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Interview with Terri Valentine |
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Written by Maryland Literary Review
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 10:51 |
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Success is duplicable and writing is a learnable craft. One of the greatest benefits of TLR is that it provides for the open exchange of ideas and knowledge among writers of almost every genre and every imaginable background. I very recently had the opportunity to interview Terri Valentine, the author of thirteen romance novels and a screen play currently in production rewrites. Her novel Sweet Paradise was nominated for Best Romance Adventure by Romantic Times in 1992. Her novel Louisiana Caress received the Knight in Shining Silver Award from Romantic Times in 1993. Some of her other numerous works include Sands of Time, Storm Dancer, and Paradise Promised. At present she is under contract for two more historical novels and is working on another romantic novel. Ms. Valentine has achieved the professional success that many of us seek and hers are words of wisdom.
TLR: When you start a new novel do you begin with a rough draft of the entire work or do you work on each chapter, revising and polishing, until the final work is finished? Essentially, how do you begin a new work? Terri Valentine: I tend to work on each chapter, revising and polishing as I go. I also usually write that first chapter before I write my outline. It gets me into my characters' heads and I find that helps me organize the story and develop it. TLR: How do you get a literary agent or publisher to read your work and pick you up? Can aspiring writers do anything to get the attention of a publisher or literary agent? Terri Valentine: Write a good story they can't ignore. I also think conferences are the best way to make contact with agents and editors who are there looking for new projects. 90% of the writers I know found their first agent this way and many many sold their first book based on an "invite" from an editor at a conference. Another good way is to enter contests where an agent or editor is the final judge. Again, I have had several students sell this way recently. TLR: When you begin a new novel is it a character that first came to mind or the story itself? Terri Valentine: Usually for me it is the initial conflict that comes to mind: what the protagonist is seeking that conflicts with what antagonist is seeking. TLR: Do you feel relieved when you've finished a work or a little sad that it's done? Terri Valentine: A little of both. TLR: Do you write straight through, then go back and begin revisions and editing or do you write a little at a time, and do that as you went along? Terri Valentine: I work on it a page, scene, chapter at a time, and when I find I need to make changes I will make myself a note. And then at the end of the week I tend to go back and add those changes in what I have written. TLR: Do you solely write the story you want to write or do you develop the plotline to appeal commercially to a specific audience? Terri Valentine: If you want to sell you have to write what editors and agents are looking for. Writing is an art, but writing to sell is just as much of an art. TLR: How do you determine the intended genre your work or should this even be a consideration for writers? Terri Valentine: Yes, you need to decide on your genre as you are designing your story. Otherwise, what you have might not be definable. In this business it is all about how a book is going to sell, from the perspective of the agent and the editor. They want business minded writers to work with who will produce sellable work. I just read an article in the newspaper today that publishers are beginning to demand that their writers produce at least one book year—so productivity is an important part of the “game.” TLR: What tools or methods have you found that enable you work through and complete a project to meet a deadline? Terri Valentine: Plant my behind and work. I set page goals and don't give myself a break or accept excuses from myself. TLR: Several writers in our group are self-published or are considering self-publishing, and consequentially, editing is a large concern for many of us. At what point is bringing in a professional editor useful? Do you go at it yourself and hope you’re on the right track or use an editor to strengthen the story/plot from an early stage? Terri Valentine: When I began I hired a professional editor to get my work into sellable shape. It was the best thing I ever did. I learned so much from a professional edit. And by the way, I can be hired to do freelance editing. TLR: What influence do you think the Internet and self-publishing will have on the small press and novel market and how can aspiring writers put these trends to the best advantage? Terri Valentine: Publishing is all about the numbers in sells. If you can self-publish and produce big sales figured then they will be impressed. Even the small presses are only interested in the bottom line--will they make money on this writer? TLR: Who is your favorite writer and why? Terri Valentine: Anne Rivers Sidon. She is a fabulous story--shower. She has the art of show don't tell down to a science. She is one of the few writers I get engrossed in and forget I am reading. TLR: Is there any information you would like to share that has not been touched upon in the previous questions. Perhaps related to your experiences as an author or teacher? Terri Valentine: Two "words of wisdom." Write the best book you can and then believe in it and in yourself. And nothing is etched in stone in this business not even a contract--until you see the money. TLR: Recently the question was raised in another writer’s group forum, what is the difference between erotica, romance writing, and pornography? Terri Valentine: In romance the focus is on the emotional relationship between the two characters--and your story hero (usually a male character) is always the antagonist to your heroine--the protagonist. Romance can be spicy or sweet. Erotica seems to focus more on the physical relationship but still in a tasteful way. Pornography--at least to me--doesn't have much of a storyline and it is truly all about the sex. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 13 August 2009 18:34 |
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