KYLIE ORR “When I was longlisted in The Richell Prize, I cried. I knew it would be the turning point. And it was.”
Kylie Orr is a local author I had the pleasure of meeting this year, and I knew I wanted to interview her straight away. Not long after I’d finished my granola and coffee in the chic cafe where we met, I asked her if she was keen on an interview and, thankfully, she said yes. It’s her honesty that I love. Kylie is such a genuine person and brilliant writer who is the author of two dark and twisty contemporary fiction novels! Her latest, The Eleventh Floor is a compelling psychological drama. Perfect for readers who love Sally Hepworth, Pip Drysdale and Adele Parks.
‘A suspenseful, dark story that drew me in from the first page.’
Jo Dixon, author of The House of Now and Then
Kelly: Hi Kylie, thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. Congratulations on publishing your second novel, The Eleventh Floor, what’s it about?
Kylie: Thanks for having me, Kelly. The Eleventh Floor is about first-time mum, Gracie, who is struggling with her new role and trying to manage a baby who doesn’t sleep. She decides to have one night off parenting, staying solo in a hotel with the sole intention to catch up on sleep. Instead, she heads to the rooftop bar, has a couple of cocktails and early the next morning wakes in another man’s room. She has no memory of how she got there. As she sneaks out, she witnesses a crime but cannot report it. The rest of the story is Gracie’s unravelling as she tells lies to cover lies, ultimately to protect her marriage and her child. I have punished poor Gracie! But it is all OK in the end. I will always leave my readers with a sense of hope, even if the ending is not tied up in a neat bow.
Kelly: It is an absolutely unputdownable book! Thank you for the ARC. How do you come up with your story ideas?
Kylie: From a whole lot of places. Sometimes sparked by personal events (I have 4 children, all very BAD sleepers, so I used to dream of a night away to just sleep — but The Eleventh Floor is not autobiographical!!).
It could be a news article I read, a snippet of a story someone tells me that makes me ask “What if?” or just a random thought when my mind wanders.
Kelly: I love magnifying the little things in life that irk me, and there is so much inspiration to be found in the news. Some writers say that every time they sit down to write a new novel, they forget how it’s done; do you agree with that statement or do you feel more confident than ever?
Kylie: Yes, to a degree. I am not a planner so I have to write myself in to get to know the characters and the story. It’s bloody messy! I would say now I’m onto my third book that I let the messy first draft happen and I try my best to trust the process. I know editing is where the magic happens, so I do the best I can to get out of my own way in the initial draft.
Kelly: Yes to messy words that can be made pretty later. What does your typical day of writing look like, has it changed?
Kylie: I write mostly in school hours, although now my kids are older, that has extended into normal working hours (9-5). I will do admin (emails, social media etc), then move onto writing or editing or researching. I also try to fit in a morning walk or yoga.
I used to have to write novels around little kids and paid work so it was a slow process and often a hard slog. Recently, I have scaled back the freelance stuff so I can give this author thing a red-hot go. I have a lovely husband who is waiting patiently for my novels to become bestsellers and internationally renowned, so he can retire. Yes, he’s dreaming. But dreams are free, right?
Kelly: Supportive husbands are the best! Let’s go back to where it all began, when/how did you become a writer?
Kylie: I used to work in HR but when I had my first baby (20 years ago!), there just weren’t the flexible options offered today. Returning part-time wasn’t a choice (ironically for HR!). My husband reminded me that I loved to write and that maybe I could just do that. A suggestion I scoffed at. Who the hell makes any money writing!? I started out writing a blog for Essential Baby (website) for free. For two years I wrote snippets and built my writing confidence and also established my voice. I was as honest as I could be about parenting and assumed no-one was reading it anyway.
I then broadened out into freelance writing — articles and web copy etc. It was a flexible job I could work around the kids, and I kept having them so I needed something flexible. I was earning very little but trying my best to keep writing. I dabbled in children’s books and had four published with Lake Press. Then I moved into novel writing. It took me 7 years from first draft to a book on a shelf! A two-book deal with HarperCollins was a pretty great way to end the horrendous year that was 2020.
Kelly: Talk about a bright light at the end of that COVID tunnel! Amazing! You’ve had some success with writing contests, what tips can you share for writers who are striving for their work to stand out in a submission stack?
Kylie: I love a writing contest because it gives me a deadline and also teaches me to just let go. We could edit for years, but sometimes we have to kiss the story goodbye. At first, I entered them for my own fun, but then as I was clocking up some wins in smaller comps, I realised maybe my writing resonated with readers. It was hugely validating. When I was longlisted in The Richell Prize, I cried. I knew it would be the turning point. And it was.
Tips: polish to a point and then let it go. Give the reader something to clutch onto, whether that be a unique voice, a strong hook, an interesting structure. Imagine the number of entries judges read—you want them to stop and immerse themselves so find the core of your story and plant the seed up front. Especially in short stories. A cracker opening line never goes astray either.
Kelly: What a moment! Competitions really do present life-changing opportunities, and I love your writing tips! Let’s talk about writing for work and your feature articles, do they enhance or decrease your novel writing productivity?
Kylie: It’s a very different beast, writing short form. I like it because I can usually bang them out quickly and it feels like an instant gratification achievement. Once you get the hang of 800-word articles or content for newsletters, then it’s just the challenge of coming up with fresh ideas. I usually do this kind of writing when I’m struggling through a plot point in my novels. It feels like it uses a different part of my brain — more planning and strategy, like editing I guess. Whereas trying to write a novel and feeling like you have to be productive every time you sit down can be overwhelming and sometimes demotivating. If I’m in a great creative flow, then I’ll chip away at my novel. If I’m stuck, I’ll write an article.
Kelly: They are very different and you definitely have to switch modes for each one. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Kylie: Enter competitions. It’s a great way to get into the habit of writing to a deadline and letting go of your story. It doesn’t matter if you win or get shortlisted, it’s more about the habit of writing.
Find a group of people who are willing to read your writing, but make sure they are trustworthy and respectful. It’s vulnerable to share our innermost thoughts with others.
Also, keep outside hobbies. Writing can be completely immersive and being around a creative crowd is fabulous because they understand the challenges and the small wins, but we also need reality checks from other humans every now and again.
Kelly: Great advice! When I found my writing tribe, that support, gave me so much more confidence as a writer. What are you currently reading and loving?
Kylie: I just read Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us to see what all the hype was about. It felt quite simple to me, and some of the sections grated on me (the diary entries!) but clearly Colleen has hit her stride in the reader world, so I am envious of that.
I’m about to start The Broken Wave by Matthew Ryan Davies and am very much looking forward to it.
Kelly: I read so many CoHo books when my kids were young and loved them. I wonder if I reread It Ends With Us now, what I would think. So, what can we expect from you next?
Kylie: Well, hopefully, a personal invitation from Reese to attend the premiere of one of my books adapted to screen!? Manifesting this as we speak.
I have some ideas for future novels, so as long as readers are keen, I will keep writing about domestic issues that take a darker turn. Looking behind closed doors is what really intrigues me and I am very easily sent into a rage about the patriarchy so I tend to channel that into my writing instead of yelling at my family. (My three teenage boys have now started saying “It’s The Patriarchy’s fault” every time I get annoyed about something like the milk being left on the bench, or kids leaving clothes on the floor!).
Kelly: Manifesting works, keep that up! And I love that tagline: domestic issues that take a darker turn, I’m here for all the novels like that!
Lol, I can relate to ranting about clothes on the floor. Thanks so much for your time.
Kylie: It’s been a pleasure!
Kelly: Ditto. I really enjoyed this Q&A, and am looking forward to seeing you at one of your author talks.
Thanks for reading.
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