Julie Clark is a New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Ones We Choose which has earned starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal. 

What made you want to become a writer?

I think it's always something I've wanted to do. Ever since I can remember I read books and wanted to impact readers in the way I've been impacted. I wrote my first story in the fifth grade, and never looked back. It took a long time between then and my first book being published...30-ish years. But in that time I lived a lot and learned a lot and I think that has helped my writing.
What inspired you to write The Last Flight?

I've always been drawn to the idea of someone disappearing from their life without a trace, and I wanted to explore whether that was possible in our tech-saturated world. My final verdict: It's not.
What is the process of writing your book? 

I start with an idea, a what-if scenario, and then I just start writing. I try to have about 60,000-70,000 words in my first draft. After that it's many many months (up to 2+ years) of revision.
What part of the writing process is the hardest? 

For me, drafting is the hardest. I don't know my characters, what they want or what they need, and the plot itself is really fuzzy. It takes a while until I can really plug into the story and that always happens for me in revision.
How long does it usually take with just the writing portion of your books?

It can take anywhere from 1-3 years to write a book that will sell to a publisher. Then it's about 18 months on top of that for the editing and production of the book before it hits the shelf.
In The Last Flight, what do you think Claire would do next with her life and do you think she would be happy?  

I imagine Claire living a quiet life in Berkeley. Being a curator at a museum in San Francisco. Having a small circle of friends she sees regularly. She's very happy though.
Regarding The Last Flight, when you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?

I have a general idea of who they are and what their life is like (or what they're running from) but I don't really get to know them well until revision.

What would you consider your greatest accomplishment to be?

I would say writing and publishing books that people love to read and discuss!
What’s your favorite book?   

One of my all-time favorite books has just been made into a limited series on HBO: The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved that book and have read it many times.