Who are you?
Hello! I’m Marisa Kanter and I’m an author based out of Los Angeles. My upcoming queer young adult romance, Finally Fitz, releases on April 23, 2024.
What do you write?
I write romantic coming of age stories that center ambitious girls who are loved not despite their ambition, but because of it. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager, a passion born from a love of reading. I grew up during the explosion and legitimization of YA as an age category and wrote my first book when I was thirteen. Now, I write the stories that I wish my teenage self had. Stories like Finally Fitz that I hope, ultimately, give readers permission to be kinder to their imperfect selves. I love my job. Even on the hard days, I cannot imagine doing anything else.
Where do you write?
My writing time is split between my desk in my home office and my local coffee shop. When I’m drafting, I am 1000% more productive if I start my day at the coffee shop because it tricks my brain into “going to work.” At home, there are so many distractions. In terms of tools, I am a basic Microsoft Word writer. In addition, every manuscript gets its own notebook. In these notebooks, I brainstorm, free write, draw character maps, etc. Pretty much whatever I need to do whenever I reach a sticky point during drafting to get unstuck.
When do you write?
In a perfect world, I write during typical “work” hours. In reality, I do my best writing in the middle of the night. In the weeks leading up to a deadline, I tend to become nocturnal. I’m not sure why! Maybe it’s because there are less distractions in the middle of the night. Maybe it’s because it’s late enough for my inner critic to go to sleep, which makes it easier to get words onto the page. I used to resist this. Worked so hard to establish structure. Now? I embrace whatever process gets me to THE END.
Why do you write?
I write the representation I wish I had access to as a teenager. I write because being a person is messy and complicated and I am endlessly fascinated with why people are the way they are. I’m drawn to YA and romance in particular because of the hope embedded in those stories. One of my favorite Taylor Swift lyrics is “to live for the hope of it all” and I think that is an incredible and succinct encapsulation of why I write. For the hope of it all.
How do you overcome writer's block?
Finally Fitz is a book about overcoming being creatively blocked . . . a book that I wrote during the worst bout of writer’s block I’d ever experienced. I don’t know if I have any meaningful advice except to say that you will get through it. Trust yourself that the words are there, they just aren’t ready yet. In Finally Fitz, there’s an idea presented that “sometimes art takes the time it takes.” In my experience, the more pressure I put on myself to write through the block, the more impenetrable it all feels. It’s only when I take a step back from the work, let my brain rest, and refill the well that I finally have a breakthrough.
Bonus: What do you enjoy doing when not writing?
When I’m not writing, I love consuming story in all its formats, crocheting, and game nights.
My thanks to Marisa Kanter for today's interview.