We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melisa Quigley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melisa below.
Melisa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
First and foremost, you need to know what you want to be successful in. Don’t let your age define you. Not everyone who writes is successful. The wins are few and far between. ‘I give up’ shouldn’t be part of your vocabulary. You have to be self-motivated because you’re working for yourself. Writers are perfectionists. To be successful, they have to hone their craft. By that, I mean they have to practice, practice, practice until they get it right. Believe me, sometimes when you think you’ve got it right, you haven’t because someone may find a better way to express what you’ve written, or a comma is needed somewhere. You should always spellcheck your work once you’ve finished it. You won’t be successful if there are errors everywhere. Never think you know everything because there is always something to learn.
You must have a strong belief in yourself to achieve your goal and a determination to succeed. See yourself in your mind’s eye succeeding. I don’t have a cheer squad. People have said I’ll never get published or be any good. Since then, I’ve avoided them. My motto is: if you believe you can, you will. Perseverance is the key to success. Just keep going even when you feel like it’s not worth it. Many people find writing too hard and quit before they finish writing a novel or finding a publisher.
Have a routine and set a goal of how many words you want to write. Writing is a sedentary task, so exercise regularly. I have two dogs, so I take them for a walk. Focus is key. I look at my dogs playing ball and how focused they are. They never let the ball out of their sight. That’s how you should be if you want to achieve success. Mark out time in your day to focus solely on your writing. Inspiration comes to me while working in my garden, so it’s a win/win effect. Also, build time into your day to relax and unwind. I like to meditate or listen to music. Take time out to have a drink and something to eat. You won’t achieve success if you don’t look after yourself.
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.
In my other life, I was a personal assistant in a legal office for 24 years. I worked for 10 lawyers in the city. In 2009, the firm announced a takeover by another company. Our firm was considered too ‘top heavy,’ so they offered everyone voluntary redundancies. I put my hand up and was rejected. The ladder had stopped, and there was nowhere else for me to go. Eventually, my boss relented.
I wanted to reinvent myself. I’ve loved reading books since I was five. I went to the local community centre and did a six-week course on writing short stories. After that, I did a six-week course on how to write poetry. I also did an online creative writing course. I started writing a novel and thought I knew everything I needed to know, but I didn’t.
I had my manuscript appraised, and it was full of cliches. I went to Writers Victoria to ask what I’d done wrong. The lady I spoke to there said that if I was serious about writing, I should do a degree in Professional Writing and Editing or a Creative Writing degree.
I contacted RMIT and applied as a mature-aged student to enrol in the Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing. I was rejected and told that I could reapply next year. One of the facilitators at RMIT interviewed me and asked me many questions about writing, like why I wanted to do it, etcetera. I was so nervous and didn’t like my chances. He said they would be in touch with me. A week later, I received a letter that I’d been accepted. I can’t tell you how excited I was to read those words.
Since then, my flash fiction, poetry, and short stories have been published in over thirty anthologies worldwide. I love writing fiction, poetry, and picture books. I sent my debut novel, The Complexities of Love, to over 70 publishing companies and agents. An agent contacted me the next day and asked me to sign an agreement. Two days later, the agreement was rejected due to treaty laws. The Complexities of Love was published by a traditional publisher in Canada in August 2021 and won the New York City Big Book Award in the LGBT category. It is a story loosely based on my cousin growing up in the 70s as a closet gay person.
I sent my poetry novel, Bereft, to over 100 publishing companies. At the end of my cousin Brian’s party, he decided to walk his Aboriginal friend home. Brian’s friend was tall, thin, and attractive, with shiny black curly hair. His teeth were perfect and bright white. Brian, his sister, Kim, and I had walked a few blocks when a car approached and stopped opposite us. It was my dad and uncle. They got out of the car and grabbed Kim and me, slapping us, and telling us that we shouldn’t associate with an Aboriginal.
What did we think we were doing? They shoved us in the car and drove us back to my aunt and uncle’s home. My husband and I went for a walk along Banana Alley in the city during our holiday. We saw two schoolchildren from different ethnic backgrounds having sex under a city bridge. When they saw us, they ran away. Several years ago, we went for a holiday near waterways and caves in Gippsland. That is how I got the idea to write Bereft. It’s about an Aboriginal boy and a white girl in love. Bereft was traditionally published in 2022. It recently won an Ink and Horizons Award and The BREW Readers’ Choice Award.
I self-published my Let’s Write a Six-Word Story or a Poem Workbook in 2023 to help people who want to write something but don’t know where to start. It also helps people with writer’s block to get them writing again.
I work two days a week as a personal assistant in a real estate agency. These days, people can know things that are happening around the world in an instant. People become easily distracted by looking at the internet and social media. Therefore, many people find it hard to remain focused. I’m proud that I believe in myself. I’m focused and dogged.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I’ve written a picture book and sent over 60 query letters to agents and publishers in the last 18 months. I finally hit that sweet spot – like eating a delicious cherry. A publisher said he loved my story and asked me to sign an agreement. I was so excited. However, six months later, I received a letter from the publisher saying they were closing their business and wouldn’t publish my book. Yikes! Since then, I’ve sent more query letters to agents and publishers. I refuse to give up. If one person loves it, the chances are someone else will, too.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I hope that readers realize that they aren’t alone. That someone has gone through something like what they’re living in real-time. I wish they could learn something from my stories to make their life more fulfilling/better.
I like to think that my writing challenges the status quo. Many people have asked me why I write such confrontational topics to read. Isn’t life hard enough without writing stuff like that? My view is this: Australia is a multicultural society. We all come from different backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. We can learn a lot from other people’s viewpoints to solve problems. I believe this innovative approach can lead to a more connected world where people can flourish instead of standing one another off because of outdated beliefs that our parents once had that they’ve tried to instil in us. I hope my writing conveys that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melisaquigley.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: @MQuigley1963
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisaquigley/
- Twitter: @MQuigley1963
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