Bestselling historical fiction author Donna Russo wants you to take a bite out of life
How living a full life feeds your work + writing through trauma + taking yourself seriously in a culture that doesn’t value artists
Up this week is Donna Russo, an internationally best selling author of 11 multiple award winning historical novels, including Gilded Dreams and Gilded Summers, which take place in Newport; a trio of books about Leonardo da Vinci, including Portrait of a Conspiracy, The Competition, and The Flames of Florence. Her newest book, Vincent’s Women is just out, and tells the story of everyone's favorite tortured artist through the lens of the women in his life.
(I have to point out Vincent’s Women managed to get 4.3 stars on Goodreads, which is not easy to do—Goodreads readers are very sparing with their five-star ratings.)
Donna is also an award winning screenwriter, a ghostwriter, and an editor. And she's an actor who appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, as well as Showtime's “Brotherhood.” And, she's a painter. I’m so thankful she joined us, because she clearly has a lot of things that take up her time!
Listen to Donna’s episodes:
Donna Russo, practical matters: Writing through trauma + taking yourself seriously as a writer in a culture that doesn’t value artists
Donna Russo, inner stuff: How to get yourself psyched to start a new project + stay steady through the pre-release nerves
Donna Russo, what’s coming up: How to keep writing fresh (11 books in) + a love song to lobster
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“The goal of most of my books is to tell stories that haven't been told before that need to be told, especially of the women that history has forgotten.”
Things we covered:
How a ‘grand pity party’ after yet another bad date led to the idea for “Vincent’s Women”
How meeting Diana Gabaldon (author of the Outlander series and historical fiction OG!) at a conference spurred Donna on
Her first gig as a writer–that happened in sixth grade
How she sold her first book quickly and easily–and pretty much everything since then has been a struggle
The truth about why she does so many different things
The brass tacks of how she writes her book, from which chapter she writes first to how she lays out her computer monitor so that her research is always right at hand
How she wrote her friends into one of her books
The food and drink the fuels her writing
Why the time period just before your book comes out is the most nerve-wracking, “like walking out naked and the world gets to comment”
The thrill of being in the same room as a group of your readers
How she takes her mind off the pre-book release anxiety
Her biggest fears as a writer
Why being 66 is an asset to her writing
Her best advice for young writers
How historical fiction reminds us that there are always multiple points of view to every story
How she’s feeling about being on the verge of becoming a grandmother
A sneak peek at her next book, which is already in the works–as well as how she’s challenging herself in new ways with this project
The great authors she learned the importance of descriptive settings from
“Like Vincent, I'm unlucky in love. I was lying on my couch after another first and last date, having a grand pity party. I think there was junk food involved. My dining room was dedicated to Vincent and I looked up, I saw his portrait and I said, ‘Tell me, Vincent, what was your love like?’ And he didn't answer me. So I picked up a few books, started reading, and the truth I started to find was so extraordinary. I just knew I had to write this book.”
Specific things we talked about:
Gone with the Wind and The Thorn Birds, the two books that first made Donna a historical fiction fan
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
“The Bear” TV show
“Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin
Where to find Donna
Listen to past episodes:
Marlon Weems, practical matters: Writing in odd places, at odd times, using only your phone
Marlon Weems, inner stuff: Turns out growing up Black in the South in the 60s is excellent training for writing about topics that tend to invite trolls
Marlon Weems, what’s next: Manifesting an appearance on "Good Morning America" + the two wildly different songs that get Marlon moving
Shannon Watts, practical matters: The Facebook post heard 'round the world, the upsides of ADHD, and a standing desk fail
Shannon Watts, inner stuff: When your inner critic is terrified you'll come off as corny or woo-woo + taking aim at mom guilt
Shannon Watts, what’s next: Being OK with not exactly knowing what’s next + recipe for the perfect cup of coffee
Eric Jay Dolin, practical matters: A path to writing that’s lined with seashells and diplomas
Eric Jay Dolin, inner stuff: Riding that balance of being grateful for the audience you have, while also hoping to grow it
Eric Jay Dolin, what’s next: Visualizing selling 500,000 copies + why chicken parm is the perfect food