Feature: WritersNewsWeekly talks with writer Elizabeth Borino

By Sarah Schiavoni & Christopher Stokum

We recently spoke with aspiring author and active blogger Liz Borino. She has just finished the manuscript for her first novel and is currently working on editing, promoting her novel with a unique blog, and making contacts in the publishing industry.
In describing her novel, Expectations, Borino says it “depicts the struggle between what we desire for ourselves and our familial obligations. This is personified by Chris and Matt Taylor, identical twins, who are trying to win their overbearing father’s approval and acquire their trust funds. Their best friend and roommate, Aiden O’Boyle, left his family behind in Ireland to pursue a career in dance. Robert Taylor, Matt and Chris’s father, has set certain conditions that must be met in order for them to receive their trust funds. Matt must work at a job he hates, while struggling with alcoholism. Chris has to deny his own desires and deep love for Aiden, to get married to Matt’s girlfriend. All the while, their father continues to use extreme measures to ensure his sons’ compliance. The story takes place against the backdrop of preparation for Aiden’s upcoming performance.”
To help promote her novel, Borino created a blog through which her characters speak. She explains that it is “a diary from the different character's points of view. It's distinct from the novel because that's written in third person omniscient point of view.” She plans to use her blog as part of her marketing plan for when the book comes out.

Interview

WNW: How has your experience as a first-time author attempting to publish your first novel been?
Borino: My experience as a first time author has been…complicated really. I’ve learned a lot in the past few months. There’re a lot of different angles to go into the publishing industry with, many back and side doors, so to say. What I’ve learned, and am still learning, is the best way to work those entrances. How to be innovative, not only in my writing, but also the business.

WNW: What authors have influenced your writing?
Borino: The authors who have most influenced my writing are S.E. Hinton and Michael Cunningham. Very different authors, I know. However, neither is afraid to take risks and write honestly. Cunningham can do it all, write captivating novels and then turn around and make them into screenplays. I’d recommend A Home at the End of the World to everyone.
WNW: Can you run us through a basic timeline of your manuscript? Writing, editing, etc.
Borino: The first draft of my novel was written between October and December—my word count was 130,000. I know, extremely high. So, I’ve since been editing and putting together my marketing plan, which includes my blog Write Words.

WNW: What have you run into that you didn’t expect? Obstacles, opportunities, etc.
Borino: I definitely didn’t expect to receive so much support from other writers. With all the competition out there, I really thought people would want to cut each other down, but I’ve found just the opposite.

WNW: Where did you get the idea for the accompanying blog?
Borino: I wish I could remember exactly where I got the idea for my blog. I read an article about ways a fiction writer could use a blog. This one was most appealing to me because I’m not an expert at book publishing and promotion—I’m just a writer and I want people to experience my stories.

WNW: What do you hope your readers take from reading the blog, not just the novel?
Borino: The main thing I want is for people to get deeper into the character’s psyche. The book is written in third person omniscient, but the blog is in first person. It allows readers to see how each character perceives themselves, each other, and their situations. The other thing I do with the blog is allow the antagonist to share his “side,” in “Rebellion.”

WNW: Do any of the scenes you describe in the blog appear in the novel?
Borino: There are a few scenes played out on the blog that are also in the novel. Some of these have the same dialogue and others are just summarized. When I do this, I add in the flavor of the character’s perspective.

WNW: When do the blog entries occur? Before the novel? After? During?
Borino: The very beginning of the blog came long before the novel, when the three main characters were in grade school and younger. Then it showed their lives in high school. The post titled “Fear,” is really where the novel begins. From there it’s all progressed in time with the novel, almost parallel.

WNW: Have you gotten to know your characters better since starting the blog, or does the novel explore them thoroughly?
Borino: The novel explores the characters fairly thoroughly, but the blog gives them even more depth. The blog has helped me get to know them even better.

WNW: Blogging is still a fairly new medium for writers. Do you use any other technology in your work? Facebook, Twitter, etc. If so, how has this technology affected your writing?
Borino: I use Twitter. I love using Twitter. It’s helped me connect with so many great people and it’s an outstanding way to spread the word about your own blog.

WNW: Do you intend to continue work on your blog after the book has been released? Should you choose to write a second novel, would you utilize this type of blog again?
Borino: I plan to keep this blog for every novel I write from here on out. I’ll just put the description in the heading like I do for Expectations.

Elizabeth Borino is an avid reader and writer. Recently, she’s been spending her time editing her manuscript, writing her blog, and completing her final summer at Hofstra University. Though she’s hard at work with school and her novel, she’s preparing to move down South with her fiancé, where she intends to “change the world one word at a time.” You can find out more about Ms. Borino, her novel, and her blog by visiting her Twitter page and her blog Write Words.