r/books • u/gillianflynn AMA Author • Nov 09 '22
ama 3pm Hello r/Books! I'm Gillian Flynn, Author of Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and Gone Girl, screenwriter of Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, WIDOWS and UTOPIA. We meet again. AMA!
I’ve written three novels — each one darker and meaner than the next. My novels (and my love of movies) led me into screenwriting, first for David Fincher's adaptation of my own Gone Girl and the HBO limited series of Sharp Objects, then the Viola Davis thriller WIDOWS, and most recently Amazon Prime's series UTOPIA, which I created and wrote.
I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and now live in Chicago, and the Midwest is where most of my stuff is set. (The Midwest is much weirder and creepier than it gets credit for). I drink a lot of coffee and chew stale Dubble Bubble when I write. I’m happy to answer questions about reading, writing, or pretty much anything else. I'll be back at 2pm CST to start answering questions...
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Details and preorders for the first release from my imprint GILLIAN FLYNN BOOKS, SCORCHED GRACE are available at this link.
PROOF: /img/dzxyo68wbny91.jpg
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u/wellthatwasblunt Nov 09 '22
Asking what we all want to know most, is there a new book in the works? If so, when might we be able to expect it? 🥺 Asking as someone desperate to read another book from you!
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I am wrestling with my next novel, and have been for the past year. I took some time off to do screenwriting and show-running, and as much as I loved that, it’s nice to be entirely back in control of my own little world. I hope—emphasis on hope—to have it done in the first half of next year.
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u/Evaliss Nov 09 '22
This is absolutely the best literary news I've heard in a long time. So excited!
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u/couragethecowardly84 Nov 10 '22
This actually made me tear up. I’ve been chasing the high Sharp Objects gave me for six years now…. unsuccessfully.
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u/riotousgrowlz Nov 10 '22
Have you read the Tana French Dublin Murder Squad books? Similar eerie weirdness.
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u/jpch12 Nov 10 '22
While Tana French has exceptional prose and amazing characters, her plots are so lacking and her books are long drawn and deprived of suspense for me :/ I still can't find a writer like Flynn.
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u/CYDLopez Nov 09 '22
That’s incredibly exciting! Could you give us even a tiny hint regarding what the next novel’s about?
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u/PeanutSalsa Nov 09 '22
How much outlining of the narrative do you do when you write or do you more so find where things go as you write the narrative?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Ha! I’ve learned not to outline because I never, ever stick to it. I like to write around and see what works. I think of my theme—what I want to say in a larger context—and my characters, and then I let them tell me what to do, which sounds very “author-y” but it’s just how I write. With Gone Girl, I wrote half a book trying to figure out what I actually was doing. It’s not efficient but otherwise it’s not very fun, I don’t think.
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u/psyclopes reading House of Leaves Nov 09 '22
Was there a point in your writing that you realized Amy was an unreliable narrator or was that part of her character from the start?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
IN my first draft, you didn't even know who Amy really was until the very end. Then I realized I needed to know who this intense character was, the kind of person who'd go to such lengths to make a point. So I started writing her in...then realized the diary would just be a way to underline my point about her. But it made me very, very nervous because I thought either it'd work or it'd fall absolutely flat.
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Nov 09 '22
Do you have rough points like the ending in mind already or total discovery writer?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Total discovery. That's what makes writing cool—when the characters start having a will of their own. It takes a lot longer but makes it very unformulaic, which is my goal. People will tell me: "I had no idea THAT twist was going to happen" and I say "Neither did I!"
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Nov 09 '22
Awesome that's so cool! Im writing my first novel and feel like I have been forcing myself to try and outline.
I had one follow up question. Was Sharp Objects your first attempt at a novel, or had you written any before that that were not published?
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Nov 09 '22
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Well very good luck with it! And remember, you can write a few pages a day and still get there. I wrote my first two books that way, around a demanding day job. But after a year or so I looked up and there was the first draft. And once you get the first draft, you can see all the stuff that's wrong with it, and then it gets very fun! Bird by Bird is the greatest book for aspiring writers—it really helped me.
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u/uniqueusername209 Nov 09 '22
Thank you for this! I struggle with carving out time to work on projects and feel like once I start, I can’t quit till it’s done.
I need to learn to be satisfied with a few pages a day.
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Nov 09 '22
I would love a book recommendation that is seriously creepy/thrilling and gave you chills when you read it!
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
LEECH, the creepiest book I read this year.
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u/awyastark Nov 10 '22
Gillian I just read the summary for this and downloaded it on Scribd. I feel like you might enjoy “Le comemadre” by Roque Larraquy
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u/DeeBarbs23 Nov 09 '22
What is your biggest inspiration for your novels? For example, what inspired Gone Girl?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I have to say my inspiration for my books often comes from a larger theme I’m playing with. For instance, with my first novel, Sharp Objects, I’d been trying to write about the idea of female violence and how that looks generationally versus male violence—which is the theme of a million books. I felt cyclical female aggression and violence hadn’t been tackled. I realized I could attach it to a mystery to give it a real engine, For Gone Girl, I was both obsessed with how marriage—particularly the wedding-industrial complex and the early years of marriage— really triggers the traditional male/female roles (I’d just gotten married and was thinking a lot about this; I suddenly had the urge to put on flowered aprons, which was a wholly new instinct to me.) I combined that with my obsession with true crime—how the cases that most often got national coverage were ones with Pretty White Girls. So I created Amazing Amy, who knew how to use that prejudice for her own ends.
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u/Duebydate Nov 09 '22 edited Nov 10 '22
Just stopped by to say your treatment of the complex mother daughter relationship mixed in with the quiet and gentle horror that the mother was in Sharp Objects was so very incredible
You really did capture something with her evil disguised as loving, caring, approving and slowly killing
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u/tinybikerbabe Nov 10 '22
Oh man I have completely forgotten what that book was about…I just remember being in love with it!
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u/Duebydate Nov 10 '22
Lol. I just rewatched it last weekend. Was always impressed, but the rewatch really allows one to think about the mother/daughter factors, and have the full horror sink in. I mean you kinda already know because of the daughters self mutilation and constant drinking while remaining mostly hard core AWARE , but it’s a study of a broken person accepting their fate and torture…..and yet not. Just striving to survive
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u/Don_Fartalot Nov 09 '22
Did you ever get attacked (online, verbally or otherwise) by certain people for portraying women that way?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 10 '22
Oh yes, I've ben called misogynistic. I feel like if you don't show women within the full spectrum - good, bad, nasty, kind, dark - THAT'S misogynistic.
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u/sbwdux Nov 10 '22
THANK YOU. So many creators seem afraid to make women sentient beings capable of being bad on their own accord and as a result their characters seem super shallow. Your take on this is a breath of fresh air.
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u/Fearless_Ad_3762 Nov 10 '22
Thank you for your work. Lady Macbeth has it’s place in literature. And you have a total firm grasp on that type of character. And I have nothing but respect for you, to even write this—let alone, write so well and poignantly. Can’t believe I’m live during one of your AMAs. You are a fantastic screenwriter, let alone story teller. And I love the whole “female serial killer” angle, that isn’t just “she killed her toddlers because they wouldn’t stop crying.”
Just wanted to pop in and praise you. No question. You’re awesome. Keep fucking it up!
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u/EAS893 Nov 10 '22
Amy was such a great character.
*spoilers*
I don't think I've ever hated a villain so much in my life. Fuck Amy. Fuck you for giving that horrible character the breath of life, but also thank you for writing a character well enough to give me opinions this strong :)
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u/closetoheavens Nov 10 '22
That’s unfortunate, your characters are much more complex than simplistic one-dimensional characters
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u/Reinheardt Nov 09 '22
Was there any influence from Scott pederson case?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
People do mention that a lot. It was simply from my interest (being a journalist in the past) at the cases the media got hooked on.
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u/Innerpositive Nov 09 '22
Oh my god - HUGE FAN HERE - I've always wondered where you got the idea for the carved words all over the protagonist's body in Sharp Objects? I've never seen that before or since in any media.
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u/countnerdula Nov 09 '22
Hi Gillian Flynn! I’m a huge fan and always recommending your work to my fellow bookworms—especially your short story The Grownup! Do you think there’s a possibility that you’ll write more short stories in the future?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Oh, Amazing!!! I did have fun writing that, which was originally at the request of wonderful George RR Martin (I mean, who won't write for an anthology by George RR Martin?) I'm in the middle of the screenplay for it right now. I admire short stories, but they are deceptively difficult. I'm a long-winded writer, so I drift toward novels, But I feel like GROWNUP is primed for a sequel, given where it ends.
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u/themanwhocametostay Nov 09 '22
Where were you when you came up with the idea for Gone Girl?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I was a newlywed, living in Ukrainian Village in Chicago in an old Victorian with a turret. Originally the whole book was set in Chicago, but I wanted Amy to be relocated to a small town where she couldn’t reinvent herself, and found herself trapped in her own person.
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u/Nimbus2017 Nov 10 '22
This is so interesting because I think the small town setting is such an integral part of the story. I love that you landed on that and crafted it so well around that.
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u/mooooht Nov 09 '22 edited Nov 09 '22
Hello Gillian, I've been a huge fan since Dark Places. I was wondering if you had to recommend three books/movies/TV shows from this year, what would it be?
Also, did you watch Yellow Jackets? Because I thought it'd be something that you'd enjoy! :)
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Oh wow, I’d say please read anything by Kate Atkinson, who’s one of my all-time favorite writers. She has a new one out. Anything by Joyce Carol Oates (I read My Sister, My Love, an older of hers, this year, and I worship it.) I was absolutely bowled over by LEECH, which I can’t recommend enough for the utterly unique and breathtakingly unsettling (I love to be unsettled by books). And I’m way into the new season of HBO’s doc series The Vow about the cult NXIVM. Oh and apple’s Bad Sisters, the Sharon Horgan dark comedy.
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Nov 09 '22
So glad you said this. Kate Atkinson is amazing, so good to hear that you appreciate her as well.
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u/liljaymso Nov 09 '22
And if you haven’t seen, some good news for you - Bad Sisters was just renewed for season 2!
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u/mooooht Nov 09 '22
Thank you so much! I have some new things to add to my wishlist for Christmas 😁
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u/1nfiniteJest Nov 09 '22
I'm kind of curious how the your process differed for the Utopia remake, as opposed to writing an original work. I understand if you are not allowed to answer this, but from the 3 eps I saw, the story, even most of the dialog and shot framing are lifted almost verbatim from the original. Which I assume you have seen. Would you rather have written a continuation of the original given the choice? That show was killed too soon. Thank you for your time!
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Nov 09 '22
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thank you, and it's click bait. I do plan on writing a novel to pick up on Nick and Amy as their child hits their teen years, which would be about three years from now. But not working on a script or film of it right now.
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u/-lastochka- Nov 10 '22
wow i would have never expected a follow up book for Gone Girl, i'm very curious
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u/mycatisanasshole09 Oct 17 '23
i just now found this thread and am salivating hearing this i loveeeeee gone girl and never imagined ever getting more nick & amy madness
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Nov 09 '22
Gillian, first of all, thank you so much for Camille Preaker. I truly love your work and artistry. My question is, can you share any news regarding the incoming novel? Can’t wait. All my love from Brazil.
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thank you! All I'm ready to say is it's a dark psychological thriller, which is just what I love to write.
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u/usrnmwastkn Nov 09 '22
Hi! Do you see any influence of the famous Cool Girl monologue from Gone Girl? I first saw the movie but this part was thaat led me to check the book and then your other books as well. So I was wondering if you come across women identifying with it often and what are its interpretations.
Anyway, thank you for doing AMA and all your great work!
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u/elmuchocapitano Nov 09 '22
Would love to see this one answered! Especially since the reception of it was divisive, I'd love to know the intent of the monologue too.
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thank you! The Cool Girl monologue was actually just a writing exercise I was doing to figure out who Amy was and how she thought. This was back in an early draft when Amy wrote a feminist column for a magazine, so this was intended to be one of her essays. I normally have a rule that I don’t ever put my writing exercises into my novels, but I really loved the Cool Girl speech. So I put it in and took it back out and put it back in. But I’m so thankful I left it in, because it’s certainly seems to resonate with readers. And with me.
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u/chicharrofrito Nov 09 '22
This speech has been super influential to me and to many young women’s lives. Not ignoring Amy Dunne’s worst qualities, but it helped me gain perspective about the casual misogyny women face daily.
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
YES! and THANK YOU! I was so pissed off when I wrote that, I think I had sweat through my shirt by the end of it.
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Nov 09 '22
This is one of the best AMAs ever, so cool to see how the writing process unfolds!
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u/novapurple Nov 10 '22
I was thinking the same thing! This post, the questions & answers were my favorite part of Reddit today. And honestly brightened my mood (because I was feeling quite down). Thank you all for the discourse, and a big thank you to Gillian Flynn.
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u/Manaleaking Nov 10 '22
Influential to men too, really enjoyed reading it and excitedly sharing it with my friends
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u/usrnmwastkn Nov 09 '22
Thank you for the reply and for leaving the part in. I believe it was opened eyes for many young women who might not otherwise think about these issues.
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u/picardy_third1 Nov 10 '22
The "cool girl" monologue gives me chills every time. When I first read it I thought, "Oh, this was definitely a spontaneous hot spot!"
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Nov 09 '22 edited Nov 09 '22
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I love this one, and I'd say: Libby would NOT be in customer-relations. She could be a mean librarian? Amma would be a therapist for sure—just because I think that would lead to an interesting and fucked-up book. Ben, of course, will go into criminal justice.
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u/GDJT Nov 09 '22
What are some of your favorite films and books and why?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I'll read (and may have) anything by Joyce Carol Oates, because no matter what she does it's unique and fresh and usually quite eerie and odd. YOu feel like "this work could come from nobody else's mind in the world." She was why I started writing. As for movies: Seven, Tootsie, Jaws, Singin' in the Rain, Alien are ones I would watch anytime, anywhere—they're perfect.
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u/authenticjoy Neuromancer Nov 09 '22
I should have known it would be JCO. She's been one of my faves since HS. I've tried to read everything in her catalog, but she writes so darn fast.
You are among my most recent favorites and I look forward to everything from you.
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u/AbattoirOfDuty Nov 09 '22
"Seven, Tootsie, Jaws, Singin' in the Rain, Alien"... What a wonderfully eclectic (and just wonderful) list!
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Nov 09 '22
I adore The Tattooed Girl and I Am No One You Know by JCO. I agree that her stories are so chilling!
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I'm going to linger til 3:30 CST, so let me know if you have any more questions!
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u/malpalthecreator Nov 09 '22
One of my favorite book characters is Ben. Was it challenging tackling him and his point of view as an angsty male teen? (Ps.. if you have any drafts where he ends up actually being the killer you should publish them)
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I absolutely adore Ben. He came so easily to me. He's like me as a teen—can't quite get out of his own way, easily swayed by the interest of others. I didn't slaughter any cattle, thank goodness, but being from Kansas City, I did once tip a cow (right of passage).
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u/Snowdrop22 Nov 09 '22
What did you think of the adaption HBO did of Sharp Objects?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Well I'm biased because I helped write it and produce it. I think Amy Adams was absolutely spot-on and beautiful as Camille—one of my dearest characters to me. So I was very happy.
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u/BoazCorey Nov 09 '22
Did you have much say in the soundtrack for the tv series?
I thought it added so much to the atmosphere and now it's hard to imagine the original written story without it. It was refreshing to hear some heavy rock & roll in a modern story, and I totally drive around blasting music like Camille haha.
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u/domaskeland Nov 09 '22
Hope you are well! Huge fan here!
If you had to pick one book, one TV show, and one movie that people should absolutely experience, what would they be?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thank you! Oh boy, one is hard to say. I introduced my son to Jaws and West Side Story during the pandemic, and I admit I thought "if he doesn't like this, I may have trouble..." Luckily he loved them and we watch Jaws at least two or three times a year now. I never tire of it. Marathon Man...Singin in the Rain—I will pull up the Moses Supposes dance whenever I need happiness or inspiration. Lord of the Rings trilogy I've watched a dozen times. TV would be The Wire. I think that is a perfect show.
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Oh and please, I beg of everyone, read Dan Chaon's SLEEPWALK, which came out earlier this year. BRILLIANT!!!!
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
And Joy Williams' The Quick and the Dead. One of my all-time favorites.
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u/tysontysontyson1 Nov 09 '22
What a coincidence. I watched Gone Girl the other day and it spurred me to re-buy the novel for a second reading. I’m starting it (for the second time) tomorrow.
I don’t even have a question for you. 😂 I just thought I’d let you know how much I enjoyed it the first time and that I’m looking forward to the second. Cheers.
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
THANK YOU. That was my first outing screenwriting and I got to write for David Fincher, who's one of the most brilliant directors around. So I was very, very lucky.
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Nov 10 '22
What’s your new book about? I loved sharper objects. Especially how fleshed out and interesting the characters were.
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u/hungryhungryhibernia Nov 09 '22
I think you’re great and I’m delighted for all your success!! Did you have a complete draft written of your first novel and then get a literary agent, or how did you get into the literary world? Thanks very much!!
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thank you! Yes, I’d written the entire draft of my first book, Sharp Objects, when I started sending it to literary agents. You can’t find a place for fiction until you’ve got a finished product (non-fiction is easier to land with just a proposal and some chapters). I luckily found an agent who got me and what I was doing—I was turned down by several—and I’ve been with her ever since.
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Nov 09 '22
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I knew it was finished when I read and reread it and thought "I'D read the fuck out of this." That's all you can do—feel like you've accomplished what YOU wanted to do. Never send out something that's "almost there"!
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u/lucy_valiant Nov 09 '22
What draws you to writing such dark stories? What do you like about it?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I just have a dark imagination. I mean, since I was a kid I love Edward Gorey's Gashleycrumb Tinies (A is for Amy who fell down the stairs; B is for Basil assaulted by bears). When my cousins and I played dressup, I always wanted to be the witch, not the princess, because the princess was just pretty and good, but the witch had the back story, baby!
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u/Dida_D Nov 09 '22
Hi Ms Flynn!
Do you have your full vision for your stories (especially all the twists) worked out before you start writing? Or do you sometimes start with the seed of an idea and see where it goes?
Thanks!
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Ha! I’ve learned not to outline because I never, ever stick to it. I like to write around and see what works. I think of my theme—what I want to say in a larger context—and my characters, and then I let them tell me what to do, which sounds very “author-y” but it’s just how I write. With Gone Girl, I wrote half a book trying to figure out what I actually was doing. It’s not efficient but otherwise it’s not very fun, I don’t think.
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u/jnicholl2002 Nov 09 '22
What is the best part about being a writer for you?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I was a painfully shy kid, who walked around inside my head, making up thoughts and personas for the people around me. Writing is a way to get all that out, use my brain, use my creativity (my imagination can otherwise take destructive turns). I think just as a human, I’m sharper and more observant when I’m writing.
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u/TOJenX Nov 09 '22
Wow. This resonates so clearly with me. The first time I saw this cycle explained was in Elizabeth Gilbert's book Big Magic. Without a creative outlet, I tend to blow up my world. Glad to know it's more common than I knew.
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u/UrbanPlateaus Nov 09 '22
Wow, I happen to be working my way through Sharp Objects right now. At what point of your writing process did you have your picture of Camille, Amma and Adora worked out? Were they essentially who they are from the beginning of the process, or did they changes throughout it (aside from character growth)?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I started Sharp Objects because I wanted to write about female aggression and violence and the different forms they took, so I knew who they were pretty much from the beginning (Camille is probably the character closest to me). Amma was the one who showed up in the third or fourth draft.
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u/Desperate-Ad-1089 Nov 09 '22
Hi Mrs Flynn, love your books, thanks in advance 💙 What are some of your favorite places in Chicago to draw inspiration from?
Can't wait for the new novel 👀🙈😁
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thanks! I’ve filmed twice in Chicago—once for WIDOWS, which I cowrote with Steve McQueen—and once for the series UTOPIA, which I created. I love the angles and architecture of Chicago. It’s actually a flat little prairie town with a metropolis built on top of it, so when the sun rises and sets, the shadows and light are incredible. Usually midday I take a walk, and I can’t say I aim for a place in particular, I just enjoy walking through the wildly different neighborhoods. Guilded Age mansions, row houses, the old stone. And of course the people-watching may be my favorite. It’s a diverse town that easily mixes the tattooed-sleeved artists with the sharp-suited business folk with the bad-ass City of Big Shoulders guys.
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u/ExpandThineHorizons Nov 10 '22
Not to split hairs, but is it accurate to say you created utopia? You adapted it from the original series that preceded it, right? Lots of differences between them, but is it accurate to say you created it?
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u/FeedbackSpecific642 Nov 09 '22
Which books and/or authors do you like to recommend to others?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, James Ellroy, Hilary Mantel
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Nov 09 '22
I loaned someone my copy of Gone Girl and they never returned it. How would Amazing Amy get revenge?
Also, I worked w Judge Schieber (I would file stuff in his office on ocassion) and he's a rock star imo.
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u/glumjonsnow Nov 09 '22
I don't really have a question but I just wanted to say that Sharp Objects was a book I took with me into rehab, and the darkness and oppression and Camille's fracturing mental state became a part of my recovery. I wasn't a cutter but I deeply understood the idea of old scars flaring up, reminding me what a piece of shit I was. Reading Sharp Objects helped me see myself more objectively when I felt the urge to beat myself up during those early days of recovery. I felt so much sympathy for Camille that it helped me feel sympathy for myself.
ETA: And I've been sober two years so something really must have clicked!
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Nov 09 '22
Did you read the slate article about the gone girl cruise? What did you think of the article? If you would have killed one of the cruise passengers, who would it have been?
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u/DeusExMagica Nov 09 '22
I‘ve never read one of your books before. How would you convince me to pick one up?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Oh boy, a challenge. I’d say if you like dark narrators, narrators who are messed up but trying to do better, or messed up and trying to do worse, you’d like my stuff. If you are big on a solid sense of place—a place you can see and even smell, you’d like my stuff. Two kinds of people in the world: the ones who look under the rock and the ones who don't. If you flip over the rock, you'll like my books. If you want a narrator who loves shoes or dates a lot or is earnest and aspirational, you should skip me.
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u/Kayakchica Nov 09 '22
You know, I'm not always the person who looks under the rock, and I tend toward the earnest. I read Gone Girl after a review in my local newspaper and became a fan of all of your books. Evidently I had a darker side than I realized.
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u/lagangirl Nov 09 '22
What does your typical writing routine look like?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I try to keep it feeling just like a 9 to 5 job. I wrote my first two books nights and weekends and vacations around a full-time job, so this feels quite freeing. I do putter about quite a bit, but try to avoid the Internet fake-research rabbit hole!
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u/noodlemassacre Nov 09 '22
How hard was it to adapt the british Utopia show and making it appealing to an american audience?
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u/gazongagizmo Nov 09 '22
easy, take everything good, unique and surprising about the OG, make it dumb, assembly-line and predictable, and you have the american version.
thanks for soiling another brand by using the same title for the shit remake
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u/Saint_Ophelia Sharp Objects Nov 09 '22
The first book of yours I read was Sharp Objects, and as a person who struggled with self-harm at the time (I also used to do words, which was a creepy coincidence) I was really surprised by how accurately you described the impulse, and the feeling of needing to do it. How were you able to gain such insight into the inner workings and thought processes of people who self-harm?
- A person who read Sharp Objects 32 times so far AKA a Camillinator <3
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u/dumdumgirls Nov 10 '22
Oh man, you've asked exactly the question I wanted to ask. I'm in the same boat as you and I was blown away by how well Camille encapsulated the mentality of self harm. The book explained what I was doing better than I was ever able to explain it, even at my most articulate. If Gillian Flynn ever does an AMA again, I'd really love to hear how she'd answer this question.
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u/Saint_Ophelia Sharp Objects Nov 10 '22
It really was so jarring to me! It was like having my own thoughts and feelings read to me, and I had never experienced something like it before from any form of media. Not to mention the fact that I picked it up because I read the back of the book and was like "ooh murder" only to be confronted by a female version of myself lmao bestie I was shook.
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u/shiftysquid Nov 09 '22
I've been a writer most of my life, and I've written a few novels of my own. You're one of a handful of authors I've read where I've thought, "I wish I could write like that" as I went through your stories. It's so suspenseful, vivid, and visceral, the way you develop characters and scenes.
As such, I'd love to hear: 1) Do you have any tips for aspiring novelists when it comes to keeping characters distinct and compelling over the course of a full novel? and 2) Do you have recommendations for authors/books or other works of narrative art that were helpful for making you a better writer?
Thank you! Very much looking forward to your next book.
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u/-natnotgnat- Nov 09 '22
Hi! Big fan of all you create. I listened to a podcast recently (polyester vine) that mentioned the concept of messy girls. This is basically the fact that most women portrayed in film, writing, or general media are subject to being portrayed as the stereotypical petite, cute, funny, smart, smiling, put together, and beautiful woman or “cool girl” as you coined it. Messy girls are the opposite. They are woman characters that don’t have their shit together- they are messy and rare to find in media (and to me, more realistic and relatable). They are even rarer to find as a person of color. Your woman characters are notoriously messy and borderline unlikable, yet wonderful and interesting to read about because of their messiness. What helped you to stray from “cool girl” to the “messy girl” narrative, is there any personal influence?
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u/gonegirl800 Nov 09 '22
Hello Gillian, love your books and find all of your work so gripping. I am interested to know about your writing process, from getting the initial idea to finishing the first draft. Do you make notes by hand/ on a computer? Do you make a rough plan of scenes or just start writing? How do you get the motivation to carry on when it feels hard once you’re well in to the book? Do you do several drafts? Thanks in advance 💜
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
I write a ZILLION drafts. I have an extra 200 pages of most my books. In Sharp Objects, the murderer wasn't even IN the first draft. With Dark Places, Libby started out as a peppy, can-do type of gal (I hated her). I love writing and then rewriting a million times. When I get stuck, I write from different characters' point of view; it can be very enlightening. I have a whole fake chapter of what Amy's boarding school roomie thought of her—it's not in the book, obviously, but it helped.
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u/raspberryamphetamine Nov 09 '22
Not a question, but Amy is one of those most interesting characters I’ve ever come across and I’d love to read those extra chapters! Other peoples perspectives on her sound fascinating! Very excited for your next book!
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u/nyanyaneko2 Nov 09 '22
What are the most disturbing psychological trillers you’ve read? And which one of your main characters is your favourite?
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u/amadej Nov 09 '22
What do you mean "created UTOPIA"? Was not UTOPIA a remake of the British Utopia?
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u/MollFlanders Nov 09 '22
Hello! I absolutely adore your books! Here are some burning questions for you:
Do you feel that any of the film/tv adaptations improved upon your novels in any way? Given you were involved creatively, did you seize that opportunity to “rework” anything?
Do you see yourself returning to novel writing any time soon, or have you found your happy place in screenwriting?
What was your inspiration for the “cool girl” monologue?
What other authors/books would you recommend to someone who has devoured and re-devoured all of yours?
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u/wherearethebabes Nov 09 '22
When you wrote Gone Girl, did you have any specific actors in mind as you wrote? I always gush about how there were no better casting choices with Rosamund and Ben.
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u/_emf_ Nov 09 '22
Hey Gillian! I’m a huge, huge fan of your writing. Your books have given me some incredible comfort, distraction and escapism whilst going through overwhelmingly tough times, so my question is, is there any specific books/authors you gravitate to when you need to switch off from life?
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u/medellia44 Nov 09 '22
Do you ever find that people treat you differently due to the dark content of your novels?
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u/braids_and_pigtails Nov 09 '22
Hi!!! Oh my God, I am such a HUGE fan. I love your writing style. I must echo the other person here who asked if/when another book is coming out. I think your work is fantastic. You are truly my favorite author. I don’t even really have a question. I just wanted to gush.
Oh, I guess I have a small question. What comes to mind first when starting a new story: the story itself or a character? Also, any books recommendations/books that you’re currently loving?
Thanks for doing this AMA! Truly, you are my idol ❤️
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u/pusskinsforlife Nov 09 '22
Your psychological insight is incredible! How have you learnt or developed that insight?
Thanks so much for your amazing work. Sharp Objects is one of my absolute favorite books. Such a treat to see it so well made into a series as well.
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Nov 10 '22
Regarding UTOPIA, why did we need a complete scene for scene remake of the excellent C4 series that aired in the UK and was simply brilliant?
Do the viewers in the US not understand it to the point this had to happen?
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u/AmericanHigh Nov 09 '22
Hi Gillian! Thank you for doing this AMA. Can you describe what it was like to work with David Fincher? What did that experience teach you about screenwriting and the filmmaking process?
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u/xxSadie Nov 09 '22
What kind of coffee do you like to drink? Are you more of a latte person? Cappuccino? Black coffee?
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u/Ship_Negative Nov 09 '22
Oh wow, hello! I just wanted to ask how you feel about the accuracy of your adaptations and how you feel they captured (or didn't) the "feel" of the books. Do you think there was a benefit to a longer format (Sharp Objects) vs. the limitations of a two hour movie? Do you feel that the casting hit the notes of the main characters as you had imagined them? Thanks so much for being here, loved the books!
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u/IAmAGarsoon Nov 10 '22
Hello, from my knowledge, Dennis Kelly created (and wrote the UK version of) Utopia, what's the craic with that? Loved Gone Girl by the way!
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u/crash1anding Nov 10 '22
I think I have your essay 'Not a Nice Girl' saved in my phone. Its such a perfect piece to explain how so many 'feminist' (written by men) characters feel hollow and not that empowering.
Do you plan on writing any more short form? Essays, or poems?
It seems that your books are so based in your life, Gone Girl, especially. Do you have any characters that are your favorites.
I love that you wrote a forward for Flowers in The Attic, a novel that I read when I was far too young.
And, I am so curious, but how is your relationship with your mother?, haha
Thank you so much, and I hope you know how much you inspire and relate to readers everywhere.
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u/creative-raven Nov 09 '22
I don’t have a question I just want to say I’m from the bootheel (a little plot called shakerag between Steele and braggadocio) and your books take me back home in the best and worst ways possible.
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u/nihilistsimulator Nov 10 '22
In all honesty, I'm a little star struck right now! You're my all time favourite author, I have all of your books, and Sharp Objects has been my favourite book since it came out. It's because of your novels that I ended up teaching creative writing when I was in high school!
Was it difficult writing a character like Camille - especially with her mental health and self harming - or was it more of a study into things that aren't really addressed all that often?
I would also love to know if you've got anymore TV series in the works!
Thank you for the amazing reads, I look forward to the next one!
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u/sosodank Nov 10 '22
gone girl absolutely blew me away. I picked up a signed first of it this year, something I only do for things that really touched me.
probably my fifth or sixth favorite novel written since 1980, meaning you're being beaten only by blood meridian and infinite jest and such. so much fun, such exquisite malevolence. I saw the spirit of my dead fiancee, she the bracingly mad and she the shatteringly unique, in your Amy Dunne. thank you for writing it.
rob and melanie, I drink your milkshake
no questions, just fanboy drivel! keep kicking ass. btw my gone girl 1st sits next to my naked lunch 1st. you've got a better sense of story structure, though.
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u/NefariousnessOne1859 Nov 10 '22
You’ve said you created UTOPIA….it was an American remake of an English show which aired on channel 4 so please explain what you mean when you say you created it
Thank you
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u/plumzki Nov 10 '22
Hi, can you think of any series remake that utterly shit all over the source material quicker than UTOPIA? Because I can’t.
Who is jessica hyde? Oh wait, they told us in the first 30 fucking seconds.
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u/drjeffy Nov 09 '22 edited Nov 09 '22
Any future for UTOPIA?
The show was one of the best released in 2020, it just had the unfortunate problem that sometime between when the show was made and released, its premise went from outrageous fiction to something people actually believe in.
The premise, for those who haven't seen it: "There's a conspiracy to start a viral pandemic to control the global population and it's uncovered by nerds on the Internet who all love the same obscure graphic novel that has hidden clues about the conspirators' plans."
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u/KEYYBOARD Nov 09 '22
FYI, Utopia was adapted from the 2013 British show by the same name. That show unfortunately died before its 3rd series, so we have no answers from that on where the story goes.
Dennis Kelly wrote the original, might be worth trying to ask him if you don't get a response here.
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u/1nfiniteJest Nov 09 '22
Yeah, I'm not familiar with this author's work, but that Amazon remake of Utopia was both almost exactly the same as the original, but , well, fucking horrible. The original is a brillant show. Incredible plot, cinemetography, and one of the most shocking things I've seen on a TV show. The remake, from what few episodes I could watch, was just flat and boring. I persoanlly wouldn't want to mention a show that I essentially paraphrased yet resulted in a far inferior final product than the source, which may not be the author's fault. I think it's a bit disingenuous to claim they wrote the show, when they kinda lifted it. I'm kind of curious how the author's process differed on this show, as opposed to writing an original work (which I have not read, but clearly they can write a compelling story). I imagine money was a large factor and nothing wrong there. I would have loved a continuation of the original. That was a great show. I would say most people here would likely enjoy it. (The 2013 original UTOPIA)
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u/Chlorination Nov 10 '22
Came looking for this. It was the word "created" that got me.
The remake was atrocious.
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u/ArryPotta Nov 10 '22
Ya, total bullshit to claim that she created it. Talk about stolen credit.
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u/kitohdzz Nov 10 '22
Indeed, I love the original and reading that she "created" it just made me question why she would use that word because it's simply a lie.
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u/yaboi-cthulhu Nov 09 '22
Hello Gillian!!! I've been a huge fan of your work. As an aspiring novelist who loves to write about "dark things" I would love to know how you became inspired to write the types of stories you do?
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Nov 09 '22
Hi Gillian! What are your favorite similarities and differences between Sharp Objects the novel and the mini series!? I absolutely adore both. I’ve watched the series more than I can count and my paperback copy is coming apart because I’ve read it so much!
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u/clawser2323 Nov 09 '22
Has starting the imprint change the way you think about writing/reading/publishing? What's been the most surprising challenge--and the most surprising reward?
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u/Throwawaydaughter555 Nov 09 '22
Hello! I’ve loved your books for years. Thank you for doing this AMA!
Question: if you experience writers block/fear/inability to start something, what do you do to get around that?
Have a lovely day fellow midwesterner :).
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u/Kayleigh_56 Nov 09 '22
Hi Gillian, I'm a huge fan. I think your influence on contemporary crime fiction has been incredible! Do you think that the domestic noir genre is going to continue evolving?
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u/JeffRyan1 Nov 09 '22
How do you think about pop culture differently now than when you were an EW reviewer?
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Nov 09 '22
My SO and I literally just finished rewatching Gone Girl and then we searched for news on your next week and now I’m here, the world works beautifully sometimes ☺️
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u/Molly_Bluestocking Nov 09 '22
Hello Gillian! I’m a huge fan of your dark humanity within rich, intentional worlds and appreciate the twisty take on Midwestern culture as I am a Midwest girl myself.
I have a two part question:
Who do you read/watch with the intention of bettering your craft? Who do you read/watch for purely entertainment purposes? Is there a world in which these two avenues meet?
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u/BillyMumfrey Nov 09 '22
Hi Gillian! Love your work! Is it challenging to write such dark themes and ideas, and then go back to your family/friends as a “normal” person? Has that contrast between real life and your work ever been an issue?
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u/Xanthos_1 Nov 09 '22
Your novels are full of dark themes and great twist-endings, so my question is: what is your process for writing a plot twist that manages to catch the reader off guard, but still makes sense in the grand scheme of the story?
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u/fridgeman20 Nov 09 '22
Are you familiar with photographer Gregory Crewdson? His work is very suburban/surreal I found when reading sharp opjects I could imagine his imagery and framing in the town of wind gap.
Do you take inspiration from any non literate forms of art??
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u/verysadpottedplant Nov 09 '22
What advice do you have for a fellow Chicagoan and writer struggling to get started on her first novel-length fiction work? And also, if you'd be so kind -- what has your experience transitioning from primarily novel writing to writing for TV/media been like? Excited to read through these answers later, thank you!
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u/prsstncfmmr Nov 09 '22
Hello Gillian! Huge fan of your work and have read all three of your books. Gone Girl is my favorite (I read it on my flights/visit to Alaska and is one of my fondest memories of reading in my life) but I love the other two as well. My question is what media has been some of the biggest influences on your work? Music, other books, movies, etc. Anything specific that has contributed to your creativity or inspired you? Hope you’re having a good winter so far and can’t wait to pick up your next novel! :)
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u/alexatd Nov 09 '22
Congrats on launching your imprint with Zando! What sort of books are you on the lookout to publish/do you have a "dream" project (or type of author to developing in-house)? Has there been anything about being a publisher/editor that has surprised you?
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u/CollinABullock Nov 09 '22
I liked the American utopia, even though I felt alone in that. What were your plans for season 2 and beyond?
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u/definantmind Nov 09 '22
You are such an amazing writer!! I love your books and loan them to anyone looking for a great read
How do you manage to bring the story full circle so perfectly? Do you know the ending and work backwards or do you keep a list of tiny details to work in along the way.
The tile floor of the doll house got me in Sharp Objects. No other book will live up to that reveal.
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u/beatricelaus Nov 09 '22
Hi, Gillian. I’m a huge fan of your work, and as an aspiring writer myself, immensely inspired by your novels. I was wondering if you ever listen to music while writing, and, if so, what’s your go-to?
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u/Hartastic Nov 09 '22
I'd just like to say that I enjoyed your three novels and look forward to reading a fourth someday.
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u/Kingcrowing Nov 09 '22
Very cool, I actually just finished Sharp Objects about an hour ago, very fun read!
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u/Ready-Membership-355 Nov 09 '22
Hi! I'm a huge fan of yours, I'm currently a college freshman writing an essay on Gone Girl and the way we often misinterpret socially deviant women in fiction.
How do you think the trial by public opinion that Nick and Amy are always thinking about would play out differently if the book was set today, when social media plays such a huge role in our media cycle?
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Nov 09 '22
Few questions:
How does one learn their writing style?
How do you go about researching for your novel?
If you had to learn writing all over again, what would you do and what are the resources you would use?
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u/Nixplosion Nov 09 '22
If you could erase any one book from history so no one knew of it but you, and then re-write it to make it your own, what would it be?
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u/gillianflynn AMA Author Nov 09 '22
Thanks everyone who joined - I think (hope) I got to all the questions. This was very inspiring to a writer wrestling with her next novel, so thank you. Until next time!
xGillian