INTERVIEW
Patti Lee is an award-winning novelist who writes about the complexity of daily life. She started writing seriously after the age of 50 and finally published her first novel, Between February and November, in 2022 with RockHill Publishing. Her latest novel, Tanya, We Have a Problem, published this year, adopts a decidedly comic take on the messiness of relationships. Lee, who lives in southern Vermont in the United States, has a lived experience and instinctual approach to storytelling that results in relatable characters and emotionally engaging stories. She runs a small nonprofit, where she can indulge her love of spreadsheets and lists, and keeps her four cats and two dogs supplied with catnip and treats when she’s not writing or spending time with her grandkids. B Sudharsan, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Literary Harbinger, recently interviewed her via email. You can read the full interview, lightly edited for flow, below.
HARBINGER EXCLUSIVE
‘I Write Relatable Women’s Fiction’
B Sudharsan: It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms Lee. Let’s begin with a fairly straightforward question: when did you start writing?
Patti Lee: Though I’ve journaled on and off for years, I didn’t start writing until shortly after I turned 50. While I’d constantly make up stories in my head about people and/or situations, I didn’t start writing them down and really fleshing them out until 2019.
B Sudharsan: Could you tell us about your published works, how they came into being, and what your latest book, Tanya, We Have a Problem, is about?
Patti Lee: I write relatable women’s fiction, mostly focused on everyday situations that could happen to anyone, whether they lean into deep drama or lighter humor. I started writing my debut novel, Between February and November, shortly after I turned 50. I had a few character ideas floating around, and once I actually decided to sit down and write, things just took off. Between February and November is an emotional drama following Layla Ranker, who unexpectedly catches her husband with another woman. As she struggles to figure out what went wrong, old wounds from the past are opened, and she has to figure out how to navigate the fallout. My latest book, Tanya, We Have a Problem, is definitely on the comedic side! It opens right in the middle of the mess, with Tanya waking up in bed only to realize the man sleeping next to her isn’t her husband, Bill. That crazy situation is all thanks to a throwaway comment Bill made earlier about updating his wardrobe, which convinced Tanya he was cheating. Desperate to prove it, she recruits her best friend Bonnie for a series of stakeouts and zany traps that quickly spiral out of control. It’s a funny, heart-filled journey about navigating the messiness of relationships, self-discovery, and finding out what’s really worth saving.
‘I Want My Characters to Come Alive on the Page’
B Sudharsan: Both your novels begin with compelling situations involving relationships. When developing a story from such a premise, how much of the plot and characters do you know beforehand, and how much do you allow to emerge as you write?
Patti Lee: I describe myself as a panster (one who flies by the seat of their pants as a writer) as opposed to a plotter, and the more I’ve written, the more this is reinforced. I may have an idea of a character or how I want a story to end, but the story unfolds throughout the writing process and often changes as the characters develop.
B Sudharsan: You’ve mentioned that you’re a pantser and that you let your stories and characters develop organically as you write. Given how important it is for you to create vivid characters, which authors have influenced or inspired your storytelling approach?
Patti Lee: I admire authors like Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Weiner, Jodi Picoult, and Diana Gabaldon. I recently rediscovered Diana Gabaldon and really appreciate her ability to write scenes in such a way that the reader has a clear vision of the surroundings as well as what’s happening with the characters internally. As a reader, I love to get invested in characters. As a writer, I want my characters to come alive on the page, much like what the authors mentioned above are able to accomplish in their work.
B Sudharsan: Has your writing routine evolved over the years as you’ve gotten more experienced and as life has progressed?
Patti Lee: When I started writing in 2019, I used to write early in the morning and late at night—I was a card-carrying member of the #5AMWritersClub. Since then, my life has become busier, and now I write when I feel inspired or have the capacity while at the same time having dedicated time to write.
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‘Becoming an Author Wasn’t Something I Thought About Until I Hit 50’
B Sudharsan: Please tell us a little about where you are based, your educational background, and the learning that prepared you for the craft of writing.
Patti Lee: I currently live in southern Vermont, where I’ve been for almost 40 years after moving here from Connecticut when my kids were very young. As for my education, I finished high school in 1986 and later took some college courses in child development while working in a preschool. But what really prepared me to be a writer was living life, observing people, and telling stories about them to myself. When I decided to get serious about writing, I dove into a lot of self-directed craft research, studying books on writing by Stephen King and Anne Lamott and taking online MasterClasses.
B Sudharsan: Did becoming an author itself feel like a conscious decision, or did it happen more organically?
Patti Lee: I wouldn’t call it a conscious decision or a childhood dream. It wasn’t something I really thought about until I hit 50. I realized I had these characters and stories knocking around in my brain, and I decided it was time to write them down. Once I started, the process took on a momentum of its own, and getting published became the natural next goal.
B Sudharsan: Your writing, I am given to understand, developed alongside a full-time career and family life. How do you balance those responsibilities while continuing to pursue your creative work?
Patti Lee: I manage a statewide nonprofit full time, and it’s pretty demanding at times, so writing has to fit around the rest of my life. Since I don’t have a set writing schedule, sometimes I write a lot and sometimes life gets in the way. I’ve learned to be okay with that because I know I’ll always come back to it. Outside of writing, I like to read, listen to music, and, admittedly, watch way too much reality TV. I’m also a big fan of spending time with my family and our pets. I think having those other interests is important because they give me a break and sometimes a little inspiration too.
‘Don’t Let Your Inner Critic Talk You Out of Writing’
B Sudharsan: What can you tell us about the stories you are currently working on, and how do they differ from your published novels?
Patti Lee: I have a couple of works in progress. One is a novel about four lifelong friends whose relationship gets fractured when an affair comes to light. Friendship turns fragile, and each woman must decide what, and who, is worth forgiving. The other started as a psychological thriller, and the more I wrote, the more I found myself in a dark funk. I’m thinking that genre may not be for me. I do love the main character, Imogene, so I’m waiting until she tells me what she wants to do. I’d like to spend more time writing, but I’ve got to keep the lights on, so until I retire, I will continue to be a part-time author.
B Sudharsan: Having experienced the uncertainty of establishing yourself as a writer, what would you say to authors who lose motivation when their work receives rejection or fails to perform as they had hoped?
Patti Lee: Just write, and don’t let your inner critic talk you out of it. Treat rejection feedback as free coaching, refine your query when it’s not clicking, and keep honing your craft. My own path took roughly 35 queries, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of refusal to quit. When that ‘yes’ finally lands, every bit of persistence pays off.
B Sudharsan: Your fiction deals with human conduct and the choices that people make. What is a bigger change you want to see in the world?
Patti Lee: If I could change one thing, I think it would be for people to be accepting of each other regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, background, income, looks, or gender.
‘Hope My Stories Give Readers a Chance to Laugh’
B Sudharsan: What does a typical day in your life look like, and where does storytelling fit into it?
Patti Lee: Boring, haha! I still get up between 4:30 and 5:30 AM. Because I work full-time, my days are a blend of professional responsibilities and keeping up with home life. Writing happens whenever I can carve out space—usually in those early morning hours when the house is still quiet. Even when I’m not actively typing, I’m usually letting characters and story ideas simmer in the back of my mind while I go about my routine.
B Sudharsan: Do you speak or write in any languages besides English?
Patti Lee: I don’t fluently speak any other languages, though I do recall quite a bit of my middle-school Spanish—props to Ms. Mioti!
B Sudharsan: Before we wrap up, what do you want to say to readers who might be discovering your work for the first time?
PL: If you love relatable women’s fiction filled with humor, heart, and the everyday moments we all navigate, I’d love for you to check out my books! My debut novel, Between February and November, and my newest release, Tanya, We Have a Problem, are both available now through RockHill Publishing and major booksellers online, like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Most of all, I just hope my stories give readers a chance to laugh, feel understood, and escape into a good book. I love connecting with readers, so please feel free to visit my website at pattileewriter.com or join me on Facebook at facebook.com/PattiLeeAuthorPage. Thank you so much for reading!
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Just write, and don’t let your inner critic talk you out of it. Treat rejection feedback as free coaching, refine your query when it’s not clicking, and keep honing your craft. My own path took roughly 35 queries, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of refusal to quit. When that ‘yes’ finally lands, every bit of persistence pays off.
~ PATTI LEE
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