We asked Lily Braun-Arnold to share a little about her writing process and the inspiration behind her debut novel The Last Bookstore on Earth. Read on to hear about her many hidden talents!
Congratulations on your debut novel! What are a few things you would like readers to know about you and your writing?
So many things! But, in order to keep my answer concise, I’ll offer a short list.
1. Like my main character, Liz, I love my local bookstore! I had the pleasure of working at my local indie, Watchung Booksellers, throughout high school and return as often as I can when I’m not in school. (They’ll never get rid of me!)
2. I’m a musical theater enthusiast and have been doing theater for over a decade (to varying levels of success). My top three musicals are probably Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Cabaret, although Titanic and Illinoise have been recent favorites.
3. I play eight instruments! I was a band kid in high school and remain a band kid in college. I play trombone in my school’s wind ensemble, but I also play piano, drums, sousaphone, tuba, ukulele, guitar, and electric bass.
4. I’m a proud New Jerseyite, which I hope shines through in The Last Bookstore. Although I spent the first ten years of my life in New York City, I consider New Jersey my home state.
What gave you the inspiration to write a post-apocalyptic book?
I find the apocalypse incredibly comforting, and because of this, it’s my favorite type of media to consume. If some semblance of life can go on after the worst thing imaginable happens, then maybe what I’m dealing with isn’t the end of the world (no pun intended). My apocalyptic addiction started in 2020 when I binge watched The 100 in five days—not my proudest moment. After that, I was hooked on anything remotely adjacent to the end-times and my obsession quickly seeped into my writing as well.
Where would you want to hunker down during an apocalypse? Would it be a bookstore like characters Liz and Maeve?
At home! Unlike Liz and Maeve, I don’t think I’d be able to leave my house. I need to be near my bookshelves, my comic book collection, and my various musical instruments. I’m a highly sentimental person, so I don’t think I’d be able to leave that all behind. Hopefully, I’d be able to turn it into something self-sustaining . . . although I might have to rip up my dad’s prized garden in order to grow some food!
What is your favorite romance trope, and what is a trope you hope to write about in the future?
My favorite romance trope is probably when a character is in disguise but falls in love anyway and has to reveal their true identity. The first example that comes to mind is Rosalind and Orlando from As You Like It, when Rosalind has to disguise herself as a man to escape into the forest of Arden. I just love the tension that it provides! I’d love to write something along the lines of best friends to lovers in the future.
What makes a great bookstore?
A great staff of booksellers, hands down. A bookstore is only as strong as the people who work there. They’re the ones ordering stock, choosing staff picks, creating displays, making recommendations, and running events. They’re the ones you interact with when you’re looking for the perfect gift for a friend, or doing last minute holiday shopping, or trying to find your next favorite book. I am very lucky to know a host of incredibly passionate booksellers who work together to run a great bookstore.
How do you balance college and writing? Do you have any advice for other students who want to write?
My college-writing balance tends to be a slightly haphazard one. College, of course, is on a strict schedule—there are set times when I have to be in class, or at rehearsal, or in meetings. My writing time, though, is self-scheduled and so I jam it in wherever I can. More often than not, that tends to be between 9pm and 1am, but also can be during lunch breaks, backstage during a performance, or occasionally even during class (Sorry, professors!). My biggest piece of advice for students—or really anyone—who wants to write is to tell someone else about what you’re working on. I know it seems absolutely terrifying! But finding a friend, family member, professor, or roommate who cares about your work and might ask you every once and a while for an update on what you’re working on is a great way to hold yourself accountable.
