Dial A For Aunties is a hilariously quirky novel that is equal parts murder mystery, rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture by author Jesse Q. Sutanto.
We chat with Jesse about her latest release Dial A For Aunties, releasing her first two published novels in the space of a few months, writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Jesse! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m Jesse, author of Dial A For Aunties and the YA thriller The Obsession. I’m an Indonesian writer living in Jakarta with my ridiculously huge family. My hobbies include…psych! I don’t have hobbies because all my time is spent writing or looking after my two little ones, lol.
How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?
What’s funny is that we’re still in partial lockdown in Jakarta as the vaccine rollout is going pretty slowly due to supply issues, so in terms of daily life, 2021 hasn’t been that different from The Year Which Shall Not Be Named. But online, my virtual life is BLOWING UP! I can barely keep up with my emails and messages and social media, and it’s such a wonderful roller coaster ride. It’s exactly the kind of escape I needed from the grind of daily life in lockdown with two small children. I love the writing community so much, and to start hearing from readers is just such a spark of joy!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
Aaah! First book I remember reading was uh…I’m going to say The Three Little Pigs? And I really can’t think of a single one that made me want to become an author. It was more like a lifetime spent reading books that slowly resulted in me trying my hand at writing. Actually, I would say that what got me to start writing was binge-watching “The Last Airbender” and playing World of Warcraft in college. Those two things resulted in my first ever book, which was a terrible WoW fanfic. So glad I wrote it though!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I’ve always loved to write, but I only started to seriously write during my last year at college. As mentioned above, it was after days and nights obsessively watching TLA and playing WoW…um, I’m realizing that I sound like a terrible college student, haha! If my parents ever came across this interview, I’m toast.
Your new novel, Dial A For Aunties, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Hilarious, twisty, aunties gone rogue.
What can readers expect?
A few good laughs, first and foremost! And a fast-moving plot with plenty of twists and surprises, plus a good helping of meddling aunties.
Where did the inspiration for Dial A For Aunties come from?
Honestly, I just knew that I wanted to write something involving a bunch of “meddlesome aunties” (in fact, as I was drafting it, I named the document “Meddlesome aunties”). I wasn’t sure what the aunties would be meddling in until I realized that nothing could be more fun than having them meddle with an accidental murder.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
With every book I write, the first 15,000 words are always the easiest. After that, I hit the dreaded “saggy middle” and oh boy, are saggy middles a pain to slog through! Over the years, I’ve learnt that the best way to overcome saggy middles are: 1. Outline. I know plenty of brilliant writers who don’t outline, but for myself, my brain needs that extra bit of help to get me through the constant anxiety of “What happens next?” 2. Routine. It’s too easy to give up when you hit the saggy middle. The fresh and fun concept is, well, no longer fresh or fun, and you’re convinced that the idea is awful. I have a folder littered with unfinished manuscripts, abandoned at the 15K mark. Having a writing routine and sticking to it every day is vital to me. 3. Aim low! I always remind myself that it’s okay to write terrible first drafts, and this thought, above all else, is what keeps me chugging on through the saggy middle.
If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Hands down, my favorite moment was after the main character kills her blind date and then takes the body home to her mom. Her mother is horrified and calls the aunties to come help, but before they arrive, she insists on cutting up fruit for the aunties, because know what’s worse than covering up murder? Covering up murder AND losing face, that’s what!
You also had your debut novel The Obsession release in February! How does it feel to have two books thrust out into the world within three months?
Amazing! 10/10, would recommend. I love the flurry of exciting emails and events and just the whirlwind of it all! Next year, I will have FOUR books coming out, so that’s going to be…interesting, haha! We’ll see how that goes. But so far, I’m loving it.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best writing advice: Don’t wait for inspiration to strike; write every day. I write five days a week and take weekends off, and I don’t wait for inspiration to strike anymore. I strike the match myself, and then just sit down and start outlining.
Worst writing advice: Anything that deals with absolutes. Most writing advice I’ve come across has actually been legit, but when you make them absolutes, that’s when things go wrong. Even the advice I quoted above, about writing every day, is harmful if that’s just not how you work. And it’s not how I work, since I take weekends off. What I took away from it is to make writing a routine, to train my brain into knowing when it’s time to write. So don’t take any advice as something you MUST follow to a T.
What’s next for you?
More books! In more genres! I can’t seem to stop creating new books, and I love genre-hopping because I find it so refreshing. I recently finished a very dark adult suspense, very different from Dial A For Aunties, and I’m so excited about that. But after I finished writing that, I was so ready to switch to something more lighthearted and joyous. No doubt after I finish THAT I will be hankering for something dark again. I love having the option to go with my heart, and I have my brilliant agent to thank for making it possible for me to write in multiple genres, and of course my publishers for their support and encouragement.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Yes! 2021 is filled with brilliant books! For dark, twisty thrillers that will make you gasp with shock, I recommend THE GIRLS ARE ALL SO NICE HERE by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and PEOPLE LIKE HER by Eller Lloyd. For an energetic, magical adventure, I recommend AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS by BB Alston. For a brilliant, brainy thriller, I recommend Marti Leimbach’s DRAGONFLY GIRL.
