Sophie Kinsella’s fans are legion and it’s no real wonder why. Her novels – from the Shopaholic series to her recent Surprise Me and beyond – are fun and smart and will keep you turning pages like mad. We caught up with Kinsella over email to pry into her writerly life and habits, her thoughts on jealousy, and more.
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE:You’ve written so many novels, from the Shopaholic series to standalone books like Surprise Me to the books you’ve written under your real name, Madeleine Wickham. Will you share your writerly secret to getting and keeping yourself sat down and writing? How does one get to that level of diligence as a writer?
SOPHIE KINSELLA: Ha! The secret is to know what makes you tick. For me the vital thing is having an idea that excites me and that I can really visualize as a book. Whenever I’m flagging, I try to remind myself why this idea excited me in the first place. I am also very impatient, which helps. I like to know how the story is going to turn out, and that powers me to keep going. Day to day, I rely on coffee, music and chocolate as energizers.
PRH:Your books often incorporate envy into their plot. It could be argued that envy of other lifestyles is what gets Becky Bloomwood into such a financial hole in the Shopaholic series. What is it about envy that is so interesting to you as a writer?
SK: I would say that feelings of envy, comparisons with other people, and buying into consumer myths drive a lot of people today, and I find it fascinating. I think we’ve always hankered after new clothes or tried to ‘keep up’ with our neighbors – certainly they did in Jane Austen’s time! But today these impulses have been turbo-charged and enabled by various factors: the internet, easy credit, and the whole ‘lifestyle’ industry, which can make anyone feel inadequate! If my books have a message it’s to view yourself as a real, grounded person, not as a consumer or an Instagram image.
PRH:Where do you find inspiration as a writer? Are there other writers whose work you turn to for motivation when you’re faced with a touch of writer’s block?
SK: If I have writer’s block I don’t really read, as I think that would distract me from my main aim. I’m more likely to go out with my husband, order Mojitos, and talk the book over. But for comfort reading I tend to go back to the classics – Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, P. G. Wodehouse.
PRH:Twenty years and more than twenty novels later, what advice would you offer to a soon-to-be debut author about the business of book publishing?
SK: Wow, those twenty years have whizzed by! My advice to a soon-to-be debut author is, first: Congratulations! Enjoy yourself. Be proud of what you’ve achieved. Meeting readers is a real joy, so try to do that. But also, try not to let too many other voices into your head. Listen to wise advice, but don’t be swayed by every comment from friends or online. Stay true to your heart and vision.
PRH:What book are you currently recommending, to help your fans pass the time until your next book?
SK: I can recommend Not Working by Lisa Owens as a sparky comedy with a great deadpan voice. It’s about a girl who quits her job and has to work out her own life from there.
