"I kept having to make myself go bigger and darker"
New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf on "murky moral waters", channeling Internet trolls, and her super-tense new thriller, EVERYONE IS WATCHING
Where were you when you first heard about Survivor? I was in the car with my mom, and on the radio, the DJs laughed in disbelief as they read aloud a press release about a whole new kind of TV show: Regular people would be dropped on a remote island to compete for $1 million. It felt unfathomable, so different from the kitschy sitcoms and serial dramas we were used to seeing on the silver screen.
Now, of course, reality TV competitions are a dime a dozen—and that’s why bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf (author of The Overnight Guest and many other thrillers) knew she’d have to turn the stakes up to 11 to make one the backdrop of a pulse-pounding thriller. Her new novel, EVERYONE IS WATCHING (out March 26), follows five strangers competing in a game show as it’s live-streamed around the world…but when tensions rise, they realize far more than the jackpot is at stake.
Heather and I chatted about borrowing from real-life drama, writing from multiple POVs, and leaving room for plot serendipity. Check out the collection of past Words With (Author) Friends, wherein I g-chat with an author and you get to read over my shoulder, and buy Heather’s wonderful book!
Me: Heather, hello!!
How's it going?
Heather: All is going well. Now, anyway! My poor Lolo had a rough night. Way to scare us! She had a huge hematoma in her ear. She suddenly turned into Dobby from Harry Potter!
Oh no, poor Lolo! But she's doing better now?
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