Author Interview: Christine Stringer

Thank you for stopping by, Christine!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your debut novel, Charity Trickett is Not So Glamorous. 

When I was in my early 20’s I moved to LA to live out my Hollywood dream of becoming a screenwriter. I was an assistant on the film Walking Tall, starring The Rock, that was being filmed in my hometown of Vancouver, Canada. I’ve worked on several TV and film projects as an assistant before this, all with the hope of impressing a Hollywood big wig, who would see my potential, and offer me a job in LA. This was a popular dream amongst assistants in Vancouver, that rarely materialized. But one faithful night, while partying with The Rock and his entourage in a Vancouver nightclub, the director of the film asked me to move to LA and be his assistant at MGM. MGM is probably the most iconic studio in the world. That studio shaped the film industry as we know it. I mean, they created the Oscars! So, I was over the moon thrilled. What ensued is the premise of the book Charity Trickett is Not So Glamorous. While at MGM, working on their big blockbuster film, I ended up under FBI investigation for piracy. It was, no doubt, the worst time of my professional life. Now it’s a beach read, made to bring you a little entertainment. 

What inspired you to write Charity Trickett and the not-so-glamorous life of a Hollywood assistant? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked the idea?

I wrote this book to change a power dynamic in my life. When I was under FBI investigation for piracy I was in my early 20’s. I was interrogated, bullied, shunned, and MGM told me that I would never work in Hollywood again. My dreams were over and, this was a shameful part of my career that I wanted to keep hidden. I moved back to Canada as a failure. While I continued working in film, I had constant anxiety that my time at MGM would come back to haunt me. I feared that one day, some director or producer would come to town who knew about my FBI investigation ruin my career in Canada. I was in my 20’s remember, so completely self-involved. None-the-less this secret ate at me for years. As time passed and the wisdom of age and hindsight set in, my situation in LA became clear. Did I do something wrong? Yes. Was I asked to do something wrong? Yes. Did I have a choice? Not really. Powerful men in Hollywood rarely get told no. You say no, you get replaced. I said yes, got in trouble, and became a scapegoat for their mistake. When I realized this, I became angry, then embolden. I wasn’t going to let this awful event have power over me anymore. So, I wrote about it. My truth, in a really fun way. I made Charity into everything I wish I was back then. I fictionalized characters that represent the overall impact Hollywood had on me, and I glamourized my experiences. In doing that, I wrote a kick ass, super fun book and took my power back.

Charity Trickett is a fun and relatable name—how did you land on that character and her voice? Was she always named Charity?

Okay, I’ going to date myself, here. Charity is the name of my favourite step instructor ever. If you’re reading this, Charity: Thanks for keeping my shit tight, girl. Trickett is the last name of an old friend. She’s as fun as her last name would suggest.

Charity Trickett is me with a thousand edits. Wouldn’t it be great to revisit the past and edit yourself over and over again? You would say and do all the right things, and have killer outfits. I’m living the dream through Charity. 

Your background spans TV and film, production, screen writing and producing and now novel writing—how has your time in the entertainment world influenced your storytelling style?

Most people working in film and TV are pop culture junkies, and I’m no different. The book takes place in 1997 and there are a lot of pop culture references to that era. The chapter titles are either names of songs, films or TV shows. This helps me maintain the tone of the scene. I’m a cinematic writer, so if a chapter is named after a song, I have that song in my head or playing as I write, using it like a soundtrack to the action, like in a film. Right now, I’m writing a romantic scene for the next book in the Charity Trickett series and I’m listening to “I Love You, Always Forever” by Donna Lewis. As the song plays, I can clearly see Charity moving through the scene. I see the camera angles, close ups, and wide shotes. I write the scene exactly how I would shoot it and edit it. You can’t do that in a screenplay. As a screenwriter, you write mostly dialogue and only a blueprint for the action. Allowing the director and director of photography to construct the visual elements of the scene. There’s a certain control as a novelist that a screenwriter doesn’t have, and I appreciate having that creative control.

What do you think readers—especially women—will most relate to or take away from Charity’s journey?

I know that most women will relate to the drive and determination Charity has in an industry that is under-represented by women, and her struggles within that system. Film is not unique in being male dominated, so, while the setting is interesting and glamorous, the situations are relatable to most. The takeaway is that you can be let down in so many ways by so many people, but there are always better people out there who will help you rise above the outdated bullshit. And typically, those people are a good time.

What advice would you give to women in their 40s who are navigating reinvention—whether creatively, professionally, or personally?

Girl, don’t reinvent yourself. Pivot, instead. I had my first baby at 36. Babies and movie making aren’t the best fit. A typical day in film starts at 7am and ends at 7pm. Coincidentally, once sleep training is successful, a child will sleep those same hours. Working in film meant that I wouldn’t see my kids. I was fortunate that I was able to set work aside while my kids were young. But after some time, I felt the void of not having a creative outlet. While lamenting the death of my career, my old agent suggested that I take an old screenplay of mine, called Not So Glamorous: The Real Life of a Hollywood Assistant and adapt it into a book. Daunting, to say the least. It took years to write the book. First, I had to learn how to schedule creativity into between the demands of parenthood. Then I had to learn how to structure a novel. The process was rewarding. I got a lit agent in New York who gave me great notes. Then I took a financial risk on myself and hired an editor who worked on NY Times best sellers. It was the best money I ever spent on myself. Better than botox! I now have Charity Trickett is Not So Glamorous. A fun, light-hearted, sometime sexy romp through Hollywood that’s loosely based on the worst part of my career. I stayed true to myself and who I am, I just changed the direction of my creative energy.

As an aging lover of this lighthearted good feel fiction genre myself, could you be a little open with the label “HenLit”? After all, we are older. Smarter. And still fun.

While Charity isn’t a mature female character, her writer and creator is. And that’s cool. I’m 48 and don’t feel it. What I wrote in my 20’s was obnoxious. Because when you’re 20 the world still revolves around you. If I wrote this book in my 20’s Charity would be less likeable because she would only think about herself. When I was in LA and under FBI investigation I only thought of how my mistake impacted me. What I never considered was how my boss was impacted. I never thought about the impact my mistake had on the studio executives. These are men have careers they’ve spend decades building. They have children and mortgages. They could have lost their jobs because of my mistake. Their marriages could have suffered, their quality of life, their ability to educate their children. Meanwhile, my big impact was moving back into my parent’s house. Being older as a writer, allows you to broaden your focus and put yourself in other people’s shoes, thereby making the experiences in the book touch more people. Let’s hear it for the Hens! 

For your loyal fans, is there anything in the pipeline you can tell us about?

Get ready for it y’all! Charity Trickett, The Fame Game follows Charity and her cast of characters as they navigate fame in Hollywood. It opens on the Vanity Fair Oscar party red carpet, follows the filming of an award worthy film with bona fide movie stars, has a tabloid scandal, and Charity’s getting married. With all this on Charity’s plate, she’s bound to mess something up.

CHARITY TRICKETT IS NOT SO GLAMOROUS by Christine Stronger (June 10, 2025, SparkPress)

A must-read for those anticipating Apple TV+’s The Studio and who love Hollywood insider stories with humor and heart.

Perfect for readers who devour messy, lovable heroines and high-stakes, real-world drama