Bonnet-free Christian authors

Last year, I was delighted to meet Anne Dayton of the writing duo Anne and May.  The thing I love about Anne is that, when you first meet her, you just think, “Wow, she seems really sweet.”  And then, out of nowhere, her sense of humor breaks free and you realize she’s this ninja of hilarity who will make you laugh your head off when you least expect it .  So, of course, I had to start reading the Anne and May books, which are every bit as sweet and funny as their authors.  Thought you might enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek at how these two best friends create such cool books.   

Ginger:  Did you guys pretty much create the Christian chick lit genre? What drew you to that particular niche?

Anne and May:  It’s tough to say who created the Christian chick lit genre. We were working on our first book Emily Ever After at the same time others were working on their own books. The truth is, it was a great idea and many of us were racing to get a book into the stores. We wanted to write a story that captured the experience of an urban Christian in a fresh, frank way and this new genre gave us the perfect framework to explore it. No more buggies and bonnets! We wanted our heroine to live in NYC, wear the latest fashions, and deal with modern-day dilemmas.

Ginger:  You both seem so funny and cool.  Your books read as though you had the best time writing them.  What’s the experience like, collaborating with your BFF?  Do you crack each other up all the time, or are there times when you disagree about the way the book should go?  If you do ever disagree, how do you work it out?

Anne and May:  We have loved working together and it’s always gone very smoothly because of a rule we laid down in one of our very first writing sessions: no pride. The friendship came first and we both had complete freedom to change or edit each other’s work. If deleting a chapter one of us had slaved over made for a stronger book, then we’d do it.  Making these tough decisions and focusing on what’s really important has always been the key to our working relationship. Plus, we have a ton of mutual respect for each other and highly value each other’s opinions.

Ginger:  How do you collaborate when you live so far apart?

Anne and May:  Thank God for cell phone plans with free nights and weekends! Ha! Collaborating on novels when we live on opposite coasts is a little difficult but completely doable thanks to modern technology. Each week we have “writing group” on the phone, during which we discuss what will happen in the next section of our book. We agree on the finer details and then one of us writes that section. The following week, the other one will edit over her work and then add on a new section. Editing over each other’s work and swapping back and forth helps us create a clean manuscript with one voice.

Ginger:   Are people ever surprised that Christian books can be so much fun? What’s the reaction been like from folks who think of Christians only as stone-faced serious…or boring…or nuts?

Anne and May:  Well, we both deal with Christian stereotypes every day of our lives, thanks to living in New York City and San Francisco, respectively. I suppose we just try to be patient and show people that there many different kinds of Christians and that we’re not just one homogeneous bunch. But you’re right. In our books, we do poke fun at Christian culture now and then and we hope that our readers laugh along with us. We think Jesus had a sense of humor and there’s no reason Christians can’t lighten up a little and remember to chuckle at ourselves.

Ginger:  You guys started out writing for women.  What made you want to write novels for teens?

Anne and May:  Junior high and high school were really important times for learning about and growing in faith for both of us, and these are the kinds of books that we would have wanted to read when we were going through it all. High school is so rich with opportunities for showing God at work. Plus, we both had plenty of embarrassing memories from high school, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make some of them count for something!

Ginger:  Where did the idea for the Miracle Girls series originate?

Anne and May:  I was reading through the now-defunct magazine Sweet Sixteen, put out by Guideposts, and I was reading a true story about a girl who was in a car accident and should have died but got another chance at life. I started to wonder what it would be like to live with the knowledge that you were a walking, talking, real-live miracle. And then I started to wonder what would happen if you met three other girls who had similar experiences. What would it be like to know that God called the four of you for a reason? The idea kind of spun out from there.

Ginger:   Who’s your favorite Miracle Girl and why?

Anne and May:  It’s not really fair to pick favorites, but I (Anne) have always felt a strange connection to Ana. She’s probably the most like me—or the me I was in high school anyway. And May has always had a fondness for witty, sarcastic Christine.

Ginger:   What’s next for Anne and May?

Anne and May:  The fourth book in the Miracle Girls series comes out in April. After that… who knows? We’re just waiting to see where God leads us right now.

Ginger:  Thanks for the chat!

Anne and May:  Thanks so much for the chance to visit, Ginger, and congratulations on Brand-New Emily!