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Saturday Night Live has been an American institution since its premiere in 1975, entertaining viewers with its wide range of comedic bits. The sketch comedy staple has inspired several talented writers and comedians, but few wear that inspiration on their sleeves more than Chayla Wolfberg, whose debut novel Late Night Love hit shelves on February 20th, 2024.
Late Night Love peels the curtain back on a fictionalized version of SNL, placing particular focus on the iconic Weekend Update segment. The story follows the rambunctious Emily Beckerman, whose drastic attempts at sneaking her own jokes into Weekend Update inadvertently land her the role of Head Writer. The only problem is Chris Galloway, the other Update host and Head Writer. Emily and Chris both believe they know the best way to save the show, and neither of them is happy about their forced collaboration. However, animosity soon gives way to white-hot chemistry in this hilarious romance novel.
Wolfberg’s own experiences in the entertainment industry (not to mention her undying passion for SNL) lend the novel a unique degree of behind-the-scenes insight. With a few TV pilots under her belt and another novel already in the works, Wolfberg stands out as one of the most exciting young writers working today.
I had the opportunity to discuss Late Night Love with Wolfberg and learn more about her creative process.
Hi Chayla! Could you begin by telling us what first inspired you to write a novel like Late Night Love?
I started writing Late Night Love in April of 2020, when I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands due to the whole global pandemic situation. I was watching the SNL from home episode that the show did and thought “wouldn’t it be so funny if two cast members were secretly at the same home, and trying to hide it?” and Late Night Love evolved from there!
Late Night Love is a fresh take on a classic genre: the romance novel. What draws you to romance as a genre?
I think that romance can be told in so many different ways, because no two love stories are alike. The work that it takes to be vulnerable and love someone else often requires you to be really honest with yourself, and I think romance novels so beautifully tell that narrative in a way that feels exciting and special. There’s a reason that romance is such a strong market. I think it’s because romance fans like myself will never get tired of reading love stories, and there’s truly something for everyone. I also think there’s an amazing community aspect to the romance genre. Romance authors are constantly talking about other authors and books that they love. I’ve felt so supported by other authors that I’ve spoken to, and romance Bookstagrammers who have promoted my work – especially Jewish romance readers. And I must give a shout-out to the Fated Mates podcast. I’ve listened to almost every episode and it’s like getting a fun PhD in romance; it’s such an amazing community of people who listen to the podcast. The hosts are a romance author and a romance editor, and they do such an excellent job not just recommending books, but really diving into how romance as a genre functions and why it inspires so much passion.
Considering your background in the entertainment industry and your passion for comedy, what kind of insight and expertise were you able to bring to this story?
I think I have a deep understanding of the fantasy of what SNL is because I’m such a comedy nerd and I am obsessed with the show. From working behind the scenes in entertainment, I also understand how the reality is sometimes not as fun and can be more complicated. I wanted to highlight how subjective comedy can be and how it can mean so many things to so many different people. I also really wanted to highlight how much hard work it takes to create comedy, even though good comedy often looks really effortless.
Late Night Love obviously has a lot of reverence for Saturday Night Live. Do you have an all-time favorite cast member or skit?
That is such a hard question! I will say, I love the sketches they do when John Mulaney hosts because he just submits all of the weird and silly ideas that were rejected when he was a writer. I also was so inspired by the Weekend Update, of course. The joke swap that Colin Jost and Michael Che do is genius and was something that I knew I had to put in my book because they perfectly display how chemistry between hosts should work. I also love Vanessa Bayer’s “Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy”, Bill Hader as Stefon, and Andy Samberg’s “Get in the Cage with Nicholas Cage.”
Your novel offers an impressive blend of humor and heart. How did you balance both drama and comedy while writing?
I think I’ve had a lot of good examples, because the romantic comedy genre as a whole does such an excellent job of combining the two. I love movies like When Harry Met Sally, Love Actually, and Notting Hill that all have really silly moments and then also emotional moments. I also think reading romance helped me learn how to do that. There are so many authors who do that so well, especially Jean Meltzer, Talia Hibbert, Tessa Bailey, Alexa Martin, and Andie J. Christopher. The romance genre is full of such excellent writing, I think because the most beautiful things often happen when people let down their walls and find love, happiness, and acceptance. I feel really lucky that there are so many incredible authors whose work I get to be inspired by.
What was your creative process like while writing Late Night Love? How did it differ at all from your previous writing projects?
Late Night Love was the first book I ever wrote, and I had no idea what I was doing. This version that’s coming out now is I think my seventh draft. I did a lot of writing and rewriting to get the story where I wanted it to be. Like many things people are new at, it was trial and error. I also found reading a lot of romance to be super helpful. Most of the other writing I had done at that point were drafts of pilots, so it was a completely different style and much longer. I was also really lucky to have writer friends, like my friend Gabi Conti, who was kind enough to look over a draft and give me notes. Sometimes when I’m writing something I get so stuck in a story that I can’t see the forest through the trees, so to speak, and fresh eyes are so helpful to figure out what the story might need.
Protagonist Emily Beckerman seems like quite the go-getter. Are there any women in your life (including yourself) who served as inspiration for her character?
In the words of Leslie Knope, “I am big enough to admit that I am often inspired by myself.” I’m also really inspired by the women in my family, and all of my assistant friends. Being in the entertainment industry requires a lot of perseverance, especially when the past five years included a strike and a global pandemic, but I know so many talented and hardworking women/people who are absolutely killing it and going after their dreams! I also found myself really inspired by every actual woman who has been on SNL and worked in comedy. I wrote the character of Alex to embody a lot of the toxic masculinity that I have seen and read about in the world of comedy, and I hope that his humiliation and downfall feels really good to read for those of us who have ever known an Alex or had to work with one.
What can readers expect to see from you next?
I’m not sure what will actually get published next, but I do have a book right now that I’m “querying,” which is the process of trying to find a literary agent. It’s a historical romance about Jewish pirates and it’s loosely inspired by Fiddler on the Roof. I am excited to see what happens with that! I will definitely continue to write contemporary romance as well, but it was really fun and challenging to write something set in the past! I also really love writing stories about Jewish joy and my community. It felt amazing to write a romance that told a part of Jewish history that not many people know about, and a side of it that doesn’t focus on Jews as supporting characters in someone else’s story, but as the heroes of our own.
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Thanks for reading! Find out more about Chayla at her official site or by following her on Instagram or TikTok at @chaylawolfbergwrites.
