"I THOUGHT SOMEONE SHOULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THEM AND THEN THOUGHT- WHY NOT ME?": BLESS YOUR HEART'S LEIGH DUNLAP

Leigh Dunlap took time off as a working screenwriter for her debut novel Bless You Heart. It puts a homicide Detective Shay Claypool and her partner Dub into the upscale Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead where one of the leading citizens has been found bludgeoned to death on the little league field he coached. They must navigate a society of dysfunctional housewives and exes with plenty of secrets. Leigh was kind enough to take some questions about the book and about switching to novel writing.

SCOTT MONTGOMERY: What made the ladies of Buckhead the subject for your first book?

LEIGH DUNLAP: I lived in Buckhead for about ten years, and I loved the idea that these “Buckhead Betties” existed. They are, essentially, the “Karens” of Buckhead, which itself is the Beverly Hills of Atlanta. I thought that someone needed to write a book about them and then thought—why not me? It’s fun to write about people behaving badly but also try to find their humanity. To find what makes them different but then find how they aren’t all that different from everyone else.

S.M.: Which lady was the most fun to write for?

L.D.: Birdie Milton, hands down. She is unfiltered and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her, unlike most everyone else. There’s such freedom in that and it’s certainly a quality I lack! Writing about someone who will say anything to anyone is great fun. No pretense. No filter. I guess there was a bit of living vicariously through her.

S.M.: The relationship between Shay and Dub is so fun. How did you go about constructing it?

L.D.: I wanted to have these partners who are very different on the outside. One female, one male. One black, one white. One city, one country. One liberal, one conservative. At first glance, they would seem to have nothing in common, but in the end, their similarities, especially as decent and kind people, far outweigh any differences. A theme in the book is how we all prejudge one another. Shay and Dub are beyond that, at least between the two of them, and it was nice to have them as an example of how two opposites could get along just fine.

S.M.:What drew you to the two different timelines?

L.D.: It was just how the story presented itself to me. It felt like a good opportunity to keep the reader a little off kilter. Shay and Dub have to discover what happened. They have to construct that from the stories they hear about the past. I wanted the reader in their shoes a bit. Maybe you think you’re settled on one track and then realize we’re headed in a different direction. I like how different timelines shine different lights on events.

S.M.: What did you enjoy the most about turning to prose?

L.D.: Honestly, sometimes it was a struggle. As a screenwriter, I have to give the most information using the least amount of words. So when I was tired I’d often think, “Why can’t I just say, SHAY FINDS A BODY?” and leave it at that. Readers will get it! But a book isn’t a script. It didn’t take long to get the rhythm of it, though, and then it was just fun. There were so many words to work with. My mind expanded to meet them, and I loved arranging them. 

S.M.: This being your first novel, did you look to any influences or just build on your script skills?

L.D.: Novel writing feels like a second language. I hadn’t written prose in any meaningful way since high school. Screenwriting is definitely my first language. It’s my default. I don’t know that I could write without thinking of the structure of a script. My mind automatically organizes to that template.  I hope, as in learning any new language, that I become more and more fluent as time goes on. We’ll see. And as the screenwriter in me would end this…

FADE OUI