Q&A with Carey Sass – Author Interview

Carey Sass is an author who understands the powerful connection between storytelling and emotion, creating narratives that resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the final page. In this Q&A interview, we chat with Sass about the inspiration behind Good Boy, the creative journey that brought the story to life and the experiences that have shaped their approach to writing. Honest, insightful and engaging, Carey offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of both the book and the author behind it.

Throughout our conversation, Carey Sass shares thoughts on character development, storytelling challenges and the themes that make Good Boy such a compelling read. From discussing the writing process to exploring what they hope readers take away from the story, this interview provides an authentic and personal glimpse into the mind of a talented author. Whether you’re already familiar with Good Boy or are searching for your next great read, this conversation offers plenty of insight and inspiration.

About The Author

Tell us more about you.

I’m a Millennial from rural Michigan with an MA in media theory. I used to do research on political messaging on social media before I began pursuing writing fiction full time. I’ve been writing angsty gay stories since middle school and Good Boy is my first actually finished and published novel. I don’t really have hobbies outside of writing, I’m either happily writing or crying and writhing around dramatically because I’m not writing. A mentor once told me I have a valuable writing voice because I have such a unique critical perspective, then clarified, “I don’t mean like critical thinking, I mean you like to criticize.”

What are the three items you’d take on a deserted island?

A survival guide, a harpoon, and as many water purification tabs as this hypothetical will allow.

Who is your biggest role model?

Greta Thunberg.

What is your favourite book and who is your favourite author?

My favorite book is Cosmos by Witold Gombrowicz.
My favorite author is JD Salinger.
Contemporarywise—I hang off every word Garth Greenwell writes.

Do you prefer e-books, physical books or audiobook?

I have an ocular disability that makes it not impossible but painful and arduous to read print books, so I’ll always go for an audiobook if it’s available. BUT if I like a book after reading it I’ll buy a physical copy to have on my shelf, trophylike.

Is writing your full-time profession or a hobby?

I don’t do anything besides write so it is full-time, but it doesn’t pay the bills (yet). I’m fortunate to be married to someone who is able to financially support my passion.

What social media platform do you like and use the most?

Links to my socials:

Your Writing Process

How do you go about starting a new novel?

Sometimes (rarely) I am in a very inspirable kind of mood and the tiniest pinprick of an experience will explode into a deluge of an idea. It might just be a quote or a tableau or a strong emotion or a “what if?” For example, with Good Boy, it started with something like a rejection message a friend received on a dating app. I thought, “God this is so rude, dating is so punishing, etc., etc.” I had a ton of thoughts on the subject and I wanted to write them, so I did. After that, I tried to flesh out a protagonist and to see if I could come up with something to happen next, some way to ground my whining. But to be honest, I don’t know if that’s repeatable. I’ve only done it successfully once, it will probably be different every time.

Where do you like to write?

I write almost exclusively lying prone in bed, laptop in front of me, tiny dog napping on my back.

What do you like most about writing?

I like surprising myself. Writing is how I figure things out. I like when it’s funny. I like having a space to put my most vulnerable thoughts.

What do you find stops you from writing more?

I have this flawed concept in my head of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, with my ability to write at the tippy top of the pyramid. If anything below it is off, I can’t write. It’s not true. People write under dire conditions all the time. But to me, my ability to write is so fragile. I can be like Dalton Trumbo in the bathtub when I’m writing (“When you hear me working, you don’t knock!”) because it’s so rare and precious to me when it’s finally happening.

What genres do you like to write and why?

I like to write funny contemporary stories with romance. I’ve learned that what I like to read (and in turn, write) are stories that make me feel hopeful. Not necessarily cozy stories where everything is Hallmark sweet, but stories where life is real—often scary and painful and messy—but still okay in the end. Not perfect, but not hopeless. At the very least funny.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring writers?

Kill the cop in your head aka your ego. Don’t worry about self-preservation or what people might think—will they like it, is it poorly written, is it accurate, is it going to offend my mother, etc. Just write what you really think and really feel and it will be good because you were vulnerable and honest. Now is the best time to write actually, because your opp is no longer other potentially better writers. It’s AI. You can always fall back on the comfort that at least what you’re writing is real. At least you have something more interesting and profound to say than Claude.

Showcase Your Book!

How many books have you written and if more than one, what’s your favourite?

Good Boy is my only finished novel and my favorite. I have about 12 failed/shelved/unfinished novel drafts spanning from 2020-now.

How long did x take you to write?

Good Boy takes place over the second half of 2024. I wrote it in basically real time. So about six months. It was kind of my way of coping with what was happening politically at the time. I finished writing chapter 11 before the US Presidential election results were in. Chapter 12 starts with Judson reacting to the election results, which I wrote a day or two after they came in. It was an EXTREMELY pantsed novel.

Lastly, what is your favourite thing about being an author?

It has cured my imposter syndrome.

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