Interview with Author, Brittany Goodwin
I had the opportunity to interview author, Brittany Goodwin. Ms. Goodwin was gracious enough to talk to me about her life, her book: if you're gone, and much more. If you would like to know more information about Ms. Goodwin and her book, if you're gone, please visit her website here.
1. How did you exactly come up with the story for "if you’re gone"?
I first imagined the story for If You’re Gone when I was a kid, and wrote an early draft of the story as a teenager. I honestly couldn’t tell you where the initial idea for the characters came from, it just seemed to pop into my head, but it developed from a simple love story into the mystery it is now! In the original manuscript the missing person aspect was a small portion of the plot, but as my interest in missing persons cases grew, I knew that was the direction I wanted to take the book in!
2. Was anything that you ever learned from Missing Persons blogs or any other type of research/knowledge you knew or discovered about missing people, incorporated into the novel?
Absolutely! The story of Brad’s disappearance isn’t based on any one particular case, but the main idea came from the thousands of cases where eighteen-year-olds, particularly males, go missing but their disappearances aren’t taken seriously. It is very common for law enforcement to classifying legal adults as voluntarily missing when there is no obvious evidence of a crime. I wanted to shed light on the subject and raise awareness for the pain that is experienced by people whose loved ones are missing, whether they are gone voluntarily or not.
3. What is your favorite part about writing?
Discovery. I love walking away from a chapter and coming back a little while later only to re-read it and think “I forgot I wrote that!”. There’s nothing quite like re-discovering your own work, and sometimes realizing it’s better than you thought. J
4. Why did you decide to include the deleted scene option to the end of your book?
The deleted scene was very important to me, because it provided a little more closure than the book ending and came full circle with a few aspects of the story (no spoilers!). Some readers (and my editor!) prefer the book ending, where others want more, so I opted to include it on my website. Including the “deleted scene” also pays homage to my film background, which makes the last page in the book feel like a DVD menu with more options!
5. Would you like to write another book some day?
Oh yes. I am working on two manuscripts now, one YA book that is being published by Edge of 22, and a NA novel that I plan to shop around! I’ve been bitten by the bug, for sure.
6. If you were/are going to be publishing another book, would you like to have it be about missing people like with "if you’re gone"?
Maybe, just maybe my new YA novel is a missing persons story… perhaps it is even a sequel to If You’re Gone. Just maybe!
7. The main character, Lillian, makes many difficult and risky decisions when trying to discover the truth about her boyfriend, Brad’s, whereabouts. Do you feel you would take similar risk if someone you loved was missing and authorities were not doing much to help?
It’s impossible to know for sure, but I assume my answer would be a big, fat, yes. If someone I loved disappeared I imagine my life would stop until I had answers. I’m very grateful to have never been in that situation, and pray for those that have and continue to be.
8. Have you ever come across or heard of a case in your life similar to Brad’s in the book?
I follow over a dozen cases where young men over the age of eighteen have disappeared without a trace, often where their cases were initially denied or dismissed by the police. It is terrifying yet fascinating to think that a person can just vanish, especially when that person is a athletically fit young man who would seem capable of stopping any harm that may come to him. The main difference between Brad’s story and the cases I follow is that after several months, Lillian is able to find answers. For many families, their sons or brothers have been gone for years, or decades, and they are still seeking closure.
9. You are a filmmaker as well as a published author, did you feel like you were easily able to step into the role of a writer when you decided to write your first book? Was there anything that you felt you took from being a filmmaker and were able to use, like a certain skill, when writing a book for first time?
I foolishly thought writing a novel would be easier than writing a screenplay, but for me the process was equally difficult for different reasons. I enjoy writing screenplays because so much of the writing revolves around dialogue, and I rely on the cinematographer to set the scene on film. But writing a novel requires that the author describe every necessary detail verbally instead of visually, which is challenging but ultimately rewarding because I control every little piece of the puzzle! One skill I took away from screenwriting is knowing the formula for a story to flow smoothly- finding those places for ups and downs that keep the reader (or viewer) interested.
10. I saw that you watch many ID (Investigation Discovery) channel shows, what are some of your favorites?
Oh, how I love ID Channel! (Yes, I am watching it as I answer these questions) My absolute favorite is Disappeared (surprise, surprise) but I also watch endless episodes of 20/20, Dateline, Web of Lies, See No Evil, etc. Basically if the TV is on in my house, it’s on ID!
