Ten questions with LR Dorn (aka Suzanne Dunn and Matt Dorff)
LR Dorn’s debut novel, The Anatomy Of Desire only dropped last month but it’s already made a big splash (please excuse my plot-related pun). In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the debut “remarkable” and Dorn “definitely a writer to watch.” Library Journal similar gave them a starred review and the book has a lot of buzz. We are thrilled today to speak with the two writers behind LR Dorn, Suzanne Dunn and Matt Dorf, and learn what it took to make the book a success.
1. Please tell us about your debut novel.
THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE is a psychological thriller/crime drama about a popular social media fitness influencer who is arrested, charged and put on trial for the murder of her girlfriend. It’s written in a fast-paced docuseries style. In addition to print, it was produced as a full-cast audiobook with a fantastic collection of voice talent, including TikTok star Shelby Young, and celebrated narrators JD Jackson, Marin Ireland, and Santino Fontana, among many others. Our novel is based on the Theodore Dreiser novel An American Tragedy, which itself was based on a famous murder trial in 1906. We were passionate about presenting a panorama of American life within the crime genre, centered on a character striving for the American dream, and asking readers/listeners the timely question, “But at what price?”
2. I’ve read that only 4% of the people who start a novel, finish writing it. Why do you think you beat the odds?
Coming into it, we had a lot of experience as professional writers. Combined, we’ve had over thirty movies and TV shows produced. We don’t find the blank page intimidating. And we started with a full story and a set of characters that came from the original novel and the true story. We knew where we were headed from the first line, and having a destination really helps a writer stay on course.
3. Was your debut novel the first book you wrote? (Any prior efforts hiding on your hard drive?)
Oh no, not nearly the first. Together, we worked on five and a half novels before selling THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE. That gave us a foundation that really benefitted us, because we were experienced with editing and rewriting and the process of working through new drafts of a manuscript. We’re optimistic those earlier novels will see the light of publication someday. They’re all really good!
4. What helped you become a better writer? Any books or resources you found helpful?
There are really only two musts for a writer: reading and writing. Study how others have done it, then practice, practice, practice. For us, it was also helpful to have a writing partner and be able to talk through all the elements, from major character arcs down to the tiniest punctuations.
5. What was your process like getting an agent?
It required a lot of persistence. First, we had to identify an agent who would be a good fit for us. There are a number of websites that provide info about agents and Publisher’s Marketplace was essential to our search. Then the query letters. Then the submissions. Then the rejections. We repeated those steps until rejection turned into acceptance. It only takes one.
6. How did you celebrate when you learned your book would be published?
We went to a Luke Bryant concert. Actually, we were on our way to the concert when we found out about the editor loving our manuscript and preparing to make an offer on it. That contributed to a great evening, and our last live music experience before the 2020 lockdown.
Suzanne Dunn and Matt Dorff, photo credit: Talli Song Roth
7. What was the most exciting moment involving the publication of your debut novel? (The moment you first saw the cover? The call when you learned when it was being published? When you cashed your advance check?)
There were several, starting with the call from our agent to say he’d had lunch with an editor from William Morrow, pitched him the novel, and the editor wanted an exclusive on it over the weekend. We were pretty confident he would like it. Flash forward sixteen months, walking into our local Barnes & Noble and seeing our book on display for the first time. That was a really special moment.
8. What’s your best advice for someone who wants to be published?
Figure out your category and then study what is selling in the category and why. Can’t emphasize this enough. Any editor is going to need to know your book’s genre and intended audience before they buy it. It can be a hybrid (romantic thriller, historical mystery, dystopian courtroom drama), just be sure you have an idea of where it will fit in the commercial spectrum.
9. What are you currently reading? Or, what's one of the best novels you've read lately?
Suzanne recently caught up with Michael Connolly’s latest courtroom drama, The Law of Innocence, and is currently reading Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. Matt is reading several, but keeps coming back to Monster, She Wrote: The Women who Pioneered Horror & Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. Anderson. It opened up a whole new world of older fiction and the stories of many wonderful female authors, many of whom are sadly forgotten today.
10. What are you working on now? Any projects coming out soon?
Our new novel was just announced, again with William Morrow. It’s a psychological thriller about an investigative journalist and a murder case involving two college lovers who are both theater majors. Don’t have a title yet, but look for L.R. Dorn II coming in fall of 2022.