Author Confessions: Amanda Eyre Ward

I picked up Amanda Eyre Ward’s The Jetsetters in a hotel lobby. Someone had left it behind, and since I wasn’t enjoying the novel I brought, I picked it up. I found myself engrossed in the dysfunctional family I found in its pages and LOVED it. So I was thrilled when I heard that Amanda brought these quirky characters back in her latest Arrivals and Departures.

I invited Amanda to come chat with us about her latest book, what inspires her, and what it means to build a writing career. Plus, it’s set in Greece, one of my favorite places on earth. Welcome, Amanda Eyre Ward!

You’ve written several novels now. Where did you get the idea for Arrivals and Departures?
Arrivals and Departures began when I had a friend who was romance-scammed. I wondered so many things when I found out about it: how could someone just like me actually believe a scammer? Would my brain also put aside reason to believe in something I desperately wanted? And also, who are these scammers?

The more I researched, the more obsessed I became with the whole world of elaborate romance scams, which can include deepfake video calls, decadent vacations that never quite work out, and crushing heartbreak. I was actually halfway through the book when I realized…these characters are my Jetsetters!

What has been the most surprising start of a novel for one of your books?
I had been writing crime thrillers when I opened Travel + Leisure magazine and saw a glamorous woman on a cruise ship balcony. In my kitchen with 3 kids in a hot Texas August, I remember staring at that photo and thinking, “I want to be her.” I had never been on a cruise ship in my life. I had a vivid fantasy of taking my little kids to Europe on a Mediterranean cruise. I actually e-mailed my editor, Kara, and said, “What do you think about a fun book about a dysfunctional family trapped together on a sun-drenched cruise?”

Every conversation I have with Kara is inspirational—she told me to go for it. I will never forget buying tickets for the cheapest cruise in the world, the Carnival Vista sailing on its inaugural voyage from Athens to Barcelona. It took every cent of my savings, and it was glorious. I did a “Behind the Scenes” tour through the kitchen. I took photos of every sconce and hallway carpet. My son said, “If anyone found your phone, Mom, they’d think you were crazy.” And that’s how The Jetsetters began!

Do you tend to have an idea for your next book when you finish a novel?
I have so many ideas. People are so strange and fascinating and I never stop wondering about what makes them tick. I read all the gossip and crime, and at a party, I will usually end up listening to one person’s incredible story. Travel also gives me ideas, every time. If you ever run out of ideas, go hang out at an airport bar, is my advice.

Is there a theme that you revisit in your novels and does Arrivals and Departures fit into it?
I am not sure what the theme is! Am I crazy? Is it oceanic hijinks? Is it bad parenting? Is it Chardonnay? Thwarted love?

Haha. I could see some themes in your novels, foremost redemption. Your characters are often looking to be loved and accepted even though they are greatly flawed individuals. I’m curious about your writing process. Which of your books was the fastest or slowest to write? Do you think you’re getting faster/more efficient as you continue to write or are you getting slower/pickier as you continue to write?
This is such an insightful question! I always think it will get easier, but every book seems to take the same amount of time and be just as intricate and confusing and wonderful and terrifying. I think if I picked a genre and stayed there, it might be more smooth for me, but I get obsessed with different topics and styles, and I am so very lucky to be able to write just the book I am seeking to read.

Arrivals and Departures takes place in Greece and on your website you list several different places you’ve lived in or adventured in, including South Africa, Montana and Rye, NY. Of all of your adventures and hometowns, which place has inspired you the most as a writer?
I think the most inspirational place for me is Austin, TX, because it’s the place I left my “outsider” stance to try to make a home. That’s a complicated thing—to claim a place, for better or worse, and to become a mother. I think most of my work is about belonging and the ache to be seen, and so those challenges come to light when I slow down. My favorite writer, David Foster Wallace, once wrote, “After sex, a writer says, was it good for ME?” Moving from an outside observer to the center is really hard for many writers, and definitely me. But that challenge has inspired a lot of my books.

What has been the single most challenging moment in your publishing career? How did you get over it?
I wrote a book called Cat & Vivian, and I loved it. But my agent felt it didn’t work as a novel. I cried and cried and set it aside. I beat myself up about that book for YEARS. But then it was bought by Audible and became an incredible audio book…it was MEANT to live that way, I think. And now it’s going to be a TV show! So I think the lesson is to trust your people—my agent is also one of my best friends—and trust yourself. Sometimes a book isn’t right for the marketplace or even for print. I think when I was younger I worried a lot about fulfilling what others wanted…now I try to focus inward and create the best work I can, and let it find its way in the marketplace.

What has been the highlight?
Hitting the New York Times bestseller list, and being surrounded by people who make me feel safe.

Your go-to food when you need to stress eat?
CHOCOLATE

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