Author Interview: Lilli Sutton
Debut author Lilli Sutton has arrived in the Rambling Realm. During her stay, she kindly agreed to chat with me about herself, her debut novel Running Out Of Air, and the secrets of her writing process.
About Lilli Sutton
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m Lilli. I grew up in Maryland and moved to Colorado this year. In between, I’ve lived in West Virginia (where I attended college) and Virginia. I’m a morning person, so I’m almost always up early to write or read before work. I work for a medical science journal, assisting papers through the publication process and proofreading finished articles. When I’m not working or writing, I like to hike, cook and bake, ride horses, go thrifting, and visit farmers’ markets.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always loved writing. Even when I was very young, I was scribbling short stories (and later typing them, very slowly). The computer game Storybook Weaver Deluxe was my favorite thing ever.
In high school I attempted a couple full-length novels, but didn’t really know what I was doing, so I usually quit around 40,000 words. In college I switched to mostly writing poetry, which was fun and taught me to pay attention to sentence structure and how words sound.
After that, my writing experience might sound familiar—I was working full time with a long commute and didn’t feel like I had time to write. Then, 2020 happened, and I suddenly found myself working from home with more free time than ever before. I decided to give writing a novel another shot. And then another. And then another. I finished three 70,000 word first drafts within 1.5 years, and the third one became Running Out of Air. I owe credit to one of my favorite books, by one of my favorite writers, The River by Peter Heller, a twisty, understated, breathtaking novel about two college friends canoeing a river in Canada. I’ve read this book multiple times, I’m in awe of it, and it was instrumental in pushing me to try writing my own novel again.
About Running Out Of Air
What can you tell us about your debut?
My elevator pitch is that it’s a story of two mountaineering sisters, estranged because of a betrayal in their past, who are invited to climb a Himalayan mountain on different teams. I could also say, “it’s like Into Thin Air, but fictional.” In reality, it’s about more than just the mountain climb, weaving past and present together as the reader comes to understand what happened between the two sisters, Evelyn and Sophie. The betrayal itself is no secret: Evelyn had an affair with Sophie’s husband (it’s on the back cover copy; I promise it’s not a spoiler!). The question isn’t what happened, but why it happened.
The book also explores themes of navigating your 20s, of being aimless, of investing lots of time and effort into a career only to realize it may not be for you. It’s a story about obsession, about hurt, about the limits of forgiveness.
What was the inspiration for Running Out Of Air?
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer played a huge role in inspiring me to write Running Out of Air (the title might even be a bit of an homage). Into Thin Air is the story of the 1996 Everest disaster, which Krakauer had a front-row seat to. It’s far from the only book about the disaster, but it’s an incredible read, even if you have no interest in mountaineering. The human stories are so well-drawn, the tension crackles off the page, and the tragic storm is depicted so vividly it’s as if you’re there, hunkering in a tent and praying to make it off the mountain alive.
Into Thin Air got me interested in mountaineering narratives, and as I read more of them, I couldn’t help thinking what a fascinating fictional story one might make. From there, Evelyn and Sophie came to me, two sisters with a passion for the mountains and a complicated past. I had so much fun researching and learning as an “armchair mountaineer” and spinning my own tale of the mountains.
If you were a character in your novel, who would you be and why?
I want to say Penelope, because I want to be as blunt and unbothered as she is. But in reality I’m probably a little bit more like Evelyn—prone to anxiety and always worrying about if I’m in the right place, doing the right thing.
Are there any fun behind-the-scenes moments or any hidden easter eggs in your novel that you’d like to share?
Lowell, the journalist character, is a nod to Jon Krakauer (in that he’s a journalist covering the expedition; nothing else about his character draws inspiration from Krakauer.)
The quote “because it’s there,” which Sophie says would be George’s response if asked why they’re climbing Yama Parvat, is a quote allegedly said by George Mallory regarding Mount Everest (the debate around this quote is interesting, if you ever want to do down a fun rabbit hole). Mallory made several attempts to summit Mount Everest in the 1920s and ultimately passed away on the mountain. His remains were discovered in 1999 by Conrad Anker.
In a scene that takes place in 2015, the sisters joke about making the first ski descent of K2, the world’s second highest mountain. In 2018, Andrzej Bargiel really did ski down K2. There are videos of this wild feat which I highly recommend watching.
Can you share a favorite quote or excerpt from Running Out Of Air?
About Writing
What was the most challenging part of writing your book?
Figuring out the timeline. I originally wrote it with all the backstory frontloaded, which made for a much quieter story at the beginning and then a lot of action toward the end. Eventually, with feedback, I interspersed the past timeline with the present, though it still took a lot of trial and error to the figure out the right sequence, i.e., when to reveal information and how to make moving between the past and present feel natural.
How would you describe your writing process?
I’m a semi-outliner: I have to have some kind of outline, but usually it’s just a list of bullet points that takes me about two-thirds of the way into the story, and then I make up the ending as I go. Sometimes I’ll do little outlines for each chapter before I write it, and sometimes I wing it (with a general idea). I’m a big fan of the reverse outline—after I finish the first draft, I make a detailed outline of everything that happens and go from there.
I usually write first thing in the morning, from about 6:30-7:30 AM, and then maybe another hour or so in the evening depending on how the day is going.
What have you learned from writing your debut novel?
That committing to the editing process is the #1 thing that will help you succeed. As I mentioned earlier, I’d written first drafts of a few other novels before ROOA, but I floundered when it came to editing. Before ROOA was even finished, I knew I wanted it to be different. I joined a writing group, I found multiple beta readers, and I made myself take the time to sit down, synthesize the feedback, and apply it to make a stronger story.
That being said, I think my writing evolved as it was always going to—I needed those two other novels to learn to draft before I could learn to edit. I simply wasn’t ready for a while, and that’s okay, it all worked out in the end.
Do you have any strange or fun writing habits or rituals?
Nothing too strange. I like writing on the couch even though I have a desk, and I light a candle each morning while I’m working.
What's your favorite writing snack or beverage?
I love a good caramel iced latte. As for an evening snack, anything small that I can ration out, like M&Ms—you write a paragraph, you get an M&M.
If you could choose any place—real or fictional—to write your next novel where would it be and why?
A little cabin in the woods on a lake somewhere, like Montana or Minnesota. Or the beach. I guess any body of water would do.
Sutton’s advice
What do you think is the most important thing for debut authors to know?
That everyone’s experience is going to be different. I’m not just talking breakout bestseller versus midlist title, but in terms of things like timeline, level of input, rounds of editing—everyone has a different path to publication, which is why it’s important to have connections with other debut authors for sanity checks and to develop a baseline for what is “normal.” Your debut year will inevitably be stressful, but there are a lot of fun and exciting moments, too: getting that first email with cover ideas, receiving a positive review, reading your book for the final time before it goes to print. It’s a whirlwind of new experiences so I recommend going in with an open mind, asking lots of questions, and rewarding yourself for making it this far.
How did you go about getting Running Out Of Air published?
I followed a very traditional path to publication. I finished writing Running Out of Air at the end of 2021. I spent all of 2022 revising with the help of my writing group and beta readers, and began querying at the beginning of 2023 (days after getting my wisdom teeth out—I was very bored of sitting around on the couch). ROOA is the first book I queried (but, as mentioned, the third full manuscript I finished).
Flash forward to March, I got my first offer from an agent after a few full requests. Two weeks later, I was officially agented! My agent had some ideas for revisions so I spent a few months working on those, and we went on sub at the very end of July 2023. By October, we had an offer.
I know that this is very fast and not necessarily a typical pub story. I was not expecting to get an agent in three months, let alone a book deal in the same year. I think it’s a good reminder that publishing is unpredictable and that it’s important to have an agent who you really trust and who knows the business. Before querying, I spent hours and hours scouring resources like r/PubTips (a fantastic Reddit community that I highly recommend), The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast, and Query Shark. I made sure that my opening chapter was gripping and that I had revised my book until an inch of its life (although, of course, there were many more revisions to come). I overprepared, and I think it paid off in this specific case.
However, there are so many factors out of your control—what’s “hot” in the current market, what kind of relationships with editors your agent has, if the editor reading your submission had a good or bad cup of coffee that morning. Publishing is the greatest exercise in relinquishing control. To anyone going through the process, the age-old advice is true: work on something new and try to forget that your querying/on sub novel exists.
What surprised you most about the writing and publishing process?
How much I didn’t know. Three years ago, when I started writing ROOA, I knew vaguely what a literary agent was. I did not know what “going on sub” meant. I did not know about Netgalley, or Edelweiss, or really any of the book review sites like Kirkus. I didn’t know that preorders mattered! The publication process, from querying to submission to book deal, has been a continual education.
I was also surprised that things just move sort of slowly sometimes. I got my book deal in October 2023, for publication in November 2024. That’s fast! And yet, there were weeks or months where I had downtime from working on the book, where nothing was really “happening.” Those breaks are important, though—they allow you time to work on something else, but also to rest and recharge. Another thing I’ve learned is that sometimes the best part of writing is not writing. You need to give your brain time to rest and give yourself the ability to look at your work with fresh eyes.
Are there any resources or tools that were particularly helpful to you during your writing journey?
I mentioned some of these earlier, but:
r/PubTips
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast
Query Shark
The Manuscript Academy podcast
What is the strangest thing you had to research for your book?
Frostbite… all about frostbite. I looked at some pictures I’d rather forget.
What does Lilli read?
What genres do you enjoy reading the most?
I’m a contemporary fiction fan at heart. I love to travel, so I love being transported to new places via a story. I also think reading contemporary fiction informs the way I understand this world. That being said, I also love speculative fiction and magical realism, and I’ll occasionally pop into other genres like historical fiction, romance, and (light) fantasy. I also love a good nonfiction book, especially as an audiobook.
Who are some of your favorite authors, and how have they influenced your writing?
It’ll be hard to keep this list short—but: Lily King, Peter Heller, Elizabeth Strout, Claire Lombardo, Alison Espach, Cormac McCarthy, Jon Krakauer, Claire Daverley, Emma Seckel, Ann Patchett, David Sedaris, Julia Phillips, Laurie Frankel, Laurie Colwin, Sally Rooney; Charlotte McConaghy, the list goes on!
Some have influenced me in genre, others in character design, others in story. There’s something I admire in all their work. Reading makes you a better writer, so I pay close attention to what makes me go “wow” when I’m reading and try to look at how they did it, to see the scaffolding behind a brilliant piece of writing. But sometimes you just have to let yourself slip into a story, too, and accept that you will never be Elizabeth Strout. And that’s okay!
What's the last book you read that you couldn't put down?
Bear by Julia Phillips. It’s a dark, sad, haunting story of two sisters on San Juan Island and the bear that one day walks into their lives.
If you could have dinner with any three authors (dead or alive), who would they be and why?
Lily King, because I’d love to tell her how obsessed I am with Writers & Lovers.
Laurie Colwin, because her writing is so warm, funny, and brilliant and I’d love to talk to her about cooking.
Jon Krakauer, so I could ask him one million questions about mountaineering.
Sutton’s Plans for the Future
What are you working on next?
I’m revising book 2! I can’t say too much about it yet, but it’s another wilderness survival story featuring two siblings, set in Alaska, with dog sledding and a crime and a whole lot of snow.
Where can readers find your book and connect with you?
My book is available anywhere you buy books! That includes the bigger retailers like Barnes & Noble and Target, and bookshop.org and indies. I don’t yet know which physical stores will carry it, but you can preorder a copy online or request your local indie to carry copies!
I’m on Instagram as @lillisuttonwrites and Twitter/X as @lillinsutton. I’m a bit more active on Instagram these days, but feel free to reach out on either!
Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?
For all the highs and lows of publishing, the big dreams and the small, my one true wish is that Running Out of Air finds its readers. If you read ROOA, and love it, it would make my day to hear from you. In any case, if you do pick up a copy of ROOA, thank you so, so much. It means the world to me that you’re choosing to spend time with my book. Happy reading!
Unfortunately, the time has come for Lilli Sutton to continue her journey. But if you wish to find her outside of the Rambling Realm you can do so by visiting her website or following her on Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
You can get your copy of Running Out Of Air by following this link.
