Ask the Author: Margaret Locke
Answered Questions (7)
Margaret Locke
Hi Harry - All of my books are available in ebook form from the major retailers and are easy to purchase and download. That's the easiest way!
Have you read any of my work? I'm curious as to how you found me. - Margaret
Have you read any of my work? I'm curious as to how you found me. - Margaret
Margaret Locke
I'm so excited about my Summer Reading Challenge - I want to read all the books my local and romance friends have been publishing! I've got Tamara Shoemaker, Taryn Noelle Kloeden, Nicole Evelina, Phyllis Duncan, Tina Glasneck, Kathryn Barrett, Elizabeth Johns, Grace Burrowes, Adriana Anders, and many, many more in the queue. (Yeah, my goal might be a bit high - I'm blessed to know a lot of people who've written a lot of books, but I'm going to do my best.)
How about you?
How about you?
Margaret Locke
For me, one of the best things about being a writer is being fully in command of my own schedule. If I want to write today, I write. If I want to spend time on social media, I do it. If I want to waste an hour playing Words With Friends, well, there's no boss looking over my shoulder.
Having said that, being fully in command of my own schedule is also one of the hardest things about being a writer. Because while I'm great at *drafting* schedules, I'm terrible at sticking to them. I have, er, a bit of a rebellious streak. I know I would be far more productive if I were in an office working to someone else's directive.
However, I'm so grateful I'm not. Having the freedom to write, thanks to my blessedly supportive husband, allowed me to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of crafting romance novels. Nothing is closer to my heart.
I love writing. I've always known I'm better at expressing myself in writing than verbally (though my husband would tell you I'm no slouch in the talking department, either), so putting hands to keyboard, even when crafting a fictional novel, helps me understand myself and my feelings better as I express them through my characters. Or, really, as my characters demand their own spotlight and I'm left struggling to figure out how to tell their truths, as well as mine.
Having said that, being fully in command of my own schedule is also one of the hardest things about being a writer. Because while I'm great at *drafting* schedules, I'm terrible at sticking to them. I have, er, a bit of a rebellious streak. I know I would be far more productive if I were in an office working to someone else's directive.
However, I'm so grateful I'm not. Having the freedom to write, thanks to my blessedly supportive husband, allowed me to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of crafting romance novels. Nothing is closer to my heart.
I love writing. I've always known I'm better at expressing myself in writing than verbally (though my husband would tell you I'm no slouch in the talking department, either), so putting hands to keyboard, even when crafting a fictional novel, helps me understand myself and my feelings better as I express them through my characters. Or, really, as my characters demand their own spotlight and I'm left struggling to figure out how to tell their truths, as well as mine.
Margaret Locke
Write. Write, write, and write some more. Don't worry about whether it's good enough, don't worry about if someone's going to want to read it. Just write that first draft, from beginning to middle to end. There is no greater feeling than actually finishing a manuscript! (Okay, publishing a manuscript might have produced a bigger thrill in me, but hey, one step at a time.)
At the same time, read. Read, read, read. Read books in your genre. Read books out of your genre. Read craft books. Study writing. Learn as much as you can - and then remember, writers break the rules all the time. You can break them; you just have to know what they are first (I did not make that up - I'm sure I read it somewhere!).
Also, when it comes time to let others read and critique your work (and there needs come a time), remember:
1. Friends and family aren't always right.
2. Everyone who gives you an opinion is giving you their subjective opinion - some may have much more experience than you do, some may have studied craft more, but in the end, reacting to writing is by and large a subjective thing. Take what you like, whether from friends, your mom, a critique group, contest results, and leave the rest. It's your story (although if it's your professional editor talking, well, you might want to listen).
3. On the other hand, if multiple people are saying the same thing (good or something to improve), listen. You might need to address their concerns.
While it's my hope all critique is given in a constructive, positive manner, remember, if someone is unkind to you or your work, that's on them. Not you. Take what kernels you can glean from the crap, and move on. Please don't let other people stop you from writing, if writing is in your heart.
In truth, writing for the public can be brutal. Prepare yourself for it; you do need to be able to withstand people saying they don't like something in your writing, or maybe even that they don't like your whole book. (To help with this, see item 2, above.)
I say that as if I won't crumble the minute someone tears my books apart - I will, and I do.
But what I hold on to in those moments of doubt, in those moments of, "I'm no good. I can't write like this author or that writer. I'll never succeed," is, I'm writing stories I love. At the end of the day, that makes me happy.
Oh, and one final thing? Editing is crucial. No first draft is perfect. Most are far from it. That's okay. I, for one, hate the editing stage, but I realize how vital it is. You don't want to throw a lump of coal out there and try to pass it off as a diamond, right? You'll get burned. So prepare yourself mentally that whatever you're writing in that initial fit of creative ecstasy is going to need revamping, need honing, need fine-tuning (just as I've edited this answer five times, bwah ha ha!).
I'm laughing over the fact that I've written this as if I know what I'm talking about. I don't; I'm merely repeating words of wisdom I've heard from many, many other authors--the famous ones, like Stephen King and Anne Lamott, and the not-so-famous ones (at least not yet).
The long and the short of it is, write. Just write. Read. Then write. Put on repeat. And have fun!!!
At the same time, read. Read, read, read. Read books in your genre. Read books out of your genre. Read craft books. Study writing. Learn as much as you can - and then remember, writers break the rules all the time. You can break them; you just have to know what they are first (I did not make that up - I'm sure I read it somewhere!).
Also, when it comes time to let others read and critique your work (and there needs come a time), remember:
1. Friends and family aren't always right.
2. Everyone who gives you an opinion is giving you their subjective opinion - some may have much more experience than you do, some may have studied craft more, but in the end, reacting to writing is by and large a subjective thing. Take what you like, whether from friends, your mom, a critique group, contest results, and leave the rest. It's your story (although if it's your professional editor talking, well, you might want to listen).
3. On the other hand, if multiple people are saying the same thing (good or something to improve), listen. You might need to address their concerns.
While it's my hope all critique is given in a constructive, positive manner, remember, if someone is unkind to you or your work, that's on them. Not you. Take what kernels you can glean from the crap, and move on. Please don't let other people stop you from writing, if writing is in your heart.
In truth, writing for the public can be brutal. Prepare yourself for it; you do need to be able to withstand people saying they don't like something in your writing, or maybe even that they don't like your whole book. (To help with this, see item 2, above.)
I say that as if I won't crumble the minute someone tears my books apart - I will, and I do.
But what I hold on to in those moments of doubt, in those moments of, "I'm no good. I can't write like this author or that writer. I'll never succeed," is, I'm writing stories I love. At the end of the day, that makes me happy.
Oh, and one final thing? Editing is crucial. No first draft is perfect. Most are far from it. That's okay. I, for one, hate the editing stage, but I realize how vital it is. You don't want to throw a lump of coal out there and try to pass it off as a diamond, right? You'll get burned. So prepare yourself mentally that whatever you're writing in that initial fit of creative ecstasy is going to need revamping, need honing, need fine-tuning (just as I've edited this answer five times, bwah ha ha!).
I'm laughing over the fact that I've written this as if I know what I'm talking about. I don't; I'm merely repeating words of wisdom I've heard from many, many other authors--the famous ones, like Stephen King and Anne Lamott, and the not-so-famous ones (at least not yet).
The long and the short of it is, write. Just write. Read. Then write. Put on repeat. And have fun!!!
Margaret Locke
On the surface, it sounds fantastic, doesn't it? To really be there, to see the men and women in their Regency finery, to experience a true Regency ball...
But in reality, I don't think I'd have the confidence or chutzpah to attempt something like that. It'd be like me approaching a billionaire in today's world and saying, "Hey baby, wanna date?" I have a feeling I'd get a roll of the eyes and a flat no, if not a call to the police for a restraining order. Or the Regency equivalent, whatever that might be - the cut direct, or escorted to the door, or slapped in chains and carted off to Bedlam, perhaps?
Were I living in Regency times, I'm quite sure that I would be the lady's maid, not the lady, anyway. Or perhaps the scullery maid. And in spite of the beloved Cinderella tropes popular in romance novels, I doubt a duke would ever look my way. Not for anything legitimate, at least. ;)
I HAVE long fantasized about being able to time travel, though I've always envisioned me watching from the side - like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol - rather than being in the thick of the action.
And my ultimate version of heaven is to be able to have all the answers to all the questions I've ever had, which would include going back to witness key moments in time, to watch key players, to see how things really went down. That, and an eternity to read all the books on my never-ending TBR list, sounds like paradise to me.
But in reality, I don't think I'd have the confidence or chutzpah to attempt something like that. It'd be like me approaching a billionaire in today's world and saying, "Hey baby, wanna date?" I have a feeling I'd get a roll of the eyes and a flat no, if not a call to the police for a restraining order. Or the Regency equivalent, whatever that might be - the cut direct, or escorted to the door, or slapped in chains and carted off to Bedlam, perhaps?
Were I living in Regency times, I'm quite sure that I would be the lady's maid, not the lady, anyway. Or perhaps the scullery maid. And in spite of the beloved Cinderella tropes popular in romance novels, I doubt a duke would ever look my way. Not for anything legitimate, at least. ;)
I HAVE long fantasized about being able to time travel, though I've always envisioned me watching from the side - like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol - rather than being in the thick of the action.
And my ultimate version of heaven is to be able to have all the answers to all the questions I've ever had, which would include going back to witness key moments in time, to watch key players, to see how things really went down. That, and an eternity to read all the books on my never-ending TBR list, sounds like paradise to me.
Margaret Locke
Up next is A Matter of Time, which features A Man of Character's Eliza. After that comes The Demon Duke, a Regency-set romance featuring a troubled duke and the shy young woman who might just save him from himself. And then fourth I'll be writing A Scandalous Matter. And I've other ideas in the works!
Margaret Locke
Back in 2011, my husband and I were driving home after a dinner date, during which I'd finally confessed that I really, truly wanted to write romance novels. As he drove, I mulled over story ideas. Suddenly I blurted out, "How about if a woman figures out the men she's dating are characters she wrote in stories long ago?" My husband's eyebrows went up and he said, "Sounds intriguing to me."
It wasn't a typical romance novel scenario, to be sure, but it hooked me, and the next day I sat down and wrote out the basic storyline. It's gone through a number of changes since then (especially thanks to my fabulous editor, Tessa Shapcott), but the essence is the same, and I truly love the story that emerged. I hope others who read A Man of Character feel the same way.
It wasn't a typical romance novel scenario, to be sure, but it hooked me, and the next day I sat down and wrote out the basic storyline. It's gone through a number of changes since then (especially thanks to my fabulous editor, Tessa Shapcott), but the essence is the same, and I truly love the story that emerged. I hope others who read A Man of Character feel the same way.
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