Ask the Author: Michelle Muriel
Answered Questions (3)
Michelle Muriel
Wonderful question! Thankfully, I have no shortage of ideas, but I have to make myself focus and set aside time to write. I’m all in once I start writing a new novel. Sometimes that may mean for hours at time. It is difficult for me to turn it off. In writing historical fiction the research inspires me. I love visiting other places to write, especially locations from the book. I enjoy chatting with historians for unexpected inspiration.
Two of my favorite places to write in St. Louis are Forest Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden. There’s something about putting a pen to my notebook surrounded by towering trees and flowers that’s different from typing in my office.
Two of my favorite places to write in St. Louis are Forest Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden. There’s something about putting a pen to my notebook surrounded by towering trees and flowers that’s different from typing in my office.
Michelle Muriel
Thank you for your question! I developed the story of Essie’s Roses first as a screenplay. Essie’s Roses the novel has taken an usually long journey. An interview I saw with Halle Berry after she won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Monster’s Ball initially inspired me. During the interview, I heard this statement, “It took seventy-four years for an African-American to win an Oscar for Best Actress.” This statement really affected me.
A few minutes later, the first scene for Essie’s Roses popped into my head. I was working on other projects at the time, so I said aloud, “I’m not paying attention to you.” The way I am and how I work, I knew if I did, it would be dedicated hours of getting it out on the page…and I had never written a novel!
Next, I heard the first line, “This be the day Evie set me free.” It was one of those strange moments where I had no idea where the line had come from. I saw a scene play in my head, hashed it out, and instantly decided to switch gears. The story I wanted to write focused on an intelligent, intriguing African-American woman as the lead set during a period in history where this point of view is often missed.
I put the screenplay in a drawer for several years while I worked on other projects until it was time to pick it up again. The novel was my desire to tell more of the story, introduce unique tidbits of the history of slavery to the reader, and provoke thought toward a different relationship present during such a horrific time: the family relationship between whites and slaves.
A few minutes later, the first scene for Essie’s Roses popped into my head. I was working on other projects at the time, so I said aloud, “I’m not paying attention to you.” The way I am and how I work, I knew if I did, it would be dedicated hours of getting it out on the page…and I had never written a novel!
Next, I heard the first line, “This be the day Evie set me free.” It was one of those strange moments where I had no idea where the line had come from. I saw a scene play in my head, hashed it out, and instantly decided to switch gears. The story I wanted to write focused on an intelligent, intriguing African-American woman as the lead set during a period in history where this point of view is often missed.
I put the screenplay in a drawer for several years while I worked on other projects until it was time to pick it up again. The novel was my desire to tell more of the story, introduce unique tidbits of the history of slavery to the reader, and provoke thought toward a different relationship present during such a horrific time: the family relationship between whites and slaves.
Michelle Muriel
Thank you for taking the time to ask me this question.I love meeting new people and hearing what readers have to say about the story. Writing is such a solitary process, so at this stage it is exciting when you see people are enjoying your book and connecting with you. I’m always amazed how stories come. How pages get filled. How characters magically appear on the page. How they speak. And the stories they tell. I love being surprised by the direction a story takes. I love when the characters teach me something.
In my blog post, “From the Author,” I share an experience I had while doing research for Essie’s Roses in Richmond, Virginia. It encompasses why I love writing. You hope to have fun, entertain your readers, but to me, it’s always about learning… learning about history, myself, and others. And it’s special when something unexpectedly touches your life and changes you forever.
In my blog post, “From the Author,” I share an experience I had while doing research for Essie’s Roses in Richmond, Virginia. It encompasses why I love writing. You hope to have fun, entertain your readers, but to me, it’s always about learning… learning about history, myself, and others. And it’s special when something unexpectedly touches your life and changes you forever.
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