Write On! interviews author Kat Hausler

Kat Hausler is the author of the novels Retrograde and What I Know About July. Her short stories and essays have appeared in Hawaii Pacific Review, 34th Parallel, Inkspill Magazine, The Sunlight Press, Rathalla Review, Rozlyn Press, Porridge Magazine, LitReactor, BlazeVOX, failbetter and The Airgonaut, among others. She is a graduate of New York University with an MFA in Fiction from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was awarded a Baumeister Fellowship. Originally from Virginia, she now lives, writes and translates in Berlin.

 WO: How would you describe your writing to someone new to it?

 KH: I like to get deep into my protagonists’ heads and allow readers to experience the world as they do. I tend to write thoughtful characters who don’t see everything at face value but are looking for more, or overthinking everything. Well-rounded plots are important to me, but that roundness can be within the development of characters and relationships, as well as external action. I try to have some beauty in all my phrasing, even if it’s only the beauty of simplicity.

WO: Can you tell us a bit about your latest book, What I Know About July?

KH: Of course! It’s a literary thriller that follows Simon, an anxious Berlin musician, as he tries to put together a good adult life for himself. In the midst of looking for love, material success, confidence in his creative work and how to feel like a good person, he also has this huge discomfort around his stalkery fan, July. Is she obsessed with his band, or just with him? Worse still, she acts like she knows him beyond their roles of musician and fan and has some personal claim on him. As she insinuates herself into more and more parts of his life, he agonises over how to get rid of her. But when she disappears under mysterious circumstances, his quest to find out what happened goes well beyond proving his own innocence, forcing him to consider what he really knows about the person who seemed to know everything about him.

WO: What inspired you to write in the first place, and what inspires you now?

KH: I’ve always loved reading, from picture books on up. I love how words come together to form the beauty of an image or a rhythm that draws you in. Stories fascinate me because they’re like an experience you have without living it, and, especially when they’re well-told, they show you what it’s like to live as another person, maybe as someone very different from you, living in a very different world and making very different choices. What I Know About July was partly inspired by my interest in the complicated relationship between celebrities and fans, with the celebrities meaning so much to the fans, and the fans being absolute strangers to them.

WO: A recent issue of Write On! explored the theme of ‘Beginnings And Endings’. With that in mind, what do you find easier to write – the beginning or the end? And do you always write the beginning first and the ending last?

KH: I’d say both are easier than what comes in the middle! I usually write the beginning, at least some beginning, first because you have to start somewhere. But I often also write the end fairly early on, ahead of parts that come before it, so that I know where I’m going. The ending can be easier because you’re no longer thinking about how to introduce characters or what pace to provide information at but, of course, there’s also a certain pressure on it because it’s the last impression a reader will have of your book.

WO: What one piece of advice would you give an aspiring writer?

KH: Take joy in your writing and write scenes and stories that fascinate you because, chances are, that’s what will draw readers in. But be prepared for the slog of editing. Sometimes you have to edit your work for longer than it took to write it. Some drafts are like the block of material you have to carve your sculpture out of. That’s how much needs to be chipped away.

WO: Question from Twitter user: @lisalovesbooksx What is the scariest part of being a writer?

KH: The possibility of rejection and failure on many different levels. Not just in terms of will the book get good reviews and sell well, but the fear that no one will get what you meant to say or connect with it. I also often hear writers talk about how scary a blank page is, but I don’t feel that at all. A blank page is full of possibilities. If any page is scary, it’s a page you’ve already written that needs a lot of difficult revisions.

WO: Can you tell us anything about future projects?

KH: At any given time, I’m working on a next novel and several short stories that may or may not pan out. I can’t say ahead of time what the novel’s about, but it will definitely be literary and have some awkward characters, like the rest of my work.

WO: Lastly, if you could choose one fictional animal/creature to be a pet or companion, who would it be and why?

KH: Maybe Unico, the cartoon unicorn I liked a lot as a kid. Aside from his magical powers, he’s adorable and seems sweet and helpful. But also his flying would probably come in handy.

You can find out more about Kat Hausler here and connect with her on Instagram. What I Know About July is available to buy from Waterstones, Bookshop or Amazon.

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You can read issue 21 online here and find it in libraries and other outlets. Read previous editions of our magazines here.

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