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Have you ever wanted to get out of your current job? Anne Wyatt feels that way too. Ever want to put in less than 110% and in fact put 110% in doing the wrong thing? That's exactly what Anne does in Fire Me! Come meet Libby Malin, the author behind this hilarious outtake of working life in corporate America.
Was Fire Me your original title for your book?
Fire Me was definitely the original title and the one I dearly loved and wanted to keep-I was very lucky to have an editor who helped retain it even as other titles were considered.
What were some of the other titles that your book went through?
At one point during my writing, I did title it Feels Like Today
What were some difficulties that you faced when writing Fire Me?
Thinking of things for Anne to do to get her boss' negative attention and get her name on the lay-off list was actually harder than I thought it would be! I could think of plenty of things she could do to mess things up, but her stunts had to be attention-grabbers (her boss' attention, that is) and they couldn't be...cruel....or mess things up too much for those with whom she worked.
How on earth did you come up with all those crazy antics that were pulled? I was laughing my butt off throughout the whole book!
Aww....thank you! I love hearing that people laughed out loud while reading the book. I came up with a bunch on my own, trying to think what I'd LOVE to do (like having the boss announce a cut in his own salary!). But I also surveyed friends and relatives and asked what they would do or what sorts of weird things they'd seen employees do. One friend mentioned how she'd had to wait to talk to an employee who was finishing a computer game.
How do you come up with characters (names, appearances, personalities)?
Anne's name and appearance just came to me. I thought of her as having an impish personality, so a pixie-like look fit perfectly. Ken I struggled with a bit, wanting to create someone who had an artistic bent (and thus a rebel kind of look) but who was also very grounded in financial issues. For Mitch....well, there are some CEOs whose images came to mind when I was mentally drawing him.
Do you work with pictures when it comes to appearances and if so who did you base your characters Anne and Ken?
No, I can't say I worked with any pictures other than the ones in my crazy head!
What was your inspiration for this book?
I had a dear friend who was struggling with whether to stay at her job or seek something else more fulfilling. We started joking about how she could mess things up enough that she'd be let go, and thus the torture of indecision would be lifted from her. That lit the spark of the story idea.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes, I do.
How do you define love?
Wow-that's a deep question. I guess I define love as the feeling of connection and affection that transcends the mundane, a bond between two souls.
What do you think makes a good contemporary romance?
I think characters you can relate to makes for a good contemporary romance. I like characters who are finding their way, muddling through. Not perfect, in other words.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Just a big thank-you to everyone who's read the book so far, enjoyed it, and let me know!
Visit Libby at her website.
Originally posted 2009-05-05 05:11:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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