Jan Saenz: Crafting a Book Is Crafting a Performance
In this interview, author Jan Saenz discusses what inspired her debut novel, how theatre influenced her writing, and more.
Jan Saenz is a writer, educator, and native Houstonian. Her work has appeared in 68 to 05, Paper Darts, HAD, and more. She loves teaching creative writing, having worked as a consultant for Kinder High School of Performing and Visual Arts. Before teaching, she worked as a writing coach for Lone Star College.
In this interview, Jan discusses what inspired her debut novel, how theatre influenced her writing, and more.
Name: Jan Saenz
Literary agent: JJ Spitz
Book title: 200 Monas
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release date: March 3, 2026
Genre/category: Literary Fiction, Dark Comedy
Elevator pitch for the book: For fans of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Miranda July comes a whip-smart, irresistible novel about a college senior who has 48 hours to sell her recently deceased mother’s surprise stash of rare pills, or suffer the consequences.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I am endlessly fascinated by sexuality—it’s almost embarrassing how much it shows in my published works. Similarly, I’m always exploring grief and the loss of innocence. Writing 200 Monas felt like a fun way to explore both simultaneously. The intersection between grief and sex somehow reminded me of being young, when the death of my father coincided with my spring awakening; I was always seeking refuge in romantic relationships, sexy films, and perverted conversations with my friends. I wanted to write something that captured that dichotomy in some way, this idea of being sad and horny at the same time.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Seven years to write, plus a year and a half to publication. That sounds like a long time, but when you’re living your life and raising a family and working two jobs, that timeline sounds about right.
From conception to publication, the idea never changed. In fact, it was kind of spooky how clearly I could see the entire story in my head—how it would open and where it would end. What did change was my understanding of the characters. I had to meet them on the page before I could truly understand and appreciate what motivated them, and with that, I fell more in love with them, even the bad guys.
I think spending years on a novel is a good thing, because time will test your love for the story and characters. If that love lasts, you know you’ve got something good.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Shortly after the book was picked up by a US and UK publisher, the film rights were bought. At one point, I was taking multiple Zoom calls every day, which is scary if you’re not used to meeting new people all the time. I learned that the best strategy for combating social anxiety is to just be yourself. Shocking, I know.
But when you sell your first novel—let alone a novel about grief, drugs, and mind-blowing orgasms—you’d be surprised by how much you want to run and hide all of the sudden. Your nervous system goes into overdrive, and you’re constantly scared that you’re going to say the wrong thing or make an amateur mistake in front of people whom you deeply admire. Editors. Authors. Readers. Industry veterans.
The only way I know how to combat my nerves is to just be myself and hope for the best. If I screw up, fine—at least I won’t look back and regret not being true to myself around others.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Yes! For a book that is so sexually charged, I was almost certain that the two main characters—Arvy and Wolf—would bump uglies at least once or twice before the book’s end. I kept writing and writing, waiting for a sex scene to pop up. By the midpoint, it shocked me how much I did not want them to hook up (or at least not in the way I had originally imagined). It was the lack of sex that ultimately made the novel so tender and romantic.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Honestly? A good time. This is a hot take, but I think novels should be entertaining, that a reader’s amusement should be prioritized in some way.
As a theatre kid, I was taught that a self-indulgent performance is the quickest way to lose an audience. I like to think I carry that principle over into my writing. Crafting a book is crafting a performance. The trick is to write something that satisfies the self as much as it might satisfy your audience. 200 Monas was so fun to write. I hope readers have as much fun reading it as I had writing it.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Tension is the best tool in your toolkit—reach for it constantly! Not every story should be a rollercoaster, but every page should beg the question: What is keeping a reader from closing the book? What is making them want to dedicate hours of their life to these characters, scenes, and story? The answer is tension. Tension can be familial, circumstantial, sexual, political, environmental, whatever. A conflict is simply a problem—who cares? Tension is what truly seduces a reader to care.
