The great thing about a short story is that it doesn't have to trawl through someone's whole life; it can come in glancingly from the side.
Emma DonoghueI must say, in the case of "Room," both the book and the film, I don't think being a lesbian author held me back at all.
Emma DonoghueI needed to do a lot of saying no. I had a lot of [interest] from people who I just didn't think were quite right for it. And I didn't want a bad film to be made of the book, either a sentimental one or a creepy one, so I did a lot of, "No thank you." Then when the right filmmaker came along, yes, I suppose I presented myself very much as wanting to be the writer.
Emma Donoghue