Lilli Sutton

Lilli Sutton writes contemporary adult fiction. She holds a BA in English from Shepherd University. From Maryland, she now lives in Colorado. She draws inspiration for her writing from the natural world and the intricacies of human relationships.

When she's not writing, she's usually cooking, hiking, or trying to keep up with her ever-growing TBR list.

Sutton's new novel is Running Out of Air.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

There’s something about evoking the air (or lack of air) and books about mountaineering—Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and Breathless by Amy McCulloch, among others. The world’s tallest mountains call to mind a lack of oxygen, and I think that’s a large part of our fascination with them, and the people who chose to climb to heights where there literally isn’t enough oxygen to maintain physical functioning. They don’t call it the death zone for nothing.

Running Out of Air wasn’t the original title, though—it alluded to the John Muir quote “The mountains are calling and I must go.” My publisher pushed for a title change to highlight the thriller elements of the novel, and I’m happy with where we landed. It nestles the book among the other stories, fiction and nonfiction, of the high mountains. And of course, literally running out of air is an unpleasant and dangerous experience—which hints at what happens later in the novel.

What's in a name?

The fictional Himalayan mountain in my book, Yama Parvat, is named after Yama, a Hindu deity of death and justice. That alone tells the reader just about everything they need to know about the mountain itself, but whether the mountain delivers justice with a fair hand is left up to interpretation. I went with a fictional mountain, rather a new route up an existing mountain, because I wanted the reason for Evelyn and Sophie to physically reunite to be monumental, historical. Yama Parvat exists, in Running Out of Air, as “the last great question,” the fifteenth, and only unclimbed, 8000-meter mountain on earth. When the opportunity for an expedition arises, neither sister can say no.

I wanted the mountain to have a bit of a dreamlike quality, too. The weather on Yama Parvat plays a large role, as do its misleading physical features. Is the mountain sentient, doling out judgement of sinners like its namesake, Yama? Or is it merely nature, random acts of unfeeling ecological systems?

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

I’ll go with medium-surprised. I always loved contemporary fiction, even as a teenager. I read some fantasy, but I preferred stories set in the real world. I do think she’d be surprised about the subject of mountaineering, mainly because I didn’t develop an interest in that until I was solidly in adulthood, though I’ve always loved being outside in nature. She would also probably wonder why it doesn’t have more romance. I still enjoy the occasional romcom, but I don’t think I could write one!

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

It’s definitely harder for me to write beginnings. I find it so difficult to know the exact moment at which to enter a character’s world. The original first chapter of Running Out of Air was slower and more introspective. While everything in that chapter was relevant and went a long way to establish relationship dynamics and frame the story, it lacked the excitement and tension of the expedition chapters, and didn’t feature the sisters on page together.

While querying agents, I ended up completely scrapping that first chapter and writing a new one—a short scene that flashes forward to the climax of the story, featuring Sophie and Evelyn together on Yama Parvat. I won’t give away too many details, but it’s full of tension, drama, and a literal cliffhanger.

Regarding the novel’s ending, it has remained largely unchanged since I first wrote it—some details have been added or removed, and of course there’s been work to develop the characters’ reactions, but otherwise, it’s the same final chapter after which I first typed “THE END.” That being said, I didn’t know how the last few chapters of the story would go until I wrote them. I joined the expedition and let my characters lead the way.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I don’t like to write characters that are too connected to me. They need to feel like separate, fully-formed people whose world I’m briefly entering. Fiction, to me, is about escapism and traveling through words, so I’ve never been tempted to write myself into my characters. That being said, I can only step so far away from my own experience of the world, so there are little traits and mannerisms that might be some of “me” in my characters. For example, I relate to Evelyn’s doubts about her path in life.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I love watching documentaries for inspiration. I’d be remiss to not mention the incredible, moving documentary The Alpinist, about Marc-André Leclerc.

I really enjoy the Smithsonian magazine; it’s taught me a lot about subjects I was completely unfamiliar with before, and frequently sends me down research rabbit holes. I have a similar relationship with The New York Times, i.e., I open the app to play a Crossword and end up reading a fascinating article.

When I’m feeling stuck creatively, I cook, listen to music or podcasts, and engage in other creative hobbies. Nothing beats spending time outside, though—a good walk or hike with nothing playing in my ears, just quiet time to let my mind wander and take in all the beauty and intricacy that abounds in nature. I’ve solved many insurmountable plot problems with a long walk.

Visit Lilli Sutton's website.

--Marshal Zeringue