Q&A with Julie
What part of The Space Between You and Me was your favorite to write?
The relationships were so much fun. Naturally, the connection between Clem and Rico was first and foremost. They are a likely and unlikely pair and playing off the nuances of their relationship was satisfying. I also think the secondary characters of The Space Between You and Me made the world feel alive. I adore that Clem has such a sweet relationship with her guncle, Johnny, and how that played out in the third act. Pearson, Seb, and Renee represented the different versions of small-town living, which allows the reader to understand Clem’s stakes in different ways. A blast to write.
Were there any real-life Maine places that inspired the novel?
Yes, of course! So many spots.
Clem’s farm is built directly from the memory of my grandparent’s house in Windham, Maine. Every summer, my grandfather would invite us to his garden where we’d inspect the height of the corn, pluck a new carrot from the ground, or fill a bag of string beans for a Maine supper. My French nana’s focus was the flowers, just like Clem’s grandmother.
Way back, I was berry picker on a farm in Scarborough, Maine. I was an awful picker, but it was a true experience. I’ll never forget the feeling of the sun on my face, the cramping of my legs as I tried to fill a tray as quickly as possible, all while enjoying the amazing fragrance of the berries on the vine.
The setting is an imaginary town near Cherryfield, Maine, where the blueberry barrens live. If you get a chance, go! It’s beautiful country. I adore it.
You are a longtime educator and writing teacher with The Manuscript Academy, what is your go-to advice for writers?
Writing is a solitary endeavor. The first thing you must do is to find your people. In my opinion, knowing other writers is a common denominator of success. I’m biased but listen to publishing podcasts and going to conferences can jump-start the process. Learn how publishing folks—not only agents and editors, but also the marketing and business-minded people think—it’ll help you with every stage of the process. It’s cliché, but read, read, read.
If The Space Between You and Me were made into a movie, what would your dream cast be?
I gave this a great deal of thought while writing–not who might play a part—but focusing on creating characters an actor would love to play. Hollywood is a fickle place. Having characters with a little grit can make all the difference.
That being said, if I were to cast with any power, I’d could see Michael Cimino as Rico (Love Victor/Never Have I Ever). Odeya Rush (Let It Snow/Dangerous Waters) would be a super Clem.
What do you hope readers take away from your novel?
The Space Between You and Me is essentially a book about a bunch of teens, with all the typical teens wants and needs, constricted by the smallest of geography. But it’s the teens whose stakes are unlike the others that I’d love to the focus to be on. Eighteen is a magic number in our country—Poof! You’re an adult!—but are you really? There is so much more we could do as a country to support teens during this time. Maybe somehow, this could start conversation.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’m so curious about the nuances of French-Canadian culture and its legacy in Maine. In my family, culture was reduced to a single pork pie at Christmas and rumors of how hard it all was. What lasted was a deep appreciation of growing things and working as hard as you can. It’s curious to me. I kept thinking, what would happen to a character who felt this immense weight and then ended up trapped between her wants and needs, and her fathers. Once I placed all these ideas in the world we live in today, I found Clementine Fountaine. It’s been a pleasure to spend so much time with her.