Monica Wood is an award-winning novelist, short story writer and playwright.
Though she sums up her work with a more evocative phrase: “ink-stained wretch.”
For three decades, the Mexico (Maine) native and current Portland resident has spent her days writing about love and friendship, faith and defiance, loss and redemption. Her storytelling has been praised for both its grace and authenticity.
Some of Wood’s most well-known works include “When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine,” which won a number of awards and made O, The Oprah Magazine’s 2012 summer reading list, and the play “Papermaker,” which was produced by Portland Stage Company last year.
Her latest book, “The One-in-a-Million Boy,” comes out April 5 and is already receiving acclaim from critics.
She’s one of Maine’s most notable writers. Just don’t ask her for the scoop on Stephen King.
Name: Monica Wood
Age: 62
Town: Portland
Married/relationship/single: Married, but only for 38 years
Job: Ink-stained wretch
What did you want to be when you grew up? Either a French interpreter or a hair stylist.
Tell me about your latest book, “The One-in-a-Million Boy”: The story revolves around a friendship between a 104-year-old Lithuanian immigrant woman and an 11-year-old Boy Scout who convinces her to go for the Guinness record of oldest licensed driver. The boy has died as the story opens, and it’s his father — a feckless guitar player — who reluctantly agrees to finish his son’s commitment. It’s about friendship, family, music, grief and second chances.
How did you come up with the idea for it? Some stories arrive on their own. This was one of them.
Have you ever started writing a book that just wouldn’t work? Yes. This one. I spent four years on it and failed. Five years later I revised it and sold it literally overnight. Moral of the story: Be patient.
You worked on “Papermaker” with Portland Stage Company last year. How does writing a play differ from writing a book? With a play, you have actors rowing the boat with you. A novel means you’re alone in a cold black sea with nothing but a leaky raft and a broken whistle. And nobody cares if you drown.
What was it like seeing your characters alive and on stage? Thrilling. The best experience of my career.
What’s the (other) coolest, most amazing thing that’s happened so far in your career? I got to introduce Patriots’ legend Troy Brown last week at a book event. I nearly caught fire with glee.
The most challenging thing? The challenge is self-discipline. Most of the time I write when I don’t feel like it. The Muse sits on her backside most of the time, contrary to popular belief. You do all the heavy lifting for her, then once in a while – after she finishes her cigarette — she drifts by to offer an idea.
What are you currently reading? Every winter I read a classic. I just started “Vanity Fair” by (William Makepeace) Thackeray. Before that, I read “Patriot Pride” by Troy Brown and Mike Reiss.
Favorite book? Classic: “Middlemarch” by George Eliot. Contemporary: “Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro
Favorite writer? Too many to count, really. I read just about everything. Part of the job.
When you tell people you’re a writer from Maine, do they ask if you know Stephen King? ALL. THE. TIME.
Um. Do you know Stephen King? NO.
What’s one thing you wish you could tell all young writers? Turn off your phone. Text alerts are your enemy.
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