Alexandra Potter | Confessions of a 40-something novelist
Imagine your best selling novel being transformed into a huge tv series in the USA. That's what happened to Alexandra Potter, author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F-Up! Her brilliantly funny inter-generational book was optioned by Disney and will premiere on Disney+ and ABC on 7 February (a month or two later in the UK) renamed 'Not Dead Yet'.
Alexandra joins Liz and Michelle to explain how realising that her life, and those of her friends, were nothing like the perfect lives being conveyed on social media inspired her to write her latest novel. This fun episode provides an insight into what is like to have a novel turned into a TV show by one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world and to know that failing doesn't really mean failure.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
At a certain age, women start to become invisible, despite the fact they have so much to offer which is one reason Alexandra made sure she included older female characters in her novel.It does not matter if you are in Yorkshire, London, or LA all women have similar relatable experiences and feel the same about things.The way society works makes most people feel like failures when, in reality, they are not failing.It´s never too late and you are never too old to change and do what you want.BEST MOMENTS
“We were talking about James Bond actors .. and who walks in? Timothy Dalton”
“I was looking at all these kinds of amazing lives, perfect lives, everybody was leading. And it looked nothing like the life I was leading.”
“I just think that women when they age, they become invisible… it just drives me nuts”
“It was kind of like Cinderella going to the ball,”
“You don´t have to put these age limits on things,”
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EPISODE RESOURCES
ABOUT ALEXANDRA POTTER
Born and raised in Yorkshire, Alexandra lived in Australia and LA for several years before settling back in the UK. Now back in London with her Californian husband and a Bosnian rescue dog, Alexandra loves getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone, and navigating this thing called mid-life.
Her first novel, What’s New, Pussycat? was published in 2000, a week before her 30th birthday, and immediately made the top ten.
She has written 12 novels to date. Including Be Careful What You Wish For, Me and Mr. Darcy, which won the Best New Fiction Award at the Jane Austen Regency World Awards. As well as Love From Paris which was shortlisted for the RNA Comedy Award.
Her latest novel, Confessions of a Forty-something F##k Up, has now been turned into a tv series by Disney+ for ABC in the States, starring Gina Rodriguez as Nell. The show premieres on 8 February of this year.
“Not Dead Yet" follows Nell Stevens (Rodriguez), a broke and newly single self-described disaster, working to restart the life and career she left behind 10 years ago. When she lands the only job she can find – writing obituaries, Nell starts getting life advice from an unlikely source.”
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