Despite a failed attempt at majoring in ice cream in college, Steff Deschenes is a self-taught ice-cream guru. After publishing the now twelve-time award-winning The Ice Cream Theory, she began exploring food on a more universal level. As a result, she now photoblogs daily herself at dinner and the challenges of being a vegetarian in a predominantly seafood-oriented state. Steff also writes two articles a week entitled “Maybe It’s Me” (personal essays and reflection on life and the living of it) and “Fact Is Better” (real life conversations she couldn’t make up if she tried); all of which can be found at Steffdeschenes.com. You can also visit her at Theicecreamtheory.com.
Q. Thank you for this interview, Steff. Can we begin by having you tell us why you chose to write a self-help book with ice cream as the focal point?
I never intended to write a self-help book. I simply sat down and began writing about life and the living of it. When it came time to pick a genre, “Super Cool Almost True, but Somewhat Inaccurate Anecdotes from My Life” was not a viable option. So, the powers that be shuffled me into “Self Help: General,” which a) bummed me out, because the market is inundated with these books, and b) made me feel altogether silly—because, really, what the heck does a twenty-something know about life outside of their own little world? Apparently something more than nothing, considering the book has gone on to win twelve independent book awards!
Q. Did you outline before you wrote your book or just went with the flow?
I don’t do well with outlining. I’m more of a “shoot from the hip” kinda girl, and it always seems to work out in life, whether I’m cooking, making big decisions, or writing. Every time I sat down to work on The Ice Cream Theory, something new and wonderful tumbled out of me and onto paper—sometimes unexpected, sometimes very much intentionally crafted. I actually spent more time working on the chapter outline, than I did the writing outline.
There’s this really cute picture of me when I was living in England where I’m leaned over a bunch of scrap paper—they each had a name of a chapter written on them—that I kept arranging and rearranging. I love that picture, because it was this really important moment for me when I realized a huge part of my writing journey was done, but another adventure with The Ice Cream Theory was just starting.
Q. What kind of research did you do before putting this book together?
I ate a lot of ice cream. And dated a lot of boys. And ate more ice cream after breaking up with said boys! In all seriousness, I did a fair amount of research on the history of, the chemical properties of, the marketing of, and the numerous brands of ice cream that exist.
Q. What question(s) do people ask you when you tell them about your book?
It’s always the same two questions back-to-back:
1. “WHAT FLAVOR AM I?!” It’s the first thing that comes out everyone’s mouth. I have to patiently explain to them that I wouldn’t know what flavor they are, seeing as I had just met them.
2. “You wrote this?! But, you’re like thirteen!” I have heard this one at every single book signing I’ve done. I’m a very small, very young-looking woman, and as a result people are always baffled that I not only wrote a self-help book, but that I wrote an award-winning self-help book.
Q. Which part of your book gets the WOW factor?
I think what gets the WOW factor isn’t so much from the book, but who the book has appealed to so far. For some reason that I can’t explain, it seems The Ice Cream Theory has really struck a chord with teenage girls just leaving high school or entering college, twenty-something boys, and women with families in their fifties. When you can create something that appeals to such a vast group, then you’ve got something really quite special.
