Montreal writer Susan Lloy talks to Lucy Black about her acclaimed collection of stories.
Lucy Black (LB): Congratulations on the publication of Nothing Comes Back (Now or Never Publishing, 2023). Are you able to tell us how much of your life experience has been woven into some of these pieces?
Susan Lloy (SL): The premise of the collection came to me while I was awaiting my own retirement from the McGill University Health Centre. Although I still work part time at the Royal Victoria Hospital as a unit coordinator, when I began thinking about my own existential juncture, the thought of returning to work was far from my thoughts. The aging population over 60 is twice as large as it was in 1980, which creates a market for this book. However, when retirement comes knocking at one’s door, not everyone is flush when the moment arrives. This applies to myself and is the reason I returned to work. In this respect I wanted to explore how individuals choose to deal with the reality of their situations that have befallen them through luck or circumstance.
LB: Some characters are well developed, while others are not. Please share a little about the process you use to shape your characters and what helps you to craft them.
SL: The tone and development of my characters comes simply from the initial conception of the story. Some stories are more developed or clear to me initially, while others gain their shape and voice as the story develops. Some of the characters are stronger than others and I will say this is purely accidental and derives from the ebb and flow of the story itself. I am not a plot driven writer. I like to write about unconventional characters who exist on the edges of ordinary life. That being said, life is not plot driven, but shuffles along with ups and downs. Most readers say my characters and settings are the strong points in my collections. I try to challenge my characters by dropping them in precarious conditions.
LB: Many of your characters are female and they exercise agency in some interesting ways. Please comment on the importance of female agency to these narratives.
SL: In Nothing Comes Backthe main characters are female. The characters in my first collections, But When WeLook Closer (2017) and Vita (2019), had more of a gender mix. In Nothing Comes Back, I purposely wanted to explore mostly single, ageing women, of varied social classes in unique and sometimes vulnerable positions. And for them to sort themselves out no matter what adrift situation I decided to drop them into. And for these women to own their decisions and choices even if they were not practical, logical or for any particular benefit. Their paths are unclear for them until the end.
LB: If you had to choose one book that has influenced your writing life, what would that book be and how did it influence you?
SL: It’s difficult to pick one individual book. Eugene O’Neill’s play, Long Day’sJourney Into Night had a lasting effect on me due to the total disfunction of the family unit and their relation to one another. I believe we all have a bit of experience with that. Most of my characters find themselves in varied sorts of struggles: against others, against themselves. Much like the pains in Long Day’s Journey Into Night the characters must endure and resolve. Also, Under the Volcano by Malcom Lowry is a book that I have read numerous times. I do enjoy humour but tend to lean more to cerebral and dark themes.
LB: Share with us your driving force. What is that special energy that encourages you to be a writer?
SL: I enjoyed reading from an early age. A book is a good companion. I had a strong interest in the written word and English was my favourite subject all through school. When I finally settled down to write it was a question of timing and discipline. At one point, I finally had the urge to get down to the actual work of writing and haven’t looked back. It’s something I need in my life, even if it’s only for me.
LB: Share with us a little about your go-to support group. Do you have trusted supporters that you bounce ideas and early drafts with? Are they also writers?
SL: As far as a support, I rely on the opinion of my friends, some of whom are writers. They are always forthright, even if I do not always like what they have to say. Their suggestions are consistently sound they force me to rethink the story in a new or clearer way, often altering the story’s direction and outcome.
LB: If you could spend a full day with a famous writer or famous character who would that be and why?
SL: I would have to say Tennessee Williams. I am a great admirer of his work. I admire his tortured characters and often the hopelessness they find themselves awash in. He’d be fun to dine with in New York and hang out in Key West: have a few cocktails on his terrace, share a bit of gossip, brainstorm, and go for a swim.
LB: What do you consider to be the most important part of the writing process?
SL: Just sticking to it. I promise myself every morning I will invest some hours writing, but often I don’t. This comes down to excuses. It’s raining. It’s too hot. I’m depressed. I’m happy. I can’t today for whatever reason. This is something I continually work at and hope to adjust in the future.
LB: If you were to give a young writer a piece of crucial writing advice, what would that be?
SL: Keep at it. It isn’t an easy road. As with all of the arts, one must have a thick skin and not get discouraged by rejection. It is part of the process, because most writers receive more rejection than acceptance. Just ride with it. Don’t let it stop you dead in your tracks at the start.
LB: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?
SL: Yes, of course. Any writer who says different isn’t being true. And it’s very difficult when it ambushes you. In the grip of it, one imagines they’ll be stuck in this embrace forever, but we all come out of it at one point. It is just an unwelcome guest who keeps turning up. When it takes a hold of me I try writing prompts and read more. But usually, it must ride itself out.
LB: How do you develop your characters?
SL: The idea of the story creates the character. The foundation of the setting is important and that dictates what the character will do or react. For instance, in one of my stories, Flipside, I placed the character in an isolated house in a place she had never been. The character only wanted to live by the sea. Nevertheless, many things happened to her that were out of her control and unforeseen. These kinds of situations create the character. How they will react, what voice is developed from their struggle and so forth.
LB: Do you use visualization at all when you are writing? Can you see what is unfolding in the story?
SL: Yes absolutely. I am a visual person. For instance, I’m terrible with names, but never forget a face. This gives me an advantage in my writing. I’m lucky to be able to visualize in my stories. I try very hard to put the tactile in my work. I want the reader to experience what I think is there. What I think I have created. I want them to smell, taste, and touch the breezes of a conjured experience.
LB: Is there a time period or a certain location that you return to in your writing? Please explain.
SL: I’m from the sea. Nova Scotia to be exact. So yes, I often place my characters in seaside settings. I guess it’s my way of getting back to my roots. I’m always trying to get back to the sea. Life has become expensive and unaffordable for many of us. A lot of us feel trapped at this milestone in our lives. It’s my way of feeling connected to the sea. Many of my characters feel a need to be by the ocean too. That’s not to say that it is always the right decision for them. Still, I expect to see more of my characters frolicking on the seaside in some future story.
LB: How was the title chosen for the book? Who had input and what were the deciding factors?
SL: The title, Nothing Comes Back, derives from a short story with that title. Since the collection deals with time and more precisely, the passage of time, I thought it served as a good title for the book. The choice of title was mine and mine alone, although folks agreed with the title for the choice of stories in the collection. As always, I asked multiple individuals if they thought the title was fitting to the collection and all agreed that it was.
Susan E Lloy is the author of three short story collections, But When We Look Closer (2017), Vita (2019) and Nothing Comes Back (2023). Also, a children’s book, Coo and The Loo (2021) and has just finished her fourth collection, Only Six Stars atNight. With dozens of international publication credits to date Susan continues to write about unconventional characters who exist on the edges of ordinary life. Lloy lives in Montreal.