Kelsey Miller: On the Power of Memory and Personal History
In this interview, author Kelsey Miller discusses the challenges with writing her first work of fiction, Old Money.
Kelsey Miller is a culture writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of international bestseller, I'll Be There For You (2018), a pop-culture history of Friends, and the memoir Big Girl (2016). Her work has been featured in New York Magazine, Glamour, Medium, Women's Health, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, Literary Hub, Refinery29, A Cup of Jo, and more. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Kelsey discusses the challenges with writing her first work of fiction, Old Money, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Kelsey Miller
Literary agent: Allison Hunter, Trellis Literary Management
Book title: Old Money
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Release date: September 30, 2025
Genre/category: Mystery/Thriller
Elevator pitch: Alice goes home to right an old wrong, and exposes 20 years of secrets, both buried and open, in her bucolic hometown of Briar’s Green.
What prompted you to write this book?
I’m fascinated by the power of memory and self-mythologizing. The stories we tell about ourselves can become the story of our whole life—which sounds obvious, but is kind of terrifying when you sit with it. I suppose I was sitting with it, and thinking about how literally history can shape our lives, whether its personal history, local legend, or some old tabloid story. That last one in particular kept nagging at me. I remember there had been a slew of recent docuseries and articles about the anniversary of the murder of JonBenét Ramsey — a story that had been in the tabloids for 20 years, but suddenly became “news” again because of this milestone. It made me think about all the people tangentially involved, and how their lives and identities may have been profoundly changed simply by being a bystander to something so horrific. That’s what got the ball rolling.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Well, I was pregnant with my daughter when I first started jotting down notes for this book, and by the time it comes out she will be entering kindergarten. It took a while! I wouldn’t say the idea changed, but it took a few big rewrites to really sharpen it. The first draft was enormous and had an entire subplot involving my main character’s ex-boss and a blackmail scheme—a story that basically needed its own book. It was a complicated surgery, cutting all that out, but once I did the story really bloomed.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Countless surprises and learning moments! This is my third book, but my first novel. I’d always been told that fiction was different than nonfiction, but of course, I didn’t really know how different until writing this. Writing a book is always a consuming process, but for me, writing fiction felt like flying to another planet every day—and then flying back to earth at the end of the workday and adjusting to gravity again. I was (and am) so grateful for the guidance of my agent and my editor, who were very much my mission control throughout the process. I’ve always been a bit of a recluse while writing, but with this book, I learned (quickly!) how to reach out for support.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Oh gosh, I just hope they have a good time with it. I think the themes in this book are quite relatable, though the world in which they play out is distinctly not. I hope readers enjoy poking around the dark corners of this village as much as I did. If it makes them reflect on something in their own history—consider it from a new angle—then great. But really, I just hope they enjoy their stay in Briar’s Green.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Get the idea—whatever it is—out of your head and onto a piece of paper. You can noodle on something for eons, but you’ll never know if it’s viable until you turn it into sentences. So, write a few down and see how it goes. Maybe it’ll blossom into paragraphs and then pages and then you have a book. Or maybe it’ll sputter out, or you’ll realize you’re not interested enough to live with this story for the months or years it’ll take to write it. Either way, you’ve made progress. Just give it a shot. Dull not to, right?
