You might have noticed that I’ve added some book club questions to my website. I’ve been asked for these in the past, and I’ve finally got around to writing some for Be More Octopus and Love Me Till Wednesday initially, as these are the books most readers start with.
I thought I’d better put them to the test, and if you’ve used them with your book club, you might be interested in my answers as the author. Let’s start with my Be More Octopus responses. (I’ll answer the Love Me Till Wednesday ones in another post next week) WARNING: If you haven’t read Be More Octopus yet, there are major plot spoilers in this article, so only read on if you’re happy with that!
My answers
- What did you think of Em and Lucy’s “be more octopus” advice? Why do you think the author chose it as the title? Now you’ve read the book, what has that phrase come to mean to you? I’ll admit it’s a quirkier title than I’d choose today, but it’s become part of the book’s identity now so I’m not about to change it. I chose it because the whole premise of the book is standing up for yourself – the octopus in the story stands up for herself when faced with an unwanted male suitor (that’s a true story by the way – if you Google octopuses throwing things, you’ll see they deliberately propel dust and debris to ward off unwanted attention). Lucy already metaphorically does that, Em learns to, and by the end of the book, Jack has relearned it.
- Em successfully swaps her call centre job for a fresh start on the North Devon coast. Have you ever made a similarly drastic change after a major life event? Did it work out? I left a stable job to set up my own photography business – scary but essential to escape a toxic work environment. I have zero regrets. I doubt I’d be an author now if I hadn’t done that.
- When Jack arrives in Dashford, Em is curious why he’s staying for the whole of the summer. How did the pacing of learning his backstory affect your sympathy for him? Would you have liked to know sooner, or did the slow reveal keep your interest? I’m sure it won’t surprise you to know that, as a reader, I love a slow reveal – trying to work out what’s going on keeps my attention. If it’s too obvious too early, I lose interest in the story. As the author, I knew exactly what was going on.
- Be More Octopus is a friends-to-lovers story where Em and Jack’s connection builds gradually. Did you believe the chemistry, and where did it click for you? Jack feels a connection to Em from the day he first meets her. But as he’s in the throes of escaping a narcissistic relationship, he doesn’t trust his instincts any more. My only regret is that I didn’t write the book as dual POV because the few readers who didn’t warm to Jack might have liked him more. I keep thinking I’ll do a special edition that includes Jack’s POV as well, but I’m too busy writing new books! One day, maybe.
- Lucy is the friend who tells Em hard truths. Do you think her advice to Em was useful? Everyone needs a Lucy, even if they might not appreciate her advice at the time. I hope she comes across as loyal and caring, and when she’s blunt, it’s because she loves Em and only wants the best for her.
- Em moves back in with her dad after the breakup. How did her family relationships shape her confidence (or lack of it) through the book, and her romantic relationship with Jack? Em’s narcissistic mother arrived on the page before I decided to give Jack a narcissistic ex. Em’s mother is based on mine, so there was an element of catharsis for me when I wrote her. Then it seemed obvious to give Jack a similar problem with Isabella – Em is uniquely placed to understand how it’s affected him, having experienced all the histrionics and gaslighting first-hand, and watched her father deal with it too. A girlfriend who hadn’t gone through that might not be so understanding.
- The book is described as heartfelt but laugh-out-loud funny. Did the humour ever undercut the emotional weight of what Em was going through, or did it make the harder moments land better? I have a dark sense of humour – it’s helped me cope with some of the tough situations in my life. I can’t decide whether to be pleased when a reader describes Be More Octopus as light-hearted, or annoyed with myself for minimising the situations that Em and Jack find themselves in. If you’ve read Be More Octopus, I’m genuinely interested to know your answer to this one. Feel free to contact me or leave a comment on this article.
- Dashford-on-Sea is a fictional town. How important was the sense of place to your enjoyment of the book? I could’ve based Be More Octopus in a small town anywhere. But I love being by the sea – I find the fresh sea air and the generally laidback atmosphere of seaside towns healing (it might be something to do with it feeling like a refreshing change after living in the landlocked Midlands). When you’re writing, you’re living your characters’ experiences in your head, so I set it somewhere I would want to spend time if I were in Em or Jack’s position. If Dashford were real, I’d be on RightMove now, scouring the For Sale listings for my ideal home, which, without giving too much away, would be very similar to Octopus Cottage in Book 2.
- By the final scenes, Em has rebuilt her life on her own terms before she and Jack get together. Why do you think the author chose to have Em find herself first, rather than have Jack “rescue” her? This is an easy one for me to answer! I don’t find alpha males attractive, and the women I know in real life are all strong, independent people who make their own way in life. I didn’t want Em to need rescuing. Yes, she does miss Jack but she takes action to improve her lot and try to forget him. If anything, Em rescues Jack.
- If you’ve read Book 2, Be More Lucy, how did reading Lucy’s story change how you look back on her role in this book? I wrote book 2 to give Lucy a reason for being an independent, hard-nosed serial monogamist. I’m not going to say any more now in case you haven’t read book 2 yet, but when you do, you’ll hopefully see what I mean.
Did my answers tally with yours? Or were you surprised by some of them? I’d love to know, so contact me or leave a comment below. It’s my birthday weekend, and I’m busy with an art fair, so I’ll leave it there for now. I’ll reply to your comments and give you the Love Me Till Wednesday answers next week.