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Post by catherine daly on Jan 10, 2005 12:37:57 GMT
Melissa will be online at 8 o'clock (Irish time) to answer your questions. If you can't join us on the night, post your question here- Melissa will answer as many as she can!
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Post by Eileen on Jan 11, 2005 9:49:51 GMT
Hello, I've tried to register here a few times but can't get a password sent to me. I would like to ask Melissa Hill how does she come up with the brilliant twists in her books. Does she know what will happen when she starts out to write them? I've read both books twice and each time I couldn't figure out how I could have missed them. Brilliant writing and I can't wait for your new book.
Thanks very much.
Eileen Tyrrell,
Galway City.
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Post by Eileen on Jan 11, 2005 9:51:56 GMT
Sorry could I ask too if the twist in Not What you Think is based on personal experience as it was very well done. I know a person in that position and she thought it was excellent too. Sorry if I'm being too nosy.
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Post by Mary on Jan 11, 2005 12:36:58 GMT
I'm also a big fan of Melissa. I think the way she plots her novels is a gift she has. She incorporates a 'thriller' element into her novels.
Like you, I cannot wait for her next one.
Mary
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Post by sophie on Jan 11, 2005 17:39:11 GMT
Hi Melissa, I just wondered how you started out about getting published, did you just send a few pages off firts, or did you have the book written before you did anythign? Also how long does it take from getting the publisher and having the book out in the shops? Do you have a choice of what cover (all your covers are great by the way  and do you pick the names for all your books or does the publisher? What if the publisher doesnt like the name do you have to change it? Thanks Sophie XXXXX |
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Post by amandakelly on Jan 12, 2005 20:00:07 GMT
Hi Melissa,
Not sure if you're on here yet but I;ll begin by saying I can't wait for Never Say Never! I'm so looking forward to it.
Someone has already mentioned your brilliant twists and turns which I love but I also really love the romantic way your characters always seem to meet like Nicola and Dan in the traffic, Jenny and Mike with the dye in the bank, that type of thing.
My question is do you have a favourite character out of the three books you've written, or a favourite scene/storyline that you're particularly proud of? It's something I've often wondered about with different writers.
Thanks
Amanda Kelly. ;D
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 20:02:39 GMT
Hi Melissa- and welcome to the first on-line interview. i hope you don't feel too 'thrown to the lions'!!
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:05:05 GMT
Hello!
Sorry I'm a bit late, but I couldn't for the life of me remember my password! Now, first of all I'd like to thank Catherine for inviting me here tonight, this is a fabulous resource and I hope I can be of help to anyone who has any question about writing etc. But feel free to ask me about anything ... except my weight, as after all that over-indulgence at Christmas (and since!) I'd be too embarrassed to talk about it at the moment!
I'll go ahead and answer the questions already here if that's ok and then if anyone has anything to ask, I'll get to that as soon as I can. Hope that's ok Catherine!
Melissa
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 20:07:53 GMT
Hope that's ok Catherine! You're the boss!! (and the people asking the questions of course!) |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:08:10 GMT
Hi Melissa- and welcome to the first on-line interview. i hope you don't feel too 'thrown to the lions'!! Thanks Catherine, Great to be here but I must admit I'm a bit nervy all the same! The old typing fingers are a little shaky! |
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 20:13:31 GMT
Hi Amanda, and to the guests we have on-line.
Guests are more than welcome to put questions too, but could could I ask you to fill in a name, just so that Melissa doesn't have to answer into the void.
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:15:28 GMT
Hello, I've tried to register here a few times but can't get a password sent to me. I would like to ask Melissa Hill how does she come up with the brilliant twists in her books. Does she know what will happen when she starts out to write them? quote] Hello Eileen and thanks for your lovely comments about my books, I'm so glad you enjoyed them. I always get worried when people tell me they re-read the books to try and figure out how they missed anything, as you could very well catch me out! Seriously though, when I set out to write the story I don't actually have a clear idea of what the 'secret or twist will be - it usually makes itself known to me about half-way through the story. I do like to take everyday situations and relationships and try to give them a different angle or dimension if you like (like most authors I suppose), but the truth is that I do quite consciously try to think of ways to make a run of the mill situation less run of the mill. God, I'd better shut up soon or we'll be here all night! But I hope that answers your question Eileen and thanks for asking. By the way, the NWYT twist wasn't based on personal experience per se, in that I myself or close friends or family have experienced it, but in order to make the character truly believable I did lots of research and spoke to many different people in order to 'step in her shoes'. Hope that helps. Melissa. |
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 20:24:19 GMT
when I set out to write the story I don't actually have a clear idea of what the 'secret or twist will be - it usually makes itself known to me about half-way through the story. Wow- I assumed that the twist was in your mind from the beginning- do you have to go back and change much afterwards- things taht don't 'fit' with the twist? |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:29:19 GMT
Hi Melissa, I just wondered how you started out about getting published, did you just send a few pages off firts, or did you have the book written before you did anythign? Also how long does it take from getting the publisher and having the book out in the shops? Do you have a choice of what cover (all your covers are great by the way and do you pick the names for all your books or does the publisher? What if the publisher doesnt like the name do you have to change it? Thanks Sophie XXXXX Hello Sophie, Well, I originally set out to write because it was something that had been in the back of my mind for a while and I felt I should get it out of my system. But once I started, I was bitten by the writing bug and had to keep going until I reached the end of the story. I can honestly say that I didn't think about publication until Something You should Know was completely finished and I'm glad I did because there is always the danger that you might not be able to finish at all! If you are thinking of writing yourself, I would suggest that you first find out if you are capable of completing a novel at all. In my opinion, this is a fantastic feeling of achievement in itself, one that nothing, not even publication, can match! SYSK was accepted for publication in August 02 and it was in the shops in June 03 which was relatively quick but I believe it can take up to a year or more in some cases. It depends on the publisher's publishing schedule really. Glad you like my covers. I particularly love the NWYT one, I'm a sucker for lilac. The covers are chosen by the publishers and even if it might not be exactly how the author imagined it, they are the experts and usually can tell what suits better than the author ever could! I do however choose all the titles for my books, in fact I could say that I agonize over the titles trying to find the right one for that particular story. Poolbeg haven't yet disliked the titles I've chosen, so I haven't yet been ask to change them thankfully! Phew! Tired after that, hope this helps. Melissa. |
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Post by amandakelly on Jan 12, 2005 20:32:27 GMT
But what would you do if you really hated your cover? Could you stop it from going out? I've seen a few in bookshops that if I was the author I'd go mad! (I work in a bookshop during the summer holidays)
Thanks,
Amanda
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:41:23 GMT
Hi Melissa, Not sure if you're on here yet but I;ll begin by saying I can't wait for Never Say Never! I'm so looking forward to it. Someone has already mentioned your brilliant twists and turns which I love but I also really love the romantic way your characters always seem to meet like Nicola and Dan in the traffic, Jenny and Mike with the dye in the bank, that type of thing. My question is do you have a favourite character out of the three books you've written, or a favourite scene/storyline that you're particularly proud of? It's something I've often wondered about with different writers. Thanks Amanda Kelly. ;D Hi Amanda, Again, thank you and I'm delighted you enjoy my books. I had to laugh at what you said about my heroine's encounters being romantic - I suppose I do put quite a bit of thought into them. I'd rather characters meet in unusual or unexpected places/situations, as I think true love can happen anytime, can't it? But technically, it's a lot more interesting to write about (and hopefully read about) than a standard run of the mill meeting in a pub or club. I don't have a favourite character as such as they are all dear to me, but if I had to pick one, I think it would be Leah in the upcoming book Never Say Never. She's made a difficult choice in love, a choice she has to defend quite a bit - particularly to other women which really bothers her as she is particularly open minded and non-judgemental. Obviously, I don't want to give to much away, but she gives up a lot for love and yet deals with what life throws at her later spectacularly. She's gutsy, loyal very strong and (I hope!) likeable. My favourite scene of all is one that came to me competely out of the blue - it's the 'engagement' scene with Barney in Not What You Think. Actually, now that I think about it, I think Barney is my favourite character! Thanks again Amanda and I hope you enjoy Never Say Never. Melissa |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:45:43 GMT
Wow- I assumed that the twist was in your mind from the beginning- do you have to go back and change much afterwards- things taht don't 'fit' with the twist? Oh yes, lots and lots of things, as well as add in a few read herrings. But I did miss something once, which I only noticed once the book was gone to print and which gave me sleepless nights! I'm not telling you which book though! Thankfully no-one seemed to have spotted it or if they did they didn't pull me up on it! |
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Post by amandakelly on Jan 12, 2005 20:47:24 GMT
Who are your own favourite authors Melissa?
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 20:48:14 GMT
But I did miss something once, which I only noticed once the book was gone to print and which gave me sleepless nights! Oh well, you can always change it on the re-print and then the first printing will be worth a fortune!! |
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Post by amandakelly on Jan 12, 2005 20:53:04 GMT
Do you think your books will ever be made into films? I think Something You Should Know would be a brilliant film. It was so funny and romantic and at the same time, very sad.
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 20:53:18 GMT
But what would you do if you really hated your cover? Could you stop it from going out? I've seen a few in bookshops that if I was the author I'd go mad! (I work in a bookshop during the summer holidays) Thanks, Amanda Well, I've only had three covers so far and I haven't disliked any of them thank goodness! But again, I doubt I could protest too much, I do feel that the publishers are the experts, and hopefully, they know what they're doing! Having said that, somebody told me recently that a lot of European publishers tend to use a thatched house on a mountain to depict Irish stories, any Irish stories! So, I'll be watching my upcoming translations with interest! |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 21:00:13 GMT
Who are your own favourite authors Melissa? I'm a huge fan of Cathy Kelly & Patricia Scanlan. They both have a lovely warm style of writing that seems to come so naturally, and a storytelling ability that for me is awe-inspiring. Yet they each have their own individual style. A new book by any of them is for me unmissable. I also love American crime fiction, Grisham, Deaver, Coben and a terrific female crime author called Karin Slaughter - in my opinion better than Patricia Cornwell and Joan, if you're listening, better than Kathy Reichs too! |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 21:02:07 GMT
Oh well, you can always change it on the re-print and then the first printing will be worth a fortune!! God no! I'll never admit it! As far as I'm concerned, it'll go with me to the grave! Unless hubby wants to get me back for something some day.... |
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 21:05:02 GMT
God no! I'll never admit it! As far as I'm concerned, it'll go with me to the grave! I suppose you realise you've probably just issued a challenge to your readers?? |
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Post by amandakelly on Jan 12, 2005 21:05:33 GMT
Oh well, you can always change it on the re-print and then the first printing will be worth a fortune!! ;D You'll have me scanning both books from cover to cover now! ;D |
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 21:06:48 GMT
You'll have me scanning both books from cover to cover now! |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 21:07:26 GMT
Do you think your books will ever be made into films? I think Something You Should Know would be a brilliant film. It was so funny and romantic and at the same time, very sad. It would be lovely, but I doubt it very much! But if so, it would be interesting to see how they would deal with Jack and Shane without revealing anything .... |
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Post by melissahill on Jan 12, 2005 21:11:27 GMT
;D You'll have me scanning both books from cover to cover now! ;D Oh no!!! What have I done?  Can I delete that bit Catherine, I'll make it worth your while! ;D P.S. I may have to go soon, Homer my dog, is looking for walkies, and hubbie is tempting me with snacks! |
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 21:12:22 GMT
When is never say never actually coming out?
And by the way- congrats on your english book deal- when are you going ot be published over there-
English members take note!!
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Post by catherine daly on Jan 12, 2005 21:16:38 GMT
P.S. I may have to go soon, Homer my dog, is looking for walkies, and hubbie is tempting me with snacks! Well Thanks a million for being the first of hopefully many writers to take the plunge and be interviewed live on line. And no I don't think we'll erase that bit- It's the beauty of a live interview after all!! Thanks also to every one who joined in- And to those guests who were to shy to ask any questions- come back next time and you might pluck up the courage!! xx catherine |
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and do you pick the names for all your books or does the publisher? What if the publisher doesnt like the name do you have to change it?
Can I delete that bit Catherine, I'll make it worth your while! ;D