Interview with T.L. Johnson, Author of Nothing Important, Everything Important – NewInBooks

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always been fascinated by the quiet ways people change each other. Not the dramatic, world-ending moments, but the tiny conversations that settle into your life before you realize they matter—a message, a habit. Someone becomes part of your evenings without permission or ceremony. Nothing Important, Everything Important began with that feeling—the strange intimacy of being known slowly. It’s a story about loneliness, timing, connection, and the ways people can become emotionally significant long before they understand what’s happening. I wanted it to feel soft and aching and deeply human; the kind of story that lingers in the silence after you finish it.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

“Cherry Wine” — Hozier
“I Found” — Amber Run
“The Night We Met” — Lord Huron
“Fallingwater” — Maggie Rogers
“Carry You” — Ruelle, Fleurie

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I read very widely, but I tend to gravitate toward emotionally intelligent fiction with strong atmosphere: literary fiction, psychological fiction, modern gothic, romantic suspense, stories where tension hums quietly beneath the surface. As a writer, I love genre-blending. I’m less interested in fitting neatly into one category and more interested in writing stories that make people feel something sharp and recognizable. Whether it’s romance, literary fiction, or psychological tension, I always come back to emotional intimacy and human complexity.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

My TBR pile has become less of a pile and more of an architectural structure threatening my survival.

Lately I’ve been reaching for atmospheric literary fiction, emotionally messy romances, and beautifully written speculative fiction. I’m also perpetually buying indie books faster than any reasonable person could read them, which feels occupationally appropriate as the owner of an indie bookshop.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The quiet scenes. The conversations that don’t look life-changing from the outside but alter something fundamental underneath.

There’s a particular emotional shift in the book where the characters begin realizing their lives have started arranging themselves around each other without either of them fully acknowledging it yet. Writing those moments—the hesitation, the almost-confessions, the emotional subtext hiding beneath ordinary conversation—felt incredibly intimate in the best way.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I write with wooden-wick candles crackling in the background, usually under an electric blanket with a moody playlist streaming.

I also talk to my characters while driving and use talk-to-text constantly because my brain moves faster than my hands sometimes. Recently, I acquired two tiny kittens who believe keyboards exist specifically to sabotage manuscripts, so that has added a new level of chaos to the process.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

“I want to be quietly wonderful.”

I think there’s something powerful about creating beauty, kindness, art, and connection without needing to perform constantly for attention. I want my work and my life to leave people feeling seen.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That small moments matter. A conversation can matter. A text message can matter. Being understood at the right moment can matter. People often think life changes in dramatic ways, but sometimes it shifts quietly, almost invisibly, until one day you realize your heart has built a home around someone.