fiona davis was born in canada and raised in new jersey, utah and texas. She began her career in New York City as an actress, where she worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theater. after ten years, she changed careers, working as an editor and writer, specializing in health, fitness, nutrition, dance, and theater. She is a graduate of William and Mary University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and resides in New York City. fiona joined penguin random house to talk about her writing routine, her literary influences, and her first novel, A Doll’s House.
penguin random house: what is your writing routine? where, when and how does it happen?
You are reading: Books by fiona davis
fiona davis: If I’m in the research phase, I read everything I can get my hands on about the time period and I’m filled with what that era was like, including the tastes and smells. , sounds: I try to be as tactile as possible. once I have a general outline and characters in mind, I write a certain number of words every day. As a former journalist, I love a good deadline. I work in the study of my apartment, which is sunny and has walls that I just painted a beautiful gray-pink color. very relaxing, but hopefully not so relaxing that I fall asleep.
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prh: when did this story first come to you?
fd: I was looking for a new apartment here in manhattan, where I live, and my broker took me to barbizon 63 condo, which used to house the barbizon hotel for women. This was where single women like Lauren Bacall, Joan Crawford, and Grace Kelly stayed when they first came to town. the history of the place was spectacular, but my interest in writing a novel was piqued when I learned that about ten of the older guests still lived there and had for years, having moved into rent-controlled apartments on the same floor in 2005. The combination of old and new york was too tempting to ignore.
prh: faulkner said that a writer needs three things: experience, observation and imagination. do you use all three equally or do you trust one over the other?
fd: I’d say observation is at the top of my writing toolkit, followed by imagination and experience. there is a lot of freedom to learn all about real events, places and eras (observation) before inventing characters who do and say what I want them to do (imagination). experience plays into the larger themes I’m writing about, though I often don’t know exactly what they are until three-quarters of the way through the first draft.
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prh: what is the last book you loved?
fd: I always like a good mystery, and I let you go by clare mackintosh literally stopped me in my tracks at the midway point, when there’s a big reveal. You know that moment when you’re looking at an optical illusion and it completely changes shape? it was something like that. great writing and plot – have been recommending it to everyone I know.
prh: To the aspiring writer, what advice would you give to publish their debut?
fd: Writing a book is a very artistic and lonely endeavor, but publishing a book requires industry savvy and a business mindset. I’m lucky to have found a community of writers who inspire and support each other, whether we’re struggling with a tricky plot point or a new marketing technique. There’s nothing better than discussing business over a glass (or two) of wine. I would definitely suggest meeting other writers, going to conferences, taking classes, and learning as much as you can about the craft.
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