Critically acclaimed author Trish Doller’s unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself… We had the pleasure of chatting with author Trish Doller about all things Float Plan, book recommendations, writing, and more!
Hi, Trish! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi! I considered copying and pasting my official bio, but instead, I’ve decided to sand off the varnish. I’m a true Taurus in that I’m exceptionally lazy. The fact that I’ve gotten published is practically a miracle. It also explains why I hate housework, except for when I’m sailing and camping. Then I’m all about doing dishes and I don’t understand that one bit. I have two adult kids that I managed to raise without completely messing them up. I also have a weirdo herding dog who talks to me every morning. My husband and I met in a bar, and we’re still together three decades later. We live in Florida, because have you seen the weather everywhere else?
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
My goal for 2021 was to stick to a consistent writing schedule. So far, the results have been…inconsistent. But, as I mentioned earlier, I’m lazy, so I don’t know how much of my failure is external chaos and how much is just me being me.
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!
The first book I remember reading was B is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood.
The book that made me want to become an author was 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson.
And the book I can’t stop thinking about is Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I started writing stories in kindergarten, so I feel the origin of my love is the moment I learned how to form letters into words. For most of my life, I lacked the confidence to share my writing with others, but working as a newspaper reporter kind of pushed me through the fire. Doing that job made me realize two things: I was not a great reporter (see: lazy) and my writing didn’t suck.
Your new novel Float Plan is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Sadness, sailing, sex, sweetness, salvation
Now, what can readers expect?
I think it’s important for readers not to be fooled by that sunny cover. Float Plan is romantic and funny, but it’s also about finding your way back from loss. Expect it to punch you in the feelings. If I’ve gotta cry, you’ve gotta cry.
What inspired you to write Float Plan?
Float Plan was inspired by my own Caribbean adventures, a love a sailing, Colin Farrell’s Irish accent, an article I read about an amputee determined to get back on a snowboard, fragments of a YA project I never finished, and “Anna Begins” by the Counting Crows. Which is an odd mish-mash of inspiration, but it came together.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing? If so, how did you overcome them?
I first started working on a version called Second Wind about eight years ago. It was a YA novel about a girl whose secret boyfriend was killed in a motorcycle accident. There was no sailboat, no Anna, and I abandoned the project after a few chapters because I couldn’t find the real story. Six years ago, I revisited the project and realized it would be better as an adult novel. I scrapped the premise, changed the setting, created a new main character, and wrote an entire manuscript called Apparent Wind. After that version was rejected by several editors, I pulled back to rethink the book again. Three years ago, I made some ruthless edits, changed the name to Float Plan, and tried again. Sometimes it felt like I was never going to find the heart of the story, but when it finally clicked, I knew it. Persistence. I’m stubborn like that.
If it’s not too spoilery, do you have any favourite moments that you loved bringing to the page?
Despite how long it took, the entire process was so joyful, but I think my favorite scene is when Anna meets Keane. I don’t want to spoil it by revealing the details, but it’s funny and charming and it has endured through every revision.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best advice: If you got published once, you can get published again.
The worst advice: Write every day.
What’s next for you?
My next book is called From the Ground Up, and it’s about a single mom who takes a job at a brew hotel on a small island in Lake Erie, only to discover that the job—and her hot new boss—is not what she expected. The book is set in the Float Plan timeline and features Anna’s sister, Rachel, as the main character. Following that will be a third novel in the timeline with Carla (Anna’s best friend) and Eamon (Keane’s brother) as the main characters.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I know everyone is talking about The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, but it is so good. I love Norse mythology, so I think Genevieve Gornichec’s take on Angrboda in The Witch’s Heart is amazing. The benefit of sharing an editor is that I got an early read of One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, which is such a warm and immersive experience. And I kind of hate (not really) Talia Hibbert for making all three of her Brown Sisters books so distractingly great.
Well, I was one of Trish’s editors when she was a better newspaper reporter than she says she was, and her writing then was the opposite of “suck.” When I read her first book I said to myself: “I thought she was a good writer then, but I had no idea.” I can only imagine she’s gotten even better. Hi Trish!