The Darkness Knows (26 page)

How old were you when you wrote your first story? What was it about?

I started writing stories as soon I could read. I used to have my dad haul out our ancient manual Underwood typewriter to the dining room table so I could hunt and peck out my stories about cats. My dad called me the Mad Typist. The first real story I can remember writing and finishing was called
The Mouse That Didn't Believe in Santa Claus
in the third grade. I illustrated it as well. I still have it.

What do you love most about writing?

I love world building and doing historical research. I got really involved in figuring out the particulars of what Chicago looked like in October 1938—how it would have felt to walk down the street; how it would have sounded, smelled; what was playing at the movie theaters. It's a way of time traveling. Writing is also a way of living vicariously through my characters. I can make them do anything…to a point.

What inspires you the most as a writer?

I'm a curious person by nature. I'm always on the lookout for interesting stories (especially historical), and I love learning. I never really know what little tidbit of information will strike my fancy or spark a story idea.

Who are some of your favorite authors? Why are they your favorites?

My Antonia
by Willa Cather was the first real grown-up book I read. It had a major impression on me since it's not a romance and it doesn't have a (completely) happy ending. I read Tim O'Brien's
The Things They Carried
during a short story writing class in college. It has such perfectly specific detail you'd think it was a memoir and not fiction. In the historical romance genre, I love Anya Seton. Then, on the complete other end of the spectrum, I really love a good Stephen King book. I read
It
as a twelve-year-old (likely
way
too early in the grand scheme of things), and it thrilled and terrified me. The setting/world he created is so intricately detailed. Basically, I just like to be entertained, no matter the genre.

When do you know the story is finished?

I think the mystery genre is a little easier than others—the bad guy/girl gets caught or the mystery is solved. But in my head, the story is never really over. The characters keep going, keep interacting, keep having adventures. But I suppose, in a story's structure, you just feel that the time is right to wrap this particular chapter up.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write what you want to read. And let yourself get bored. My best ideas are born from boredom, when I just let my mind wander and I'm forced to entertain myself.

What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started your writing career?

Patience is required. Getting published is not a quick or easy process. If someone had told me when I started to write this book that it would take seven years for it to be published, I may have quit then and there. There were so many times in this long process that I could have given up, but I didn't. It's not the published book that I'm most proud of—it's not quitting.

Did you always want to be a writer, or did you start off in a different career?

I've always wanted to be a writer, but by virtue of having to pay the bills, I've found myself in a career completely unrelated to writing. The reality of it is that very few people are lucky enough to make their living as a writer. I've never wanted to be a starving artist. I like to eat too much, and health care is a nice thing to have.

If you could spend one day with an author, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?

Probably Dorothy Parker or Mark Twain—someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously.

What are your favorite genres to read?

I love historical suspense/mystery with a touch of romance (obviously). But I also love horror, YA, historical fantasy. Really, I'm just a sucker for good storytelling.

How would you describe your writing style in one word?

Light.

What is the most challenging part of being a writer?

Keeping at it and not getting discouraged by failure or rejection. Writing is a very solitary thing, and it's easy to convince yourself that no one will like what you're putting down on paper. Letting people read what you write and getting feedback is terrifying, but necessary.

What research or preparation did you engage in before writing this book?

I'm a huge fan of old-time radio shows. I have been since I saw Woody Allen's
Radio Days
in the eighth grade, but it was hard to get access to them back then. Then a little thing called the Internet came around, and I realized I could listen to old radio shows whenever I wanted, which meant at my desk at work. The time period and the speech, I think I learned through osmosis from all that listening to old radio shows and watching old movies. I also really delved into how radio shows were produced and the radio scene in Chicago, trying to find firsthand accounts if I could. I found old
Radio Guides
on eBay and poured over the gossipy articles—“The Tattler” in the
Radio Guide
was a real thing! I learned so much from those about what things were like for actors and actresses, as well as listeners. I also researched what Chicago was like in 1938. The Loop was a much more vibrant and lively place then. People came downtown to go shopping. There were movie palaces everywhere. There were streetcars clanging down State Street. Chicago 1938 is very much alive in my head.

Which character do you feel most closely connected to?

Vivian. She's everything I'd like to be myself—sassy and confident…and petite. I've always wanted to be petite.

Are any of your characters inspired by the people around you?

Not overtly, but I suppose I subconsciously use the personality traits of people around me for my fictional friends.

Thanks to my agent, Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli, for believing in this little book in the first place. Thanks to my editor, Anna Michels, for molding my story into something better than I ever thought it could be. Thanks to my entire extended family—but especially to Barak and Kate for understanding and giving me the space to write…and just stare off into space sometimes. Thanks to Kerri Ricker and Julie Shaner Jones for always encouraging me in this writing dream.

Thanks to all of those who put together the fantastic
Nostalgia Digest
, whose back issues were instrumental in my research of radio and the prewar period. Thanks to the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) organization, which lit the fire under me to start this book so many years ago. (This book was the only time in three tries that I “won.”) Thanks to the RWA Kiss of Death chapter for sponsoring the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, which, at long last, helped me find my people.

And finally, a huge thanks to all those marvelous radio stars (and production crews) of yesteryear that made me fall in love with the medium and the theater of the air. Your performances have kept me such wonderful company, and I hope I've done you proud.

PHOTO BY SCOTT LAWRENCE

Cheryl Honigford was born and raised in the Midwest and currently lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her family.
The Darkness Knows
is her first novel.

Thank you for reading
!

At Sourcebooks we are always working on something new and exciting, and we don't want you to miss out.

So sign up now to receive exclusive offers, bonus content, and always be the first to get the scoop on what's new!

SIGN UP NOW!