Katie Cicatelli-Kuc (CHICKATELLI-KOOTS) is a writer, editor, and content consultant. Katie spent over a decade working for children’s books publishers as an in-house copy editor and production editor before becoming a full-time writer. She writes books for young children and teens, and short stories and essays for adults. Born in the Midwest and raised in the Midwest and Florida, Katie now lives in a yellow house next to a mountain in the Hudson Valley with her family and their animals. Her new book, Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice is due out August 6, 2024.
SE: What inspired you to write “Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice”, and how did the idea for the book come about?
KCK: My editor cleverly came up with the idea of a character who lives in a New England town and works in a coffee shop but strongly dislikes pumpkin spice lattes. He and I brainstormed further and were able to create a synopsis for how we thought the story should play out, which includes a crush, rival coffee shops, and unfortunately for our main character, lots and lots of pumpkin spice lattes.
My first two novels are about infectious diseases (the first one, Quarantine, I wrote and published way before Covid!), and we wanted to do something completely different this time around. We really wanted to go for a cozy, Gilmore Girls-ish story that embraces all the things everyone loves about fall. Autumn is my favorite season, and I live in an area that is gorgeous when the leaves change, and I love seasonal beverages, so this was a really fun project to plan and write.
SE: Can you describe the main themes of “Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice” and what you hope readers will take away from the story?
KCK: It’s a very fun, lighthearted book, but I did try to incorporate some other thematic elements that I hope readers will pick up on. I really wanted to illustrate the closeness of Lucy and her mom, and the importance of teen relationships with their parents or guardians. I made it clear that her mom is single by choice, and I think readers need to see more of this kind of family dynamic. I wanted Lucy to have some self-discoveries in the story too, as she realizes she needs to think about what she wants to do in her life, and not what she thinks other people want her to do. She realizes that while she loves her job she needs an identity and interests separate from the coffee shop. Lucy also has moments where she recognizes the importance of remaining “present” and mindful, which I think is something all of us struggle with.
SE: Were there any particular challenges you faced while writing “Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice”, and how did you overcome them?
KCK: I was being treated for cancer while I wrote this book. The book was such a warm, happy escape, and writing is one of the things that got me through treatment. On chemotherapy days, I’d often be at my cancer center for hours, so I brought my laptop with me. When I was feeling nervous or scared or sick I could visit Briar Glen and hang out at Cup o’ Jo with Lucy.
SE: Your writing process seems to be quite organic and non-linear. Can you share more about how you approach writing a novel and how this method influences your storytelling?
KCK: Sure! I usually create a loose outline of how I want the story to go. I make sure my first few chapters are strong and headed in the direction my editor likes, which sometimes requires revisions. After that…nothing I write is in chronological order! Since I’m usually following an outline, I can write later scenes in a book before I deal with earlier parts of the book. I always write the ending early on in my drafting. This gives me a way to guide the characters and their actions–like they’re trying to reach a goal of sorts–since I know how I want the story to end.
SE: How do you balance your roles as a freelance copy editor, proofreader, and author? Do these different aspects of your career influence each other?
KCK: I spent most of my career working in children’s book publishing as a copy editor and proofreader, writing in my spare time. I loved what I did, but I wanted to be on the other side of things, as a writer. Once I had my daughter (eight years ago now!) I left my full-time publishing job and was a freelance copy editor and proofreader, and eventually a freelance writer. When I work on my first drafts, I try to tell the copy editor voice in my head to be quiet, and to just write and worry about grammatical mistakes later, but it can be a hard voice to ignore! When I review copy editors’ work, I’m still astounded (and sometimes embarrassed!) by the mistakes the copy editors find in my writing. I try to detach a bit and read my first passes as a proofreader, looking for things I looked for in other writers’ work (repeated words or phrases is one thing I fixate on), but it still often feels quite surreal! Now I use most of my professional time for writing and don’t do much freelance proofreading and copyediting anymore, but I’m still the first person to point out a typo on a menu, on a sign, on a box of cereal, or really, anywhere.
SE: What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are struggling to find their own writing routine or process?
KCK: Don’t feel you have to set some rigid schedule where you must write for a certain amount of hours certain days of the week at a certain place. Some writers do great when they work this way, but others don’t (including me!). Sometimes I write for hours on my couch; other times I might write at a coffee shop for an hour or two; sometimes when I’m home I walk past my laptop and think of something I want to write, and I’ll spend a few minutes writing what has just popped into my head. It took me a while to accept it, but it seems that my writing routine is that I don’t have one!
Interview: SHELF ESCAPE
