Chats with Creatives (Part 2)

(The one with author Tarah Dewitt)

Tarah DeWitt is the USA Today bestselling author of character-driven romances with laughter and big feelings. She’s a mother of two humans and many animals and loves writing perfectly imperfect love stories.

Her latest book, Left of Forever (a swoony second-chance romance), releases on May 20, 2025, and can be pre-ordered through Capital Books and Wildflower Fiction.

Look at this incredible cover

What made you want to become an author?

Oh gosh, I think it's multi-part. First and foremost, being an avid reader and finding books that impact me on a fundamental level. I still will read something and go, "I want to write something that means this much to someone, someday." Also, I think I fall further in love with it by doing it. (Remind me of this when I'm drafting and convinced I will never finish a book ever again) But I love how it feels to get to know a character on every level, down to how they'll respond in certain situations. I love crafting those scenarios in order to expose some vulnerabilities in them, watching them grow and overcome, letting themselves love and be loved. It's such a hopeful thing to carry over into real life.

The book that started it all

Can you tell us the origin story of Funny Feelings? When did you realize that it was having an impact on readers?

I was going through a little blue period in life. I'd published my first book and realized that I loved writing and wanted to pursue it, but for all that I wanted it, I was equally scared. I was navigating this new field and struggling to feel like I belonged, didn't know how to make writer friends or find my audience. I felt like Too Much all the time. Like I was trying too hard, I guess. But one of my favorite toolbox things to reach for during a blue period is stand-up comedy. I set aside the draft that I'd been working on (which would eventually turn into The Co-Op) and watched a TON of comedy. Some on streaming services, and loads on YouTube. What kept getting me was that the videos featuring female comics constantly had comments with some variation of "This broad is too much." "Hot but obnoxious." "She might be funny if she weren't so loud." "I do NOT vibe with this chick." And, at times, I found myself identifying with these comediennes I loved so much. Which sounds insane, I know. I had sold maybe a couple hundred books total at this time and certainly wasn't famous. But I'd put something out there for consumption, put little pieces of myself in there, hoping it would connect with others, and (because I didn't know better than to look back then) I was seeing reviews like, "Would have been good if it weren't so messy." "This might have been funny if it weren't so cringe." "I did NOT vibe with this book." So, I decided I wanted to write the ultimate Too Much female main character, who literally had a job performing sex and potty jokes on a stage for consumption, who, at her very core, wanted to connect with people. Wanted to give them a laugh, even when others didn't understand that desire or support it. And I wanted her to find someone who loved that about her. Who saw her do a dumb skit and deemed her worthy, not just as an artist, but as a friend, and as a figure in his young daughter's life. I then had to craft stakes to not only keep them apart romantically for a few years, but ones that would provide a setup for them to be put in a situation that would force all their romantic feelings to the surface later on. Thus, Funny Feelings was born. Writing my debut had been like being pushed up onstage at an open mic night and getting a surprising number of laughs, walking off with a buzzing desire to really go for it next time, whereas writing Funny Feelings was like crafting a whole set. I wanted every line to count. And I think I realized it was actually having an impact when I had readers reaching out to me and telling me it made them want to try new things. Rarely comedy, but something new and vulnerable, nonetheless. Like recording videos or going to their local book club to meet new people. Starting a bookstagram. Even when someone wanted to try making a recipe from the book! When fiction inspires a bit of your reality, I think that's a huge marker for it being impactful.

Spunes Book 1

When you draft a book, do you start with the characters or the premise? Did you know Wren and Ellis would have their own book when you were writing Savor It?

The initial inspiration is different for me every time! Whether I think "I want to write a female comedian" or "I want to write a story about former lovers turned enemies that have to renovate a building together," from there, it's always a matter of establishing who those characters are and what their desires are. Sometimes the plot will force me to tweak and hone them later on, but I absolutely always develop my characters first, so that I can make sure they make decisions that stay true to them throughout the story, while also giving them a fulfilling arc. When it came to Savor It, I didn't begin writing it with intentions of interconnected stories, but I knew from chapter one that Wren and Ellis would be getting a book. I've never had side characters jump out at me like that, and at times, it made writing Savor It a little more complicated. I had to be extremely intentional about everything that happened, and had to know who those characters were in addition to Sage and Fisher, that way they'd still feel true later on in relation to Savor It, while standing on their own just fine in Left of Forever. I had to be mindful of other potential stories beyond Wren and Ellis, too,*wink wink*, and made sure I set that up accordingly.

Your books are so beautifully emotional. Any advice to authors for how to access deep emotions in their writing?

I think finding a good WHY. Why this story, why these characters? If it means something to you, if you have something you want to say, it's easier to get that on page. And I don't think every book is going to be the same, emotionally. I don't fault any author who simply says, "I want to write this trope in this setting because I think it'll be fun." Because fun is meaningful, too. Joy matters, too. Of course, there are going to be books that mean a little more to us as authors and gut us a little more on a personal level, but that doesn't necessarily mean the others we write will be less important. Inevitably, those books will find readers who connect more to something in them. And ultimately, that is why we create.

What are your ideal writing conditions? (i.e., with music/silence, in a loud coffee shop/in your office, etc.)

I like quiet, or instrumental music, in my house alone while my family is off at school and work. I don't have one singular writing spot and I like it that way. I need to be able to move around and change my view occasionally.

You are a self-proclaimed cheese whiz. Please describe the ideal cheese board.

A whole wedge of Prairie Breeze white cheddar (my comfort cheese - there are little aged crystals in it and it's almost slightly sweet and creamy and OMG my mouth is watering), a spreadable goat cheese with my family's spicy habanero jelly on it, and a stinky bleu next to something fruity to cut it with.

What is your idea of a perfect day?

High of 74 and sunny (this changes throughout the year, I am typically an autumn girl and love an overcast day but right now I miss sunshine). Coffee and breakfast in bed with my cats, followed by a mid morning walk with my dogs. At lunchtime we have deli sandwiches outdoors before my girls and I pass around a volleyball for a bit. End the day with a date night with my husband. We get a good, mildly fancy meal somewhere before we stop on the way home at our favorite local brewery, where they've got a band playing live music. I make him dance with me at some point. We get home to our semi-tidy house with too many animals and our really great kids, and maybe we all stay up too late watching a movie, piled on the couch.

If you could be a special guest star on a reality show, which one would it be and why?

Survivor. I think I could decently hold my own on most of those challenges - other than anything to do with eating brains or being stuck in a box with spiders, etc., lol.

What are you currently working on?

Almost done with another book in Spunes, and I love it. It features my favorite character to date. Which is something I keep thinking will be impossible to replicate. After Left of Forever I thought I would never love a book more but I can say with full confidence that I love this one just as much.

Anything else you'd like to share? Where can readers find you?

Nothing else for now! Folks can stay up to date by following me on IG as well as by signing up for my newsletter through my website! Thank you for having me :)

Thank you, Tarah! Don’t forget to order her beautiful books!