Hunting Houses, the latest novel from Montreal-based Fanny Britt, explores a few days in the life of Tessa, a 37 year-old real estate agent who finds herself questioning her marriage and family life after a fateful encounter with an old ex-boyfriend. By way of engaging and incisive prose, the book delves into themes of temptation, heartbreak and the imperfect mundanity of everyday life.

Britt, author and winner of the 2013 Governor General's Literary Award in Drama for her play Bienveillance, takes CBC Books' Magic 8 Q&A, and answers eight questions life from fellow authors.

I think my writing is very much haunted by my childhood, even though it wasn't an unhappy one. I wouldn't say that I was a happy child: I was (and remain) riddled with anxiety about the world and about my own fate, so it made for a pretty serious child — I was also very curious and loved observing adult behavior — their secrets, their dynamics as friends and lovers, the power struggles. Very quickly I started writing down how I felt and what I saw, which to this day is a powerful anxiety remedy for me. So all of this has certainly influenced how I approach writing — worrying about the world, observing my fellow humans, and then finding some solace in telling.

It was not given to me specifically, but all of Annie Dillard's The Writing Life has spoken to me on a fundamental level, and has given me the guts and humility to dive in and go on:

This happened to me with a play recently that I had to entirely scrap and start over. Painful. And necessary.

I do wonder about that. I studied playwriting at National Theater School of Canada in Montreal, where I certainly learned about style, and structure, and dramatic effect, and trying to keep the audience interested — but I believe that it is mostly time and reading and listening to the sounds of the world that have taught me how to write.

Dissatisfaction with previous work.

I need to love them a little. I don't know that I see myself in all of them, although I do see myself in many, especially the children. They can be jerks and tyrants and vulgar and neurotic, but I still do need to feel some empathy toward them to stay interested in writing about them. Loving and unforgiving: this is how I generally feel about my characters.

Constantly. I bribe myself with lunch with my best friend after finishing my morning's work. I bribe myself with baking cakes, and taking walks, and the promise of an Aperol Spritz at the end of a fruitful day.

I'm a failed musician, so music has always been a crucial part of my inspiration. Leonard Cohen's writing and music have both been fundamental to me, as well as old country music (Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn forever!). I had a big Early Music phase in my twenties and became a Tallis Scholars junkie — which I'm aware is the dorkiest answer possible. I also deeply love to be in the audience, whether at a music show or a play — that feeling of going through the shock of receiving art with other people is pretty awesome, and I think I keep digging for ways to take that feeling to the page.

Relieved. And terrified.