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Ever After Q&A with Anne Dayton and May VanderbiltBy Alissa Clark It's no secret that chick lit is a hot genre in publishing, with books like Bridget Jones's Diary and The Devil Wears Prada flying off the shelves and topping the best-seller lists. And to those who read the books, it's no secret that the main characters usually exhibit questionable morals—and that it can be hard to find Christian fiction for women that's smart and humorous. But chick lit is great fun! What's a girl to do? Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt have stepped into the gap, turning out witty chick lit with a heart and a conscience. Emily Ever After, their first book, mirrored their experiences in moving to Manhattan and working in a publishing house, and their second book, Consider Lily, hit shelves in June. Radiant: Where did the idea for Consider Lily come from? Anne & May: Emily Ever After was about our lives—living in New York, working in book publishing. We wanted to do something different with our second book, so we set it in another city we both knew well (and where May now lives), San Francisco. Lily Traywick, the heroine of our second novel, is slaving away at a job she hates, trying to break into what she really wants to do. We figured a lot of people could relate to that. But we also wanted to write a book that addressed the insecurities and self-loathing that we all sometimes feel. Lily is an awkward tomboy who doesn't know how to act around guys, a girl who really believes a major life makeover will help her become the person she wants to be. And, much to her surprise, it works. Soon she is dressing better, dating the perfect guy and feeling pretty special. In the end, Lily has to face who she really is at her core and what, ultimately, makes her special. We’ve both struggled with self-esteem, and we wanted to write a book that would encourage women to revel in who God made them to be. R: Did you set out to write "Christian chick lit"? A & M: Yes and no. We didn’t want to write what the CBA (Christian Book Association) would necessarily call a Christian novel. We wanted to write chick lit about Christian women living in the real world. Our readers are all over the spectrum. Emily Ever After was rejected by several Christian houses because it was too racy—Emily drinks and kisses boys, and doesn’t feel bad about it. We’ve been criticized for not being spiritual enough, but we’ve also been accused of being too religious. In the end, we decided to write stories we would like to read, and our publishers have been great about letting us write about faith as we experience it, flaws and all. R: Your books are very subtle retellings of biblical stories. Do you start out with the Bible story, or did you see parallels in both stories and run with it? A & M: Readers may not realize it, but often mainstream chick lit books are retellings of fairy tales, like Cinderella, or one of Jane Austen's classics. Before each new book, we decide on a juicy Bible story that would be dishy in the modern world. We both love the story of Esther, so it seemed like a natural choice for Emily Ever After. Esther stands up for what she knows is right and saves the Jews. Emily stands up for what she knows is right, and … well, she gets a promotion. It’s different in scope, but it’s kind of the same principle. Consider Lily was a blast to write, since long-haired sexy Samson and his evil temptress Delilah were great fun to reinvent. Our new book, which will be out next summer, is the story of Job. R: You write together. How does that work? A & M: Writing together is the best thing that ever happened to us. When we started out, we made a few rules and have stuck by them. Most importantly, we are friends first and writing partners second. And secondly, we have a "no pride" policy. If your partner suggests a change, don't defend your writing, just go with it. The book will be stronger for it. R: Your books are noted by their readers for presenting a "non-judgmental" Christianity. Is this a conscious writing choice? A & M: This is absolutely a conscious choice. We take the "Love thy neighbor as thyself" commandment to mean not just loving someone but also refraining from judgment, which is probably a lot harder. Christians love to make judgments about other people’s spirituality, and that gives people a bad feeling about the Church. We intentionally make our Christian characters imperfect, sometimes wildly more so than their non-Christian counterparts, because we want our books to be as realistic as possible. We're all just struggling to make it, and life is sloppy. We don't always make choices we’re proud of, but grace and forgiveness are an important part of the Christian life—and our books. R: What has God taught you through the last few years of writing and publishing? May: That's a big one. God has nearly been forced to put a bunch of orange cones and a few "Danger: Construction" signs around me. But the first thing that comes to mind is that I've had to really learn to let go. I like to set goals for myself for the next five years, and the books have made that impossible. So I'm just trying to learn to enjoy the feeling of falling. Anne: If you had asked me a few years ago if I wanted to write, I would have laughed. It didn't sound like my kind of thing at all. But then I sort of fell into it and realized it was pretty fun, and that I was proficient at it, and that I enjoyed it more than I ever imagined I would. God has taught me how little I know about myself, and how being open to His will can lead to something better than I could ever imagine. I tend to get cynical sometimes, but I've met so many faithful women through this process, and I am humbled by the grace and support they have shown us. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn about life and faith. With this article, Alissa Clark is being outed as a chick lit fan. She lives in Brooklyn. You can read her blog at www.alissaclark.com. Have comments or feedback about this article? Send your thoughts to feedback@radiantmag.com. Unless otherwise requested, your comments and name may be published. Back to Top |
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