Q: How did you get your start as a writer?

A: I wish I could say I’m one of those authors who wanted to write since infancy, but the ‘bug’ didn’t bite me until I was in my early 30s. It all started in Richmond, Virginia…when my local paper advertised for someone to write newsy little tidbits about my neighborhood. The pay? Free issues of the newspaper. Well, the editor liked my style, and began making regular assignments. Soon, editors of other newspapers and magazines in the area were calling, and before long, I was a full-time freelancer (paid in spendable cash!) with more work than I could handle. When a job transfer brought the family back to Baltimore, I showed my ‘clip book’ to a few editors, who made assignments, and when editors of other newspapers and magazines saw the articles….

So many people—readers and editors alike—commented on my ‘voice’, and asked why I hadn’t tried my hand at fiction. So I did. My first novel, Pocketful of Love, was the result of my new affliction: Fiction Addiction.

Q: Where do you get your ideas?

A: Well, there’s this little elf, see, who lives under my porch, and whenever I need an idea, I just poke him with a stick. Once he finishes jumping up and down, and cursing in his teeny tiny voice, he’s usually good for an idea or two.

Seriously, I get my ideas from living life. Everywhere I go, anything I do, if I’m quiet and look around me, I’ll see or hear something that’s a potential book idea. Standing in line at the grocery store, pretending to read in a doctor’s waiting room, dining at a favorite restaurant, visiting a friend in the hospital…ideas are everywhere!

Q: Do you ever pattern your characters from real people?

A: You bet I do (but I’m not naming names)! I find I’m drawn to people who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, who don’t whimper and whine, who aren’t permanently sidelined by life’s assorted traumas. Consequently, my characters tend to be capable, independent, and strong… and determined not only to acknowledge their own flaws, but to improve themselves as well.

Q: How do you research love scenes?

A: Well, there’s this little elf who lives under my porch, and…. The truth? Everyone, writers and readers alike, have heard that old adage “Write what you know.” Need I say more?

Q: How do you research the ‘bad stuff’ in your books, like illness and murder and other things that kill characters?

A: Today’s readers are intelligent and savvy…and extremely well-informed on innumerable topics. That means to satisfy them, I have to get my facts straight. The best way to do that is, talk to the experts, which is exactly what I do. (Yep, that means I’ve visited prisons to talk to the inmates…)

A: Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Then write some more. (Remember the old adage “practice makes perfect”? Well, it applies to writing, too.) Attend conferences, so you can mingle with your peers…published and non. Sign up for writers’ workshops and/or classes…but make sure to thoroughly check out your instructors. (Read alerts and warnings on this subject and numerous others on my blog (http://www.theloughdown.blogspot.com/.)

A: When you’ve been teaching as long as I have (15+ years), you teach a lot of people (in college classrooms, workshops, seminars, etc.). Part of the job, in my opinion, is to provide what I call “manuscript guidance”. I believe in putting a lot of time and attention into my critiques. I never attempt to change a student’s style or voice. My goal? Make their work salable.

So I ask questions, make suggestions, state opinions, offer advice. Even when they choose not to incorporate this learned-the-hard-way stuff into their scenes, they’ve picked up a subtle how-to lesson, despite themselves, just by reading my scribbles. If I had a dollar for every student who said “Before you pointed out (this or that) in my manuscript, I just didn’t get it…and when I read what you said, it clicked!”, well, I’d have a little over five hundred bucks….

A: They are valuable and necessary, especially in the beginning phases of a writer’s career…provided you and all members of the group understand the difference between a critique and a slam-fest. Your personal opinions about the genre are of no importance to anyone, least of all the author. Your job is simple and straightforward: Provide suggestions that will help the writer improve the piece so it will sell. Period. Anyone who sneaks in a ‘dig’ during a critique (“I think fiction is a waste of time, but…” or “I’m not a fan of romance, but…”) must be immediately interrupted. Smile politely, and say in your sweetest voice: “A very interesting observation, Melba, but how will that help me improve the piece so it will sell?” (Or, if you notice a shy member of the group being attacked, you can insert his/her name in place of ‘me’.) The result? The meanie will give gentler, more helpful critiques…or s/he will quit the group. Either way, the group benefits!