Janet Evanovich is the recipient of the Crime Writers Association's John
Creasy Memorial, Last Laugh, and Silver Dagger awards, as well as the Left
Coast Crime's Lefty award, and is the two-time recipient of the Independent
Mystery Booksellers Association's Dilys award. Her Stephanie Plum character
has struck a chord (nerve?) with readers and reviewers. Her stories have been
#1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Publishers Weekly,
and Entertainment Weekly. She's a gifted author with an amazing ability to
draw you into her quirky characters' lives. FWOMP thanks Mrs. Evanovich for
this wonderful interview!
Read a review of Janet Evanovich's novel
One for
the Money.
FWOMP: How do you keep the comedy going consistently throughout your novels?
Do you ever find it difficult?
Janet Evanovich: It's the serious stuff that's difficult. The comedy comes
naturally. A lot of the comedy is straight out of my life.
FWOMP: I read in an August 2003 interview you did that you don't mind being
politically incorrect when you write (i.e. sexist, etc.). Do you think that
this is a trap that some (or many) authors fall into — trying to be
politically correct to protect themselves from ridicule?
Janet Evanovich: Ridicule and lawsuits. We've become frighteningly litigious
in this country. I think it's okay to be politically incorrect as long as it's
not mean-spirited or a personal attack. A lot of difficult issues can be
examined more easily through politically incorrect humor.
FWOMP: At your excellent
website that your family dutifully
operates ,
you have a poll for whom your legion of readers think should play various
characters if one of your Stephanie Plum novels gets to the silver screen.
Have any (or all) of your books been opted for film?
Janet Evanovich: TriStar bought ONE FOR THE MONEY ten years ago and has been
struggling to produce it all these years to no avail.
FWOMP: How do you feel about turning over your beloved Stephanie Plum
characters to Hollywood screenwriters?
Janet Evanovich: I bought a car and a house with the money. I feel just fine.
FWOMP: You've coauthored some books. Do you like coauthoring, or do you prefer
to work ala carte?
Janet Evanovich: I coauthor the books with a good friend so it's a fun
process. We brainstorm in the beginning. She writes the books. I help with the
final edit. In other words, I do the fun part and she does the work. Not bad,
eh?
FWOMP: I understand that your first story idea was about a pornographic fairy
who lived in a second rate fairy forest in Pennsylvania. Any chance you might
elaborate on that? Or we might see it in print?
Janet Evanovich: It wouldn't float at Wal-Mart.
FWOMP: Rejection letters are part of a budding author's life. Can you give
those distraught writers who have their rejection letters piled up on their
desks and that .44 pointed at their heads any advice?
Janet Evanovich: Forget the .44. I prefer death by Cheez Doodles and
chocolate. Much slower and while you're waiting to die from a heart attack you
might get published. I collected rejection letters for ten years. Until you
beat that record you should keep trying.
FWOMP: When you go shopping for clothes, do you ever look at a piece of
clothing and say, "You know, I bet Ranger would wear this."? Or "I've got to
write about Grandma Mazur prancing around in these!"?
Janet Evanovich: Never. I mostly wonder how much weight I'd have to lose to
fit into the leather pants.
FWOMP: When did you finally realize that you'd "made it" as a writer?
Janet Evanovich: I still don't feel like I've "made it".
FWOMP: You've written short stories and novellas. Do you think this is a good
place for new authors to start when entering the ‘literary field of dreams'?
Janet Evanovich: No. The market is small and there's no money in it. I wrote
one short story as a charity for literacy. And one novella for Christmas fun.
FWOMP: Do you have plans for Joe Morelli and Stephanie Plum to marry? Or just
live in sinful bliss forever?
Janet Evanovich: You don't actually expect me to tell you this, do you? :-)
Revision Date: 02 Dec 2004