New Books Network Marcy Dermansky, "Hot Air" (Knopf, 2025)
Oct 31, 2025
Marcy Dermansky, an acclaimed author known for her novels like Hurricane Girl, dives into her latest work, Hot Air. She reveals the quirky origin of its plot involving a hot air balloon pool incident. Dermansky discusses creating empathetic yet 'unlikable' characters through interior monologue and explores mother-daughter dynamics in her story. Desire serves as a key theme, driving character actions, while she artfully critiques wealth's corrosive effects. With a minimalist comic style, Dermansky shares her insights on writing and character perspectives.
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From Prompt To Novel
- Marcy Dermansky turned a writing-prompt short story about a hot air balloon into the novel Hot Air after her agent urged her to expand it.
- She wrote the first novel draft quickly with low expectations, which helped creativity flow.
Write To Please Yourself
- Dermansky uses pleasing herself as a writing strategy, choosing playful choices like naming characters with the same initial.
- She believes pleasing herself helps sustain engagement through difficult drafting phases.
Empathy Through Interior Thought
- Dermansky treats even unsympathetic characters empathetically by writing close third-person interior monologue.
- Revealing characters' hidden thoughts makes them feel more truthful, not simply unlikable.
