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Jessie Rosen is the author of The Heirloom.
Jessie Rosen got her start with the award-winning blog 20-Nothings and has sold original television projects to ABC, CBS, Warner Bros., and Netflix. Her live storytelling show Sunday Night Sex Talks was featured on The Bachelorette. She lives in Los Angeles.
The Heirloom follows a recently engaged woman whose long-held superstition about heirloom engagement rings sends her on a journey around the world to ensure her ring—and her marriage—contains “forever energy.”
Let’s get to know Jessie as she talks favorite novels, her writing career, inspiration behind The Heirloom and more!
What are some of your favorite novels?
There are three books I’ve re-read too many times to count, and they are a very diverse set: The Secret History by Donna Tartt (those characters draw me in every single time), Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (love-story plotting at its absolute peak), and A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (one of the books that made me want to be a writer. I love a “mission” novel, and that one is perfection).
More current favorites include the heart-wrenching Hello Beautiful by Anne Napolitano, One Italian Summer by magical realism queen Rebecca Serle and the most surprising read I’ve had in years: Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson.
What made writing the profession of choice for you?
When I was a very little girl, I fell in love with the childrens book Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, first because it’s a lovely story about the ways we can contribute beauty to the world but mostly because through that book I learned what it was to be an author. I read the book often; I read Barbara Cooney’s little bio on the back much more. The idea of it being a job to write stories that made people feel like I did reading Miss Rumphius just seemed too good to be true! I’ve been writing in some way, shape or form ever since. Turning that dream into a career has been a long and windy path, but I honestly think my love of what writing gives the world is too deep to consider any other profession.
Can you talk about some of the key differences between writing for film and TV compared to novel writing?
First, length! It was a huge transition to go from a 30-page TV script to a 300-page novel. I had to develop new ways to hold the story I was telling in my brain since the level of detail and amount of plot is so much greater (there were a lot of grids and notecards involved…).
But the second piece of the learning curve for me was simply transitioning my brain from heavy dialogue to prose. I had a strong handle on my voice in dialogue writing but had to work on my author voice as a prose writer. Luckily there are also many similarities that proved so helpful between the two formats: in film and tv it’sshow don’t tell, which helped me with immersive scene work; plotting and structure are equally important (I actually outlined The Heirloom using standard film structure first), and characters have to be just as rich and specific, just as quickly, to make people feel like they’re inside the story.
Tell us about The Heirloom! What inspired you to write the novel?
The Heirloom is inspired by my own family superstition that vintage engagement rings hold the karma from all the relationships in which they’ve been worn. I insisted that my now husband propose with a new ring to avoid my fears around wearing bad energy into our happily ever after. During that time I remember debating the decision with so many people who felt it was ridiculous to think an object could impact a relationship, especially since I was so certain about this man.
It made me wonder about A. the power and purpose of superstition in our lives and B. why a woman would put her hypothetical beliefs above her real feelings of love. At some point around the time of my own wedding I had the lightbulb moment that lead to the journey of my heroine tracking down every previous owner of her vintage ring. I’ve been asked if I would have done this same thing had I received an heirloom ring, and the answer is absolutely (especially if a trip to Italy was involved).
What was your favorite part or chapter to write?
Without giving anything away, it’s the chapter in which my character has a huge lightbulb moment around the true meaning of her superstition. I’ll never forget – I was struggling to start writing the novel because I did not have this very important turn figured out, and I felt the whole book hinged on it. One day in the shower I just suddenly said the exact line that my heroine says when she has her realization. Then I’m pretty sure I screamed. Again, no spoilers, but this realization helped ensure I could tell what I consider to be an empowering, feminist love story. And I did not want to write the book without that message intact.
What are you currently reading and what’s on your TBR (to be read) list?
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (because I cannot resist an Italian tale) and Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle (because I cannot resist a Rebecca Serle tale).