 The last time I sat down with Alison Hammer to chat was September 2019 Hotel Albuquerque during the Women's Fiction Writer's Association annual retreat. It was before her debut, You & Me & Us, released [you can read more on that here] and it was so much fun brainstorming marketing ideas and talking writing. Alison is truly one of my favorite people and I'm excited to have her here for a virtual coffee chat. Now, pour yourself a mug of something yummy and join us ...  If we were at a coffee shop, what would you order?
Oh, I wish we were at a coffee shop! I miss them so much, and it would be so wonderful to spend time with you IRL. Depending on the weather, I would order a nitro cold brew, or an Americano. Both with room for the nutpods (a non-dairy creamer) I take with me pretty much everywhere… At home, do you have one go-to mug or do you pick by mood or whatever is within reach? I have a few fun mugs, but they’re mostly for decoration or holding pens. When it comes to the mugs I actually use for coffee or tea, I have these big red stackable mugs that are almost like bowls. I love them, and since they sit right on the counter, that’s my go-to! As a writer, I’m obsessed with writing process. I love hearing how others work their magic. What’s your process like? Do you have certain routines/rituals? I’m a creature of habit in a lot of areas of my life—including my writing! After my first book took fifteen years to finish writing, I went to the other extreme and started participating in National Novel Writing Month. This will be my fifth year doing NaNoWriMo, an online program where people around the world are challenged to write 50,000 words in the month of November. I’m super competitive against myself and thrive on deadlines, so it’s great for me! I usually start the planning process in August or September, so I can have some time to get to know the characters and have a solid outline by November. I have a ritual of starting to write at midnight on Halloween with a glass of champagne as soon as it turns November. Since I write so quickly, I really embrace the idea of a shitty first draft. That really takes the pressure off of having to make it perfect from the start. The downside of that, is that when I get to my second draft (usually at least six months later), I retype the whole thing. I know it sounds crazy, but it works for me! Your debut, You and Me and Us released April of 2020. First, I have to gush how much I loved that novel!!!!! Book releases are a mixed bag of emotions to begin with, but you had the added headaches of launching during the pandemic. Setting aside the challenges, what was something positive and memorable from your launch? Thank you—that means so much coming from you! The emotions around launch were definitely heightened thanks to being just a few weeks into the pandemic, but I always try to look out for the silver linings. I was lucky that people weren’t burned out by Zoom or virtual events quite yet. I also made a decision not to try and recreate what I had planned for my in-person event (at that point, we thought the pandemic would only be a few weeks, and I might be able to reschedule). Instead, I planned an event that probably wouldn’t have been possible in person. Music is a big part of my life (listening, not playing!) so I reached out to Stephen Kellogg—a singer songwriter I’m a big fan of, who also had a book coming out. (Objects In the Mirror is a book of essays that came out in July!) He agreed right away to interview me and play a few songs. Other than all the technical difficulties (Zoom stopped connecting to Facebook for security reasons and we eventually had to move to Instagram) it was a pretty magical night. One I’ll definitely never forget! Book two, Little Pieces of Me, is scheduled for release in April 2021. Can you tell us where the seed (or coffee bean :-) ) for this story came from? The story started brewing (see what I did there?!) one night a few years ago when a friend told me that she’d gotten an email from ancestry.com, telling her that she had a parent-child relationship with a man that was not the father she’d grown up with. I knew right away that there was a novel-worthy story in there! I took inspiration from what happened to her, and let my imagination do the rest! But I’m really excited for the book to come out on April 13th! Can you give us a hint about what you’re working on next? I’m a crazy person and I’m working on several things. This week, I’m hopefully finishing up the second draft of my 2018 NaNoWriMo project, a story about three girlfriends who are dealing with the loss of a friend, while trying to help raise the baby she left behind. I promise it’s not as sad as it sounds! I’m also getting ready to start my fifth NaNoWriMo. I’m working on this one with a co-writer I’m really excited about. We’ve been working on the story together since July—and we’re actually going to announce the project on Halloween at midnight EST. It’s my NaNo tradition to start writing at midnight with a glass of champagne, so we’re going to do it together on Instagram Live! (it will be saved on IGTV for anyone reading this after Halloween!) Back to the coffee shop. Do you eavesdrop on folks at neighboring tables or tune everyone out? Oh, I totally eavesdrop! Pre-pandemic, I actually did most of my writing at coffee shops. To me, it’s the perfect balance of white noise. If a room is too quiet, I look for distraction. If it’s too loud, I can’t focus. Coffee shops seem to have just the right balance for me. But I definitely lean in when I hear an interesting conversation! Finally, tell me something about yourself that will make the people at the next table scoot closer to hear better. ;-) Hmm. When I was thirteen I was in a montage on America’s Funniest People. I was part of a stunt at Universal Studios that involved a plunger, a nail and a water balloon. I haven’t seen the tape in years, but I’m trying to find it! This was so much fun, thank you for having me. Can’t wait until the world is safe enough for us to get together in person at a coffee shop! xo!
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