Interview: WJ Moloney talks about What Do You Do All Day?

WJ Moloney returned to New Zealand in 2018 after nearly 20 years overseas. He lived in both London and the Middle East. Both of which he enjoyed, but for very different reasons. WJ Moloney arrived at Heathrow in Thai fisherman pants with $50 tucked in the waistband. He left with a wife, three kids and a Master’s Degree. He has written two previous books, The Battle of Messines Road and Invincible, and he talks to NZ Booklovers about his latest release, What Do You Do All Day?

Tell us a little about What Do You Do All Day? 

What Do You Do All Day? is the story of Sam’s day, from when she wakes to make her husband’s breakfast till she collapses into bed after accompanying him to a corporate function. It is a normal day, bar the fact that her usual pacifier, audio books, fail her. This allows the reader to hear how Sam got the life she is living. She takes an extra magic mushroom at breakfast, which turns the rest of her day into a slightly surreal roll around Auckland. Even though it is a normal day for Sam, she manages to make it exciting.

What inspired you to write this book?

I am not someone who is struck by inspiration. No apple has ever fallen on my head.  What Do You Do All Day? came about when I was looking for something else. I found something I had written earlier that I had forgotten. I liked it. Worked on it and it became the prologue. From there, I went about working on the characters, the themes, the situations. As it developed, it became obvious that it was a very feminist novel. So I leaned into that.               

What research was involved?

My previous two books were historical fiction. They took a lot of research. Probably 50% of my time ‘writing’ was spent researching. For What Do You Do All Day? It was much less. This was because much of what I was writing was from my own life or lives around me. I would then twist and turn those stories to fit the story. I invented a saying, 'Shared stories are Shared stories,' to justify this re-purposing of these anecdotes, experiences, and feelings.

What was your routine or process when writing this book?

After I had the basis of the prologue, I made a document of what I wanted to write about. This had the various stories, anecdotes, themes, song lyrics, anything and everything I wanted to include. A kind of touchstone, or mood board, of the story.

Each day, I would wake at 4 am. Have two coffees. Not look at my phone. Sit down at my desk, put headphones on and select a TripHop playlist by DJ Sticky Fingaz. I would then edit the writing I had done the morning before. When that was done, once I was in the flow of the story, I would write new sections.

Usually I would be interrupted by the dog aroun6 am to feed him. By 7 am, he would be demanding to go for a walk. By then, I was spent. I had written all I could that morning, anything more was forced.

I am lucky that I can type as fast as I think. Or maybe it is that I think as slow as I type. Either way it means that it can be a very natural, easy process to write.

Editing is harder. I get a little too attached to some clever sentence, or concept or joke. I find it hard to cut it. Kill it like I should. I worry that we all have a limited number of good bits of writing and I don’t want to use mine up with stuff left on the cutting room floor. But I get there in the end. Hopefully.

If a soundtrack was made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include.

Many sections of What Do You Do All Day? have QR codes. These lead to the Spotify Playlists that Sam is listening to in the story. The QR codes let the reader listen along with Sam. So essence it has a soundtrack embedded into the story. There are hundreds of songs on those playlists. Other songs are specifically name-checked in the story.

If your book were made into a movie, who would you like to see playing the lead characters?

I actually think What Do You Do All Day? would work better as a TV series than a movie. Each section of the book is defined by time, like the old series 24. Or the new series The Pitt. Though these have the time as specific hour. Sam’s day is a bit more chaotic than that.

Jocelyn Christian is reading the audio version ofWhat Do You Do All Day?. She is doing a brilliant job. She really understands Sam. I could see her playing her. If not Jocelyn, I could see Antonia Prebble playing Sam. I think she is great at playing at ambiguous, mildly unreliable characters.

If it is Antonia playing Sam, her husband Dan Musgrove, would be great as Mike. If Jocelyn, then who could go past Martin Henderson. Imagine how exciting it would be for a writer to have the iconic Shortland Street heartthrob from his teenage years playing a character he had written. 

What did you enjoy the most about writing What Do You Do All Day?

My first two books are historical fiction. This means that they had a pre-made underlying structure that I had to adhere to. As a baby writer, feeling my way in the dark, this was excellent for my development. It allowed me to get better without having to worry too much about the big stuff.

What I enjoyed about What Do You Do All Day? is that this was the first time I didn’t have this underlying structure. I cheated a little by setting it all on one day. But still, this is my first attempt at going free hand and I enjoyed it very much.   

What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?

I’m not much for celebrating things. My friend Jeffrey calls me The Grinch. One of my sisters calls me a killjoy. The other thinks it but is too nice to say it.

What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?

I have really enjoyed a few this year. Top of the list is Slowing the Sun by Nadine Hura. Nadine is a friend and I am in awe of her writing. She is so honest. Painfully so at times. Way more honest than I could ever be. With Slowing the Sun she has attempted to personalise climate change, a worthy ambition that she does brilliantly.

At the moment, I am reading in preparation to write my next book. Two books that are front of mind are Too Much Money by Max Rashbrooke and The Tyranny of Merit by Michael J. Sandel.

What’s next on the agenda for you?

I would like What Do You Do All Day? to be the first in a thematic trilogy. I don’t know that I am a good enough writer to pull it off but I’m going to give it a try. So, when I have some free air, some headspace, I will start on the next. I have written the first 5,000 words, so hopefully it will grow out of that easily and with some grace.

Copy Press