The Cost of All Things Author Maggie Lehrman talks Sondheim, Writing, and Life on the Other Side of the Editorial Letter
Maggie Lehrman spent nine years at Amulet Books editing childrens’ and YA novels, including award-winning contemporary realism, fantasy, and historical fiction—and today marks the release of her own YA debut, The Cost of All Things. Part urban fantasy, part magical realism, and part contemporary, it’s a mesmerizing cautionary tale Kirkus calls, “An engrossing, emotionally resonant spin on the old adage: Be careful what you wish for.”
When ballet dancer Ari hires a hekamist to erase her memories of her late boyfriend, she has no idea what effect her decision will have on her friends, some of whom are keeping equally devastating secrets. Having devoured this suspenseful, thought-provoking story in a day and a half, I was delighted to speak with Maggie about her writing process, her favorite TV shows and most anticipated reads, and how it feels to wear the Writer Hat after being an editor for many years.
The Cost of All Things
Hardcover $17.99
The Cost of All Things
Hardcover $17.99
The Cost of All Things, though highly original and unique in its own right, has been described as We Were Liars meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I wondered if you might also include Into the Woods in the mix—I know you’re a huge Sondheim fan, and while I was reading, I kept hearing the lyrics, “Wishes may bring problems such that you regret them / better that, though, than to never get them.” How did this novel come about?
I love Into the Woods and that very well may be an unconscious influence! I started writing the book from Ari’s perspective, and I had a very clear and (what I thought was) simple idea: She had a boyfriend, but she’d chosen to excise his memory after he died. I knew that the decision would have to have consequences, not only practically but also physically. I worked for a year on her story but the book didn’t truly come together until I started thinking about what other types of spells people in this world might get, and how those stories might intersect with the story of my memory-impaired heroine. Then from there I had to plot and chart each of the character’s arcs and see where they came together and how they affected each other. It was a puzzle, and I (like Sondheim! We have much in common, clearly) love puzzles, but it wasn’t just an intellectual exercise—each of the characters tapped into some deep emotions.
Can you talk a bit about the hekamists and how you created them? I was reminded a little bit of Lev Grossman’s Magicians trilogy, in the sense that spells were not easy to cast, they required practice and commitment, and they exacted steep prices, both on the hekamist and the person paying her.
I love the Magicians trilogy, too! And you’ve pointed out one of my favorite parts of those books—how hard magic is to learn and execute. I like it when magic is difficult, when it’s a skill/power that requires practice and sacrifice. My hekamists started with the one in the first scene, when Ari gets her spell to erase Win. I liked the contrast between something simple like tea or soup, and an ordinary kitchen, with the incredible magic being produced. Once I started thinking about the ripple effect of each spell—the side effects, in particular—I knew the spells would have to cost the hekamists something, too. There had to be a reason spells cost so much. From there I started thinking about how it might work to be part of this extremely marginalized group, and specifically how Echo and her mom might feel and act, as the only hekamists in Cape Cod.
Have you ever wished you could erase a memory or experience, or change something about yourself? Which of the four narrators do you relate to most, if any?
I think everyone has something we’ve wished was different about themselves, especially in high school when we’re at our most self-critical. I wish I could tone down the self-criticism sometimes, actually, except that having that voice also pushes me to work hard and try to improve. It’s hard to say which narrator I relate to most, but Win’s story came most easily to me. Kay was by far the most difficult to get where I wanted it to be, but by the end I felt like I understood her and felt for her.
Speaking of the four narrators, was there ever a version of the story in which Diana or Echo had POV chapters? How did you decide which voices to include, and how frequently to let certain characters take the stage?
I never attempted to write Echo’s point of view. I wanted to keep the hekamists at a remove, for their secrets to be extra secret. I did attempt to write some Diana chapters at one point, and some Cal ones, too, but four points of view was enough—I wanted the voices to be distinct from each other, and to tell different types of stories. In very early drafts, there were as many as seven points of view, mostly characters I decided didn’t need to be a part of this particular book. There are lots of ways magic can be used and abused in a world like this, but if the stories didn’t intersect with Ari’s, then I knew they weren’t in the right place.
As a children’s and young adult editor for many years at Abrams, accustomed to writing editorial letters, was it surreal to be on the other side of that process? Did it take some getting used to? Did you enjoy the collaborative nature of it?
It was very strange and interesting to be on the other side. I loved it, though sometimes it felt like I’d gone through the looking-glass. Shouldn’t I be…out there? I could know what to expect on a practical level, but I couldn’t really know how it felt until I went through it. When I wrote editorial letters, I knew authors were excited to receive them, but I didn’t get how REALLY EXCITING it is until it happened to me. My editor is fantastic and points out exactly what needs to be done to improve the book. I would’ve been stuck in a plot loop still without her help. So, yes, collaboration is key.
Do you think your experiences in the publishing world helped you understand what to expect with your own debut, or has the road been full of surprises?
There are always surprises with every book, and that’s been such a great part of this. I could know the general outline of what was going to happen, but filling in the blanks has been thrilling. Like getting to take part in interviews like this.
What has been the most exciting part of publishing Cost for you?
Some writers I really love—Lauren Myracle, Rita Williams-Garcia, Coe Booth, and Franny Billingsley—gave wonderful advance blurbs, which made me incredibly grateful and happy. And it’s been really exciting in a scary way having people I don’t know personally read the book. Just having the book out there is pretty wonderful.
What are some of your favorite TV shows right now? Do you study them for plot, character, and dialogue, or mostly watch to relax and take a break from that sort of work?
It depends on the show, but I love watching TV for plot in particular. The Vampire Diaries and The Originals are plot master classes. Justified is the perfect balance of humor and drama. New Girl makes me stop breathing from laughing, mostly from character jokes, which is my favorite type of joke. The Good Wife is so smart. Bob’s Burgers is full of surprises and the best family life on TV. What else…there’s this show on USA, Sirens, which is so hilarious and fast-paced and not enough people know about it. And The Americans! And Better Call Saul! Oh my god this list is already too long and I’m only really hitting the highlights.
Lastly, what are some other 2015 debuts you’ve enjoyed so far this year, or are looking forward to reading?
Ah, good—I don’t only watch TV; I also read books! This list is incomplete, but these are a few of my favorites so far: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli; Dating Down, by Stefanie Lyons; None of the Above, by I.W. Gregorio; and Skyscraping, by Cordelia Jensen. And I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Kate Scelsa’s Fans of the Impossible Life and Lance Rubin’s Denton Little’s Deathdate.
The Cost of All Things is on sale today!
The Cost of All Things, though highly original and unique in its own right, has been described as We Were Liars meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I wondered if you might also include Into the Woods in the mix—I know you’re a huge Sondheim fan, and while I was reading, I kept hearing the lyrics, “Wishes may bring problems such that you regret them / better that, though, than to never get them.” How did this novel come about?
I love Into the Woods and that very well may be an unconscious influence! I started writing the book from Ari’s perspective, and I had a very clear and (what I thought was) simple idea: She had a boyfriend, but she’d chosen to excise his memory after he died. I knew that the decision would have to have consequences, not only practically but also physically. I worked for a year on her story but the book didn’t truly come together until I started thinking about what other types of spells people in this world might get, and how those stories might intersect with the story of my memory-impaired heroine. Then from there I had to plot and chart each of the character’s arcs and see where they came together and how they affected each other. It was a puzzle, and I (like Sondheim! We have much in common, clearly) love puzzles, but it wasn’t just an intellectual exercise—each of the characters tapped into some deep emotions.
Can you talk a bit about the hekamists and how you created them? I was reminded a little bit of Lev Grossman’s Magicians trilogy, in the sense that spells were not easy to cast, they required practice and commitment, and they exacted steep prices, both on the hekamist and the person paying her.
I love the Magicians trilogy, too! And you’ve pointed out one of my favorite parts of those books—how hard magic is to learn and execute. I like it when magic is difficult, when it’s a skill/power that requires practice and sacrifice. My hekamists started with the one in the first scene, when Ari gets her spell to erase Win. I liked the contrast between something simple like tea or soup, and an ordinary kitchen, with the incredible magic being produced. Once I started thinking about the ripple effect of each spell—the side effects, in particular—I knew the spells would have to cost the hekamists something, too. There had to be a reason spells cost so much. From there I started thinking about how it might work to be part of this extremely marginalized group, and specifically how Echo and her mom might feel and act, as the only hekamists in Cape Cod.
Have you ever wished you could erase a memory or experience, or change something about yourself? Which of the four narrators do you relate to most, if any?
I think everyone has something we’ve wished was different about themselves, especially in high school when we’re at our most self-critical. I wish I could tone down the self-criticism sometimes, actually, except that having that voice also pushes me to work hard and try to improve. It’s hard to say which narrator I relate to most, but Win’s story came most easily to me. Kay was by far the most difficult to get where I wanted it to be, but by the end I felt like I understood her and felt for her.
Speaking of the four narrators, was there ever a version of the story in which Diana or Echo had POV chapters? How did you decide which voices to include, and how frequently to let certain characters take the stage?
I never attempted to write Echo’s point of view. I wanted to keep the hekamists at a remove, for their secrets to be extra secret. I did attempt to write some Diana chapters at one point, and some Cal ones, too, but four points of view was enough—I wanted the voices to be distinct from each other, and to tell different types of stories. In very early drafts, there were as many as seven points of view, mostly characters I decided didn’t need to be a part of this particular book. There are lots of ways magic can be used and abused in a world like this, but if the stories didn’t intersect with Ari’s, then I knew they weren’t in the right place.
As a children’s and young adult editor for many years at Abrams, accustomed to writing editorial letters, was it surreal to be on the other side of that process? Did it take some getting used to? Did you enjoy the collaborative nature of it?
It was very strange and interesting to be on the other side. I loved it, though sometimes it felt like I’d gone through the looking-glass. Shouldn’t I be…out there? I could know what to expect on a practical level, but I couldn’t really know how it felt until I went through it. When I wrote editorial letters, I knew authors were excited to receive them, but I didn’t get how REALLY EXCITING it is until it happened to me. My editor is fantastic and points out exactly what needs to be done to improve the book. I would’ve been stuck in a plot loop still without her help. So, yes, collaboration is key.
Do you think your experiences in the publishing world helped you understand what to expect with your own debut, or has the road been full of surprises?
There are always surprises with every book, and that’s been such a great part of this. I could know the general outline of what was going to happen, but filling in the blanks has been thrilling. Like getting to take part in interviews like this.
What has been the most exciting part of publishing Cost for you?
Some writers I really love—Lauren Myracle, Rita Williams-Garcia, Coe Booth, and Franny Billingsley—gave wonderful advance blurbs, which made me incredibly grateful and happy. And it’s been really exciting in a scary way having people I don’t know personally read the book. Just having the book out there is pretty wonderful.
What are some of your favorite TV shows right now? Do you study them for plot, character, and dialogue, or mostly watch to relax and take a break from that sort of work?
It depends on the show, but I love watching TV for plot in particular. The Vampire Diaries and The Originals are plot master classes. Justified is the perfect balance of humor and drama. New Girl makes me stop breathing from laughing, mostly from character jokes, which is my favorite type of joke. The Good Wife is so smart. Bob’s Burgers is full of surprises and the best family life on TV. What else…there’s this show on USA, Sirens, which is so hilarious and fast-paced and not enough people know about it. And The Americans! And Better Call Saul! Oh my god this list is already too long and I’m only really hitting the highlights.
Lastly, what are some other 2015 debuts you’ve enjoyed so far this year, or are looking forward to reading?
Ah, good—I don’t only watch TV; I also read books! This list is incomplete, but these are a few of my favorites so far: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli; Dating Down, by Stefanie Lyons; None of the Above, by I.W. Gregorio; and Skyscraping, by Cordelia Jensen. And I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Kate Scelsa’s Fans of the Impossible Life and Lance Rubin’s Denton Little’s Deathdate.
The Cost of All Things is on sale today!