9. Writing Bestsellers, Life & Lipstick with Novelist Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier
Novelist
The Joy of Unstructured Time
Tracy Chevalier is best-known for her international bestseller Girl with a Pearl Earring. She has published 9 other novels, mainly historical fiction. Tracy grew up in Washington DC and moved to London many years ago, where she lives with her husband, son and cat. And Tracy has been an important part of Alexandria’s London life… So, this is a special extended episode. Hear how the pandemic has influenced the direction of Tracy’s current novel. We talk about things big and small, from storytelling essentials to life & lipstick.
Special thanks to Tracy for writing a new scenario for the Ideal Lifestyle Vision Promo in the middle of this episode! If this isn’t hygge I don’t know what is!
Tracy's Links
Inspiration
Tracy’s Immersive Writing World
She may not have done her KonMari Marathon yet, but Tracy has already embraced an important KonMari concept. She has surrounded herself with joy. Tracy’s home studio is the perfect example of this. In creating an immersive world for herself in which to write, she has built joy into her daily life and surroundings…
I love looking up and going, ahh, you’re surrounded with your writing life and reminders of your writing life. On the walls on either side of me, I paste up quotes, photographs and drawings from whatever I’m working on at the time.
Tracy has her very own cabinet of curiosities. Her study features cubby holes, where she curates memorabilia from her books. Yes, there’s even one corner that’s all Girl with a Pearl Earring “kitsch stuff”.
One of the reasons I like doing quilting and other things is that I don’t actually have to be good at it. I’m a writer who’s expected to write good novels now, but nobody expects me to make a good quilt.
Writing Advice & Tips
Tracy Chevalier considers the essential ingredients in storytelling:
It’s a marriage of a good story and the way it’s told. So it’s what you say and the way you say it. And the two of them intertwine to make the book more than the sum of its parts.
As with all content creation, you need to know your audience:
I think one of the things you have to crack early on is that you’re writing for other people, not just for yourself. And you don’t really know whether a book or a story works until somebody else reads it.
And Tracy recommends getting in front of an audience as soon as possible:
Get yourself an audience pretty early. If that means taking a course, it doesn’t have to be an MA in creative writing. You could just get a group of likeminded people together and share writing and constructive criticism with each other.
Saying No (more often)
I’m trying really hard to be more mindful about what I say yes to. I really love unstructured time and I need to start feeling a little less guilty about it.
Style Notes
Just because everyone else says you should do something, it doesn’t mean you need to follow their advice. Like Tracy, you can choose not to wear red lipstick. You can make your own style waves.Listen to the full episode to hear more of Tracy’s personal “style rules” and thoughts about colour.
Top Tip: RevitaLash is the way to go for fuller lashes. Perfect for women after menopause or anyone who would like to boost their lash game. Tracy swears by it and says it’s why she gets complimented for her amazing eyelashes. Just make sure you try it for at least three months. Tracy emphasises that you need to persevere…
“You have to do it for at least three months, and then suddenly they grow much more and you get your lower lashes back and your upper lashes get longer. I used to put it on every night. Now I do it every other night just to top it up”.
I often read articles saying red lipstick is perfect. Anybody can wear it and it just gives you a great pop of colour. I cannot be getting on with red lipstick. It just doesn’t work for me.
Benefits of Personal Styling with Alexandria
It’s great to have the confidence to make your own style waves. But sometimes those waves get lost in a sea of uncertainty and self-doubt…
About ALSO in PINK
Welcome to the ALSO in PINK podcast with host Alexandria Lawrence, a certified KonMari consultant, personal stylist and specialist in biophilic interior design.
ALSO in PINK offers candid conversations with industry leaders and influencers, clients and friends, about what it means to live well.
The podcast is currently paused... but we'll be back! In the meantime, you have nearly 50 episodes to enjoy. Happy listening...
Podcast Host
Alexandria Lawrence is passionate about helping you dare to dream big and intentionally live your best life every day.
