We were lucky to catch up with Melinda Curtis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melinda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

This isn’t quite a first dollar story, but it comes close. As a newbie traditional author, I was paid a small advance. I waited with great expectations for my first royalty check. And if you know anything about the time lag of traditional production (books can be turned in anywhere from 9 months to years before publication date and royalties back then were paid so much later. When I finally received my first royalty check, it was just over $5. My husband and I had a good laugh. And it was a good lesson. Unless you are an upper tier author, don’t expect the riches to pour in.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was an avid reader long before I became a writer. I had TBR (to-be-read) piles at my bedside and on the coffee table where I sat in the living room when my husband watched sports. Somewhere along the line, I started and discarded four or five books without getting further than chapter 3. I was walking around the house muttering that I could do better. And then I read a gem. It was so good, I searched for the page with author information and discovered that she lived just 45 minutes away from me. I sent her a note that was something like: How does your average, working super-mom become a writer?
She sent a note back inviting me to a writing meeting. She became my mentor and encouraged me to give back to others with a dream. You toil at your craft alone but the writing community can be a second family.
I write romance that spans a character’s journey emotionally. That means I delve into backstory and something that shaped the way a character looks at relationships. I am one course shy of a minor in psychology, so I create characters that can’t fall in love and stay in love unless they grow and change. But they need to be put through a situation that makes them grow – and that’s where plot comes in. I try to create stories where my characters have to do something they wouldn’t normally do and/or work with someone they wouldn’t normally work with and fall for someone who is the worst possible romantic partner.
Now, this could all be deep, dark and angsty. But I enjoy bringing humor to the process to come to a happily forever after. And that’s why I came up with this tagline for my brand – Laugh a little. Cry a little. Sigh a little.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was first published, I was a traditionally pubbed author. I wrote nine books and was passed through four different editors (being dropped by an editor is called being “orphaned”). When a new senior editor came to the group I was published in, she told me they no longer wanted to publish my books. Since I didn’t like that editor as a person (even before she dropped the news on me), I was a bit relieved. But it was a humbling experience. Or at least, I took it as a humbling experience (rather than becoming bitter). I worked even harder at learning the craft of writing. And that meant writing books just for me. A few years later, another editor at that publisher reached out to ask if I’d like to write for them again. We met and discussed the opportunities at a conference. She admitted that she was surprised I wasn’t bitter. Admittedly, I might have been had I been younger. But I knew carrying a grudge would eat me up inside. I’ve now published nearly 50 books with them.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As a child, I loved playing games and solving puzzles. And, of course, reading. Later in life, I’d read a book or watch a movie and think…why wasn’t that better? It started out so well. (or the reverse…it started way too slowly and than built into something great). For me, writing stories is solving a puzzle. How did this character become this way? I’m fascinated by people and what their hot buttons are. You probably know someone who is constantly volunteering but have you ever asked them why they need to be part of things? You probably know others with a hot temper. But have you ever asked them why they get upset if the Starbucks line doesn’t move quicker? I almost always start with characters who fascinate me. You can read more about this in my writing craft book – Frankly, my dear…Creating Unforgettable Characters.
But plot is also a puzzle. I read and watch a variety of genres (romance, suspense, dystopian, fantasy, etc.). I’ve become especially fascinated lately with episodic TV from Korea, Japan, and China. They have their own distinct signatures in storytelling. There are a lot of cliffhangers at the end of each episode but many feel like their pacing is off (perhaps this is a cultural thing) and they drop story threads only to pick them up conveniently in the last episode (with characters I’ve long forgotten). I try to read a near final draft looking for that missing piece to make the story more complete. You can read more about elements of your story in my other writing craft book: Putting Story on the Page.
A writing friend once laughed at my puzzle metaphor and told me that essentially, I just want to fix everyone. And maybe that’s true. I don’t like to end a story without being sure my characters have changed enough to have a permanent happy ever after.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MelindaCurtis.net
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MelindaCurtisAuthor
• Youtube: www.YouTube.com/@AuthorMelindaCurtis