Author Interview: Erin Watt
Up All Night with Books Blog was honored with the opportunity to interview the writing duo known as Erin Watt, AKA Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy.
Upallnightbb: What is your one thing you have to have with you when your write ? ie: a certain pen, good luck charm, etc
One thing we both agree on is that we need a quiet place to focus. Music or TV in the background can be too distracting sometimes.
Upallnightbb: Do you find you write better in the morning or the night? Or is just whenever inspiration strikes?
Jen – I like to set aside some time each morning to write. Your mind is fresh and the day is full of potentials, but I’ll also write whenever the urge strikes.
Elle – I don’t really have a set time. I don’t like to write too much in the evening, though, because hopefully I’ve put in a productive writing day earlier.
Upallnightbb: What’s your drink of choice when writing?
Jen – I enjoy tea, or water. I try to leave my sweets to candy rewards.
Elle – I’m pretty big on Coke. I’m trying to cut back, but it’s my version of coffee so I don’t mind the pick-me-up.
Upallnightbb: Do you have specific writing spot?
Jen – I’ll usually do most of my writing in my office – it’s a comfortable space that I have that both inspires me and keeps me from getting too distracted.
Elle – Depends on the weather LOL. I love writing outside, but if it’s cold or rainy I’m more than happy to curl up on the couch with my laptop and dog.
Upallnightbb: Do you get flustered when writing a sexy scene?
Not really. For us, writing a ‘sexy scene’ is about words and tones. Especially since we write books with younger characters, it’s important to make sure that the scenes aren’t overdone or meant for an older audience.
Upallnightbb: Do you hand write or type first?
Jen – I type, writing by hand takes too long! 😊
Elle – I scribble notes to myself sometimes so I don’t forget anything, but hands down I type everything!
Upallnightbb: Who do you fangirl over?
Jen – There are a few authors I’d love to meet in person. At the top of my list is JK Rowling. I’m also a huge fan of Meljean Brook, Jessica Clare, Claire Contreras, Jennifer Armentrout, Alexa Riley and so many more.
Elle – I legit fangirled in real life over Iris Johansen at a book signing in 2016—true story! I honestly forgot how to speak and I think I told her I loved her LOL
Upallnightbb: What's it like to co-write? Pros and cons.
Co-writing is such a unique experience for each writing partner. We like to plot out our books before we write, taking the time to plan out the characters and scenes and storylines. It’s wonderful to be able to run ideas back and forth and work together to come up with the perfect idea. It also is a little more restrictive writing with a partner, since as a team we are trying to tell the best story possible, and we don’t always agree with the ways to do that. 😊
Upallnightbb: One Small Thing was such a unique concept for an against all odds romance. How did you come up with the idea for this book?
When you’re writing books featuring younger / teenage characters, there’s just something perfect about a rebellious or forbidden love. We started at that point and bounced ideas around until we had it.
Upallnightbb: Without ruining the end for those who have not read it yet, I am curious, did you always see the book ending that way or did you consider other scenarios?
The thing about plotting a book is that it’s not always set in stone. Sometimes as you write you get a different ‘feel’ for the story, or new ideas. This really was one of those books where anything was possible until it happened.
Upallnightbb: Would you say that you are a one small thing kind of person, or is optimism something you struggle with sometimes? How did that impact your ability to write from both the optimistic and pessimistic angles of Chase and Beth?
Life really is about trying to focus on the small things and the silver linings. Everyone is going to struggle with optimism at some point in their lives – we’ve all been there, so that made writing the different angles easier. We both try to always see the good in things, but you can’t always be 100%.
Upallnightbb: Was there anything that you ended up editing out of the book? If so, do you find it difficult to eliminate parts of the story once you’ve written it?
This is always such a hard question for writers. Sometimes it feels like half of writing a book is the actual writing, and half of it is the editing. There are always going to be things you cut, or add, or edit – but you’re doing it for a reason. The hardest part is looking at your word count when it’s done.
Upallnightbb: How long did it take you to write One Small Thing from start to finish?
A couple of months – we have to write around both of our lives, and other books, and sometimes when one person is done writing the other isn’t quite ready to start. But that’s total production time. The actually writing time was probably half of that.
Upallnightbb: Do you ever see another book about Beth and Chase in the future?
Never say never, but not right now. One of the things we enjoyed about writing One Small Thing was that it’s just a story onto itself.
Upallnightbb: Do you have anything new in the works? If so, is it another standalone or the makings of a series?
Individually, we are both working on new books. Elle’s The Chase, the first in the Briar U series, is releasing In August. Jen has a new standalone romance titled Want You coming July 1st. Together, we are still planning and plotting what comes next!
For more info on Erin Watt visit: authorerinwatt.com
Jen Frederick: jenfrederick.com
Elle Kennedy: ellekennedy.com
One Small Thing is available now!! Check out our review and don't forget to add to your TBR!!