SL Woeppel is a Booklife Prize Finalist for her debut novel Flipping the Birdie. Her second novel The Butcher and The Liar was released in September. She’s lived all over the US, loves to travel and her greatest inspiration in writing is an atmospheric setting.
The Butcher and the Liar plot synopsis
At 35, Daisy Bellon runs a butcher shop in a forgotten corner of Chicago, maintaining her father’s trade, but keeping his grisly legacy buried–until an anonymous letter slices the past wide open.
At nine, Daisy stumbled upon her father dismembering a woman in their basement, and became his reluctant accomplice. From that night on, his victim’s ghost has haunted her. Only her childhood friend Caleb–and the lies she spun to create the illusion of normalcy–kept her tethered to hope as she spiraled deeper into her father’s darkness.
But days after the letter upends her world, someone close to Daisy is brutally murdered in a chillingly familiar way. Forced to confront the truth about her family and herself, she must decide whether to finally expose the secrets she’s hidden–or become the monster she’s always feared.
The interview
Why do you write in the genres that you do?
My characters and their stories are varied and so I will write them in whatever vein they demand to be told. My first published novel, Flipping the Birdie, was a romcom with humor, satire and snark. My second book, The Butcher and The Liar, is upmarket with heavy psychological thriller vibes.
Both have a touch of magical realism. Maybe my genre is upmarket magical realism with thrillstery and/or romance vibes.
Do you have a muse?
Places are my muse. I find that in each of the 13 places I’ve lived, across five states, there is a uniqueness about each one, a tone and energy. Setting is, for me, always a primary character. Inspiration for my novels is almost always sparked by location, then character(s), then the story unfolds.
Reading is also a muse for me. Authors who write beautiful, gut-wrenching, or edge of my seat fiction continuously inspire me to keep going.
Are you more of a fan of plot-driven stories or character-driven stories?
I enjoy both -but plot is essential. Character driven with limited plot is sometimes hard for me to fully engage with.
Fill in the blank: “People will like your book if they like stories about…”
People will like my book if they like stories about the duality of people, secrets, empowerment, redemption, and falling in love – also if they like twists, angst, and elements of magical realism.
What are your thoughts on typewriters?
When I was little, my big sister typed her school papers on a typewriter. I thought that was so cool as she sat there with a bottle of white out. A few years ago, steampunk art was becoming popular, where artists would take old things like corded phones and typewriters and such and turn them into art pieces.
I thought maybe I wanted a typewriter one to display – because I’m a writer. But then I thought I didn’t want to be that person who accumulates things. My home remains typewriter free as of now.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
A limited HBO series of course.
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
I am likely one of few who doesn’t care for audiobooks. I never enjoy the book as much as if I were to read it myself. I believe I have a touch (or a hefty does) of misophonia, so little things can be aggravating, like when narrators switch from one character to another – it takes me out of the story.
I suppose I prefer my own imagination. Although I did recently listen to Broken Country on a long road trip. I really enjoyed it – probably something to do with the British accent of the narrator.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I do a lot of my writing in a single chair in my house. I listen to music. I drink coffee.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of greatest/inspirational authors?
Like Mount Rushmore – I’m going to say the names of the authors who have left the most impact on me at one stage or another in my writing. They include Baroness Orczy, Tarryn Fisher, Amy Harmon, and Steven King.
What is your favorite bookish possession?
My Kindle. It’s my baby. I’d be lost without it.
What is the most unique way that an idea for a piece of writing has come to you.
Flipping the Birdie was originally inspired by a scene from the movie, Mallrats. In this scene, Brody meets his hero, Stan Lee, and all he talks about is the technical issues of Superman engaging in coitus with Lois Lane, given their genetic make-ups.
I flipped the notion to be a female superhero with a tone of feminist empowerment in my book. It evolved from there, but that is how it started.
Are you a big reader? Do you own a large collection of books, or are you more of a borrower?
Because I have moved 13 times, I can’t accumulate lots of paperbacks. I also love to read in bed, so I’ve become a Kindle reader primarily. I take my sister’s paperbacks that she’s done with before passing them on to the next person. And of course, I love Libby!
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
I love to travel and have done quite a bit of it, but I usually don’t have time to write during those trips. I think I’d love to write a book while taking an RV trip across the states.
What is an annoying thing that a non-writer has assumed about writers or the act of writing?
Oh, this is a good one. Flipping the Birdie is about a superhero who must reconcile her traditionally masculine superpowers with her own femininity, all while in the process of falling in love. It’s a comedy and it has some spice.
A couple friends/acquaintances have said to me that they enjoyed the book but couldn’t help but picture me and my partner during the spicy scenes. WHAT? So weird.
This is a superhero we are talking about. She has nothing in common with me, nor her partner with mine. So, it was strange to me that this was an issue. Spice in fiction is still, in fact, fiction, people.
How do you measure the success of your writing career?
I just hope people read it and enjoy it, so I have an excuse to keep writing.
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