Interview with Melissa James
Interview by Paula Roe

Melissa James is a happily married mother of three living on the Central Coast of New South Wales in Australia. In her former (pre-writing) life, she has done much preparation for writing by garnering life experiences as a nurse, a shop assistant, a waitress, a demonstrator and a part time (unpaid) counselor. After four years writing mainstream (unsuccessfully), an agent in Sydney told her about the Romance Writers of Australia in 1997. After another three years learning how to write romance, Silhouette Intimate Moments contracted her novel “HER GALAHAD” in December 2000. It is scheduled for an August 2002 release.

When did you first realise you wanted to write romance?

In the beginning, I thought that would be a good way to start writing. I tried - unsuccessfully - to write a romance for Silhouette Romance about a nurse and a scarred farmer. They actually asked for the full manuscript (I wrote better letters than books back then), but rejected it. Having never realised how much encouragement I received from Melissa Jeglinski, I dumped romance and started writing mainstream. I had a novel in me I was burning to write (which has since become HER GALAHAD). After several unsuccessful attempts to find a publisher and entering contests, I heard about RWA from an agent. I decided to try again when the agent praised the romantic parts of my book. And from then, I was hooked.

How did you hone your craft?

I started only after joining RWA. I discovered such terms as ‘passive verbs’ and ‘adverb abuse’ and realised I had a lot to learn. My first conference in 1997 taught me so much: story craft, creativity, point of view - and that conference gave me two unimaginable gifts: my first critique partner, Kate de Brito, and two dear friends, Alison Kelly and Kerri Lane, who invited me to join the Maitland Romance Writers’ Group. I’m now one of the fondly nicknamed ‘Diehard nine’ - one who rarely misses meetings, despite being 85 miles away.

Anyway, before HER GALAHAD, I wrote that first romance, another which also got to full manuscript stage with Silhouette Special Edition, a comedy which made the final eight of RWAustralia's 1997 Emma Darcy Award, and two more manuscripts that went to full manuscript stage with Harlequin Intrigue and Silhouette Intimate Moments. These last two were finalists or semi-finalists in the Romance Writers of New Zealand’s Clendon Award in 1998 and 1999.

Was there a time you thought you’d never get published?

Several times! I’ve got rejection letters that fill a file. I’ve kept every one, because it reminds me how hard this industry is, and how hard I have to work to get there - or stay there. But friends such as Kate, my critique partner, got me through; the Maitland group, and RWAust and RWNZ on-line groups. Without their constant encouragement, I may have given up many times.

Rejection letters were also a source of encouragement. From that first from Melissa Jeglinski, editors told me I could indeed write, with strong characters and compelling plot, but my romance needed work. The feedback from contests has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, especially from the Clendon Award. I got editorial interest from the first contest in 1998, and a load of feedback from that editor, Ann Leslie Tuttle, which was invaluable. I was very grateful to meet her in New York last December and personally thank her for all she did, even though Gillian Hanna is now my editor. I also learned a lot from Jenny Millea from Power of Love Publishing, who is a thorough, fabulous editor. She improved my writing at one of those low times in my writing life.

The last time I felt I’d never make it was about April, 2000. HER GALAHAD was a hard book to write, a strong emotional journey for me, the book of my heart. I was so burned out. I think I’d also just heard it just missed being a finalist in the Emma Darcy Award. So I stopped writing for about eight weeks - then I heard it was a finalist in the 2000 Clendon Award - the one placing I wanted more than any other. Intimate Moments had twice rejected it already, but I believed in it so passionately I kept thinking, “if only I can get this book in front of Leslie Wainger!” 

And that’s the whole point: not giving up. Temptation author Lori Foster once said her first book went before ten editors of that one line before one bought it. She believed in her book and her ability and didn’t give up. But she took every rejection on the chin and learned from each editor to make that book better. If one editor hated my work, I tried another. If one contest said I stunk, I took the important information and used it to improve my work…then entered another contest. 

A friend of mine who writes for Avon said she’d never have been published if she hadn’t believed passionately that she’d make it. She said it’s not having tickets on yourself, it’s simple faith. Why write if you think you’re not going to make it? I decided she was right, and kept the faith, even when it seemed it wasn’t worth it. My eldest daughter Kate (not to mention my mom) told me to keep going. Katie has inspired me more than once, as has Jaime, my second daughter. She gave me suggestions for “Nighthawk’s Woman” that really worked, and made Mitch such a sympathetic hero.

How did your first sale come about?

HER GALAHAD had just missed the finals of the 1999 Emma Darcy Award. I’d revised and polished it especially for the Clendon, to get it in front of Leslie. My six-month plan was to finish HER GALAHAD by November (which I did), take a few weeks off, start a comedy to clear my brain, and then return to polish HER GALAHAD. I had it as ready as I could make it by March, got it into the Clendon, and in early June, heard I was a finalist. In July, Barbara Clendon called to say I’d won, and could I come over to the Auckland conference? Money was tight, so I said "no." She said, “I have a letter from Leslie for you, saying with revisions she’d like to buy the book…” I booked the plane that night! The revisions only took three weeks, the book was on its way in September, and in December I got the call. On the way I picked up a fantastic agent, Richard Curtis, who is a constant source of honest support to me.

How different are those contest entries from the published version?

It’s said that every editor changes your work, and it’s true for me. Four editors have had a hand in HER GALAHAD - Ann Leslie Tuttle, Leslie Wainger, Gail Chasan and Darlene Winter. All of them had ideas that changed parts of the story - and improved it immeasurably. I had to refine the violence in it, change the villain’s character, and strengthen the romance again, taking out unnecessary plot. They also showed me parts that needed clarification, especially in the final chapters, where the story does a fast turnaround. 

I’ve learned from all four of them, and will, no doubt, learn more from Gillian, my new editor. I’ve learned to strengthen the romance, to integrally weave plot through the romance instead of writing each in ‘chunks’ (making the finished product smoother), and to develop my strongest points. This has stayed with me with the other books I’ve since written or revised for Intimate Moments. Working with editors like this has really helped my writing develop in ways I wouldn’t have imagined before.

What can readers expect from HER GALAHAD?

Good question! It isn’t what I’d call a typical romance, if such a thing exists. I studied the guidelines for Intimate Moments thoroughly before writing it. In the “Romance Writers’ Sourcebook,” Leslie Wainger said to “start your book with a bang.” So I did - literally. A big bang! And from there, it’s a roller-coaster ride - racism, family betrayal, death certificates for live people, bigamy, an adopted child, a woman on the run, a man sent to prison for the crime of loving a woman... and a love that won’t die. But there’s something keeping Jirrah McLaren and Tessa Earldon apart - a secret that will tear at everything Jirrah has ever known or thought about himself, and will test his love to the limits.

Any other writing projects scheduled?

Loads. ADAM’S BANE, the story that finaled in the 1998 Clendon Award, is with Silhouette now, re-written with all I’ve learned from my editors - and it has a sequel. There’s also a five-book series (maybe more) about a group of bush pilot/spies who help keep regional stability in the South Pacific, called the Nighthawks series. I’m halfway through the second story now, and have planned the next three. I pitched the whole idea to Leslie and Gail Chasan in December and they loved the idea. This should keep me busy for at least the next year or two.

Also Susan Pezzack, Associate Editor for Harlequin, has asked for the full manuscript of a partial I sent to Duets early last year, plus another comedy I’ve completed. I heard in New Orleans that WINNING LUCY will be scheduled in the near future... and I have an idea for the next one which is with Susan now - it all sprung from a title I dreamt up one night, “A Wedding, A Funeral, A Baby and Two Strip-A-Grams.” I need to write comedy after the emotional exhaustion of finishing an Intimate Moments. It lightens my romantic imagination and frees me to plot the next IM. And I love comedy for its own sake.

Tell us about your writing routine.

I must confess I’m a ‘bitza’ writer. It depends on the story, but mostly I get a vision in my head that won’t let go. I mentally plan the whole thing, let the characters talk to me until I have to write it. I tend to write through first draft, but I stagger back and forward, re-reading so I feel the characters’ emotions and fears before I write on, especially if I’ve had a break from work for a few days. I polish earlier chapters as I complete the book and I do minor edits, but generally leave it unless my current critique partners, Andrea and Maryanne, think of anything.

If I have problems with a book, if the characters seem two-dimensional or the conflict isn’t working, I’ll write out exhaustive plots or character analyses to kick-start the book. With HER GALAHAD, I wrote nearly 14 chapters before I admitted it wasn’t working. I ended up scrapping eight, starting from the beginning and plotting extensively. Then it took off. With Adam’s Bane I did a chapter-by-chapter outline before writing it in one draft, as I’ve done with my two comedies. I wrote the sequel to Adam’s Bane seat-of-the-pants, but it wasn’t right. So Kate and I plotstormed the whole thing and did extensive, thorough character analyses. I then knew why it wasn’t working - the characters weren’t human. They needed faults, idiosyncrasies, things to make a natural rapport and a natural uncontrived conflict to arise between them. Without it, the tension fell apart.

Do you have any long-term goals?

Too many to count! I’ve begun an historical - very mainstream - starting with the Waterloo Creek Massacre in 1838. However, my career with IM and Duets keeps me so busy I’ve done little on it - just three chapters and a plot outline. But it calls to me, so I want to finish it eventually. I also have a completed single title I wrote in 1995 I’d love to revise and send to my agent one day. I’d also love to have a try at screenwriting. But two of my three kids are still young, and those things can wait. Raising a family right is the hardest job in the world. 

I don’t want to become the next Nora Roberts or Linda Howard, look back and wish I hadn’t because my kids hated their life or felt their mother neglected them, or my husband’s left me for another woman. As someone once said - “life’s a journey, not a destination.” I don’t want to lose those I love on the way.

Paula Roe is the editor of Romance Writers of Australia's monthly newsletter, Hearts Talk.  (www.rwaustralia.com) She also writes romantic fiction and how won various writing contests in Australia and the US.

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