Interview with Jen Glantz: Author of “All My Friends are Engaged”
Author of All My Friends are Engaged
has taken some time from her busy NYC life, to tell us a little more about herself and her new eBook. First of all, let me just say, the title itself was captivating enough. Who hasn’t been there before, where we become the black sheep of the bunch, being left behind while all our friends are getting engaged and married? I know I’m already there! So it’s easy to be attracted to the book. The readers clearly love the content too! With its great reviews and five star rating, there’s no denying that it’s a must read, but who is this girl with her quirky stories? Let’s take a look at what she had to tell Miss Millennia Magazine.
1. What is your eBook about?
Chances are you’ve been there before: on an awkward first date, where you find yourself stuck playing 20 questions with a person who has broccoli stuck in their teeth, spends half the evening whining about how their ex left them with an achy-breaky heart, or shows up so on-the-rocks wasted that they end up passed out in their bowl of clam chowder before the main course arrives.
All My Friends are Engaged is a collection of dating disaster stories, packed with witty and relatable answers to the age-old annoying question, “Why are you still single?” All the stories embarrassingly belong to me, the author: Jen Glantz. You may have seen me before on Thought Catalog, USA TODAY College, Thethingsilearnedfrom.com, or JDate.
2. What made you write on the topic you chose for All My Friends are Engaged?
When all my friends started getting engaged, I started asking myself, “What’s wrong with me?” But that was just ridiculous and a waste of time. The stories in this book are relatable for those who are single, married, or engaged; for both girls and guys.
3. How much time did you put into writing your book?
I wrote the whole book in 40 days and spent about 20-something of those days waking up in the middle of the night to rewrite it.
4. Did you go to college for English/writing? If not, what did you go for and where?
I spent four lovely years at the University of Central Florida (GO KNIGHTS!), and I received two degrees; one in Journalism and one in English-Creative Writing. With my Journalism degree, I learned style, ethics and how to align the bones of a story, and with my English degree, I learned how to optimize my creativity.
5. Are you currently working on any other piece? If so, can we get a sneak peak? If not, do you plan to?
I blog regularly on my very own website: The Things I Learned From. It’s updated every week with brand new content.
6. What do you think you can teach your readers through your book?
Yes, dating is awkward. But it’s also a lot of other things (including humorous, exciting, a second chance). I hope people will read these stories and fall back in love with going out on dates. I hope that they, that I, will keep on trying until we meet the one.
7. Is being single a choice you’ve made?
I wish! I have a hard time settling down just to settle. I really just have not met the “one.”
8. What’s the best dating advice you’ve ever received and would like to share with our readers?
I recently hung out with a friend, who is a stand-up comedian. He gave me a piece of advice to hold onto, and that he uses both on the stage and on dates. He said: “Go into it thinking, if it doesn’t work out, there will be other people, other chances. This is just one tiny experience and one single person. It’s never worth it to place so much pressure on going up there or getting out there. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, you just try again.?
9. What’s the most embarrassing dating situation you’ve been in, and how were you able to overcome it?
It’s always awkward on dates for me when the guy goes to hug me goodbye. On a first date, I always turn my shoulder in (since I’m not ready to kiss them), and I’ve had quite a few guys smooch my shoulder blade.
10. What are some other hobbies that you enjoy, and anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I spend a large chunk of my free time writing. But I always break up the hours of chomping away at my keyboard with activities like long walks (with no destination in mind) around NYC, reading a wild amount of paperbacks, eating slices of fresh pizza and playing guitar in a band (The Jen Glantz Band) with my adorable dad.
I hope you’ll check out All My Friends are Engaged, and when you’re done, when you’ve read the last word on the page, please let me know what you thought: thethingslearned@gmail.com.
