Eliza Moss: 'If you’re asking your reader to connect, then you, as a writer, need to do the same'
BY Maya Fernandes
3rd Dec 2024
Eliza Moss was a student on our three-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2023. We caught up to discuss her debut novel, What It’s Like in Words – out now from Henry Holt.
Read on to learn more about the inspiration behind Eliza’s novel, how she navigated depicting complex relationships and her recent literary recommendations.
Eliza, you studied on our three-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2021, how did your time on the course impact your approach to writing?
It encouraged me to take it seriously and believe that it was possible. It gave me an insight into the industry and a group of people who felt the same way that I did about writing.
Many of our students find their writing community on our courses – are you still in touch with any of your course mates?
Yes, I keep in touch with most of them! Leah Pitt (whose novel The Beach Hut came out earlier this year) and I have shared every step of our writing journeys. We finished our novels together. We queried together. We were on submission together. I think having a group of people to alpha and beta read, offer support to and receive support from, and just be able to talk to about writing and the industry is really important.
The title of your debut What It’s Like in Words is intriguing, and hints at the importance of writing and language in the story. What inspired it, and how do you feel it captures the essence of your novel?
The poem Words, Wide Night by Carol Ann Duffy is my favourite poem. The final lines ('For I am in love with you and this / is what it is like or what it is like in words') encapsulate much of what I wanted to achieve in terms of interrogating the gaps between experience and memories, between feeling and expression, and between people. The title also mirrors Enola’s writing journey within the novel, as she finds a way to heal through her words, which in turn empower and enable her to make changes in her life. Language is how we understand ourselves and others. It is how we build our worlds. I wanted to explore the power and limitations in how this connects to love and longing.
Your novel explores toxic and problematic relationship dynamics between protagonist Enola and her mother; Enola and her first love – an older man who is distant and moody; and ultimately Enola and herself. How did you approach writing these difficult relationships and bringing authenticity to the intricate dynamics at play?
I’m an actor and so I find it easy to be emotionally honest and connect to a situation that is different from my own. But I also drew on my own experience – I think most women can relate to having been in a relationship that the post-2016 world would call toxic, and we’ve all watched a friend go through it. And likewise, we’ve all been in positions where we have been the villain and hurt someone. If you’re asking your reader to connect, then you, as a writer, need to do the same. You can’t be afraid to go to those uncomfortable, embarrassing, painful places. I approached the dynamics as honestly as I could with the tools that I had.
What do you hope readers will take away from What It’s Like in Words?
Whatever they would like – but hopefully something!
Your novel has drawn comparisons to authors like Sally Rooney and Lily King. Are there any writers you’ve been enjoying recently?
I've always loved Sally Rooney. I am a huge fan of Emily St. John Mandel. I really enjoyed Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan. And Luster by Raven Leilani was extraordinary.
What top tips do you have for the aspiring authors reading this?
Find what works for you. Some people edit as they go. Some get it all down and then go back. Some plan and others start, and see where it takes them. Some read for inspiration, others (of which I am one) can’t read while they’re writing. There is no correct way to write a novel; it all ends with you, your mind and your computer. Block out the noise and listen to your instincts.
And finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
I am currently editing book two and in the middle of remembering how much a book demands!
Get your hands on a copy of What It's Like in Words.
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