Ask the Author: Melissa Lenhardt
Answered Questions (9)
Melissa Lenhardt
Hi Kris,
I don't have a historical fiction novel in the pipeline right now, but I do have a few ideas for what my next one might be. I love the genre and readers and definitely want to write more in the years to come.
mel
Mel
I don't have a historical fiction novel in the pipeline right now, but I do have a few ideas for what my next one might be. I love the genre and readers and definitely want to write more in the years to come.
mel
Mel
Melissa Lenhardt
Hi, thanks so much for reaching out! I'm thrilled you loved the Sawbones trilogy! Music to this author's ears! Yes, I have a feminist Western, HERESY, coming out on October 2, 2018. A little more than a month away! It's set in the same world as Sawbones, some characters from Badlands make cameos, but it's not a sequel. It's a stand-alone. I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Sawbones!
Mel
Mel
Melissa Lenhardt
My brother's partner died in a house fire. The sheriff suspected it was her ex-husband, but could never prove it.
Melissa Lenhardt
Hi, John! Authors adopt pen names for a variety of reasons: to write between genres, especially if they are writing in YA and adult/erotica, at the publisher's request, to maintain anonymity. Sometimes if a writer hasn't succeeded as well as expected, or was dropped by a publisher, the writer will adopt a pen name for a fresh start. In my mind, the two biggest benefits to a pen name are anonymity and freedom to write between genres. As to the former, the internet can be a mean-spirited place, and using a pen name protects the author from that to a degree. As to the latter, when you pick up a book by a favorite author you have certain expectations as to what will be inside. A pen name allows the author the freedom to write outside that paradigm, and find new readers as a result.
Melissa Lenhardt
Not having to work in an office from 8-5.
Melissa Lenhardt
Be patient. The publishing industry moves slower than cold molasses. It's like living in the DMV waiting room. Only worse.
Be persistent. Don't give up after five agents reject your MS. Or ten agents. Or twenty agents. Your rejections won't stop when you get an agent. Then, editors start to reject your MS. Then, readers will reject your book. Rejection is the norm throughout the process. If you take rejection personally, you're in the wrong business. Self-publishing might be the best thing for you, but there are pitfalls and drawbacks to that avenue as well.
Learn to take constructive criticism. Was there a common thread in all those rejections? Characters not connecting. Dialogue stilted. Needs editing. If one agent says something, eh. Take it or leave it. (Though I will say that I had one agent give feedback on my Historical Fiction which no one else did that was absolutely spot on. I took her suggestion and the new first chapter won a contest.) If two say it, you should consider it. If three or more say it, your MS has a problem and you need to set your ego on the shelf and fix it.
Be professional. If your MS is rejected, don't send an angry email to the agent. Publishing is a small industry and word will get around about your lack of professionalism.
Join a writer's group. Make sure it isn't a group whose sole purpose is to compliment and stroke each other's egos. If they don't give constructive criticism, find another. If there aren't any in your area, join an online group through a genre organization such as RWA, WFWA, or Sisters in Crime. But, you have to be willing to return the favor. Honestly, learning to critique other people's work will make you a better writer.
Be persistent. Don't give up after five agents reject your MS. Or ten agents. Or twenty agents. Your rejections won't stop when you get an agent. Then, editors start to reject your MS. Then, readers will reject your book. Rejection is the norm throughout the process. If you take rejection personally, you're in the wrong business. Self-publishing might be the best thing for you, but there are pitfalls and drawbacks to that avenue as well.
Learn to take constructive criticism. Was there a common thread in all those rejections? Characters not connecting. Dialogue stilted. Needs editing. If one agent says something, eh. Take it or leave it. (Though I will say that I had one agent give feedback on my Historical Fiction which no one else did that was absolutely spot on. I took her suggestion and the new first chapter won a contest.) If two say it, you should consider it. If three or more say it, your MS has a problem and you need to set your ego on the shelf and fix it.
Be professional. If your MS is rejected, don't send an angry email to the agent. Publishing is a small industry and word will get around about your lack of professionalism.
Join a writer's group. Make sure it isn't a group whose sole purpose is to compliment and stroke each other's egos. If they don't give constructive criticism, find another. If there aren't any in your area, join an online group through a genre organization such as RWA, WFWA, or Sisters in Crime. But, you have to be willing to return the favor. Honestly, learning to critique other people's work will make you a better writer.
Melissa Lenhardt
I am writing the sequel to STILLWATER.
Melissa Lenhardt
Depends on the day and my mood. The reality is most days I have to force myself to sit down and write. Days of true inspiration are rarer than days at the salt mine. But, many days when I start out toiling, the words start to flow and the struggle morphs into a writer's high. Which is very similar to a runner's high, just with less literal sweat.
Melissa Lenhardt
I wish I could say there was a lightbulb moment when the story came to me fully formed, but I cannot. Rather STILLWATER came to me in dribs and drabs over the years. It started out as a modern day retelling of Jane Austen's PERSUASION. It turned into a mystery during NANOWRIMO, one year, and Jack and Ethan were created as my strangers in a strange land. One of the mysteries Jack solves is a recurring dream of my mother's. When she reminded me of it, I said, "Please let me use that." So, I suppose I should thank my mom for the story coming together.
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