Interview With Author Alex Tully
I met Alex Tully back in 2016 when she was ready to publish her first novel, Hope for Garbage. From her cozy home near Cleveland, she authored three feel-good novels: Hope for Garbage, Beautiful Chaos, and The Lake Never Tells.
“All of her stories feature ordinary characters who overcome extraordinary challenges with friendship, hope, and the incredible power of the human spirit.”
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Your first novel “Hope For Garbage” is a story about overcoming adversity under the most extraordinary circumstances and the power of never, ever, giving up hope. What was your main source of inspiration behind “Hope For Garbage”?
Hope for Garbage was inspired by an idea, more than any one person. The idea was that although some people get a raw deal in life, if they stay resilient and keep going, a break will eventually come their way.
I have multiple sclerosis (more about that below) and I would drive to my mom’s house once a week for my MS injections. As I would drive along Lake Erie, in the western suburbs of Cleveland, I would admire all of the mansions on the lake. Around the same time, in my middle-class neighborhood, I would see people from the rougher parts of town making their rounds on garbage day, picking up items on the tree lawns and tossing them into the back of their pick-up trucks.
So one summer day in 2010, I was sitting on my patio and had an “ah-ha” moment. That’s when I thought, “What if a poor teenage boy was picking garbage at one of those mansions on the lake and he ran into a misunderstood rich girl?” That’s how Hope for Garbage came to be, but it was a story that constantly changed and evolved over time.
As in all of my stories, I have a general idea of the plot, but the story actually comes together as I write it. And it took a long time to write because I worked on it in spurts—it was more of a personal project than a serious attempt at a novel. It wasn’t until I had some positive feedback that I thought of self-publishing, which I did in 2014. And learning the self-publishing world was a whole other challenge…
“Beautiful Chaos” is your second novel, a fast-paced story about first love, full of plot twists and strong, uninhibited emotions. Where did you draw your inspiration from this time around?
While Hope for Garbage was more a young adult coming-of-age novel, I wanted to write something a little more upbeat and leaned toward the young adult romance genre. Again, I had a general idea for the plot and it came from some real-life people/situations. A beloved family friend, who has since passed, used to have a small bookie business. Before all of the online betting became a big thing, older guys would bet on games over the phone with a bookie. I began thinking, “What if a teenage boy was helping his dad with the bookie business and he misplaces some money and a girl gets mixed up in the middle of it?” Two years later, in 2016, I published Beautiful Chaos.
Then I took a little break from writing because my MS really started rearing its ugly head, and when you feel like crap, it’s hard to feel inspired. Eventually, after making some lifestyle adjustments and accepting some harsh realities (hello, wheelchair), I decided to practice what I preached in Hope for Garbage and keep going. And, keep writing.
Hope for Garbage is available for purchase at Amazon in e-book and paperback formats.
Alex Tully’s newest novel “The Lake never tells” is a story about a trailer-park girl and a country-club boy who find their summer turned upside down when a dead body washes up on the beach.
I used the same what-if method and real-life experiences to come up with the idea for my third novel, The Lake Never Tells, a young adult, mystery, romance, and coming-of-age story, all in one. The story takes place in Marblehead, Ohio, a popular vacation destination that I used to visit in the summers. When I was a child, we would stay in dinky little cottages or trailers. Later in life, when I had my own children, we would stay with my father-in-law who had a beautiful home on the water… See where this is going? I am extremely excited about this story, and I definitely think it will be worth the wait.
How did you begin writing? What sparked your interest in becoming a writer?
As I mentioned, Hope for Garbage was more of a personal project, and I wasn’t sure if it would lead to anything else. My life was very different only a few years earlier. I was a finance professional with an MBA working for a private company. I had two small kids at home and life was busy, but good.
When I started experiencing a lot of strange and scary symptoms, I knew something wasn’t right. It took a couple more years until I was finally diagnosed with MS. After that, my priorities completely changed. Instead of going back to work, I decided to focus on my health and my kids. And that was when I started doing a little writing.
Do you outline the characters’ traits before starting to write a story or do you let them develop on their own as the story progresses?
I have a general idea of the character in my head, but their traits definitely come out as I write. For example, when I read over the first couple of drafted chapters in The Lake Never Tells, one of the main characters, Zoe, seemed too timid. So I went back to the dialogue scene between her and Debbie (her mom who thinks she’s still a teenager) and tweaked it so Zoe’s personality exuded much more confidence.
What part of a story do you usually find the hardest to write?
The first chapter seems to go pretty easily because I usually know how I want to get the reader’s attention. But the next couple of chapters are the most difficult for me. Bringing the setting to life and giving backstory about the characters is tricky and has to be woven into the story gradually. I often find myself cutting things out of these chapters and trying to find places later in the story where they can be inserted.
Beautiful Chaos is available for purchase at Amazon in e-book and paperback formats.
[On writing] “Do it for the right reasons. If you’ve written your whole life and you find joy in it, keep writing. If you find it therapeutic, keep writing. If you get honest, positive feedback, keep writing. If you don’t care about making a lot of money, keep writing.”
What do you think about the concept of writer’s block?
My mind doesn’t necessarily feel blocked while writing, however, it often feels unorganized, and chaotic. Writing is hard. A famous author once said (and there’s a lot of debate who it was) “I don’t like writing, I like having written.”
Honestly, that’s exactly how I feel. Writing is like homework… you don’t like to do it but when you get an “A” on the test, you know it was worth it. When I read some of the early reviews for Hope for Garbage I was surprised at the impact it had on people, and that’s why I decided to keep writing.
What is your writing setup and do you have any kind of “writing ritual” to boost your inspiration?
Because of comfort reasons, I sit on a couch in my living room in a spot that is “mine.” Of course, I share it with my three-legged pooch, Bobo. When it’s nice outside, I’ll sometimes take my laptop out on my patio and sit in my zero-gravity chair. I try to write every day, with the operative word being try. I wish I could say I have a set schedule, but with my health issues, that’s pretty much impossible.
What is the best piece of writing advice you’d give some that has just started writing?
Do it for the right reasons. If you’ve written your whole life and you find joy in it, keep writing. If you find it therapeutic, keep writing. If you get honest, positive feedback, keep writing. If you don’t care about making a lot of money, keep writing.
Being an indie author is challenging. Not only do you have to write a book that someone is willing to pay for, but you also have to market it, be active on social media, etc. I don’t want to sound discouraging, I just don’t want to sugar-coat it either. I do it because although I don’t like writing, I like having written.
The Lake Never Tells is available for purchase at Amazon in e-book and paperback formats.
What book is currently on your nightstand?
On my nightstand is I am Malala. My daughter read it for high school and loved it. I’ve been meaning to start it, but haven’t yet. Under my nightstand, I’ve got stacks of books that I’ve actually finished, everything from Jody Picoult to John Green to Stephen King. On my kindle, I’ve got hundreds more. I like a variety of genres and usually end up reading something a neighbor or family member recommends.
Where can we follow your work on social media?
Now that my third novel is finally complete, I am making a concerted effort to do better updates on social media. One thing I like to do a lot is, give away free ebooks on Amazon!
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