An Interview with Marisa Urgo
I look for three things in books: complex characters, growth, and heartstring-pulling prose. In authors, I look for vulnerability, whimsy, and passion. An added bonus is when the author and I are passionate about the same things. Enter Marisa Urgo. Urgo is a young adult fiction author whose debut, The Gravity of Missing Things, brilliantly captures the complexity of grief and its effects on an entire family. Join us as we discuss mental health and queer representation, her writing process, Jonathan Larson, and Idina Menzel.
G: The Gravity of Missing Things is poignant in its depiction of mental health, grief, and trauma. You explore these topics realistically while managing to be sensitive and validating. Did you set out to legitimize the intensity of teenage emotions and experiences?
M: Thank you! I wouldn’t say I set out to do that, but I wanted to make sure it was a part of the process. I never want to write a book to “teach” anyone anything (I think it always feels like you’re talking down to teens if you come at them wanting to teach them a lesson), but teens, especially teen girls, face so much scrutiny from the public. Anything they like gets made fun of, what’s important to them is written off. It shouldn’t be that way. Their feelings are valid too. Teenagers go through some truly difficult life experiences, so it’s important that we have books that reflect that.
G: Violet's dad is a breath of fresh air. With so much trauma and upheaval in his life, he still manages to be a constant and steady presence for his daughters. Was it important to you to portray their father in a positive light?
M: Definitely! Violet and Savannah’s father isn’t perfect but he loves his daughters. I wanted Violet to have someone she knew was on her side, no matter what.
G: Violet is the quintessential teenager: complex and frustrating at times, but the reader finds themselves rooting for her anyway. Were you concerned about her likability as The Gravity of Missing Things hit the shelves?
M: A little bit. I will occasionally read reviews of YA books I enjoyed, and I find that sometimes readers forget that they are reading young adult books. Teenagers are going to act like teenagers! Or they should, at least. Sometimes, this means they might have messy emotions or act impulsively, selfishly, or make poor judgements. That’s part of growing up. Violet is stubborn and naive, but she’s also sweet, thoughtful, and always sees the good in people. I love that readers get to see all sides of her.
G: Violet's bisexuality is an integral part of her characterization. Can you expand more on the importance of representation in your work, especially given the rapidly changing political climate?
M: I grew up without seeing any bisexual characters in books. Literally none. Even in TV and movies, bisexual characters were few and far between, and if they existed, those characters were initially not labeled as bisexual for some reason (Maureen from RENT, Callie from Greys Anatomy, etc). It was very important for me to have Violet label herself as bisexual and be proud of it. I wish I had something like that growing up.
On that same note, it was also important for me to show (spoiler ahead haha) Savannah be the exact opposite. No label, not quite sure who she is. Both of these identities are so real and valid. Books in general have come a long way in showing representation of all kinds, especially queer characters, and I truly believe YA books have been the trailblazers in this instance. There is still work to be done, but YA has come leaps and bounds in terms of representation in the last decade or so. It has been awesome to see. In today’s political climate, we need that more than ever.
G: I am a musical girl. You are a musical girl. Violet is a musical girl. I personally felt like I should've listened to Next to Normal as I read this novel. Did you pull inspiration from specific musicals?
M: Ha, I love that! Hmm I can’t say any musicals directly inspired me, but I can say that in general, RENT inspired me when I began writing as a kid. I really think I learned to write through RENT fanfiction (lollll) and Jonathan Larson has always inspired me. I love the world, feelings, and characters he created, and I wanted to do something like that. He will always be someone I look up to.
G: Do you have a super refined writing process or does it depend on the book?
M: I’m sort of a mix of “plotter” and “panster” (in writing, a plotter is someone who outlines, and a panster is someone who flies by the seat of their pants). I don’t make an outline, but I typically know where the story starts, the climax, and where it ends. Anything else is unplanned. It’s all about character for me, and I let them take the driver’s seat. Every book is its own animal though. I’m generally a pretty fast writer, and writing the first draft is my favorite part. I love to see what my brain comes up with.
My process also evolves with my life. I started writing with the goal of being published around twenty-one years old. I was only able to write at night, while everyone else was asleep, in the dark. Now, I have a toddler and work full time, so by the time my toddler is asleep, my brain is too tired. I write in pockets of the day when I have time. I can’t be picky about when and where anymore. I just have to write, even if that means on my phone for 10 minutes at a time.
G: Do you read reviews? If you don't, what do you do when you find yourself wondering how people receive your work?
M: I don’t read reviews, but I have a trusted friend who periodically sends me positive reviews. Those make me so happy! I seriously treasure every kind word. Beta readers are usually my source when I’m trying to figure out how something is going, and I’ll read official reviews like Kirkus.
G: Are you currently working on anything that you can tell us about?
M: I am hoping I can tell everyone about my next book very, very soon! I think for now it’s okay for me to say it is a YA dark academia.
G: How did your view of the publishing process change once you were in it? Was it as daunting as you expected?
M: Publishing is definitely a wild industry, but I am grateful to be a part of it. It took me five years and three dead books before Gravity to get an agent and get a book deal. Those were difficult years. I felt hopeless and stuck. I learned a lot from that time though. I kept improving my craft because that was the only thing I could control. Now that I’m in it, I do feel the initial struggle has made me more appreciative and kept my expectations in check during the wild ride that is publishing. It is daunting, but it’s worth it.
G: For my aspiring writers, do you have any advice on experiencing imposter syndrome (if you experience it at all)?
M: I absolutely experience imposter syndrome!! I think the key is to find a writing community or a small circle of trusted writing friends with the same publication goals. It’s been helpful for me to have people who can be honest with me, and people I can cheer on who cheer me on too.
G: Let's imagine someone adapts The Gravity of Missing Things for the stage: Who is your dream creative team? Dream cast? I've already cast Idina Menzel as Violet's mother, but you can debate me on that.
M: This is a fun question! Idina would be amazing as Violet’s mom, and I’ve always imagined that if there were some sort of stage/film/tv adaptation of Gravity, Violet’s mother would have a bigger part through flashbacks and whatnot. So Idina is a great choice. She could also play the FBI agent, Diana, if she chose. I’ll let her decide, haha! I can safely say that my big, pie in the sky dream is an adaptation with Idina involved.
I’m not great at casting, but here are some fun ones. Let’s pretend I have a magic wand to make everyone age appropriate:
Violet - Genevieve Hannelius or Sarah Hyland
Dad- Marc Maron
Savannah - Kathryn Newton
Mom - Idina, of course
Diana the FBI agent - if Idina is playing the mom, then let’s cast Jessica Chastain as Diana.
Landon & Alex - very open to suggestions!
G: For Landon, I’m throwing Jack Wolfe in the ring. I mean, are you kidding me? I think he could handle the boyish vulnerability quite well. Then again, maybe I just have Next to Normal on the brain, but I am convinced he can do anything.
Order The Gravity of Missing Things on BCCLS & follow Marisa Urgo on Instagram and X!
