By Kelly Bridgewater
Hello Melissa. It is
so nice that you have consented to be interviewed by me, so I can share about
your latest book with my readers. Through the Bethany House display at the ACFW
conference in September 2013, I wanted to read your first book, Made to Last. After the conference
concluded, I purchased your book, enjoying every minute of the tension between
Randi and Matthew. I’d like to ask you a few questions
that I think would help authors aspiring to write, to grow in their craft.
1.) Do you have a certain type of drink or candy that you drink or eat while writing?
For sure! I almost always have a can of Diet Coke with Lime and a cup of coffee and a glass of water. Which I realize is complete overkill, but if I’m sitting down to write for a long while, I want to have as little reason to get up as possible. So if I’m fully stocked on beverages, that’s one less reason to leave my desk. Haha! I also munch on baby carrots and grapes. And when I’m feeling indulgent, Twizzlers or M&Ms.
2.) On
to more serious matters, what made you a writer, and how did you start?
Well, I have always loved stories.
I was your typical bookworm as a kid and at some point, I had the realization
that someone was writing these stories that I loved…and I decided someday I’d
be one of those people. It wasn’t until fall 2009, though, that I got serious
about pursuing writing as a career. I attended a My Book Therapy retreat that
fall and it changed the course of my writing, for sure. So though I’ve always
written and certainly played around with writing stories long before 2009,
that’s really what jump-started my journey to publication.
3.) Where do you get your ideas?
Everywhere! Which I’m sure most
writers will say. J I’ll overhear snippets of conversation
or catch a clip of something on TV or hear about a funny situation…and my mind
suddenly starts hopscotching toward a story idea. I also get lots of ideas from
movies. I’m a huge classic movie nerd so I’m constantly itching to take bits
and pieces of those and form my own story. And too, sometimes an idea starts
with a simple “What if?” question.
4.) What tip(s) can you give my readers who are working toward writing a book worthy of being published?
Definitely one of the very best
things I ever did for my writing was get involved with My Book Therapy. The
coaching is just phenomenal. MBT retreats are worth every penny.
Too, I’d say, get comfortable with
revisions. For me, that’s been where the real magic of storytelling happens…when
we take the time to dig into our scenes and characters and take things just a
little deeper, work just a little harder. And I know everybody says this, but
when you’re in the pre-published stage, you don’t have a hard deadline…and
that’s a luxury! So I would encourage people to take advantage of that.
Finally, and I don’t mean to sound
glib or trite, but I honestly believe God opens publishing doors at the right
time. We can trust his timing and his faithfulness. So if possible, just focus
on telling the very best story you can. Dig into the craft and enjoy the
process and trust him to open the right doors at the right time!
5.) Tell us about your upcoming book, Here to Stay, which releases on May 6, 2014.
Well, the idea for Here to Stay was born during the writing
of my first book, Made to Last. As I
wrote MTL, I started to love this guy, Blake, who was a side character in that
story. In that story, he plays the fake husband of my main character. I kept
thinking, man, why would this guy basically give up his personal life to
pretend to be someone he’s not? I knew I’d have to tell his story next.
6.) Can you tell us what you’ve got planned for future releases?
Following Here to Stay, my next book releases in spring 2015 and is titled From the Start. It kicks off a new series (the Walker Family series) set in Iowa. The second book in that new series comes out fall 2015. And actually, I’m also writing a novella, probably to be released sometime in early 2015, that will help bridge Here to Stay and the new series. So, I’ve got lots of writing to do these days—which I’m very grateful for!
Melissa blogs regularly and loves
connecting with readers at http://www.melissatagg.com and on Facebook and Twitter (@Melissa_Tagg.There you
can also sign up to receive her newsletter.
Kelly
Bridgewater holds a B.S. in English and a M.A. in Writing from Indiana State
University on the completion of a creative thesis titled Fleeting Impressions, which consisted of six original short
stories. She has been published in the Indiana State University Literary
Journal, Allusions, with her stories
titled “Moving On” and “Life Changing Second.” In fall 2011, she presented her
essay, Northanger Abbey: Structurally a
Gothic Novel, at the Midwestern American Society of 18th Century
Studies Conference. Kelly’s writing explores the ideas of good prevailing over
evil in suspense. Kelly and her husband reside with their three boys and two
dogs.
Thanks, Kelly! A great interview is always inspiring. . . :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat Job, Kelly! Hoping to see you at the next ACFW Conference!
ReplyDeleteThanks Millie and Peggy for reading my blog entry. Yes, Peggy, I will be there again. I hope we will run into each other again. It was nice meeting you and your daughter last year.
ReplyDelete