Q&A with "Save as Draft" Author Cavanaugh Lee

Q & A with Cavanaugh Lee, author of Save as Draft

What inspired you to write the book?
I wrote Save as Draft (or “SAD,” its apropos acronym) in the aftermath of a broken engagement. Specifically, the catalyst for the book was when I went back and re-read all of my old emails to/from my ex-fiance. What I noticed from those emails was that my ex and I had spent the majority of our relationship on-line, not in-person, and that caused our demise. I also noticed how many emails were stuck in my Draft folder – emails that I never had the guts to send him. It was those emails in particular that compelled me to write the novel, because I had a feeling that other people’s relationships suffer from the same lack of a genuine connection in favor of a “wireless connection.”

What has the reaction been from men and women?
Women relate to it on a very concrete level. They have sent me emails detailing how their relationships have suffered the same on-line fate, or, I should say, death. Some have even pointed to specific pages of the book and said: “I’ve written (or received) that very email, OMG.” The highlight so far was when one female reviewer actually reviewed the book in an email format and ultimately tied it into her own romantic experiences. I thought, wow, she really “got” the book.

Men, however, seem to relate to it in a more general way: “been there, done that.”

The book is based on real events – how did the real life characters react?
The book is loosely based on real life events… loosely being the key word. I did experience a painful broken engagement. I also experienced a pseudo-rebound affair. I never really got to tell those two gentlemen what I wanted. I never got to apologize. And, most importantly, I never got to say thank you. Perhaps, in many ways, this book is my way of doing all three.

If you could go back to those relationships, what would you have done differently communication-wise? Would you have sent all those draft messages?
Probably not all of them. But, if I had known I would’ve gotten my heart broken from the beginning, then I would’ve been more open and said the things that were in my heart. Of course, hindsight is 20-20.

How do you think technology (text, IM, online dating, etc) affects relationship communication positively and negatively?
How on-line technology affects our relationships depends on how we use that technology. If we use it to express ourselves fully, then it’s going to have a positive effect on our relationships. If we use it to edit or fabricate ourselves, then it’s going to have a negative effect.

SAD shows both sides of the coin. Because the three main characters hide behind their emails, the readers see the negative impact it has on their relationships. But, by writing the book exclusively in an on-line format, I hope it has a positive impact on you and your relationships.

Cavanaugh Lee was raised in San Francisco and received her undergraduate degree from UCLA’s School of Theatre and received her law degree from UNC. By day, she is a federal prosecutor in Savannah, Georgia and by night she is searching for true love and working on the sequel to Save as Draft. Learn more about Cavanuagh at http://www.cavanaughlee.com.