This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Elizabeth Maxwell’s latest novel, Happily Ever After, is about a 40-something erotic novelist who meets the fictional hero of her most recent book in real life. Here, Elizabeth chats about finding inspiration in Disney movies and the ‘ass in the chair’ writing advice from bestselling author Nora Roberts, which she finds invaluable.
Where do you find inspiration for your books?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. For example, I watched the movie Enchanted and started thinking about reality and fiction crashing into each other in a very literal way. And what would happen if I used this kind of crash to illustrate a 40-something genre writer losing her marbles? That’s how Happily Ever After was born. Then again, sometimes I’m inspired by a trip to Target!
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
I’m at my desk 8:30-2:15 every weekday, but I’d be lying if I said every minute was spent actually writing. Sometimes I end up reading the New York Times online end to end. There’s an ebb and flow to productivity – some days you are on fire and other days it’s a struggle. The important thing is to stay in the chair and try.
When you are writing, do you use any famous people or people you know as inspiration?
Inevitably, I end up incorporating bits and pieces of my friends into characters. But I usually keep this to myself as it might feel like a violation to the people from whom I’m stealing.
What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
Oh wow! There are so many! I’m a voracious reader and experience full fledged anxiety if I’m bookless. I have a big stack beside my bed just to stave off panic. I do remember reading Shining Through by Susan Isaacs and thinking I want to do this. It was the first time I’d encountered a heroine who transcended typical gender. Linda Voss was recognizable as a woman, but tough as nails when necessary. It’s extremely gratifying to see how female characters have evolved in the last 25 years or so. Literature is now full of kick ass girls, but it wasn’t always.
What female writer has inspired you?I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman. I love how her quirky offbeat stories feel almost slight when you read them, but then cling to you forever. Scenes from her books pop into my head with alarming frequency. Her subtle effectiveness reminds me as a writer you don’t always need a hammer.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
It most areas of my life I’m an ‘extreme’ planner. However, when it comes to writing, I’m strictly fly by the seat of my pants. I actively envy the outliners. They seem so organized and thoughtful and they always know what’s going to happen next. When a publisher asks for a synopsis of a work in progress I’m trying to sell, I want to cry. I have no idea what the next chapter will bring let alone the ending.
As for drafts, I’ll do as many as the editor requires to get where we’re going. Writing is fun; editing is hard. You need to put your head down and commit to the process. A good editor will make sure the effort isn’t wasted. When I compare a first draft to a published novel, there is often very little similarity.
What was your journey to being a published author?
I wrote my first book at age 10. It was a total rip off of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but of course I thought it was pure genius. I didn’t finish another manuscript until I was in my 30s. After college, I was under the impression I had to get a ‘real’ job so I spent a lot of years working in corporate America and wondering why I was so bored. Piles of half finished manuscripts collected around me, but I couldn’t finish anything.
When I had my first child, I was working in Silicon Valley and my job was not really compatible with parenting so switched to the ‘stay at home mom’ track. That lasted four months. I didn’t want to jump back into a corporate gig and I had what I thought was a great idea for a novel so I staked out real estate in a coffee shop near our San Francisco flat and started writing. My first novel took about eight months to finish. It never saw the light of day. It was terrible! Fifty literary agents rejected the manuscript. I have an envelope with all those rejection letters and when I’m feeling demoralized by the publishing universe, I take a look at them. They are very motivating. Fortunately, my next effort was better received. Happily Ever After is my third novel, under various names.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
I hate the idea of novelists as slightly odd people who sit around and wait for inspiration to strike, like lightening from the creative cloud. In truth, writing is a job and you need to show up to it every day if you’re going to make it work. You cannot afford to be ‘creative’ only on Thursdays or only at 2am when you have kids getting up at 6am! Like any skill, writing requires practice. It requires dedication. Mostly, you have to want it more than anything else because it’s not always an easy road to travel.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
The prolific best selling author Nora Roberts put it perfectly in a New Yorker article a few years ago: Ass in the chair.
What are you working on at the moment?
I currently have two projects in the works. The first is a family drama about two sisters and a difficult mother. The second is Charlie’s Angels with wrinkles.
Thanks, Elizabeth!