Thank you to Harper Collins for the interview with Jessica.

Interview

What was your inspiration for Without Further Ado?

Rewatching the Kenneth Branagh film of Much Ado About Nothing during a Covid lockdown made me remember how hugely it impacted me as a teenager, and I began to wonder what it would be like to have never moved on from something that was really formative to your psyche as a teen. That was the jumping off point for the character of Willa and for the book.

What drew you to writing romance?

I love writing comedy, and my first two books were more comedy-dramas, so I wanted to challenge myself with romance. And I’m such a fan of rom-coms, it seemed like a natural thing to try. Turns out it was much harder for me than comedy-drama!

How did you choose which character to focus the story on?

In a lot of ways Willa is a modern version of Beatrice, the heroine of Much Ado About Nothing, so she was a natural fit to focus on. She’s funny, witty, weird and not quite comfortable in her own skin, which is always interesting to explore.

What was your process for writing for Without Further Ado?

Usually I write in a completely linear fashion, but with this book I wrote the first two thirds of the story then got stuck. So I wrote the ending, because I knew where I wanted things to end up, and that allowed me to see what needed to happen to the characters and the plot in order for them to end up where the story ends. That made it possible to go back and fill in the missing parts.

Was it different to writing There’s No Such Book?

There’s No Such Book, which is my first book for kids, took me half an hour to write. I know this is unusual. I’ve never found anything so simple and fast to write as that book, and I’m sure it will never happen again. Without Further Ado took a year. In that sense the experiences were poles apart, but in another sense, I was just creating people with problems and telling the story of how they resolved those problems, so that was similar.

What is your approach to world and character building?

Haphazard. I love adding in quirky details about characters because that is what makes them seem real to a reader. I have the hardest time with physicality, because what’s inside them interests me more, but I do appreciate that readers would like to know what people look like, so I have to remind myself to find ways to get that across within the narrative.

How would you describe Without Further Ado in five words?

Funny, heartwarming, acerbic, nostalgic and absorbing

Did you have a favourite moment in the book to write?

The last two chapters. They flew out of me and they’re still my favourite scenes in the book.

What was your favourite book growing up?

Brother of The More Famous Jack, by Barbara Trapido, followed by Anne of Green Gables. Books about weird girls not fitting make me happy.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

Not really – I read lots of genres, but more fiction (both commercial and literary) than anything else.