Tomorrow Meljean will be back with some fun Questions and Answers, but today it’s all writing, all the time.
- Are you planning to write a book for Michael?
Yes. But I have to do a few mean and evil things to him first. Sorry –he’s just too unapproachable, and a little too … inhuman, I guess, for him to have a romance that means anything.
- Your books are more on the dark side, with a definite element of good vs. evil. Can you give us some insight as to why you write these types of books? (As opposed to say, light, fluffy romance).
Because I’m an insane sadist, and I like to torture my characters.
…nah, that’s only half-true. I like exploring the shades of gray, and
asking — through my characters — so many interesting questions. Can a
man who has killed good men ever really atone for that? Can a woman who
has made some serious mistakes in her life, destroying everything that
made her happy, ever find happiness again … and does it take the
supernatural to do that, or can she find it in herself?
- How many books will be in the series?
There will be eight full-length novels, with several novellas to round out the world.
- What are your future plans for the series?
Hurting Michael. 😀 No, not just that. In DEMON NIGHT, we’re introduced to a new threat to the Guardians and vampires on Earth — I’m going to take that a step further in my next book, exposing the truth behind that
threat. Then I’ll wrap up the series as everyone deals with what’s been
exposed.
- What’s your typical writing day like?
When I’m not on deadline:
6 AM: head to the computer, write a little bit.
8 AM: Wake up the girl, get her ready for pre-school, take her. Get
caffeine on my way back home.
9 AM: Check e-mails, blogs, finish up any business, take a shower, then
write.
NOON: Get pre-schooler, try very hard to write.
5 PM: Praise the heavens when my husband gets home, try to write some more.
8 PM: Either make some kind of slop or go to in-laws for yummy yummy
Indian food.
10 PM: Make sure pre-schooler is in bed, promise myself to wake up and
write some more, but fall asleep, half the time.
2 AM: If I got my ass out of bed, I go back to bed.
On deadline:
4 AM: Crying as I get off the floor and start writing.
8 AM: Screaming as I get the tot ready for pre-school.
9 AM: Caffeine. Caffeine! Cafffffffeeeiiinnnee!! Write write write.
NOON: No, baby, Mommy’s not twitching. She’s not. twitch Do you want
to go to Dadima’s to play today?
8 PM: Run to McDonald’s for dinner. Caffeine. Caffeine.
CAFFFFFFFEEEEEIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEE! Write write write.
2 AM: Sobbing again as I fall unconscious onto the floor behind the sofa.
- What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Read. Read and read and read and read and read some more. Read the good, and try to figure out what makes it good. Read the bad, and figure out why it’s bad. Write and write and write until your fingers fall off.
Read more. Don’t give up. And, for god’s sake, write what you love. It hurts sometimes, so make sure you love it.
- How do you feel your writing has changed – if at all – since you wrote your first novel?
I think my pacing is better, and my prose less opaque. I’ve learned how to make some things less confusing, and getting across information about my world-building better.
- Do you have a clear picture in your mind as you write of your characters? I.e. do you picture a certain celebrity, real life person, etc?
I have a clear, original picture of them in my head — I know what they look like, what they wear, how they move. Then I go and find pictures of models, actors, whoever that I can project that image onto in a solid
way. The celebrity might not look exactly like my character, but there’s usually something about them that just clicks and gives me what I need out of it.
Strangely enough, it’s NEVER candid shots of the celebrity that I use
(like paparazzi photos). They’re always projecting a certain image, or
inhabiting some other skin in the photos (like, a certain character they
are playing and promoting) — I’m guessing that’s what resonates with
me, not the actual look of the celebrity.
Meljean has agreed to stick around as much as possible today to answer any other questions our readers might have, so leave a comment.
And don’t forget to come back tomorrow when we grill ask Meljean some of the really important questions we all want the answer to…like Boxers or Briefs? 🙂
And don’t forget, Demon Night is available today! Download it in eBook format here and here, or buy it in paperback here and here.
“Plan for the series: Hurting Michael” Yay!
*ahem* Did I say that out loud?
That deadline writing routine sounds just awful… are you sure you are ‘an insane sadist’ and not a ‘closet masochist’?
[It’s so much fun to hang with you guys, having all sorts of interesting chats. Thank you for the chance to do it.]
LOL Azteclady! That was my first thought, too. I just wasn’t going to admit to it out loud. 😉
I see my coding is a little funky. I’ll fix it later today. Sorry about that.
Meljean, thanks again for allowing us to torture..ehem..ask you questions.
I think I’m both — sadist and masochist. There certainly is an amount of pain that I inflict on myself when I’m writing … but I love it.
Eight full length novels!!? Sweet!
I think I just died and went to Heaven…. or make that Caelum… that’s where the Guardians are at… or should be… its awfully quiet there, no?
Love the insight to your writing days… very funny.
(MMmmm…. yummy Indian food. Aloo ghobi is one of my specialties! 😉
Yes, it’s awfully quiet there. And the spiders are taking over. 😉
I’m trying not to monologue, Meljean… after all I’m neither teh Ebil overlord, nor the writer *grin*
I like the idea of having a set number of books when you have a set cast of characters, while at the same time allowing yourself further exploration of the world via novellas.
Question: if you are planning to end the series, as it were, with Michael (am I reading this right?), would you consider coming back at some point to the Guardians with a full novel? Or does Michael story would pretty much finish the universe, storyline wise?
When Michael falls in love, the world blows up. So I really can’t.
… 😀
I was just thinking of that today, actually. One on hand, I hate to wear out my welcome with the series — because sometimes, they just go on too long. If my story arc is done, it’s done — and I’ve had a steampunk romance trilogy burning in the back of my head for years now.
But, there is a lot more that I could possibly explore (remember Hugh once mentioned “other realms”?) If I came up with the right storyline, I might revisit for a short time (maybe a book, or a trilogy — but probably not using many (if any) of the characters from the first series.)
Well, maybe Sir Pup.
Oh yes, Sir Pup, I’d love to see more of him!
It’s great to hear that this series will be 8 novels long and that you won’t fall into the trap of writing an endless series 🙂
Also, those were great answer… It’s too bad to have deadlines, cos it sounds really painful.
GASP!! Hurt Michael!! NOOOO…
hasn’t the poor man been through enough by going down to Hell almost everyday? I’m expecting him and Lucifer to go to happy hour together he is down there so often.
So… who would be the perfect woman for Michael? Hmm…. please…
I would adopt Sir Pup if I could. *G*
I use to work for McDonalds when I was a teen so I know all the secret recipes.
Hi Meljean!
I feel so bad that I haven’t been around this week. I hope my question isn’t coming in too late.
So here it is…
How in the world did you dream up a character like Lilith? My feelings are still mixed about her, even now. I think she’s one of those characters that a reader really can never forget.
Your interview is great, I loved it! I had to laugh, it was fun to read! Poor Michael! I can’t wait to get DEMON NIGHT! Gosh, what a great cover too. Its a thrill to know there will be 8 books plus novellas!
Does the cover of this book feel like it looks like Ethan? I think its yum 🙂
Gosh, i’m excited about this book too that i’m speechless and too thrilled to chat with you
Too, congrats on your release day Meljean. What do you do to celebrate your releases?
nath — I will try my best not to write an endless series, lol! I’m a little overwhelmed even by the thought of 8 books 😀
katiebabs — you are too nice to Michael. And who would be the perfect woman? … Oh, I know! But now I’ve got to answer —
Casee! — Lilith was originally going to be a really, really bad Wonder Woman. But she grew much larger than Diana could ever be, and was much more wicked and fun.
Pretty much, Lilith was just me trying to create a truly wicked heroine — not the fake kind of wicked one. And not someone who was Evil, either — she had to be redeemable.
And also, I really had nothing to lose. I was a newbie author so I thought: if I take a lot of chances with this character, and push her as far as I can, either I’ll come up with something really unique … or my editor will tell me to re-write it. Luckily, my editor loved her, too.
Caffey — it’s funny, because I do have a different vision of Ethan in my head just because he was there for so long before I got the cover image. But it’s really easy now to look at it and think “Ethan,” yes — even though there are quite a few differences.
This is the same for all of my covers, actually — I have totally different ideas of Hugh and Colin, too, but after a while, I see them in the covers.
The closest one for me was the Hot Spell cover — and that wasn’t even really MINE mine, because it was an anthology. But that guy looks very much like I imagined Anthony.