Mini Interview with Tasha Coryell
Tasha Coryell has been on my radar for a long time because of her lovely social media presence. When her debut Love Letters to A Serial Killer came out this year, I knew I had to get in touch to hear her thoughts— this book wasn’t the first she’d written and talked about online. Which I think is so totally real, and I couldn’t wait to hear her thoughts on sticking with it.
I’ve also been enjoying her TikTok series Novel Writing Workshop Tik Tok Edition. As someone who’s currently straightening out what she describes as a “catastrophic failure” I found her description of the process helpful and straightforward. It’s part 10 of the series.
I’m so glad she agreed to this interview!
Did you ever go through a period of doubt, thinking this book wouldn’t see the light of day?
I'm very experienced in the art of writing novels that no one else reads. Love Letters to a Serial Killer wasn't the first novel I wrote, but it is my first published novel. I have so many books that are just sitting on my computer. When I wrote my first novel in 2014, I had this fantasy that I'd easily get an agent and sell my book. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I queried a couple of agents occasionally, but mostly I just wrote novels on my own. When I finished one, I'd start another. By the time I did get an agent, I'd decided that I would be happy continuing to write novels for myself because I love writing. It was a huge surprise when she actually sold my book. It's been out for almost sixth months now and I' still waiting for it to feel real.
I think all writers suffer from doubt occasionally. I think the best way to combat it is to write the books that you truly want to write rather than writing what you think other people want to read.
Do you have any tricks or tips for staying motivated?
Like a lot of people, I used to procrastinate on writing. I'd find myself washing dishing or doing the laundry instead of my work. In graduate school, I had a realization that I had to prioritize writing if I wanted to be successful. Aside from my loved ones, I consider writing to be the biggest prerogative in my life. Even in times when I'm extremely busy, I'll take a few minutes out of each day to get some words down. I think about what I want to write next when I fall asleep. Most importantly, I actively consider writing to be fun. One of my favorite activities in life is sitting down in front of my laptop with a cup of coffee. I wish I could bottle that feeling. No one is going to force you to write. You have to want to do it.
Any reading recommendations?
My favorite recent read was The Last One At The Wedding by Jason Rekulak. I also really enjoyed Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward. In the non-thriller space, I loved Jason McCall's essay collection, Razed by TV Sets.
The song I listened to most while writing Love Letters To A Serial Killer was “Happiness is a Butterfly” by Lana Del Rey. Also, can we talk about how she married an alligator boat tour driver?