With her second novel, Wants and Needs, out this month, author Roxy Dunn returns with a witty and heartfelt look at modern love, parenthood, and the messy, beautiful complexities of life in your thirties. Here, we talk to Roxy about her creative process, the books that have shaped her as a reader, and the stories and experiences that inspired her latest work.
First of all, congratulations on the release of Wants and Needs. What can readers look forward to in terms of themes, tone, and characters?
Thank you! Misty – the book’s protagonist – has been described as ‘refreshingly offbeat.’ She’s humorous and quirky in that she’s very open and direct which maybe feels quite unusual to encounter in literature right now, as there’s been a trend over the last few years for emotionally avoidant and spikey female protagonists. Tonally, it’s a comedy-drama that explores ethical non-monogamy, parent-child dynamics, mothering, the philosophical question of what it means to lead a good life…to name a few themes!
Misty sounds endearingly unpredictable! What inspired her character and story as she navigates life in her thirties, newly single?
The book has been pitched to me as a ‘Coming of age in your thirties novel’ and I intended it to be exactly this. I wanted to write a novel void of judgement – that looks at the different forms relationships can take and doesn’t come to a neat conclusion.
Misty is representative of lots of women and men I know who aren’t getting married and having children by the time they’re 32 or 33. She’s on track for that course at the start of the novel but then ends up exploring and discovering a whole other way to live. Hopefully the book shows the pitfalls and advantages of both monogamy and non-monogamy – that both are equally valid and there’ll always be frustrations and wins with either approach.
Ethical non-monogamy is becoming more visible in culture and conversation. How did you approach that in your writing?
It may surprise readers to know that I never actually intended to write a book about non-monogamy. I was interested in exploring the question: can any form of love ever offer safety and security? And having a non-monogamous relationship at the centre of the story became the best framework within which to explore this. Once I’d figured this out, I did lots of research – read articles as well as spoke with a couple of friends who are in long-term non-monogamous relationships. I hope I’ve represented it in a way that feels authentic and believable.
A lot of the feelings and issues and tensions that arise between the characters in the novel aren’t unique to non-monogamy; they’re universal. Take the uncertainty Misty has around Christopher’s feelings towards her at the start – that’s just classic early on dating stuff: Are they into me? Will they message me? What’s their attachment style? Etc.
What did the creative process for Wants and Needs look like, and how did it differ from your debut, As Young as This?
The process had similarities to As Young as This in that the first drafts of both books came organically and quite easily but then I spent a good chunk of time (under the advice of my excellent editors) finessing the plotting and rearranging and cutting scenes. I also pulled up a bunch of prose poems on my laptop I’d written a year beforehand (and didn’t know what to do with) and realised I could chop them up and insert them into the manuscript. In fact, some of them inspired whole scenes and dialogues in Wants and Needs – especially the sections with Erica in Paris.
Were there any scenes that were particularly fun or challenging to write?
It sounds insincere to say almost every scene, but this book really was so enjoyable to write. But if pressed to be specific, any scenes involving Misty’s mother and/or Erica I found the most entertaining and meaty. Oh, and Antoine’s scene because the way he lives is just so fabulously far from most people’s (my own included) day to day life.
Which books have had the biggest impact on you as a reader?
I’ve always gravitated towards coming-of-age novels by female authors, writing about life and love: Mariana by Monica Dickens, The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I love the wit and perceptiveness of these books’ protagonists, and hope Misty can sit alongside them as a contemporary heroine.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I wish I did in a way because I like the idea of rituals but I’ve trained myself to not need specific conditions in which to write, which means I can do it anywhere (even if just notes on my phone) which ultimately, I find most helpful – especially now I have a 5 and a half month old baby.
What books would we find on your bedside table right now?
A brilliant (and long) novel called Engagement by Gun-Britt Sundström (translated from Swedish by Kathy Saranpa). A friend of mine who read Wants and Needs recently asked if I’d read it because Misty’s voice reminded her of the protagonist and so I was immediately intrigued. There’s also a book on baby weaning by Joe Wicks which is getting neglected because I keep wanting to read the novel instead.
What’s your favourite way to wind down before bedtime?
Unsurprisingly – reading. I also write a diary entry most nights to offload my thoughts from the day. They’re very badly written (definitely never to be published later down the line!) but I like the process of putting pen to paper, as I don’t do any of my fiction writing longhand.
Thank you, Roxy! Wants and Needs is out now. Use the discount code LOVEBOOKSHOPS for 10% off when buying through Bookshop.org. Happy reading!
