Great interview. I love how women who like romance are taking back pride in what they read and write, rather than allowing it to be classed as 'just' rom com or 'just' women's fiction (should it not be 'just' fiction?). Robinne Lee really opened my eyes to this when she said; "It's art. And it makes people happy. And that's a very good thing. We have this problem in our culture, we take art that appeals to women - film, books, music - and we undervalue it. We assume it can't be high art. Especially if it's not dark and tortured and wailing. And it follows that much of that art is created by other women, and so we undervalue them as well. We wrap it up in a pretty pink package and resist calling it art."
Loved this insight into writing romcom novels! I happen to be one of those who loves a romcom, so I'm grateful that you keep writing them. Thanks for sharing the interview, Jojo and Mhairi.
Oh my goodness, this is the most insightful and bloody funny interview I've read in a while. One day my draft manuscript will see the light of day. THANK YOU!
And the worry about being too similar to One Day is oddly relevant for me. I just finished You Are Here, and - while the tone and content are very different - I found the structure disconcertingly like that of something I've been writing. So it's encouraging to hear that it didn't end up being a problem.
I find it so joyous that I found you here and get to enjoy your regular writing as much as I love your books and THEN I get to enjoy Mhairi through you just as much as I love her books - utter joy 🥰
I love Mhairi's work so much that I preorder everything and I only do that for a handful of authors. That said, You Belong With Me broke my heart. How did two of my favorite characters become so needy and insecure?
Great interview. I love how women who like romance are taking back pride in what they read and write, rather than allowing it to be classed as 'just' rom com or 'just' women's fiction (should it not be 'just' fiction?). Robinne Lee really opened my eyes to this when she said; "It's art. And it makes people happy. And that's a very good thing. We have this problem in our culture, we take art that appeals to women - film, books, music - and we undervalue it. We assume it can't be high art. Especially if it's not dark and tortured and wailing. And it follows that much of that art is created by other women, and so we undervalue them as well. We wrap it up in a pretty pink package and resist calling it art."
Agreed
Brilliant interview, loved it.
Loved this insight into writing romcom novels! I happen to be one of those who loves a romcom, so I'm grateful that you keep writing them. Thanks for sharing the interview, Jojo and Mhairi.
Such a huge fan of Mhairi and loved hearing how she adds grit to the sugar of rom coms
This is so fun and SO insightful.
This is such a great interview! Love the "friends at a bar" vibe, and finding out how she landed in a writers room from a Twitter friendship.
I'm so fascinated by how we go from project to project through , patience, connections and synchronicity.
Can't wait to hear how you went from journalism to your first novel to your first screenplay. That's a lot of talking over drinks 🍹.
Oh my goodness, this is the most insightful and bloody funny interview I've read in a while. One day my draft manuscript will see the light of day. THANK YOU!
I love the idea of the pub anecdote test!
And the worry about being too similar to One Day is oddly relevant for me. I just finished You Are Here, and - while the tone and content are very different - I found the structure disconcertingly like that of something I've been writing. So it's encouraging to hear that it didn't end up being a problem.
What a great interview! Now I want to hang out with you both, drinking negronis and talking writing.
this is exactly the vibe I want for my substack!
I find it so joyous that I found you here and get to enjoy your regular writing as much as I love your books and THEN I get to enjoy Mhairi through you just as much as I love her books - utter joy 🥰
God, I love absolutely everything that comes out of Mhairi McFarlane’s brain.
I love Mhairi's work so much that I preorder everything and I only do that for a handful of authors. That said, You Belong With Me broke my heart. How did two of my favorite characters become so needy and insecure?