Interestingly enough, I first met Alida Nugent the night of a small gathering in a Brooklyn bar where she was celebrating her then-book deal. Though she is a few years younger than I am, we have mutual friends because we both graduated from the same alma mater Emerson College. Since that night, I’d been avidly following Alida’s very funny, very honest/TMI (she’s not sorry) blog The Frenemy, which her first book Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse is based on. That night we first met at the bar was also incidentally the last time I saw Alida in a while. It’s been quite a journey for Alida and she had been busy working out some things, you know, other than trying to grow into a young woman. Oh, just some things such as writing and re-writing an entire manuscript, still maintaining her blog with fresh content, and working with a book editor for the first time. And now the book is officially on shelves at bookstores. Below, a conversation with a cool girl I know.
What’s your writing schedule like?
When it comes to writing, TECHNICALLY you should only write when you are inspired, which for me is usually at 6am in the morning after staying up all night complaining and dancing to music and typing sentences I will delete. But I need to be practical and get sleep and be a human, so sometimes I just sit down and force myself to write at a convenient and sensible hour. The results are USUALLY the same. I try to do it for an hour or two a day, if I can. Or I won’t do it for a week. Writers, I think, are the worst, because we refuse to follow deadlines and complain how hard it is to do our “craft” under pressure. I am a fragile bird. But usually, if you make yourself do it, you can.
Do you have some random job on the side, or are you a full-time writer?
I’ve done them all in New York. I’ve worked eight freelance jobs at a time, I’ve written reviews for reality shows I don’t watch or lists about sexy vampires. I did social media for a vodka company. I worked retail at a vintage clothing shop. I’ve been a full-time writer. I’ve been a full-time corporate Wall Street assistant lady. I don’t mind the ebb and flow. I get bored easily, so it’s interesting to me to change careers constantly, even though I always have the foundation of writing as my main source of income.
What was your impetus for starting The Frenemy blog in the first place, and how did you decide to go with that name?
The Frenemy started as a satire of women’s magazines, the kind you buy at the airport and always give you the same sex tips. That’s why I chose the name–it’s a silly word that, to me, shouldn’t exist. Why would your friend be your enemy? Get new friends. I’m glad I chose it.
How did you decide what new content would go in the book vs. what has already been written for free online?
I wanted to do 100% new material. A pet peeve of mine is asking people for their hard-earned money only to deliver content they can read for free online. Everything in the book is new.
Okay. Not to compare The Frenemy to things like Girls or Fuck I’m In My 20s or articles on Thought Catalog, buuuut how would you say your book is different? Obviously I think your personal voice is very distinct. But did you have to consciously think about how to present your content differently?
My book is different because my voice, experiences, and intentions are different. We all come from the same generation so some of our struggles will intertwine, but The Frenemy is the awkward cousin of all that stuff. While they are going out in NYC and living, I’m on the couch live-blogging a Bravo reunion.
Tell us a little about the editing process and how you worked with your editor. Also I’m curious to know if there is something that was omitted from the original manuscript that you can tell us about.
The editing process was pretty brutal, but my editor Kate is the best lady in the world. She really knew my direction and my voice and pushed hard to get that content out. I edited the book for a year and a half. I rewrote the whole thing a year in. It was a grueling process that taught me to write better than any college course ever did.
Oh, and I’m VERY glad I took out the story about losing my virginity. Bo-ring and gross.
What are some of your own favorite books? Or you can recommend anything, really. Tell me some stuff you love that you think we should check out.
I love all sorts of books. The Beach, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Picture of Dorian Gray are my favorites. I recommend Gone Girl, A Changed Man, and Holidays on Ice to pretty much everybody. If you’re going to take a TV rec from me, please watch all of Nathan for You.
I always have a soft spot for glasses-wearers. What’s up with your eyes? Have you tried contacts before or you’re a glasses girl for life?
I am certainly a glasses girl. A) I like them B) They are also a shield for your eyes C) In college I got a corneal ulcer/corneal tear because I left my contacts in too long and now I have sworn off contacts forever.
Are you already thinking about your next writing project or book? If so, what do you imagine it will be about?
I am! I think it will not be about 20-somethings but more geared towards being and becoming a woman in this generation.
Also, what’s next for The Frenemy the blog?
Same as always. I don’t foresee myself stopping the blog anytime soon. I love writing on it because I can write what-ever I want.
@The_Frenemy
Photo credit: Lily Cummings