Q&A With Alison Rose Greenberg

Today I am doing my latest Q&A with Alison Rose Greenberg! I recently read a copy of Alison Rose Greenberg’s recent release Maybe Once, Maybe Twice which is a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. Alison is also the author of Bad Luck Bridesmaid. Alison is also a screenwriter and I took a look at her imdb page and saw she wrote for the show, Younger. 

Q: Alison, would you like to tell the readers of the blog who haven’t read Maybe Once, Maybe Twice a little bit about the novel and where the idea for the book came from? 

A: Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is about a struggling singer-songwriter, Maggie Vine, who over the course of her life tells two different men to show up and marry her when she turns 35… and they both show up. This novel spans two decades in Maggie’s life—weaving together her teenage years, her 20’s, and present day—as she explores her feelings for the two loves of her lives and tries to make it in New York City as a singer.  

Q: How does it feel knowing that Maybe Once Maybe Twice became a Good Morning America Buzz Pick?

A: I was so honored to be on Good Morning America and have them recognize Maybe Once, Maybe Twice. Writing is such a solitary experience, so to have my book be so well received takes my breath away!

Q: Was it easier writing Bad Luck Bridesmaid or Maybe Once, Maybe Twice? 

A: Bad Luck Bridesmaid was easier, as the revisions were less dense. For Maybe Once, Maybe Twice I added multiple timelines during revisions, so at times it felt like I was writing an entirely new book. I had Excel spreadsheets to keep track of all the years of Maggie’s life and the emotions and plot points that went along with them. It was… to put it simply… a lot. And I’m so grateful that I put the time into it.

Q: Are you writing book three right now? If so can you reveal any details?

A: I am writing book three right now! All I can say is that it’s women’s fiction (I know that’s deeply unhelpful). I’m still working out the kinks of the story, so I’m not ready to share the plot with the world yet ;). 

Q: Is it fair to assume that your time as a screenwriter influenced and helped you in writing books? 

A: My career as a screenwriter has absolutely influenced and continues to influence my career as an author! Story structure, plot, dialogue, and character development are universal tools in writing screenplays and novels (although structure for a screenplay is much different than a novel—and usually a little more rigid on page count and big story structure beats). I write cinematically. People have told me that when they are reading my novels, they can easily picture the adaptation. I know that comes from years as a screenwriter—it’s just how my brain works, and I take it as a compliment.

Q: Since you are also a screenwriter have you currently written the scripts to your books and does Hollywood have the rights to them? We need new and original content to make a comeback. 

A: I wrote the adaptation Bad Luck Bridesmaid, where the rights weren’t mine for a while, but they have just come back to me—so we’ll see what happens with it shortly. I’ll go out with Maybe Once, Maybe Twice very soon. 

Q: What was it like writing for Younger?  

A: Younger was such a wild experience—as I was a massive fan of the show, and I wrote a spec script after watching the season 4 finale. That script ended up becoming a part of the season 5 premiere episode. It was a rare experience—to go from being a big fan, to seeing your dialogue on-air months later. 

Q: What advice would you give to anyone pursuing a career in writing books and writing screenplays? 

A: With very few exceptions, your first draft isn’t going to be great. You’ll think it’s wonderful, but please don’t be precious about it. Get notes on your first draft from a couple people that you trust… and treat your second or third draft like the real deal. That second draft is the material that you should share with the world, not the first. Writing is rewriting.