The following is an exclusive Whispers of the Muse interview conducted by Deborah Riley-Magnus with author Lisette Brodey.

Muse: Lisette, first of all, Whispers of the Muse welcomes you and Squalor, New Mexico to the site. Tell us a little about yourself. What part of the world do you live in? Tell us about your background.
Brodey: Thank you so much for this opportunity, Debbie. I am originally from the Philadelphia area (where I currently reside), but I lived in New York for over ten years, where I worked in the radio industry. From there, I moved to Los Angeles, where I spent four years working at both Paramount and CBS/MTM Studios. Since I’ve been back East, I’ve worked as a freelance writer with clients on both coasts. I’m really hoping to relocate to Los Angeles again.

Muse: Who are your favorite authors?
Brodey:  There are so many: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dylan Thomas, Thomas Wolfe, Wallace Stegner, Wilkie Collins, D.H. Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, Sinclair Lewis, Jeffrey Eugenides, and many more. It’s hard making lists because I must leave out more than I include.

Muse: Why do you write?
Brodey: I write because it’s what I’ve felt compelled to do ever since I learned how. Writing is my way of processing what the world throws at me. It is my way of sharing what I most love, railing against what most disturbs me, and laughing at what most amuses me. If I didn’t write, there would be an awful lot to keep inside. I simply don’t have that much storage space.

Muse: What is your writing regimen? How often do you work on a novel? Do you set daily time or word goals? What keeps you meeting your deadlines? 
Brodey: I try to write every day, excusing myself on days when work or other obligations take priority. I usually begin in the early afternoon. Like many writers, I try to get into the zone by rereading/editing what I last worked on.

I write from a basic outline/notes, but I do not micro outline. As my novel progresses, I synopsize it in another document. I make sure that as an author, I always know what day the action took place, even if it is not revealed to the reader. This is my best tool for trying to avoid continuity mistakes. (It also makes a handy guide for rereading my novel quickly.)

If I can write 1,500 words a day, I’m very happy. That said, I’m actually happy if I write two paragraphs that make me proud. Quality, not daily word count, is what matters most. Often I will exceed my goals, and other days, well, I get distracted, frustrated, and feel as if I’ll never be able to coherently string two words together again. The trick is to simply keep trying, focus on my personal deadlines, and not let those days give me permanent writer’s block or disillusion me toward my craft.

Muse: Does the way you personally look at life reflect in your writing style?
Brodey: Overall, I would have to say yes. However, it would be pretty boring if all of my characters had the same philosophies as I do. I like developing characters who are nothing like me and use vocabulary that personally would never come out of my mouth. It is very common that one aspect of a character might reflect a part of me, while another is light-years away from me. I think my true self plays hide-and-seek in my novels.

Muse: What are the creative jumping-off points for you? Are you inspired by dreams? Music? Nature? The occasional black nightmare? What triggers your imagination?
Brodey: Great question! Absolutely anything can and will inspire me. I’d have to say that people inspire me the most, whether they be people I pass on the street or ones I have known for a lifetime. The world inspires me, and that is why I always have a notebook with me so that I can take what I call “word pictures.” There are so many nuances in any given setting that my mind will not recall down the road, so, when I see a setting that interests me, I will write about it on the spot, as if it were part of a novel in progress. I may or may not use it later on, but at least I have captured it.

I have very vivid dreams and have plucked a great deal from dreams. In the writing of one novel, I was stuck for the perfect last name for a family. I woke up having just dreamed a name I’d never heard of in my life. It was just there, and I took it. Thank you, subconscious mind!

Music is also a great inspiration. Even one line in a song can inspire an entire story, and it doesn’t even have to be a song that I like. Inspiration comes from everywhere. It cannot be forced. It cannot be bought. You just have to recognize it when you see it — then write it down.

Muse: Tell us about Squalor, New Mexico. What was your inspiration?
Brodey: Throughout my life, every time I heard it said that someone lived in squalor, it sounded like a place to me. The intrigue of the word never left me. Finally, I decided that I wanted to write a book that began with “My aunt lived in Squalor.” I did almost that. I gave the aunt a name and began the 445-page book with “My aunt Rebecca lived in Squalor.” I then proceeded to figure out why she may have lived in squalor and constructed an entire family saga around that one line.

Muse: What is your favorite scene from the book and why?
Brodey: There are many scenes in this book that are dear to my heart: some for being comical, some for being poignant, some for being shocking, and on and on. The book is told in the first person by the narrator, Darla McKendrick, who, as an adult, looks back on her life from the age of nine to sixteen. Darla’s growing up is shaped by her family’s past history and keeping of secrets. I would love to tell you my favorite scene(s), but it would give far too much away. I’ll just say that there are several scenes toward the end where much is revealed and characters are forced to face new realities while coping with old ones.

Muse: Have you written other books?
Brodey: I have also written a book called Crooked Moon in the general fiction genre. While this was actually my second written book, it was my first published one. I am a chapter or so away from finishing a third book in the general fiction/chick lit genre. (I’ve not yet released the title.). I have a plethora of notes squirreled away for a fourth novel (general fiction) that I hope to begin in the not-too-distant future.

Muse: Tell us about your other books.?
Brodey: Crooked Moon is the story of two women, Callie Mason and Frankie Cavalese, who grew up in adjoining row homes in Philadelphia. A wall separated their bedrooms, but nothing ever separated them, not until they were eighteen. Callie, who had been living with her aunt, received a generous trust fund from her late father that sent her off to another world. Twenty-three years later, when her aunt has died, Callie comes back “home” to clean out her aunt’s house. And although she never admits it, she has come back to reclaim her childhood friend – the best friend she has ever known.

Most of the book takes place during a few weeks one hot summer when Callie’s and Frankie’s lives come crashing back together. To complicate the fragile reunion, Callie’s marriage is suddenly at risk, further complicated by the affections of (and attraction to) Frankie’s brother, Paulie. Tensions and passions explode in the sweltering heat, and amid pain and tragedy, each woman not only ends up not only with a life-altering secret about the other, but the burning question of what to do with it.

Muse: How do you feel about the current publishing marketplace?
Brodey: It’s not for the faint of heart. Honestly, if I find myself looking at the statistics or analyzing too much, it can shut me down. Instead, I focus on writing the best work I can, getting up every day, and looking for new ways to promote my current work and new ideas for my work in progress or future work. As difficult as it is out there, I do believe that never giving up and focusing on the prize can make all the difference in the world. I’m very grateful for the technology that has allowed authors to get their work out there without being wholly dependent on agents or publishers. I wish this technology had been available before now, but I’m glad that it’s here.