Hello

Me – My first question is which aspect of the writing process do you enjoy the most? And why?

Melanie –The research, especially if it’s a place I’ve travelled to or will be able to visit. Google maps/street views are good, but nothing compared to actually being there and experiencing the location.

Me – Research can be great fun.

What distracts you when you are in writing flow? Is there anything you do to counter this?

Melanie - Definitely social media, followed by online jigsaw puzzles. At least now I do my writing on a Mac in Scrivener, so the aforementioned distractions are on my Windows PC.

Me – A separate device for writing on sounds like a good idea.

What part of the story pushes itself into your imagination first? Story premise, character, setting, plot, ending?

Melanie -Premise, setting and ending run neck and neck. Characters and plot come afterwards. Quite often, I write the ending first so I know where I’m going and everything else develops based on that.

Me – I’ve heard many writers say they know the ending first. That must be good for plotting. How do you decide which story to write next?

Melanie - In my It Happened series, the book I’m currently writing was supposed to be book 2 but with the way book 1 ended, the original book 3 took over the second spot in the series. It made for a better fit doing that way. So, It Happened in Gastown became book 2 and It Happened at Percé Rock became relegated to book 3. The plan is for six books in this series, and much will depend on which one makes the most noise in my head as to what order they end up in.

Me – That sounds complicated, but it makes sense too. How long does a story mature in your head before you begin writing?

Melanie -It has a lot to do with the story itself. How complicated is the plot? Who do I want to be my main character? Are the ideas talking to me, or are they maintaining radio silence? It could percolate up in the grey matter for months before I even start to outline. Or it could be a few days or weeks.

Me – I like the idea of a story percolating. What has been the most satisfying moment in your writing career?

Melanie -It’s a toss up between holding my debut novel for the first time and making my first sale. Both were extremely special and satisfying.

Me – Oh yes that feeling when you hold your first completed novel, fantastic.

What is the strangest observation from the real world that has made it into one of your books?

Melanie - I wouldn’t call it an observation as much a real event. In my novel, YESTERDAY TODAY ALWAYS, I planned to have a helicopter ditch in the North Sea. I’d seen an episode of Silent Witness where that happened, and thought would make a good plot thread and tucked the idea into the back of my mind until my muse nagged me to start writing it. Back when I first started writing this book, those events started happening and I had to shelve the book for a very long time because I felt (I know it’s daft) I was the cause.

Me. That’s a little spooky. What aspect of your personality have you explored through writing?

Melanie - It’s my creative side. I work in a black and white environment. When you do payroll for a living, there are no grey areas. There are strict guidelines and deadlines you must adhere to. Writing gives my creative side an outlet.

Me – Writing is certainly creative. Of all the stories you have written, which have you learnt the most from?

Melanie -I think when we’re writing, we’re always learning. Whether it’s the research, or the travel, we’re always learning. When I started down my writing path, I wrote non-fiction articles and was published in the US, UK, and Canada. My father was a British Home Child sent out to Canada through the auspices of The Orphan Homes of Scotland. Through that connection, I discovered friends and groups with the same pasts. I researched this aspect of my father’s life extensively, travelled to the orphanage in Scotland, now known as Quarriers Village, located west of Glasgow. Because of the knowledge I amassed on the subject, I secured a number of speaking engagements to area genealogical societies.

Me – It sounds like you learnt a huge amount when researching your father’s past.

This last question is purely because I’m curious as to how author’s kick start their brains and fuel their writing.  What do you like to eat for breakfast?

Melanie - I’m not a breakfast person. Usually, it’s only a cup of coffee but when I get to work (I still work full time), I have a sweet and salty breakfast bar – usually peanut butter. On the occasions I do eat breakfast, it’s a full Scottish. Bacon, eggs, mushrooms, haggis, potato scones. This breakfast is reserved for special occasions, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Me – A full Scottish sounds like it needs to be reserved for special occasions.

Thank you for your interesting answers.

 Jenni Clarke