Second December Interview
My apologies for the wait, but things got a little crazy with the holidays. However, I did finally have time to sit down with Melissa, burlesonspride, and discuss her writing and her thoughts on the writing process. Mel is the author of You Can Always Come Home, The Agreement, and numerous one shots, among other things. See what she has to say and the advice she offers for the fanfiction community.
Angela: Hello! Welcome to the jhutchdirectory interviews!
Melissa: Thank you for having me. I was surprised to get the invite to participate but I’m thrilled to be here.
M: I am! Let’s do this!
A: Excellent enthusiasm. For readers who aren’t familiar with your works, would you provide a summary of what works you’ve written? Or a listing, if that makes more sense.
M: Oh geez, there are so many. Majority of my work has been in the Joshifer realm. I am most known for my story ‘You Can Always Come Home’. I also have two secondary full-length stories, ‘When The Flames Die Down’ and and WiP with ‘The Agreement’. Past that, the bulk of my work is in one-shots. I have about 30 one-shots available to read at this time.
A: Nice. I know that ‘You Can Always Come Home’ is on my to read list.
What is your writing process? Do you outline, write and edit later, make sure every sentence is perfect, write and let it sit, write and publish very quickly, or some combination?
M: Well thank you for tossing it on your neverending list of reads. I hope when you do that you enjoy it. That story means a lot to me. As far as the writing process, it’s really a combination of several things. I have sat and outlined a few stories before, but most of the time, I am struck with an idea and I get to work right away. I write out the basic idea and then I sit with it, developing the plot and characters. When I feel like I have a clear path to drive the story, I get down to business. This may add additional time to my publishing frame, but when I set a specific date and time for myself, I feel that I rush the idea and it loses whatever magic I found in it.
A: Speaking of magic, where do you get your inspiration? Do you listen to music, watch movies/TV, have a quiet place to work, write it public?
M: Inspiration comes to me in a lot of different ways. Music is certainly something I turn to more than anything else. I listen to anything from vintage rock, top 40 to classical. Each type of music develops a mood and that tends to drive the story. As far as film and television, there are many times I’ll see a scene and think, “I’d love to make a story out of that” but then I pull myself back a little and scan the market so to speak. Are there stories out there right now that are cookie-cutter versions of this plot? Is it something I can get away with? Can I make it unique enough to warrant readership? When I put a story out, I want my readers to know immediately, “That is Mel’s work.” I take a certain pride in building my own brand. There are so many amazing authors out there and I think it’s important that everyone has their own identity.
A: Excellent advice with regards to creating a brand. Is fanfiction your first foray into writing? If not, what else have you written?
M: Thank you! This is not my first rodeo, I have been writing since I was in my early teens. I wrote all through high school competitively. My strength has always been in short stories. In my teens, I wrote a few small things in The X-Files fandom, but mostly stuck to competitive writing. I stopped writing in my early twenties, it just didn’t seem to click with me anymore. It wasn’t until late 2012 that I came across something that truly inspired me. I was just entering The Hunger Games fandom and had a curiosity about the leads. They had undeniable chemistry. In my general google search for more information about them, I came across a story written by a tumblr blogger named Casey (areyouserial). At that time, I had no idea what tumblr was or why people we’re flocking to this story. Once I sat down and read it, I knew why. She had crafted this world so perfectly. She gave these people an identity. I simply could not stop reading. Seeing her passion for the story, her ability to draw a reader in and maintain that initial momentum, it made my fingers itch. I found myself opening up a word document and searching for a story to tell. That was the beginning. Two and a half years later, here I am. I am flanked by some of the most amazing storytellers I’ve ever come across. It’s a wonderful community to be a part of.
A: It’s hard to beat some of the support that people find here. Since you write RPF mostly now, how much do you weave Josh’s (and Jen’s, since you’re a Joshifer writer) real life into your story? (interviews, public appearances, photos, family, etc.)
M: You know, that’s a touchy subject for some people. But I believe that if you make the commitment to write RPF, you also need to be willing to incorporate some of their lives to lend a realness to your writing. There is so much information available to the public these days that a RPF author can get caught up in the need to include anything and everything. I feel that there is a balance to be found. You want to bring the reader into the story with an accurate description of their environment, but you run the risk of losing the story in the details. I try and incorporate earmark moments in my writing. Something that will give the reader enough knowledge to understand where things/people are, but not inundate them with too much sensory information. I feel when the sensory portion of the writing becomes dominant, the reader loses interest in the actual story. It’s not about the bar they meet at, it’s about the conversation they have while seated in a dark booth in the back.
A: Keeping in that strain, what advice would you give to other writers for writer’s block, editing, feedback, and story ideas?
M: Writers block is the worst. We all know this. The best advice I can give is to talk it out with your friends and/or fellow authors. Use them as soundboards. Get opinions, listen to their ideas. Ask them what they would like to read, what their ideal story would be. Take that, build from it, incorporate it, sit on it, whatever. Even if you don’t find the urge to write right away, you’ll find yourself constantly thinking about the ideas and opinions you received. If you’re lucky, these thoughts melt together and you find yourself ready to tell a story. One you would have never considered writing before.
As for editing, I have never had a beta. Now, that may not be the best decision, but every writer is different. What doesn't work for me, may be just the thing that gets you going. I have a mad respect for anyone who volunteers to beta. Their ability to read a story objectively is amazing. I could never beta simply because I become too wrapped up in the story.
When you’re looking for story ideas, just simplify your thinking process because there is a story to be found in everything. If something hits you while out, make a note in your phone. Scribble it down on a napkin and stick it in your pocket. Some writers keep a journal with nothing but story ideas. I’m not kidding when I say there is a story in everything, just keep your thought process simple. People watching is also a very good tool for generating plot lines.
A: Well, I did beta one story for you once, but I do think you’ve managed to put out some pretty spectacular things without one. I know there are others who work alone and do brilliantly as well.
Are any of the events, places of people in your story connected to you in any way?
M: Well, everyone experiments in college. lol Thank you very much. I figure if my story is written well enough, people will forgive me the missed punctuation.
I do incorporate some of my personal life into my stories. I tend to draw on emotions that I’ve experienced a lot of the time. I haven’t ever based a character on someone I know. And I think if you’ve traveled anywhere, some of those details are bound to come out in your writing. But again, most of the emotions in my stories are derived from personal experience. I like to limit it to that. I think if you rely too much on personal wells of knowledge the story starts to become muddled. It’s always good to do some research for your story. You not only educate yourself, but you also add substance and believability to the work.
A: Speaking of the well running dry, do you have future projects? Can you give me a break down or share some of the plot for the up and coming fanfic? And I probably speak for a lot of people when I subtly nudge you about part three of The Agreement.
M: Ahhh, The Agreement. The ghost of fanfics past. Oh how it haunts me so. Something happened with that story. I can’t quite place my finger on what exactly. There was quite a bit of, we’ll call it commotion, in the fandom around the time the third one was set to drop. Luckily I was not involved in any of it, but that type of environment is not very conducive when you’re looking to drive a story home. I really took a step back from writing after seeing what was happening around me. That being said, I’ve slowly started to feel that draw again, to come back and re-join the other amazing people in this fandom. So for all those who have been patiently waiting, I refuse to let the story go, I’m not one to not finish something. It will be completed soon.
Now, onto future fics. Hmmm… while away from this fandom, I have been writing in another. Those stories have nothing to do with Josh and Jennifer but they are being well received by many of my regular readers. On the Joshifer front, I have a WiP for The Vintage Joshifer series titled, ‘When The Whisky Runs Dry’. It is set in the 1930’s at the end of prohibition. Moonshine, feuding families and two lovers caught in the middle of it all. It’s definitely a labor of love. Past that, I’ve outlined a story that explores Josh’s love of racing. That will include some intense moments and be a multi-chapter fic. And last but not least, I have two everlark fics on the back burner. One examines the what-if’s of Peeta making deal to sell himself to the Capitol in order to keep Katniss safe. It’s not a lollypop story by any means. The last is an AU story that will involve Peeta Mellark as an urban firefighter (city currently undetermined.) That is my current upcoming list.
A: I’m sure many people eagerly await each of them. But what about you? How has writing helped you? What has it brought you?
M: What has writing given me, hmmm… I have gained some of the most incredible people in existence as friends. That’s pretty major. I’ve also been able to rediscover my love for storytelling. To have that back means so much to me. It’s therapeutic in many ways. Although it can also make me want to rip my hair out. We’ve all been there. When I step back and examine everything that writing has brought into my life, I can’t find anything to complain about.
A: I’ve definitely been there, and because of that I ask you this: if you could change something about any of your stories, would you and what would it be?
M: I don’t think I would change anything about my stories to be honest. Sometimes I think my descriptions of things can be a bit much, but then I get amazing feedback from readers saying that the details are what makes them love the work. So again, I think it comes back around to a personal brand and if I lost that aspect, I think I would lose my writing identity.
A: Now for the final question. The excitement is building… If you could pinpoint one quality of Josh’s (or Joshifer’s) that is your favorite, what would it be? And also why? In other words, what makes you want to write him, or them, as the case may be?
M: The attraction to these two is simple, they are both down to earth people. They enjoy pizza, beer and laughter. They value each other and others. Normalcy is appealing to me. I’ve been told my writing has a very homey quality to it, like falling into a bunch of pillows, as someone put it recently. That is probably my favorite description of my writing to date. I want someone to read my stories and feel attached to the characters because they’ve had that argument. Or they’ve felt that loneliness. Or that they can laugh along at the dialogue of buying a lamp because they have stood in an aisle and had the same discussion with their partner. Bottom line, I want my stories to reflect real life and real love. It’s not always perfect, but when it’s real, it knocks your socks off. It gives you a reason to wake up in the morning and fight whatever the world plans to throw at you. I want my stories to remind people that love is attainable no matter your lot in life.
A: That’s lovely, and it is my humble opinion that both of them would enjoy being looked at as normal.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with me and to share your thoughts with your readers and the jhutchdirectory. We appreciate it very much.
M: Thank you again for having me. You guys do an incredible job.
A: Thank you so much! We try to support the authors in this fandom and always welcome suggestions and advice.