{"id":73619,"date":"2017-07-03T11:28:45","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T00:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.booktopia.com.au\/?p=73619"},"modified":"2017-07-03T11:28:45","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T00:28:45","slug":"madeline-ash-believe-make-writing-priority-embrace-doubt-tell-shove-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2017\/07\/03\/madeline-ash-believe-make-writing-priority-embrace-doubt-tell-shove-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Madeline Ash: Believe in yourself. Make writing a priority. Embrace doubt, but then tell it to shove off."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Congratulations to Madeline Ash who is a finalist in the 2017 RUBY Awards, nominated for Breaking Good<\/em><\/a>! We chat with her about her nominated book, how she reacted when she found out she was a finalist, and her advice for aspiring authors.<\/p>\n

Congratulations, you\u2019re a finalist in the 2017 RUBY Awards! How did you react when you found out you were a finalist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you! I was at my sister\u2019s house when I checked my inbox and saw the subject line in breath-stopping capitals. I read it aloud to her and my partner, who had gathered around at my disbelieving, \u2018No way!\u2019 They might tell you that I collapsed onto the floor afterwards, clutching my phone to my chest, but I maintain that I kept my cool\u2026<\/p>\n

Please tell us about the story you\u2019ve been nominated for. Did you have a secret alternative title while you were writing it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Breaking Good<\/em> is a contemporary reunion romance. The hero Ethan struggles with adult ADHD and feels that his mental chaos rules out the possibility of relationships\u2014so I threw an unconventional heroine and secret son at him, and used the story to explore how those three lives could realistically all fit together.<\/p>\n

The working title was initially the names of the characters, but I started this story afresh so many times that I got overwhelmed by the numbers building up on each new document (Stevie&Ethan_5.doc), so switched to calling it The Actual Story.doc to disguise my false starts!<\/p>\n

Do you write romance books in secret, or are you loud and proud?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, definitely loud and proud. I use a pseudonym, but everyone in my life knows that I write romance. I adore the genre and return the occasional snicker with a steady stare.<\/p>\n

I share the manuscripts as I write, so even the stories themselves aren\u2019t secrets. I want as much feedback as possible, so will show my partner, sisters, Mum, and critique group as I go. My muse loves discussions, so wouldn\u2019t cope if I had to write in secret!<\/p>\n

\"Breaking<\/a><\/p>\n

Headless washboard abs, a torrid embrace, the sprawling homestead, an elegantly dressed d\u00e9colletage, or a vaguely kinky object against a dark background \u2013 what\u2019s your favourite type of romance cover and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love any cover that accurately conveys the tone of the story. Of course it\u2019s important to convey the era and setting, but provided I get an impression of the tone through the cover image, they\u2019re all good to me.<\/p>\n

What is the secret life of a romance writer? What goes on between you and your keyboard (or quill) behind closed doors?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot of tea drinking, exercise breaks, and glaring into space. I\u2019m a very slow writer. I plot before I write, edit as I go, and think way too much about every sentence. Each time I sit down to write, I\u2019ll read the last scene (at least) to pull me back into the emotional headspace of the characters. I always write at home. I play music to set the mood of the scene. And when something isn\u2019t working, I\u2019ll vent on a walk with my partner and he\u2019ll help me nut it out. As I mentioned, my process is quite collaborative!<\/p>\n

Do you remember the first romance you read, the one that inspired you to continue reading and writing in this genre?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My genre of choice was fantasy for a long time. Then I realised I mainly read fantasy for the romantic thread – reading and writing romance seemed obvious after that! I adored the romance in Juliet Marillier\u2019s The Sevenwaters Trilogy<\/a> and fell head-first into category romance with Kelly Hunter\u2019s Playboy Boss, Live-in Mistress<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Breaking<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you hide any secrets in your plot line that only a few people will find?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t believe so. My characters will usually have a secret of some kind, foreshadowed throughout, but all readers discover the truth by the end.<\/p>\n

How you differentiate between romance fiction, erotica and porn. Are romance readers getting naughtier?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Romance fiction has a love story at its core, with characters that must overcome external and emotional conflicts in order to be happy. The spice rating can range from squeaky clean to explicit, but whatever the heat, readers pick up the book for the love story. Erotica is much raunchier, but still involves character growth and falling in love. Porn is a vessel for sexual excitement\u2014plot, characterisation, emotional connection are optional!<\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t say romance readers are getting naughtier. I\u2019d say the growth of digital publishing has enabled romance writers to tell stories without limitations, and if they want to write fully-realised sex scenes\u2014if they want to write five of them per book\u2014they can. Romance readers are on board with that. And if the publishing landscape had welcomed stories like that thirty years ago, my guess is that readers would have been on board with them then, too.<\/p>\n\n\t\t