How Erin Hahn Sits Down & Writes
Erin Hahn's second novel 'More Than Maybe' is delightfully swoony, incredibly romantic, and makes for the perfect summer read.
Growing up in his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.
Vada’s got a five-year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out of this world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?
In More Than Maybe, Erin Hahn’s swooniest book yet, Luke and Vada must decide how deep their feelings run and what it would mean to give love a try.
More Than Maybe is perfect for fans of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn and The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour.
We chatted with Erin about finding inspiration in documentaries and movies, creating soundtracks for each character, and needing to do the dishes before sitting down to write.
Q: Where do you like to write the most?
Hm. That depends on where I’m at in the process… I like to draft anywhere that’s NOT my desk or my office, but when I’m revising or going through line/copy edits, I need the structure of my desk and the silence of my home office to concentrate.
Q: When do you like to write the most?
I’m a daytime writer. 100%. Usually starting just before lunchtime and wrapping up before or just after dinner. I really try to sit down for meals with my family, so I’ll only miss those if I’m really hitting up against a deadline.
Q: When it comes to drafting, do you prefer writing on a computer or freehand?
I like to do character sketches and outlines in my notebooks and by hand. I’ll also fill them with song lyrics that apply to specific characters during specific scenes. I switch to computer when I’m ready to put words on the page.
Q: Are you more of a plotter or pantser?
I like to come up with a very detailed plot and then completely ignore it when my characters take me someplace better. Then, I’ll become more organized towards the end of my story just to make sure I keep on track with pacing and tie up all my loose ends. Since I write dual POV, I also have to make sure the right character is getting to showcase their POV for the right scene.
Q: Stephen King has a great line in On Writing that says “the scariest moment is always right before you start. After that, things can only get better.” That scary pre-start moment often inspires procrastination in writers. Suddenly, you have to clean your entire house, do the laundry and play Candy Crush for an hour before you can actually start writing. Is there anything you need to do before you can actually sit down and work?
Dishes! I can’t think straight if there are dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink. I also tend to tidy up the house, but since the pandemic has kept my entire family home with me, I’ve had to loosen up on those rules or I’d never sit down to write. ☺
Q: Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what music? Is your choice of music inspired by the project you’re working on?
I sure do. I listen to music while I daydream, while I create characters, while I draft and revise… at every step, music, music, music, always. Each main character has their own soundtrack and then the book has a soundtrack/playlist. If you want to hear the soundtrack I’ve put together for More Than Maybe, it’s up on Spotify. Just search “More Than Maybe a novel by Erin Hahn”. If I mentioned a song or artist in the book, it’s in the playlist!
Q: Some writers believe you have to write every single day. Is that true of your process? How often do you write/how long for each session?
Nah. I’ve done NaNoWriMo and won, so I get that mindset. It works! But, for me, it also creates burnout. I like to binge write my drafts, so I’ll write nearly every day for a month or so, for 4-6 hours a day until I finish and then take a month or so off as people read. Then I’ll get the draft back and do it again, for maybe a week or two until it’s finished. I’ll repeat that process for every round of revision until my editor says we’re done!
But I will concede that in order to binge write, I need to be ready to go. So I’ll spend a month before opening my laptop, creating playlists and writing character sketches and all that background work. I consider those things to be just as vital as writing words. It’s all a part of the process. Sometimes daydreaming out the window is writing. Sometimes watching a movie is writing!
Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give an aspiring author?
Read! Read everything. Consume the art so you can produce the art.
Q: Where do you normally find story inspiration?
Anywhere. You’d Be Mine was inspired by a documentary about country music. More Than Maybe was inspired by the movie Empire Records. My next book, Never Saw You Coming was inspired by my own experiences growing up during the purity push in evangelical Christianity. My one after that was inspired by watching bull riders a few years ago in a bar. I’m writing an adult book inspired by the Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake split and my love of HGTV shows…
I’m all over the place. ☺
Q: In More Than Maybe, there are so many good music references. How much of that came from your own musical taste?
All of it. I’ve always had a completely eclectic love of music, so it was easy to plug that into the story! My interests crossed generations from Phil’s 90s grunge and Charlie’s 80s punk rock down to Meg’s Christian music and Cullen’s glam rock!
Q: One of your protagonists, Vada, describes music with such vivid details, like when she describes 2000s screamo as "black licorice, bondage pants, the smell of Sharpies, and broken glass," which is super spot on. How do you go about writing the details for those types of descriptions?
I’m so glad you think it was spot on! That was just me playing around with what I imagined those things to be. A lot of Vada’s musical observation comes from my personal experience.
Q: While More Than Maybe has two main protagonists, there is a wide cast of characters who make the story colorful. Aside from Luke and Vada, who was your favorite character to write?
I loved everyone but writing the dinner scenes at the Greenly house has a special place in my heart. I love Charlie and Iris Greenly and how flirty and embarrassing they were! I had a blast writing those moments.
Q: More Than Maybe had more than a few swoony moments. You created such a dream guy in Luke Greenly. I wish I could hear "Break for You" live! If you could imagine any real-life singer/songwriter performing that song, who would it be?
Shawn Mendes. Whenever I imagined Luke’s singing voice, I pictured the stage presence and look of Tom Odell but the voice of Shawn Mendes.
Q: What's the last book that kept you up until past your bedtime?
Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin Van Whyte was wonderfully swoony and sweet. I finished it in a day and immediately reread!
Pick up your copy of More Than Maybe at Indiebound.org, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org.
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