Robbie Couch: Keep Your Writer Friends Close
In this interview, author Robbie Couch discusses the freedom and anxiety of going from YA to his first novel for adults, Bloom.
Robbie Couch is the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow, in addition to Just the Good Parts, Blaine for the Win, and Another First Chance. Originally from small-town Michigan, Robbie now calls Los Angeles home. Follow him on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
In this interview, Robbie discusses the freedom and anxiety of going from YA to his first novel for adults, Bloom, finding the right voice for his non-human character, and more.
Name: Robbie Couch
Literary agent: Moe Ferrara, Triada US Literary Agency
Book title: Bloom
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release date: March 3, 2026
Genre/category: Fiction
Previous titles: If I See You Again Tomorrow, Another First Chance, The Sky Blues, Blaine for the Win
Elevator pitch: A houseplant grows concerned for her elderly human's wellbeing—and her own—as the grieving widower keeps forgetting to water her pot following the unexpected death of his husband. Knowing her days are numbered, the plant realizes that in order to save herself, she must figure out a way to help her human bloom again.
What prompted you to write this book?
A few years ago, I was drawn to the idea that a person's houseplants could reflect their mental health. There was this depressed character I created for another book who just kept buying more houseplants instead of going to therapy. That book didn't work out, but the general concept stuck with me. Then, I read Remarkably Bright Creatures and Shelby Van Pelt so beautifully tells a portion of her book from the perspective of an octopus. I thought, Wait, could I make that premise work with a succulent?
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Although I had the basic concept bouncing around in my brain for a few years, I didn't start fleshing out an outline until the team at Gallery Books thought the idea had potential in 2024. The biggest change in Bloom was the houseplant's voice on the page. Getting Jade just right was the biggest challenge, too. I wanted her to be quirky and warm without sounding too human, too artificial, or too Pixar (and I say that as a fan of Pixar!). I like where she landed.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Bloom is the first novel I've written that isn't young adult, so it came with lots of new experiences and learning curves. I love writing YA, but after having published four novels that follow teen protagonists, it was both freeing and intimidating to see my storytelling graduate from high school for the first time.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I wanted the facts behind plant communication to at least inform how I was crafting Jade's voice. So, my biggest surprises and learning moments came with digging into the research. Plants are wild! They're capable of so much more than most of us realize, and I think we've barely begun to scratch the soil—er, surface—in our understanding of their abilities. Did you know: When a tree is under attack from insects, it can release chemicals into the air to warn its forest neighbors so that they can produce compounds on their own leaves and protect themselves from a similar attack? And did you know life in forests utilize massive networks of fungi beneath the soil to communicate and exchange nutrients? Mother Nature has its own internet, more or less.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I just hope readers get something out of it at all! I think books are magical in part because the same story can mean something entirely different to every person who reads it. I explored themes like grief, loneliness, aging, and the complexities of LGBTQ families, but if a reader walks away from Bloom with a renewed commitment to water their houseplants, that's great, too.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Keep your writer friends close! And if you don't have a friend who writes, I recommend finding one. Writing can be such a solitary experience, which isn't inherently a bad thing, but having other writers to lean on when the writer's block or self-doubt come knocking—and they always do—can make all the difference in the world.
