I like to get my toes wet before jumping right in. By the end of this “research,” I’m usually bursting with storylines of my own. I also love romantic comedies. Give me a bowl of ice cream, my fur child, and an enemies-to-lovers romcom, and I’ll be your best friend!

When can we look forward to your next book?

Lights. Camera. Fiancée. comes out July 22nd. Join my mailing list for freebies, previews, and release info!

Lights. Camera. Fiancee. Quote_rectangle

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Connect with Elle Viviani

ElleViviani.com
Mailing List
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

About Elle

elle viviani logoElle lives in Texas with her husband and adorable beagle/corgi mix (it’s an interesting combo! Check him out on Instagram). Elle spends most of her days thinking of new storylines and hunky heroes, but when she’s not writing, you can find her curled up with a glass of red wine and a steamy romance novel. She also loves cooking up culinary creations, traveling to far away places, or hitting the running trails with her pup.

Elle invites you into a world of steamy kisses, brawny arms, and feisty heroines. If you like an out-of-this-world happily ever after, then you’ve come to the right place. So sit back, grab your own glass of wine (and maybe a few pieces of chocolate), and enjoy!

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