Vanessa Lawrence: Self-Advocacy Is Still an Important Part of Being an Author
In this interview, author Vanessa Lawrence discusses the intergenerational tension between women and professional womanhood in her new novel, Sheer.
Vanessa Lawrence is a writer, editor, and native New Yorker. Her debut novel, Ellipses, was named a best book of 2024 by Vogue and a most anticipated book of the year by ELLE, Electric Literature, and Autostraddle. For nearly two decades she covered the arts, fashion, beauty, design, and New York society as a staff writer for publications including Women’s Wear Daily and W Magazine. She has a BA in history from Yale University and an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Follow her on Instagram.
In this interview, Vanessa discusses the intergenerational tension between women and professional womanhood in her new novel, Sheer, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Vanessa Lawrence
Literary agent: Julia Kardon at HG Literary
Book title: Sheer
Publisher: Dutton
Release date: January 13, 2026
Genre/category: Literary fiction
Previous titles: Ellipses
Elevator pitch: It’s 2015 and Maxine Thomas, the founder and creative director of the cult makeup company Reveal, has just been suspended by her own Board for a scandalous transgression. Housebound in her New York City apartment, where she awaits the verdict on her future, Max recounts her version of the events that have brought her to this moment.
What prompted you to write this book?
I was curious to continue exploring some of the same themes from my debut novel, Ellipses, such as intergenerational tension between women and professional womanhood, but I wanted to approach them from a very different POV and with totally different characters. I’ve also always been fascinated by the medium of beauty. It can be playful and self-expressive, and it can also be punitive and exclusionary. These layers of contradiction within beauty felt like exciting terrain for fiction.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
All told, it will have taken approximately four and a half years from idea to publication, though this period of time overlaps with the sale of, editorial process for, and publication of my debut Ellipses; other writing, and my MFA studies. I wasn’t working on Sheer exclusively for four and a half years.
I wouldn’t say the idea for Sheer changed significantly; it’s more that its structure, focus, and breadth shifted and deepened across many, many drafts, which for me, is one of the thrilling parts of the revision process.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I am in a constant state of learning when it comes to the publishing process! I doubt that will ever change. Because Sheeris my second title, I think I became a bit more comfortable advocating for myself and for my work than I had been with my debut. Even if you’re lucky to have a supportive team, as I am with Sheer, self-advocacy is still an important part of being an author and I hope I continue to grow in this area.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Although I started the book thinking it would contain a good portion of Max’s life, from her childhood to her present day, I don’t think I fully grasped that this meant I would be writing 34 years in a woman’s life (the story follows Max from age 6 to age 40). Covering this much terrain while keeping the book’s pacing tight was a constant challenge, and it taught me a lot about how to make a story expansive within a very compressed structure.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I see Sheer as a potential conversation starter, not as a work intended to provide concrete answers to readers. My hope would be for readers to form their own opinions on this book, its themes, and its ending and then share and discuss those opinions with other readers.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Read widely and thoughtfully. As a writer, you are asking complete strangers to spend hours of their time in the world of your stories. Engaging with other authors’ work is crucial to learning how to make your stories as compelling and well-executed as possible.
