Ask the Author: Melissa Halcomb
Answered Questions (5)
Melissa Halcomb
Easy Peasy; Jane Austen's Regency England. I dream of going to England someday and seeing the places Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and Catherine Morland visited.
Melissa Halcomb
So many things! I have a folder on my computer with over 60 WIPs and another document with all my ideas that's 23 Word pages long! I have a few "adopted Elizabeth" stories going, a trope I love. I've got a few Christmas ideas, but I've tried getting one out the last two years and haven't managed it yet. I have one forced marriage scenario I'm working on that I'm really excited about. I've been working on it for a while. It's a little higher on the angst and those tend to take a lot out of me.
Melissa Halcomb
Just write. Get your stories out there. Don't let fear and doubt stop you. Not everyone will love what you write; accept that now. I had to take a moment before publishing my first book to remind myself of this. I knew that if I put it out there expecting it to be a universal hit, I'd be disappointed. It might even have stopped me from writing altogether when I met with criticism. But I have found that if I write what I want to read, there are other people out there who want to read it, too!
Melissa Halcomb
Living in the imaginary world that I adore!! Also, being able to work from home. I have five children and being able to be here for them while also doing something I love is very rewarding. And I love hearing when someone enjoys one of my books. Knowing I have given someone even a little bit of joy increases my own in a way I had never expected!
Melissa Halcomb
I have a few methods. My favorite is to go sit in my closet where it's quiet and dark and block out all distractions. I swear, it's magic. Often, I only need a few minutes of focused thinking to figure out what my next line/scene is.
If this doesn't work, I'll step away and work on one of my other stories for a while. Sometimes I'll take a break from writing entirely, clear my head for a while. Usually during this time, I read incessantly. We're talking 2-3 books a day. Other times, I just sit and force myself to type. Usually, what comes out is awful, but I'm at least able to see where I do not want my story to go. Other times, I'm blown away by what my fingers come up with.
If this doesn't work, I'll step away and work on one of my other stories for a while. Sometimes I'll take a break from writing entirely, clear my head for a while. Usually during this time, I read incessantly. We're talking 2-3 books a day. Other times, I just sit and force myself to type. Usually, what comes out is awful, but I'm at least able to see where I do not want my story to go. Other times, I'm blown away by what my fingers come up with.
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