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This month, AUTHOR OF THE MONTH is BET/ARABESQUE Author, Monica Jackson.
1. What inspired you to write,
NEVER TOO LATE TO LOVE, your current release?
I always was pulled to write Tiffany's story; a story about mature heroine with
issues and real life baggage. I mentioned it to my editor about it shortly
after HEART'S DESIRE came out and she said Tiffany was too old for a heroine.
I asked about Tiffany again when asked about a new contract after THE LOOK OF
LOVE. This time she agreed that I could write the story.
2. Do you have a full-time career outside of your writing?
Not full time, but I've returned to the world of the j-o-b. I'm working as
a PRN (as needed) RN at The Menninger
Foundation, one of the top psychiatric facilities in the country.
3. When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare
time?
The demands of work, writing and my child cut pretty deeply into my time.
I like to read, cook, eat and relax with friends. I'm a homebody type.
4. What is something about you that your readers would be surprised
you do?
Hmmm. If they've seen my web site, I doubt if little could surprise them
:-)
5. What should a reader expect from one of your books?
My goal is a page-turning read where the reader is caught up with the characters
and events. I want to write a hard-to-put down books that causes you to
sigh when you lay it down. My readers should expect the unpredictable.
The unexpected event, character trait, or twist of plot that changes everything.
If they expect to pick up one of those romances where they can figure out
everything that can happen next, or a book with a near-perfect, glamorous,
uncomplicated heroine, they should elsewhere.
6. Which character did you have the most fun writing about?
I love writing all my heroines. Tiffany was so real to me, I almost cried
myself when she slipped. Taylor's story (A MAGICAL MOMENT) was a fun
write. I might have went a little overboard with the demon, but shoot,
Dean Koontz gets away with it all the time.
7. If you could pick one of your books for a movie, which one would
you
choose, and whom would you cast in it?
A MAGICAL MOMENT with Angela Basset as Taylor!
8. What do you like about African American Romance novels?
What I love about romance are the happy endings and that it is a woman's genre.
I'm writing about our relationships, our hopes, and our fantasies. Romance
speaks to the most secret and feminine part of us. I particularly
love the leeway I've been granted to experiment and perfect my craft.
I think it is wonderful that we are finally represented in these immensely
popular novels. As a teenager, I loved to read romance, but the underlying
message was deleterious to my self-image-you have to fit into a certain mold to
find love. When I was young, only traditionally beautiful white women were
desirable in the world of romance novels. The fact that there are all
types of black women portrayed now in a realistic and non-stereotypical fashion
is a huge move forward. So, I'm pleased to have a part in AA romance's
emergence as a viable entity. Finally major publishers have got it
straight that black folks do have romance and enjoy reading about it as much as
the average American.
9. How did you get started writing your novels?
I've always wanted to write. A writing workshop in the CA bay area
just six years ago give me the impetus to get into writing fiction.
Shortly after that I had surgery with a long period of enforced
inactivity and writing MIDNIGHT BLUE is what I did.
10. What process do you use in writing your novels?
A deadline kicking me in the rear helps immeasurably. Seriously
though, I start with an idea, a feel for what I want the final form
of my book to be. I don't have the details. Then I do a brief
outline. I do sketch out a rough idea of the events that happen in
each chapter to move the story forward. I write a few words for
each scene at this point. Then I start at chapter one and work my
way on through. The outline frequently changes as the story takes
shape. I try to plan the gist of what I'm going to write before I
sit down for a writing session.
11. How long does it take you to complete a manuscript?
Ohhhhh, about three months for a straightforward story that
requires little research.
12. What was your becoming a published writer journey like?
For many aspiring writers, I think it's the pinnacle of a dream
when they envision getting that call from an editor who wants to
buy their book. In a sense for the fledging writer that's
Christmas and what comes next is the day after. Most aren't able
to quit their day job after the first book, the fifth, the tenth
and maybe even the fifteenth as a midlist author in a genre field
with a less-than-generous publisher. There's a new set of demands
and new dreams replace the old one of getting published. The new
dreams may be more difficult to obtain: making a living off your
writing, making the New York Times Bestseller list. But you
wouldn't trade it because you are able to finally do what you love,
writing your stories down for all to read.
The journey is ongoing. You strive to write a better book, to gain
recognition, to reach your personal definition of success. For me
the sky's the limit. I don't think I'll ever stop the journey
because there's always more to achieve. Some think publisher hype
and promotion is what makes bestsellers and it's true to a certain
extent. But the tried and true way to a career is to slowly build
a following. Write better and better books so the people who read your books pick up the next one and tell a friend. It's a slow
momentum. I feel that my career is just starting. There are
pitfalls and decisions ahead. I did what I could and got the best
career manager (agent) I could find to help me negotiate them.
Other than that, all there is to do is to trust in God and keep
moving forward, writing the very best books I can.
13. Is being a published writer what you thought it would be like?
Nope. I'm amazed at how the industry treats the majority of its
writers. I had the fantasies about making a modest living wage,
etc., down the road, but it's a heck of a lot further down the
highway than I first believed. The June 2000 Romance Writer's
Report, a publication of the Romance Writers of America, showed
just how much of a fantasy that is to many writers. Writers are
struggling, getting discouraged and quitting. One of the
near-prerequisites they listed making it possible to succeed as a
romance writer was having a husband who'd support you, as many of
the majority writers do. I'm a single parent and while the
industry is willing to make bucks off me as long as my books are
selling, they are not willing to pay me the equivalent of someone
asking "Do want fries with that burger?" a few hours a week.
Many
Arabesque writers don't have external financial support and they
have to work full time while writing a book or two a year. I can't
be productive writing while working full time, so I make the
sacrifices to work part time. I don't receive financial
renumeration from my publisher to make up for not working full time
and I don't have health insurance. But writing is in my blood, I
can't give it up.
14. What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment as a
writer and
why?
Writing books that readers enjoy reading is the payoff and the
pleasure. My greatest accomplishment is that after five books,
readers are picking up my sixth book and letting me know that it
meant something to them. This means to me that I'm achieving my
goal of continuously improving my craft and perfecting my art.
15. How do you feel about critique groups?
I think there are two ways to use a critique group. The first is
to seek out people who have your interests in common for support
and encouragement in your writing. This has its place and it's an
important one.
The second type is to improve and evaluate your work. A wholly
supportive group might not be as good at this as a hard working,
hard-edged critique group full of people who are willing to tell
you that your baby is ugly. This is hard to hear. I said to
disregard people who disparage your writing ability, but I feel you
should play close attention to what people say about your work.
It's difficult to see technical flaws as you're working on it or
right after you've finished it.
Also, writing is intensely subjective. The purpose is to affect
people's emotions. The best writing lingers with a person. But if
the overall feeling they have isn't positive--regardless of the
beauty or technical strength of the writing--they aren't likely to
pick up your next book. So you do need to know how your work
affects others. Most often you're too close to it to tell for
yourself, unless a considerable amount of time has passed and
you're able to look at it with the objective eyes of a stranger.
Keep in mind that people's opinions are just that, opinions. They
are colored by that individual's perception and it's possible that
their opinion has little to do with you or your work. But you
should listen and weigh carefully what they say carefully along
with others opinions and your own gut feelings to see if there's
anything you can subtract, change or add to make your work
stronger.
16. Do you think an agent is necessary?
It depends on what you're writing and where you're planning to
sell. It also makes a difference where you are in your career. I
think an agent or a literary attorney is helpful in negotiating
most contracts. I'd recommend one with BET/Arabesque. If you
are
selling to Harlequin/Silhouette less authors in this house are agented. The payments and contracts are pretty standard. If you
wish to break into mainstream publishing (non genre, bigger books,
hardbacks, etc.) then an agent is necessary.
17. If you had known then what you know now, what would you have
done
differently in terms of your romance writing career?
I suppose there are many things that could have been done
differently. I can't think of any single one decision I regret.
It's hard to tell if you've taken the wrong path until you realize
that you're not getting where you want to go. So far I've been
putting one foot in front of another, and as far as I know I'm on
the road to where I want to be.
18. Any advice for those aspiring romance writers?
I get a lot of people asking for what seems to be some sort of
secret key to become a published writer. There is none. It takes
hard work and perseverance. If I tell someone where they can find
the information and they are disappointed that I just didn't dish
it out to them, I know that person is unlikely to have the
persistence and motivation it takes to be published. No, I can't
tell you step by step how to write a book, but I can tell you where
to find lots of information that does. I can lead you to the water
but I can't drink for you. The writing industry deals out lots of
hard knocks and rejection. You have to find out the way to do
things and to continue to strive when it seems like the entire
world is saying no to you. It doesn't get much easier when you
become a published romance writer. The need for persistence and
motivation doesn't dissipate.
19. Do you like communicating with your readers? In what forms.
And how
can a reader contact you?
E-mail is best. With all that's going on in my life, I'm very slow
with snail mail although people who have written me WILL eventually
get an answer. Please check out my web site and drop me a line
through one of my many e-mail links there.
http://www.monicajackson.com
20. Can you give us a peek at what we can expect from your next
romance?
My next romance heroine is Tiffany's (from NEVER
TOO LATE TO LOVE)
daughter, Jenny.
Fed up with 'trifling' men, the last thing Jenny Eastman wants to
do is become Jared Cates newest flavor-of-the-month. So she's more
than game when a group of Jared's ex-flames enlist her help in
teaching him a lesson he won't forget. But when Jenny's smooth
moves ignite an irresistible passion, she'll have to play for the
highest of stakes between heartbreak and love--forever.
I'm having fun with this. A group of women get together to form a
woman's support and information group--S.C.O.R.N.E.D.--Sisters
Committed to Overcoming Rejecting Narcissistic, Egotistical Dogs.
Jared is one of their first targets and they enlist Jenny in the
effort to teach him a lesson.