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Writing Defines Who I Am, Not What I Do!
Posted at 00:31am on 12th May 2014
When Fay Sampson, an author I’ve known and admired for many years, asked me to take part in a blog tour, naturally I was delighted to accept. When I heard that Donna Fletcher Crow - another author whose work I love to read - had participated - that clinched it. Both have explored the questions they’ve asked me to answer: What am I working on? How does my work differ from others in its genre? Why do I write what I do? How does my writing process work? Fay’s answers may be found here, and I’d like to thank her for inviting me to take part.
What am I working on?
I currently have a completed manuscript with Tony Collins, who invited me to submit it for the new fiction imprint of Lion Hudson. Provisionally titled Time to Shine this will be the first of a series featuring a thirty-something divorcee named Evie Adams. Part of a counselling team, with rooms in Cathedral Close, Exeter, Evie sets out to help Julia Worth to achieve a sense of wholeness in the face of her disintegrating marriage. It soon becomes clear that husband, Carl, is hiding a dark secret and that uncovering it is key to saving the relationship.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Written in a similar multi-viewpoint style to Jodi Picoult’s books, the Evie Adams series substitutes counselling procedures for her police procedures. This, I believe, is what makes these psychological mysteries different from others.
Rightly or wrongly (discuss) I’ve used different pen names for different genres. In the early days, I wrote as Meg Scott, but when commissioned by Hodder & Stoughton to write biographies, and later by Lion Hudson to write a how to book on Stepfamilies, I reverted to my given name, Merrilyn Williams. For fiction I write under the name of Mel Menzies.
Why do I write what I do?
I began writing as a child, submitted my first piece of work at the age of ten, and received my first rejection slip (from the prestigious Argosy short story magazine) when I was fourteen. Writing defines who I am, rather than what I do.
Having endured an on-off first marriage for fifteen years, divorce, a daughter whose idea of escape from the trauma was to embark on a thirteen year heroin binge, her success in kicking the habit, followed years later by her death in suspicious circumstances, the aim of my writing is always to help others, as I was helped, to face their fears and fulfil their potential. Though never accredited, I trained in counselling, and all my books and speaking engagements to date have dealt with the sort of issues many of us have to tackle in relationships.
The fan mail I’ve received over the many years I’ve been published, has, gratifyingly, shown that I’ve achieved this to some extent. Indeed, one book, The Last Mountain published by Hodder & Stoughton, went on to become a Sunday Times No. 4 bestseller.
How does my writing process work?
I begin with the kernel of an idea: some dilemma that has presented itself, perhaps, through reading the newspaper, or observing the real life events in someone’s life. A character is born in my mind; someone struggling with physical, mental, emotional or spiritual issues; someone on a journey to freedom and fulfilment.
With no clear picture of how the plot will develop, I begin to write and that kernel of an idea sends out root and branch in my imagination. The characters take over. I’m often surprised by their reactions on the journey they take and though I know pretty well how their storylines will be resolved, the denouement may be as much of a surprise to me as to my readers.
I wrote my first books by hand because I found the ideas flowed more easily, and once had to employ a typist to help me achieve the deadlines imposed by my publisher. Nowadays, I write directly onto my laptop. Being a touch typist (I worked for a publisher for fourteen years) I find no impediment in doing so.
The only problem I face is that my creativity demands an early start - sometimes five or six in the morning. If, for some reason, I’m unable to achieve that, then I cannot start later and have no alternative but to wait for the next morning. And as my poor husband knows, to his cost, I am not the easiest person in the world to live with under those circumstances.
I’ve asked prolific writer, Andy Seed, if he would continue the writing blog, and am delighted to say that he’s accepted. His contribution will be available on his website next Monday, 19th May. I have also asked my writing buddy to contribute but have not heard from her as yet and, having been away myself, have been unable to follow through. I’ll correct that when I hear from her.
DON'T FORGET TO GO TO THE BOTTOM OF MY HOME PAGE FOR LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES FOR AUTHORS: Article Writing & Blogging; Creative Writing; and Writing & Publishing a Book, AS WELL AS BOOK REVIEWS, AND RELATIONSHIPS & LIFESTYLE.
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Your Comments:
at 3:07am
at 8:07am
What an interesting background you have, Mel. By asking Andy Seed to continue your writing blog does this mean you won't be keeping a blog anymore? I find it a good writing exercise for my writing in general.
at 8:13am
at 9:06am
at 9:53am
at 12:49pm
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. It's always a pleasure to find how other writers work. I've had a sneak preview of Ellie, and look forward to hearing more.
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