The first literary magazine I ever read submissions for was The Fiddlehead. Based out of the University of New Brunswick, it’s the oldest Canadian literary magazine in circulation. It’s a well respected mixture of poetry, fiction and reviews. I enjoyed reading through the slush pile, looking for gems and passing them on to a more senior editor when I found them. The magazine had a practice of sending feedback to everyone who submits, so when I decided that a submission wasn’t going to move forward, I wrote a little note to the author on a slip of paper. (Those were the days when we sent our writing to magazines via snail mail.)
I’ve had a couple of poems published in The Fiddlehead. I’ve also had some rejection letters from them for both poetry and fiction. This summer, I got another acceptance for a story I’ve been trying to place for 10 years.
In my creative writing Master’s program, I wrote a weird story about a middle-aged banker who goes on a cybersex chatroom. It’s set very obviously in the early 2010s, with allusions to politics of the time. There’s sexy talk about math. There are secret identities. I thought at first that “A Limit to Growth” might grow into a novel, but it reached a natural stopping point at short story length, with an ambiguous ending.
I knew that I’d written a good story. But for the next decade, I failed to place it. It wasn’t even one of those stories that got encouraging feedback: “This was good work but not for us” or “We encourage you to submit something else.” It got crickets.
The novel I wrote for my thesis, around the same time, had a similar result. More people liked it, but no one was looking for a bisexual coming-of-age story about a musical prodigy, with alternating timelines and a slower pace. “We only have a limited number of spots in our publishing program…”
Submitting your writing means getting rejected. Jane Yolen, legendary author from my childhood, tweets about her rejections all the time. You just have to keep baiting your hook until somebody bites.
I didn’t give up on “A Limit to Growth,” and I’m excited to see it find a home in The Fiddlehead’s 2021 summer fiction issue. I left my novel in a metaphorical drawer for a while, then resubmitted it to some new publishers this year and am delighted that it, too, has found a home. Chasing Harmony will be published by Read Furiously in 2022.
So, those are my stories from 10 years ago. It took time, persistence, and changes in the marketplace for them to reach an audience, but I knew that there was something good in both of them. I believed in them, so I kept trying. Next time I write something I like, I’ll remember how long it took to place these pieces and keep at it. If you’ve written something you believe in, I encourage you to do the same. Better late than never!
My debut short story collection Dream Signs is coming out soon with Lost Fox Publishing! You can read the press release here. It’s the culmination of over a decade of writing, a blend of realistic and fantastical fiction. The publisher has been great to work with and I can’t wait to see this book out in the world.
In their words, “Dream Signs is a grand collection. Switching between realistic and fantastical fiction, even blending the two at times, its themes are as poignant as they are epic, unified by Melanie’s unmistakable voice. In it you can find stories concerning coming-of-age and self-realization, unequivocal compassion between human beings both romantic and platonic, and the journey her characters take on to embrace their new challenges in life as they come to terms with who they really are. Different narratives weave in and around each other, each their own seminal chapter in the lives of their characters, bringing you back and forth between what has been and what must be done in order for them to live out the lives they want to live.”
Get ready to meet candy makers, sex workers, sisters left behind, scholars attracted to ideas rather than people, sentient AIs, and queer ladies fighting geological dragons.
Between this announcement and the publication of Hard for Hope to Flourish featuring my novella “The Cliffman” (with a recent “Meet the Author” interview here), it’s been quite a literary year.
I have two other books under contract over the next couple years, including a children’s chapter book with Lost Fox. Stay tuned for further announcements!
I’ve posted before about NaNoWriMo, but until 2020, it was one of those things I’d thought about but never attempted. I was usually busy, and more crucially, I’ve never been fast. I’ve completed novel manuscripts, but writing 50,000 words in a month seemed like a daunting task. I was happy to cheer on other, more ambitious writers from the sidelines.
This year I spent November in lockdown. It seemed like the perfect time to give the challenge a go. I had a few opening chapters of a novella lurking in my folders, waiting for me to finish it, and I decided that NaNoWriMo would be my motivation to do that. I wasn’t sure if I’d write the full word count, but I saw other writers blogging and posting on social media about the progress they made from participating, whether or not they met that tally mark. Some used it to revise or meet other goals, like I intended to do. The tent seemed expansive and friendly.
This manuscript is the first time I’ve tried to write romance as a central focus. It’s also the first time I’ve attempted a novella, although I’ve thought at points that it might turn into a novel. It started out with two points of view, but feedback from a reader suggested that one was far more interesting than the other, so I rewrote the first part to focus on that character. I scrapped my outline and wrote by the seat of my pants, coming up with some of my ideas on long morning runs. It turned out that letting my mind wander while exercising was a great way to find inspiration.
What worked for me? Not, it turned out, joining online communities or engaging with the many passionate writers posting in great detail on forums and chat rooms. It’s wonderful to see so many passionate people creating, and I’d expected to find it motivating, but instead it gave way to something like Zoom fatigue. I joined a few groups and quickly became overwhelmed. Instead, I focused on the story I was telling. Maybe I’d socialize about it later, when it was done.
Complicating things, I had some serendipitous work projects come up for the month, so my time wasn’t as open as I’d expected. My writing stopped and started around other commitments that I didn’t want to forego. What helped throughout all that was writing regularly, in little bits almost every day. I felt closer to my characters’ lives. It was a challenge to write a new kind of story in a new genre, but word by word, it came together.
I allowed my usual writing process to take the forefront, editing as I go. That’s usually seen as a “no-no” for writers during speed events like this one, but when I tried to draft with more of a stream of consciousness, I missed letting my editorial mind improve things. I’m an editor by trade, and it turns out that I value letting that skill set shape my work. It makes the next draft smoother.
The last day was a milestone. I’d set a 25,000-word novella mark by that point and wasn’t sure if I’d achieve that word count or finish the draft. Animated by the frenzy of a student with a due date, I wrote into the evening. The story wanted to tell itself. It knew where it was going. Soon, I reached the end.
It helped to have a deadline.
I’m delighted to have given NaNoWriMo a try and met my personal goal. It was a great experience, and one I hope to repeat. NaNoWriMo writers out there, how did things go for you?
According to coach and author Alexis Rockley, the lack of focus and creative blocks that many of us are experiencing during the coronavirus pandemic stem from the uncertainty arising from this situation. We don’t know what’s going to happen next, and our brains are overwhelmed. In this and other stressful situations, it can be hard for those of us who want to write to get any writing done.
Every writer has struggled with this at points – writer’s block, stress, and other manifestations of a mind that isn’t in any shape to create. It’s one thing if writing is our day job, and we have the external motivation of a deadline with a paycheck waiting at the end (and even then, getting the words out can sometimes be a challenge). It’s quite another when the only person counting on us to get something written is ourselves.
When your brain just won’t write, what can you do? Sometimes it’s best to recognize and care for our needs and come back to work another time rather than tiring ourselves out in the here and now. There are lots of things that can help recharge your batteries, get inspiration flowing, and move your writing career forward when your brain is stalling and the words just won’t come. Here are a few of them.
Self-Care
Rest: If you’re overwhelmed or tired, maybe you need more sleep or downtime. Listen to your body and offer yourself the rest you need.
Exercise: Like rest, we need movement in order to function. Again, listening to your body is helpful here. If you’re feeling twitchy in that office chair, maybe you need to get up and go for a jog.
Check your physical comfort: Are you hungry? Thirsty? Cold or hot? Is your furniture hurting your back? Sometimes a comfortable environment makes all the difference.
Do your to-do’s: Some writers procrastinate by doing busywork, but the opposite can also happen. If you have pressing items on your to-do list that you’re putting off, they may be hogging brain real estate that could otherwise be devoted to creativity. Look at those worrisome tasks you’re putting off and get them done.
Idea Generation
Read (or engage with other arts): Reading keeps writers engaged with words and stories, and can be a wellspring of ideas. So can taking in other forms of art, whether that’s looking at paintings or binging Netflix shows. Feel free to re-engage with old favorites too.
Research: Like your to-do list, this is some writers’ favored procrastination tool, but it’s also productive. Read and learn about topics that interest you or that are related to your writing project, or try something new and out of your comfort zone. You never know what will spark an idea.
World build: Act like a kid and make things up! Draw an imaginary map. Invent a lollipop land. Dream up a new animal. If you already have a created world as part of your writing, play around with adding things onto it.
Learn your craft: Take a writing class, attend an event, or listen to a podcast. Try something that will teach you new elements or angles on writing and expand your horizons.
The Business of Writing
Pitch or submit: When the words aren’t coming, that can be a good time to submit and query the pieces you’ve already finished. You can try pitching ideas for new pieces as well, or pitching rejected ideas to other publications.
Edit: Try rereading your drafts with an editorial eye. See what would benefit from being rewritten. Reading your work aloud can be helpful here, as can exchanging critiques with writer friends.
Build your social media or web presence: It helps to have a presence and network online. Reach out, make connections, and put yourself (and your work) out there. Find people who will want to read your work once you get back to writing it.
Build relationships: As with the above, it’s useful to connect with others in the writing world. Try attending events (virtual ones count, of course), joining a writers’ group, or going to a conference. Keep in touch with the people you meet and like.
If you just can’t write right now, truly, it’s OK. A writer is someone who writes – but you don’t have to write all the time in order to qualify for the title. There are lots of things you can do that will contribute to your writing when the words won’t come. I promise that blank page will still be there, ready for you to get started.
For two years, I’ve wanted to go to London Book Fair. This year I was finally going to get there, accompanying colleagues to look after ICE Publishing’s stand, network, and learn. Then, as you can probably guess, the fair was cancelled due to the coronavirus. The sound reason did not dim my disappointment. Despite the cancellation, though, I got one good thing out of the London Book Fair: acquaintance with the Bestseller Experiment.
When reading through the list of Insights Seminars planned for the fair, I saw that there was a live episode planned for the Bestseller Experiment podcast. The name intrigued me. A bestseller is a big promise. What could a “bestseller experiment” be and how did it work? I looked the podcast up and discovered it was created by two British men, both named Mark, who sought to write, edit, publish, and market a bestselling book in a year. What an awesomely audacious goal! I began listening, and soon I was hooked.
The pair of podcasters make appealing foils for each other. Mark Stay is a seasoned writer, with a novel and movie to his name, and a veteran employee of the traditional publishing industry. With the benefits and cynicism of experience, he acts as the podcast’s pessimist, skeptical of the likelihood of success but game to go forward. Mark Desvaux, a Canada-based life coach who’d started books prior to the podcast but hadn’t finished them, is the pair’s optimist, bringing enthusiastic belief in their success and a sense of spirituality to offset his co-host’s national outlook. It’s fun to listen to the two Marks bouncing off each other. What really makes the podcast shine, though, is the caliber of its interviews.
From the get-go, Mark and Mark interview industry professionals and bestselling authors of both traditional and indie titles. They set out to find the “secret sauce” that makes a book or an author into a bestseller, speaking to the likes of Bryan Cranston, Joanne Harris, Joe Abercrombie, Michelle Paver, Shannon Mayer, and professionals from NaNoWriMo, Kindle Direct Publishing, authors, agents, editors, and more. All the interviewees speak lucidly and eloquently about their craft and share a wealth of knowledge about the industry. Their writing journeys differ, from those who have worked in obscurity for years before having a sales or publishing “breakthrough” to early success stories, from those who hate revision to those who love it, but all share a belief in writing success because they have all experienced it. Every episode I’ve listened to so far has been worth the time, and all have left me with a feeling of hope.
What bestselling secrets has the podcast shared? So far, the interviewed authors share a belief in taking yourself seriously as a writer (most of them write every day and set themselves word counts), having deadlines (I share their experience of writing faster when somebody gives me a due date), and writing about topics that matter to you. Again and again, the authors reiterate that you can’t write a bestseller cynically, and that good books come out of love of the subject you’re writing about. Many of them recommend go-to books on the craft of writing, and some share marketing tips. Editors and agents encourage writers not to worry about trends and to write what they’re interested in. The need for self-care when writing is also explored.
The Marks also share the stages of their journey in writing a book. In one of my favorite episodes, Ben Aaronovitch tells them off for writing a 50,000-word “outline”! I also enjoyed listening to the Marks discuss an editor’s critique of their manuscript. Since they wrote about a female protagonist, the editor suggested using a female pseudonym, and I’m pleased to note that they succeeded without one (though Mark Desvaux used the shorter pen name ‘Mark Oliver’). It’s no spoiler to note that the Marks indeed wrote and self-published a Kindle bestselling novel in a year. Back to Reality is a fast-paced story about time-travel, body swapping and the lives one could have lived. Its success doesn’t surprise me given the excellence of the Marks’ podcasting platform, but it does make me smile. They did it! And the podcast is still going and growing, with many of their listeners publishing books including more bestsellers. If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a bestseller, you might enjoy listening to it, too. Thank you, London Book Fair!
So, you’ve finished the first draft you were writing.
Congratulations! It takes a lot of effort and discipline to get this far. Take
time to acknowledge the work you put in, celebrate its completion, and take a
break in order to give yourself some distance from the work.
Maybe you’ve done this. Maybe that break has taken a
little too long now, and you’re reluctant to get back to work on your
project. Maybe you’re scared to begin editing it, or you aren’t sure how to
start.
That was me not long ago after I’d finished the first draft of a manuscript. Even though I edit and write as my job, I got stuck this time around and wasn’t quite sure what to do next. It took time to get moving, but this is what I did, and these are some of the things that worked for me. Maybe they’ll work for you, too.
Get feedback: If this is your first book, or if it’s a different type of project from the ones you’ve written before (like this manuscript was for me), feedback from an objective outside source can be especially helpful to give you a sense of your book’s pros and cons. I recommend reaching out to people with expertise in the area you’ve written about and asking them to review your manuscript. Both written and oral feedback can be helpful, as is getting multiple opinions—one person will catch issues that another person misses. It can also be useful to find a reader or readers who aren’t as familiar with your subject. These people can point out areas that are confusing, where your writing will benefit from further clarification.
Get focused: What’s your book about? Do you know your project’s topic and key messages, or have these changed while you were writing? Feedback can help you see what others perceive your book’s focus to be. Another way to get a sense of this is to reread your book and write a summary or blurb about it, highlighting the main points of what you read. If the book you’ve finished is different from the book you set out to start, your revisions will need to either build on the new focus or build a bridge back to the old one. If you’re writing on contract, your book might need some revisions to make sure that it still follows the focus you were asked to write about. Either way, there are ways to make a change of focus into an advantage.
Take out unnecessary things: As you were reviewing your book’s focus, you or others may have found that parts of it distract from the main idea. If something seems off-topic and doesn’t add to the point you’re making, it may not belong there. Make sure you save your draft, and once you’ve done that, don’t be afraid to cut the unnecessary bits. These might be chapters, topics, or sentences.
Boredom-proof your book: Are your readers bored at any point? When you reread your manuscript, are there places where you’re bored? Your intended audience is interested in your topic, but that doesn’t mean that you will automatically have their attention. A book still needs to be engaging and relevant. A boring section might be overly dry; if that’s the case, liven up the language and try adding examples. It might mean that an explanation is too long—if so, condense it. It might be confusing—if so, work on clarity. Ask yourself why this section reads as boring—and rewrite it until you’re interested in reading it again.
Add more when needed: Just as rereading and getting feedback can show you where you need to cut things, it can also show you places where you need to expand. Identify these places and then identify what they’re missing. Do they need more explanation or more examples? Do some of your ideas need to be connected more closely? Do you need to do more research? Once you know what you’re missing, work on adding it in.
Check spelling, grammar, and flow: Once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made to the content, take a look at the technical aspects of your manuscript. Use a spelling and grammar checker, along with your own eyes, to ferret out typos. Work on smoothing out your sentences. If you have an editor, they will help a lot with this too, but they’ll also be thankful if you take the time to reread your manuscript and edit out the errors and clunky bits you spot!
Vary your writing routine: Sometimes a boring routine is a factor that gets in the way of writing. If that’s the case for you—if you’re dreading sitting at that same old desk where you wrote your first draft, for example—try something new. Put on music that creates an enjoyable space for writing, whether it’s energizing or calming. Write in a different place, whether that’s a café, a quiet retreat, or a room full of other writers working simultaneously. Write at a different time from the usual. Try printing out your pages, rereading them, and editing them longhand. Sometimes changing the way you write is all you need to get into that editing headspace to make your writing the best it can be!
Revising your book can be an anxiety-inducing prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. The tips above will help you complete a book that brings your ideas clearly into the world and puts your best foot forward.
It’s nice, at the end of the year, to look back on the last 12 months and celebrate accomplishments big and small. Time passes so quickly that it’s easy to wonder where the year went. Taking time to reflect on the last year helps to remember and appreciate that the time went to good use. Here are my highlights from 2019. What are yours?
Haiku Journal published my rain haiku in issue 63. (You can read individual issues of the journal online here, and there is a lovely print version as well.)
Lift Every Voice is a lovely new anthology that published my poem “You, the shadow you cast”.
My personal essay “Learning to Paint” was also published by Heart and Humanity in February.
I have three more publications forthcoming as well. Among them, Qommunicate’s Geek Out! II anthology will be publishing my poem/script hybrid geeking out about performance and semiotics, and House of Zolo’s first journal of speculative literature will include one of my poems when it’s released in January.
New job
I had a wonderful time working at RUSI, but moved on at the end of the year to the role of Development Editor at ICE Publishing. I’m excited to be working on books and taking a bigger-picture position.
Enneagram corporate training
Last spring, I was invited to my old city, Edinburgh, to do an Enneagram-based corporate training for Turnitin. This company makes a program I used in my old university teaching job! The leadership team purchased copies of my book, The Modern Enneagram, for all the attendees. They were a delightful, engaged group, and it was fun to spend time in Edinburgh again (despite the rainy weather). It was my first time leading a corporate training where I traveled out of town.
Work-life balance
With a new job and new financial opportunities, I’ve been able to say no to work that hasn’t been a good fit. I’ve moved into a new flat that’s nicer than my previous one. I’ve taken some time to travel and am appreciating the value that’s placed on holidays in the UK. I’m grateful to see improvements in work-life balance after a 2018 that involved a lot of “hustling”.
What was your 2019 like? What big and small things do you appreciate about the past year?
Last month I attended Gollanczfest 2019, a one-day celebration of science fiction, fantasy and horror writing and publishing, hosted by leading UK SFF publisher Gollancz. The conference had two separate strands. A reader’s ticket gave access to author panels and signings, while a writer’s ticket granted entry to the smaller venue across the street, where, in addition to signings and panels (included editor and agent panels), authors gave speed-advice sessions. I came to the morning sessions on a reader’s ticket and had a great time meeting people and learning.
If you write, edit, or read avidly, a writers’ conference can be a worthwhile use of time and money. The good news is that there are lots of writers’ conferences out there, ranging from one-day events to multi-week ones, from genre celebrations like Gollanczfest to wide-ranging get-togethers, from inexpensive local dos to festivals full of international delegates and big names. If you do some googling, you’ll probably find some that will pique your interest.
You might be wondering what you can get out of a writers’ conference that can’t be found from said googling. While online learning is great, there’s no substitute for contact in the real world. Here are 5 benefits I’ve gained from going to writers’ conferences.
Meeting people: Conferences are useful for networking. You’ll meet individuals from across the industry, including authors, editors, publishers, and readers. Networking can lead to career opportunities. At the Scottish Association of Writers’ 2018 Conference, I met a new freelance client, and some writers meet their agents or editors at conferences. It can also lead to lifelong friendships. I recommend attending with an open mind and an interest in getting to know people.
Learning about the industry: Writers’ conferences are chock full of industry people talking about what’s new in publishing. You’ll learn about trends, themes, and the nuts and bolts of publication. You might also learn about related fields – one of my favorite parts of Gollanczfest was a panel where four authors whose books had been made into movies talked about the process. A takeaway point from Ben Aaronovitch (author of Rivers of London): If you want any creative control, assert your requirements from the outset and be willing to not have a movie made otherwise. Also, be clear on what price you are willing to accept.
Meeting authors and getting new books: I’m listing this separately from meeting people because, in addition to meeting authors at sessions and “in the crowd”, writers’ conferences usually bring in authors to lead panels, give readings, and do signings and other events. Sometimes it’s intimidating to approach a big-name or favorite author, or they’re too busy to chat. But you might have the chance to pick up one of their books and have them sign it, learn from their experiences, or hear them make funny character voices. And writing conferences always come with a book table full of goodies – some of which may be hard to find outside the conference, and some of which may be that next exciting read you’ve never heard of. Don’t show up with an empty wallet!
Getting a better sense of your own writing approach: While listening to and interacting with the writing community, you’ll find some authors and approaches to writing that resonate with you and some that don’t. It’s a good chance to tune in to your own taste – that inner voice that tells you what’s worth writing about, for you personally, and how you want to go about doing it. It was illuminating for me to listen to panelists discussing worldbuilding from opposite angles – Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson set detailed rules for himself regarding language and setting, while Ellen Kushner started by following a character around and combining elements of historical periods that seemed cool. Writing is a big industry with room for many kinds of voices, and hearing how other people tell stories can feel like permission to tell your own.
Having fun! A big part of writers’ conferences involves business and talking shop, but when you get a bunch of people together who share a common interest, they’re also bound to have a good time. At Gollanczfest, I got to meet Laura Lam/Laura Ambrose, whose Romancing the Page series I reviewed, and chat with her and other writers during a break. At the 2018 Scottish conference, I played trivia with friends from my writers’ group and we won a round of free drinks. There were lots of hearty shared breakfasts and in-jokes flying around. If you go to a writers’ conference, be ready to jump in, don’t be shy, and you’re likely to have a wonderful time!
Feedback on the first draft of a fiction manuscript I’ve been working on for a while, while positive in other aspects, suggested that the characters’ relationships lacked a certain spark. So, while working on the second draft, I turned to a genre that models relationship writing: romance.
Romance writing is a realm where constraint fuels creativity. A relationship focus and a happy ending are key to meeting the genre’s expectations. Readers know that the main characters are going to get together in the end; the fun (and literary skill) is in finding out how they get there. As well as being enjoyable to read, romance offers wonderful insights into building characters and crafting the dynamics between them. There’s nothing like a romance novel – focused on chemistry, rapport, and relationship development above all else – to illustrate how to write effective relationships in fiction!
Here are a few of the romance titles I’ve enjoyed recently, and the insights I’ve gleaned from them.
The Bride Test, by Helen Hoang: For Hoang, writing romance intersected with discovering that she was on the autism spectrum and creating characters who share neuro-similarities. In this delightful novel, the mother of Khai, an accountant on the spectrum who wants nothing to do with relationships, returns to Vietnam to find him an ideal bride. Esme, a whip-smart janitor with a young daughter (inspired in part by Hoang’s immigrant mom), is eager to seek new opportunities in America. But to secure a better life for herself and her family, she must, in one summer, win the heart of a man who believes himself unable to love. The relationship between Khai and Esme evolves with sensitivity to their very different needs and experiences. While there’s mutual attraction, it comes with a lot of misunderstandings, often related to culture or neurology, that the characters must overcome. Hoang excels at creating interpersonal conflict with solid reasons behind it, both internal and interpersonal. Read this novel for a great example of how two very different characters, with realistically divergent experiences, can convincingly come together.
The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles), by Amy Spalding: In this queer YA romance, Abby begins a summer internship at her favourite clothing store only to discover that a co-intern, Jordi, is also vying for the single job available once the summer ends. But the two girls hit it off so well that sparks fly between them, and private, plus-sized Abby, who’d cast herself in the archetypal romantic-comedy “friend” role, must come to grips with photographer Jordi’s view of her as a leading lady. Abby’s thoughtful perspective definitely leads here, with Jordi being more of a secondary character. I found her a great example of crafting a non-point-of-view romantic interest who is appealing and fleshed out – scenes with her photography and family are charming, though not central. Another great secondary character is the funny jock Jax, best friend of Abby’s best friend’s boyfriend. A secondary storyline follows the “friend chemistry” that evolves between him and Abby as the unlikely pair sample L.A.’s burgers for a rating app.
Outback Billionaire, by Nikki Steele: The cover cracked me up, but the writing kept me reading until I finished it in one sitting. This was a fun read with a tight perspective on the two romantic leads, alternating POVs between Marlo, an American aspiring actress brought to Australia by her good-for-nothing manager fiance (they break up quickly thereafter), and Jack, a wealthy cattle station owner who offers her a job on his land. In a genre often focused on the heroine, I would have liked to know Marlo better, but found Jack’s concerns (health problems, hot buttons, vulnerabilities) to be particularly well explored. His interests are appealing and understated. The fantasy of wealth is conveyed through the understated sensuality of French press coffee, good wine, and a love of open spaces. The Australian Outback is described with precision and gorgeous language – you get a romance and armchair travel in one!
Hate to Want You and Wrong to Need You, by Alisha Rai: In this family-drama romance series, two families that once co-owned a grocery chain have a bitter falling out after a parent in each family dies in a car crash. Hate to Want You is the story of Nick and Livvy, children of the respective families, a couple forced to break up after the families split. Since then, they’ve hooked up once a year, and when Livvy comes back to town, both of their suppressed feelings for each other threaten to reignite old wounds. Wrong to Need You develops a romance between Sadia, single mom and widow of Livvy’s brother, and the surviving brother, Jackson, a once-close friend who cut Sadia off after being accused of burning the flagship grocery store. I have yet to read the third book, Hurts to Love You, which ties up loose ends in this angsty saga of family secrets. Rai’s series excels at developing multiple character relationships at once. Family, friendships, and romantic ties are all complicated and all matter deeply to both plot and characters. Every heated moment has emotional heft. Mental health issues are integral to the plot, and the characters are diverse and deep. If you’re interested in writing romantic relationships, an ensemble cast, or both, the Forbidden Hearts series is well worth your time.
If you’re looking to bring more romance in your reading life (either for fun, for writerly insights, or both), Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is an awesome resource for discussions and recommendations of what’s good, what’s not so good, and what’s out there. And of course, there are lots of romance deals available on Amazon to get you started!
I’m delighted to see this genre getting growing critical respect (the New York Times Book Review now has a romance critic!) and publishing a wider variety of voices. In an often harsh world, there’s something both comforting and radical in reading about all kinds of people finding happiness.
Jewelle Gomez and Dorothy Allison onstage with Sapphire Books owner Chris Svendsen
Fellow book lovers, have you ever daydreamed about going on a literary cruise? I’ve thought they sounded like fun ever since I learned they existed. Despite getting sick on the last cruise I went on, after receiving a deal offer from Olivia Travel on a lesbian cruise featuring a full slate of author events, I couldn’t resist giving vacation at sea another try.
Our cruise left from beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. The itinerary included port visits on several Caribbean islands, as well as daily music or comedy shows, so there was plenty to do besides hitting the books! After getting a sunburn while touring San Juan, stuffing myself at the buffet, and giving airtime to my athletic side on excursions, though, the quiet and reflectiveness of the literary programming was welcome.
Sapphire Books is a small, California-based publisher of lesbian books, primarily fiction. This was their second Literary Adventures at Sea cruise collaboration with Olivia, and they pulled out all the stops, bringing maybe a dozen authors and the owner/founder on board. The two biggest names were Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina, and Jewelle Gomez, author of the classic lesbian vampire novel The Gilda Stories (which is soon getting a sequel, over 25 years later!). Both are longtime writers and activists in the queer community. Sapphire’s programming included panels, a main stage discussion between Dorothy and Jewelle, themed readings (such as murder mystery and romance readings), Q and A’s, a cocktail party, and book signings. There was also an opportunity for writers to pitch their projects to publisher Chris Svendsen.
The pitch session was a highlight, surprising Chris with the sheer number of attendees. She’d been expecting a small group, but as the pitches were one-on-one, she had to break the session into two and schedule another one at a later time for some of the participants. It was clear that the queer women on the cruise were eager to tell their stories. Many, like me, had been drawn by the cruise’s literary events. It was inspiring to chat with women about their writing projects – anthologies, detective novels, humorous novels, memoirs. Each of us had five minutes to pitch to Chris. Along with her advice at the beginning of the session, at least one Sapphire author was on hand to offer tips: give a brief plot summary, a hook or tag line like you’d find on the back of a movie, and leave out irrelevant details.
Among the readings and panels, “Romancing the High Seas” stood out. Authors read from works ranging from a spicy story involving a nun to a science fantasy yarn to a tale of four “women of a certain age” with lovers and secrets. I was intrigued by Sallyanne Monti’s reading from her memoir, Light at the End of the Tunnel, detailing a friendship with another woman that began with an email sent to the wrong address that evolved, against all odds, into a lasting romance. That book ended up coming home with me! After the authors read their excerpts, which had a good mix of humor and vulnerability, they answered questions and spoke about their writing processes. “It has to be real,” said one of them, noting that her writing is deeply grounded in personal experience. Another added that “people might like to think lesbians just sit there and pet each other like kittens, but that’s not the truth!” In response to a question about writing sex scenes, one author noted that it’s helpful to write them in the bath (writers, take note!), while others use these scenes to reflect their characters’ inner lives and move the plot forward.
The biggest event was a moderated conversation between Dorothy Allison and Jewelle Gomez, billed as “Advocating in Turbulent Times” and held on the main stage to a crowded audience. The two authors spoke warmly and engagingly about their past, future, writing projects, and long-lasting friendship. Dorothy came across as a firebrand with a big heart, while Jewelle, whose Gilda Stories hold a special place in my heart and who I partly went on the cruise to see, came across as gentle and kind. There’s a lot of recent debate about the extent to which writers should be accurate and sensitive when writing about marginalized demographics and groups to which they do not belong. Jewelle, calling herself a “bean counter,” noted the need to think of the many different people who might read her books and to be mindful of writing something with inadvertent negative implications for a certain type of reader, citing an example when a young man at a college reading interpreted Gilda as “hating men,” which was not her intent. Thinking this way about your work, Jewelle posited, is a matter of kindness. Dorothy mentioned that the youngest generation of queer people has less community than her generation (which was “always in meetings”), and emphasized the importance of real-world connection – reading blogs, the authors noted, is no substitute for bonding with other people or engaging with good books. Following the reading, I was honored to join other cruise attendees in meeting both authors.
I left the cruise’s literary adventures at sea with renewed faith in the power of imagination and story. It was wonderful to see so many queer women writers thriving, finding an audience, and connecting with each other through their words! Would I recommend a literary cruise to fellow writers? If you don’t get too seasick, go for it!
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