An Interview with our Author Lindsay Maple
Last year, we at Rising Action were excited to sign Lindsay Maple onto our imprint for her debut novel: (Not) Your Basic Love Story, a romantic comedy about two people from two different cultures learning to overcome their differences as they fall in love. To get to know her as a person and a writer, we hosted an interview where she talks about her inspiration and being from British Columbia.
Where are you located?
I live in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada! I’m close to incredible hikes through the old-growth forests, only an hour away from Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean, and am surrounded by fabulous wineries, breweries, and farmers’ markets. I get all the benefits of being close to one of the best cities in the world, while still retaining that small-town feel. What more could you want?
What age were you when you wrote your first story? Was it a short story? A novel? A fanfiction?
I was in grade three when I wrote my first story entitled “I Fell.” It was about a guy who fell out of an airplane when it crashed and survived, along with a child genius and a sexy stewardess. It included a naked hot tub scene (between the MC and the sexy stewardess, obviously). And, to my abject horror, it was read aloud in class. Despite the embarrassment, I was hooked. I started writing then and there, and never looked back. Some of my fondest memories of teenagehood is writing Eragon fanfiction on roleplaying websites with my internet friends.
Is there any genre you would never write?
I’ll probably never write anything non-fiction. I love learning but can’t imagine myself becoming such an expert in any field that it would warrant me writing a book about it.
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I started off as a pantser but joined the land of plotting with my last book thanks to [the book] Story Genius which I highly recommend. I find I spend a lot less time revising when I plot. Plus, with romance, you have to hit certain beats at certain times (shout out to Romancing the Beat!) so it helps to know what’s going to happen before it does. I find that even when I plot, I still surprise myself with fun little twists I never saw coming, so it hasn’t reduced the joy of writing for me.
Where did your inspiration come from for (Not) Your Basic Love Story?
It’s not one point of inspiration, but several. I grew up in Alberta and Saskatchewan and was always surrounded by white people, who were either Christian religiously or culturally. Moving to BC introduced me to other religions, cultures, and ethnicities, and I loved learning about all these different things. I met some Sikh people through work functions and got to know them, about multigenerational families, and Indian weddings, and couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like being part of a family like theirs.
Have you taken any formal writing classes?
I’ve attended many classes through the Manuscript Academy, and listen to The Shit No-One Tells You About Writing podcast. Does that count?
Are you part of any writer’s groups or communities?
I have my Twitter family, whom I adore, and am part of a few other communities on Facebook. I’m fairly active on Vocal Media, and the communities that come along with it, as well.
What part of writing do you enjoy the most?
I love drafting! Getting all the ideas on the page, brainstorming, seeing what comes next, watching that word count climb… it’s intoxicating. As for the part of the book I enjoy writing the most, it’s probably the love scenes. I love creating a safe space for my characters to explore themselves and one another, and that moment when lust tips over and turns to love. Oh, my heart!
Who has encouraged you the most in your writing?
My mom’s been the most encouraging. She was encouraging when I was a bookworm fanfiction teenager, and she supports me now as a bookworm romcom adult.
Aside from writing, do you have any other hobbies?
Does laundry and scrubbing toilets count? Haha kidding. I love baking, and there’s almost always something freshly baked on my counters. The hiking around where I live is great, and I’m excited for my kids to get a little older so I can take them into the mountains with me. Yoga has been part of my life since I was about nineteen years old, and I got my teacher training about two years ago and teach several classes a week.
What three books would you cart around with you in an apocalypse?
You’re probably expecting some sort of fiction novel I can’t live without, but I’m gonna be practical here. I’d probably cart around a book on local flora, some sort of survival textbook… actually, my step-dad Blaine is a huge survivalist. Can I just cart him around with me?
What is your favourite movie?
I love Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal Lecter is the ultimate bad boy. Plus, I’m a sapiosexual, so… yeah.
Where is your favourite place to travel?
The Coquihalla highway through the rocky mountains between Alberta and BC is absolutely the most gorgeous place in the world. I couldn’t recommend that drive any higher! The mountains, the forests, the waterfalls... Breathtaking. I could drive that road ten times a year and not get bored.
And some Canadian-specific questions …
What would you get on a Tim Hortons run?
I’m going to be a bad Canadian here and say I don’t like Timmies that much! But I’d order a dark roast, black.
Do you like hockey? If so, what team?
Again, my fellow Canadians aren’t going to be happy about this. I don’t pay attention to hockey! But I’ll say the Edmonton Oilers just to make my buddies mad, who are all diehard Flames fans.
Tourtiere or Poutine?
I don’t even know what a tourtiere is. Poutine!
Ryan Reynolds or Ryan Gosling?
Reynolds! He’s so freaking hilarious, I just love him.
(Not) Your Basic Love Story is releasing in July 2022. You can find Lindsay on these socials:
TikTok: LindsayRaeWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindsayRaeWrit1
Website: https://lindsaymaple.com