Michele Lombardo’s story from the Spring 2020 issue resonated with me–and not just because I’m a former online dater myself. I invite you to read “The Love Trigger” and my brief interview with Michele. [VV]
Toulouse Reading
How did this story come to be?
I was actually at a kid’s party when the idea sparked. Another mom was telling me about the trials and travails of a 20-something in her office who was navigating the online dating world. At one point she remarked that dating apps should allow people to give each other ratings, just like Amazon, and I found myself really intrigued by the idea. I immediately began wondering what would happen to humanity if such a thing existed and what the person who brought it into existence would be like.
How does “The Love Trigger” fit with the rest of your work?
It nestles in there nicely. I have a thing for strong, heavily flawed female protagonists. I tend to write a lot about the various ways in which women collide with societal expectations. Carol, as you can probably imagine, is a polarizing character. I can’t tell you how many times the word “unlikeable” came up when I was workshopping this story. Because, of course, female characters are supposed to be likeable even though the same expectations don’t exist for male characters. But I think the fact that she doesn’t conform to that allows her to tap into the zeitgeist of now a little, too. She is an unapologetically “nasty” woman with a vulnerability to her that she’ll do just about anything to conceal. And she does things we all dream of doing, like stabbing an ex in the leg with a pen. We all do dream that, right? Not just me?
Carol’s voice is so strong. Did you consider third-person POV?
I didn’t, actually. I think her voice developed very strongly early on, so I just went with it. Third person limited POV probably would’ve worked, too. But I’m glad she narrates the story. I’m glad that readers get a heavy dose of her unmediated voice. I probably wouldn’t change that aspect of the story if I were to rewrite it.
This story made me snort with laughter. Does humor come naturally to you? Do you think you’re a funny person?
God, no. I do have a dark sense of humor that seeps into a lot of my pieces. But I’m no comedian. I don’t tell jokes and I don’t see myself as an especially funny person. I’m more like the kind of person who thinks of the witty retort five minutes after the conversation ends. So I might think the funny things, yes, but it’s usually not at a conversational pace. Good for writing with humor, not great for speaking with humor.
What makes you laugh?
Cats. Occasionally people, but mostly cats.
