Alice and Audrey: a debut novel by Mel Elliott

Photo by Charlotte Steeples

Interview by Tess Swan

Get Hastings editor, Mel Elliott has recently punlished her debut novel about adolscent obsession and heartbreak as written from the perspective of Alice, and her teenage daughter, Audrey. 'Alice and Audrey' is out now on paperback and e-book.

When you set out to write Alice and Audrey, did you have a solid plan on the twists and turns it would take, or did they come about throughout the process?

I had the premise of the story mapped out but then, while writing, certain things happened because they just made sense to me at that time. So, yes, there were lots of twists and turns that were most definitely unplanned and I enjoyed that process of not really knowing what would happen myself (other than the main storyline). I guess I treated the whole process like I was watching a film that I hadn’t seen before but that I knew the ending to. 

Now it's finished, are there any character‘s stories you wish you had time to go back and explore in more depth, or any story lines you would have liked to expand on if you had time/space?

I could have easily gone into much more detail on Alice’s relationship with her husband. He definitely plays a side role. But I had to consider the story being predominantly about Alice and Audrey and would the story have gained much from Alice and Matt’s behind the scenes? I didn’t think so. Maybe that’s for another book.

Do you see this book as a stand alone book, or could it form part of a series?

I saw it as a series. I think it would be interesting to follow the relationships of the main characters. Audrey is coming of age so I do like the idea of following her journey into adulthood. All the main characters deal with a lot of change during Alice and Audrey so I’d quite like to explore what happens next.

Cancer is an emotional and personal topic to so many, did you find yourself having to consider others views and sensitivities around the issues or did you feel free to write as per your own / characters views?

To be honest, I didn’t consider others' sensitivities. Having had breast cancer myself, I drew upon my own experience of treatment, how I felt during the process and how I think those around me dealt with it. This is definitely not an autobiography but having had cancer myself, I did feel it gave me license to draw upon that without worrying too much about it upsetting or offending others. I know that not everyone will have the same experience or views as I did but that’s what I had to go with.

The book swaps between the first hand experiences of two people, it’s interesting to see the same situation told from two different sides and makes you consider the impact of moods and actions on others, especially at times of emotional turmoil. Did you find yourself drawn to feeling more compassionate and sympathetic with one person or another? Was this a choice you made early on and what made you choose this way of writing? 

The story was inspired by my own teenage diary, written when I was fourteen and back then I was even more awkward than I am now! We actually published a section of my real diary in Get Hastings. I think I was more drawn to Audrey. She has a cheeky sense of humour and way more confidence than I ever had. I think Audrey is who I would like to have been as a fourteen year old.

Anyway, my old diary got me thinking that even though most kids these days are far more savvy than I was, they’re still going through the same fundamental issues: hormones, being in love, school, confidence etc. Writing from a dual perspective lets the reader know that these two main characters are very similar but without those characters realising it themselves. I’d like the reader to want to bang their heads together and shout “Just talk to one another!”

How long did the book writing process take from start to finish?

Bursting with enthusiasm and energy, I wrote the first 3rd in about two weeks but then I hit a big wall. I didn’t touch it for several months but then I came across this short, online course entitled ‘Write to the End of Your Novel’. It sounded perfect so I signed up. I’m a very competitive person and having a group of people all doing the same thing and sharing work really pushed me. Once the 8 week course had finished, I completed my novel within a few more weeks. So the whole process took about 18 months but with a lengthy break in the middle.

Where is your preferred place to write and what inspires you (e.g. music / cafe / after a dog walk etc)

I feel most inspired when I first wake up and I wrote quite a lot of this book on my iPad from my bed at 5:30am while the rest of the house slept. I also wrote some of it from that sofa in Hanoushka on Robertson Street. I’ve become quite good at knowing when I’m working well and not even bothering if I’m not in the mood. I can’t force my creativity but luckily it's there most of the time. 

Did you have a target readership in mind when writing the book?

I think that most women will resonate with both Alice and Audrey and their turmoils, but I also like to think that teenagers will enjoy the story too. My 16 year old daughter and her friends are currently reading it they’d totally say so if they didn’t like it.

Did you draw inspiration from any other authors or books that you had read? 

I love female led stories, they’re what I tend to read and I don’t think I could write any other genre. My favourite author is Emma Jane Unsworth but I wouldn’t say that I’m particularly inspired by her writing. I see Alice and Audrey a bit more like a Richard Curtis movie in terms of characters and storyline and my style of writing is just me, I can’t pretend to save my life.

I know you’ve previously written children’s books, is this your first adult book and if so did you find the length of the book a challenge? 

Yes it is my first adult book and 80,000 words seemed incredibly daunting. I’m used to working very quickly: I get an idea and I want to see it to fruition as soon as possible. Alice and Audrey taught me the skill of patience. It was a long process but I actually enjoyed it and when I leaf through the printed book I can’t quite believe that I wrote all those words!

And finally, why should someone pick up your book and give it a read!

I think it’s a good story! It’s about love and relationships, family dynamics and heartbreak. It’s written with emotion and humour and with characters that I hope you will become attached to and even grow to love. It's not a book that’s going to change the world but I like to think that it’s an enjoyable page-turner that you may need a tissue for.

Buy Alice and Audrey in paperback or ebook form from melelliott.com