Unveiling the Secrets of Storytelling: An Intimate Chat with Author Kyle Lukoff
In a literary landscape teeming with stories, have you ever wondered what drives someone to become a full-time author, especially when their initial canvas was just the back of scrap paper at a bookstore? Imagine, if you will, turning life’s little scraps into a tapestry of over 20 published works—a journey from a school librarian to a storyteller. This is the intriguing saga of Kyle Lukoff, author of the compelling novel, Are You a Friend of Dorothy? How did his humble beginnings evolve into such a rich literary career? More fascinating, how does a writer, tuned to the chaos of coffee shops, suddenly adapt to the silence within the walls of a tiny Brooklyn apartment? Dive deep into the imaginative world where noise fuels creativity yet silence holds its own compelling story—and discover the rhythm and routine behind his prolific writing. LEARN MORE.
Today’s Write Now interview features Kyle Lukoff, author of ARE YOU A FRIEND OF DOROTHY?
Who are you?
My name is Kyle Lukoff! I’m a former school librarian, now a full-time author, currently based in Connecticut.
What do you write?
My very first major writing project was a novel (maybe novella) that I hand-wrote on the back of scrap paper while working at Barnes & Noble. Writing soon became a major part of my life, but I never thought I’d be able to make it my full-time career, let alone that I’d have 20+ published books. Right now, my work is fairly evenly split between books focusing on trans characters/themes, and books that are more largely about feelings, relationships, and communication. Sometimes I daydream about what I would do if I won the lottery and never had to worry about money again, but all I can imagine is writing more books, which I think means that I’m incredibly lucky.
Where do you write?
I used to only be able to write in coffee shops and occasionally libraries; nowhere too quiet, nowhere too isolated. I’m an extrovert and focus best when I’m tuning out white noise. Then, when COVID hit, I had a whole novel to write and was only able to do it out of my tiny Brooklyn apartment. Now I can write from anywhere — airports, hotel lobbies, or my beautiful rolltop desk in my office at home. I mostly use my trusty laptop, but sometimes, especially picture books, I write with a notebook and pen. If I’m using my laptop I only ever write in Word, for some reason no other programs appeal to me.
When do you write?
I usually write in the mornings, but I can write any time before dinner if my schedule requires it. I can usually only work on a project for about two hours before my brain feels like it’s out of juice, but right now I’m on a tight deadline so I’m forcing myself to write at about twice the level I usually prefer to. I generally split a given project into chunks depending on where I’m at in the process — 1000 words if I’m drafting, or a number of chapters if I’m in revisions (for example, if a book is 40 chapters and my deadline is in two months, I’ll try to work on two chapters a…
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