An Interview with Abigail Mabus

Abigail Mabus grew up devouring books of all kinds, but was especially captivated by fantasy. To this day, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings remain her favorite series. After some adventures of her own, she is returning to her dream of writing, with the goal to “either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” (Benjamin Franklin) She currently resides in Lynchburg, VA.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I grew up reading and being read to, so to a certain extent, writing stories seemed very natural to me. My first attempt at creative writing was probably when I was about five. I remember my mother sitting at our kitchen table as I dictated the beginning of what was basically my own version of Babar the Elephant. My first attempt at a longer work was when I was twelve. Fortunately, it has been lost and thus will never see the light of day!

I took about an eight-year hiatus from seriously writing as I completed my undergraduate and then master’s degree and began my career. I had come to accept that if I ever did publish, it would be later in life, perhaps even after retirement. Then my dear friend, Cortnie Delaney, self-published her first book, An Heir Unfit. Watching her journey deeply inspired me, and I started to ask, “Why not me?” The blessing of having a friend go first is incalculable. Cortnie shared so much advice and encouragement with me throughout this process.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

For me, the inspiration for this book started with one scene. I can’t share the scene as it would be a spoiler, but it’s perhaps a third of the way in, right in the middle of the action. It portrays the main conflict – two people who care deeply about each other but end up at odds – very well. It was something I wanted to explore further. From there, it was a process of both working backward and forward to build a complete story.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I’m still not completely sure about my book’s title! When I first came up with The North Tower, I never expected the story to be published. It satisfied me, so I didn’t overthink it and moved on. There is a bit of symbolism in the title, but that isn’t revealed until the last few paragraphs.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Along with being a writer, I am also a nurse. I chose the language very intentionally. For me, it’s not either writing or nursing. I have felt called to nursing for as long, if not longer, as I have wanted to be a writer. With that being said, it took a while for me to figure out how to make both of those desires co-exist. Nursing school was a very stressful and difficult time for me, partly because I was struggling with undiagnosed anxiety. I graduated with my undergrad in May of 2019, and quickly began working nightshift on a cardiac intermediate unit. Of course, 2020 brought COVID. Every healthcare worker had their own unique and difficult journey through COVID. Mine was made worse by the state of my mental health, and my lack of nursing experience.

There’s an expectation that when creatives struggle, they then use that pain to fuel their art. That wasn’t the case for me. I did not have the physical, mental, or emotional energy to create during that time, at least not at the write-a-book level. As the pandemic began to dissipate, I worked on finishing up my graduate degree, and realised I was not in a good place. It was not easy to admit, but taking the time to focus on healing has been truly life-changing. I’ve also made some changes in how I practice nursing, and I feel like I have my creative energy back. While I sometimes regret those years of struggle, I would not be who I am today without them.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

Firstly, I hope they genuinely enjoy the book. I think reading books to distract you during difficult times is a perfectly valid coping mechanism. You can’t carry all the weight of all the things all the time. Sometimes you need a break, and I hope this book provides that. Secondly, I hope they enjoy the snarky dialogue. Writing dialogue is the easiest and most fun part of writing for me, and if a reader laughed, or wrote down their favourite quote, I would be thrilled. Finally, the characters in The North Tower go through a lot of disappointment and struggle. Not everything is tied up neatly at the end, but it is still definitely a happy ending. I hope that readers will be encouraged by seeing characters they care about struggle and overcome, and maybe consider redefining a happy ending.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.