Welcome back to 3 Good Things at Downtime, a recurring series where I chat with creative women I admire about their current loves—and the small, meaningful things shaping their lives right now.
Give me a book set on a lake and I’m in. Make it a book written on the lake, by someone who lives on that lake? I’m sprinting to grab a copy.
I just devoured Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein, and it’s such a perfect summer read. I went in expecting a romance—and what I got was even better. The high-stakes setup keeps you turning pages, eager to see how it all unfolds and what pivotal choices the characters make.
But even beyond the plot, the setting—a tranquil lake in a small-town Maine community—is completely transportive. As Hannah told me, “I wrote this book primarily to bring readers to my favorite place in the world. The house on the cover is actually my family’s house. It’s a little surreal to have something so personal out there, but also so exciting.”
Reading my copy on a (man-made…) lake :)
I’ve followed Hannah on Instagram for a while now (her sunset-on-the-lake photos are unreal), and I was so happy to chat with her about her newest book, her go-to recs, and a few can't-miss Maine spots. Enjoy!
Downtime is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Olivia Pope’s glasses: I’m obsessed with Crate & Barrel’s Camille long-stem red wine glasses, the same ones seen on Scandal. Yes, they’re huge. Yes, the stems are as fragile as democracy itself. And yet, I’ve been stocking my apartment with them for at least a decade.
The Floatinator: If you have plans to lounge poolside or hang around a lake this summer, I am begging you to get this floating cup holder. It has a clip-on tether and doesn’t tip over. I write my first drafts longhand in a notebook, occasionally while perched in an inner tube, and let me tell you — it would’ve been a lot easier if I’d had the Floatinator back then.
Bad on Paper:My favorite podcast is run by my friends Becca Freeman (author of The Christmas Orphans Club) and Olivia Muenter (author of Such a Bad Influence). It’s a weekly mix of book recs, pop culture, lifestyle, and a peek into writer life. Every few months, they do a wildly unhinged episode reviewing the most absurd erotica they can find. I fear I may never recover from the one about Microsoft’s Clippy. (Note: This is a good thing.)
More Downtime with Hannah
A few quick Q’s with the author of Maine Characters featuring voice notes, thrillers, and an ode to cheap notebooks.
What’s the quick pitch for Maine Characters?
“Maine Characters is a grown-up Parent Trap, only with affairs and great wine — by which I mean a family drama about a pair of half-sisters who meet for the first time as adults.
Vivian is a sharp, ambitious, prickly sommelier from New York. Lucy is a loyal, soft-hearted English teacher hidden away in small-town Maine. After their dad’s unexpected death, they’re forced to spend the summer together at his lake house to untangle his secrets and lies.
If you’re looking for a beach read with an emotional punch, I wrote this for you. It’s set in the fictional town of Fox Hill, Maine—inspired by the real town where I spend summers—and I hope I can whisk you away on vacation!”
Hannah on her [extremely organized!] writing process:
“This was my first time writing a dual POV, which was a really fun challenge in terms of making the characters’ identities and voices as distinct as possible. My outline was 20,000 words, which is frankly insane — the book itself is 100,000 words — and I’ve never plotted out a book in such detail.
Since then, I’ve actually tried ‘pantsing’ (i.e. writing by the seat of your pants with no outline involved) twice and tossed both drafts. I’ve learned I’m an outline girl!”
It’s a long time tradition: Hannah writing by hand in the past and present.
The classic writing tool she swears by:
“I write longhand. Anything fancy would be too much pressure, so I write in the cheapest college-ruled notebooks I can find.
I split my time between Brooklyn and Maine, and when I’m at the lake over the summer, I try to do most of my writing outside, often on a little motor boat. Sometimes, if I’m having a hard time focusing, I’ll drive to the part of the lake with no WiFi or cell service.
From there, I type it all up in Scrivener, software that’s great for novelists and screenwriters. I tend to have tons of scattered notes and this makes organization easy. (It means nothing gets lost between my docs titled ‘character sketches,’ ‘characters — use this version,’ ‘characters FINAL,’ etc.!)” [Ed note: This answer makes my hand cramp just by reading it, but you go, Hannah!! Also, isn’t buying a fresh, cheap notebook the best feeling?]
Maine recs: Izakaya Minato, Cadillac Mountain, and an excellent tee.
Hannah’s top Maine spots and recs:
“In Portland, I deeply love Izakaya Minato, and so do Vivian and Lucy. Their omakase is $43 and outrageously delicious.”
“The prettiest view I’ve seen in a long time is from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.”
“When I’m at the lake, my daily uniform is just a 2XL men’s T-shirt over a bathing suit and a baseball cap. Liberty Graphics is a local brand with a few locations. They have the best T-shirt designs, often inspired by nature, animals, and Maine itself. (I’m typing this in one of their loon shirts — yes, there are several.)”
📕 Two vacation-friendly book recs:
“If you’re in the mood for something sweet, What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Fired and newly single, a woman moves to Amsterdam for a fresh start. Unfortunately, her apartment floods, the sketchy startup sponsoring her visa crumbles… and she accidentally bikes into the former exchange student who broke her heart a decade ago. She needs a green card; he needs a wife in order to inherit his grandmother’s apartment. The setting is totally immersive. Consider this a whole vacation to Europe for just $19.”
“If I’m baking under the sun, I love nothing more than a fast-paced thriller. Enter: The Last Ferry Outby Andrea Bartz. Hoping for closure, a woman travels to the tropical island where her fiancée died in a tragic accident. At first, she’s grateful to be embraced by a community of expats — one of them even claims to know the dark truth about her fiancée’s death. But when he disappears, the group’s unsettling reaction makes her fear that a killer is among them. Bartz is known for twisty plots and chilling, lyrical prose, and this is no exception.”
“I’ve gotten really into sending voice notes to my friends and family. It feels more personal than texting, but there isn’t the pressure of finding the right time for a phone call, which makes staying in touch feel easier. It’s nice to hear their voices!”
Left: the book! Right: Hannah at a recent book event in Boston.
Thank you so much, Hannah! You can follow along at @hannahorens and subscribe to her Substack newsletter, Shorthand.
And of course, don’t forget to pick up Maine Charactersfor some fun summer reading, lakeside or otherwise (and let me know how you like it!).
Downtime is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Paid subscribers receive bonus content, reader Q&A’s, access to our reader chat threads, and access to the full archive of (over 180!!) posts.
P.S. Reminder that you can opt-out of the Style column (or any other column) at Downtime right here in your settings.
If you’ve been enjoying Downtime, consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive extra recommendations, subscriber-only newsletters, and gain access to the 170+ posts in the archive filled with advice, recs, essays, and more.
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar