Meet Nancy Yeager

1. Your main characters in When We Were Friends are Frannie and Lexi. If you could meet them, what would you say to them?

First, I’d tell Frankie and Lexi how proud I am of the journey they took to heal their friendship and repair their lives. Then I’d invite them to their favorite hangout, Patty’s Diner, for a cup of the best coffee in the state and a slice of peach pie, and catch up on what has happened in their lives since I last saw them. 

2. Staying on the subject of friends, what was the best time you’ve ever had with your friends?

Of course that’s tough to answer, but for sheer carefree, live-in-the-moment fun, I’d have to say the beach trip with my three closest high-school friends right after our graduation. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard or slept so little during any other week in my entire life.

3. What are some things you like to do to challenge yourself, either in writing or elsewhere?

In writing, I love to play with story structure, with timelines, with when and how important details are revealed. It’s like assembling an intricate puzzle, and sometimes pulling it apart and putting it back together differently to make it more impactful.

Elsewhere in life, I’m a little obsessed with taking on physical goals like completing 30-, 60-, and 90-day fitness challenges, and training for competitive events (although I hate competing and don’t actually follow through on that part of it). These are sometimes ill-advised endeavors because I am neither coordinated, nor graceful, nor naturally athletic, but I suppose that’s what makes them such a great challenge! I have a bucket list of new activities I want to try. Next on the list is fencing, but first I’ll have to rehabilitate the shoulder I injured in my current 90-day extreme workout challenge. 

4. What is the most valuable advice about writing you’ve been given?

Whether or when advice resonates has always depended upon where I am in my own journey. Early on, the best advice I received from seasoned authors was to look at a writing career as a marathon and just keep going, plan the next story, write the next book. 

In life advice that’s not necessarily specific to writing, I’ve leaned into the wisdom of not being afraid to “fail big.” As much as I hate to admit it, it’s been true in my life that my most important lessons have come from my biggest mistakes.

Right now, when the writing is tough or the business side of it is heartbreaking or when I have successes to celebrate, I’m glad I instinctively followed the advice to build a community of writing friends. I lean on them in good times and bad, and every now and then I have the privilege of returning the favor as they struggle and succeed in their own journeys. 

5. What does your perfect day look like? What would you do or see, and where would you go (if anywhere)?

Assuming this happens in an alternate universe where I’m not affected by the limitations of a 24-hour day and transportation issues, I’d start the day snorkeling in the Maldives, then move on to hiking on the Galápagos Islands. I’d spend the afternoon in one or more of the world’s most beautiful libraries, searching through the stacks and settling in here and there to read random books off the shelves. Finally, I would gather a small group of my favorite people in the world for a long dinner full of excellent food, wine, conversation, and laughter.