Lynn
Steward, a veteran of the New York fashion industry and a buyer on the team
that started the women’s department at Brooks Brothers, created the Dana
McGarry series, set at a transformational time in the 1970s world of fashion
and in the lives of multigenerational women. What Might Have Been is the second volume in the series. A Very Good Life, Steward’s debut novel,
was published in March 2014.
Q: Please
tell us about your book, and what
inspired you to write it.
A: What Might Have Been is the second novel
in a five book series featuring Dana McGarry.
A Very Good Life, my debut
novel and book one, was published in March 2014.
As a
fashion buyer at one of New York’s most glamorous department stores, Dana
McGarry is a tastemaker, her keen instinct for fashion trends and innovative
ideas coupled with a razor sharp business sense. But like the elegant and
conservative store that employs her, Dana is caught between two eras—between
being liked and standing her ground, between playing by the rules and being a
maverick. Dana is sensitive and beautiful, but what you see is not what you
get. Behind the cool and attractive facade, Dana is both driven by her need
to control yet impeded by her expectation of perfectionism. As she competes to replace
women at the top of their game, she is challenged by jealous colleagues. And
when a love interest wants to open
doors and support her ambition, she embraces Coco Chanel’s mantra of “never
wanting to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird.” As the women’s movement
paves the way, Dana finds a path to the career she wants at the expense of
happiness that was not meant to be.
My inspiration: I always enjoyed business-related
writing and thought a non-fiction self-help book, with life-lessons I learned
along the way, would be a fun project.
But, as often happens when you put yourself out there, I discovered
another path and took it: I developed a TV pilot about New York and the fashion
industry in the 1970s because, as they
say “Write what you know” and I know New York. I’m a native of Long Island, and
between attending school and working in the fashion world, I spent twenty-two
years in Manhattan. I was so overwhelmed with ideas, the TV series expanded to
five seasons! The plots intermingle fashion legends, business icons, real
events, and untold stories, providing a behind-the-scenes look at inspirational
women in the worlds of art, fashion, and business.
At some point along the way, I realized that the main character, Dana
McGarry, needed more drama and the plots had to be developed. I felt the best
way to do further develop the story was
to write a novel.
Q: What
themes do you explore in What Might Have
Been?
A: Quest for identity and self-reliance.
Q:
Why do you write?
A: After two careers in competitive, fast-paced
industries, I have found writing to be the most relaxing and pleasant work I
have known. Ideas for stories develop as I research real life female characters
in the worlds of fashion, art, and business and events in the archives of
newspapers and magazines. Once a flicker of a story is sparked, I can spend
endless enjoyable hours developing plots and characters on the page.
Q: How picky are you with language?
A: I don’t allow myself to stress over grammar or
language, although I frequently reference The
Chicago Manual of Style and try to get it right. I have an excellent editor
and proofreader.
Q:
When you write, do you sometimes feel as though you were being manipulated from
afar?
A: Pleasantly so!
Q: What is
your worst time as a writer?
A: When I see “rewrite” in the subject of my
editor’s email.
Q: Your best?
A: When the reviewer wants to see the next book.
Q: Is there
anything that would stop you from writing?
A: At the moment, no. I have the synopses and
outlines completed for the remaining three books in the Dana McGarry series and
I look forward to finishing the manuscripts.
Q:
What’s the happiest moment you’ve lived as an author?
A: I spent eighteen months researching every
detail of the period for A Very Good Life, and was I humbled by this review: “Lynn Steward highlights the nuances of
70s life in New York City that are rarely featured in books or in films set in
that decade. It is a New York story told in New York style.” –Ask a New
Yorker
Q:
Is writing an obsession to you?
A: Every day, and for many hours, I am either
writing, marketing, researching, or promoting the Dana McGarry series, so, yes,
I’d say I’m obsessed!
Q: Are the
stories you create connected with you in some way?
A: I am certainly influenced by my life and work in
Manhattan. I would say the story is autobiographical in feeling but not in
fact.
Q:
Ray Bradbury once said, “You must stay drunk on
writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Do you agree?
A: I often read author interviews in The Paris Review, and I believe that is
true and the reason why writers like solitude.
They don’t want distractions to invade their story’s world.
Q:
Where is your book available?
A: Amazon.com.
Q:
Do you have a website or blog where readers can find out more about you and
your work?
A: LynnSteward.com
