FIRST IN A SERIES OF BREAD-WINNER INTERVIEWS

MAKING BREAD Talks with:

Best-selling Novelist

Christiane Heggan

Ooh-la-la! Want More Romance in Your Life?

Try Writing a Romance Novel!

By Rosemary Rys, contributing editor of MAKING BREAD

‘Each publishing season seems to bring us

another photogenic female author trying to

get funky with pulp fiction.’

                                                    —Critic James Wolcott

hen it comes to romance writing, snobbish opinions like the one above are the prevailing attitude among the literary establishment. But the facts about fiction-writing tell another story. In 2000, 2,289 romance titles were published and sales in North America equaled $1.37 billion. Romance novels represent more than half of all popular paperback novels sold in North America. They are read by 40 million people—most (but not all)  of them women.

     Christiane Heggan’s day job is some women’s idea of a dream come true: she writes romantic suspense novels for a living. But that wasn’t always the case. Born and raised in Nice, France, she began her writing career when, as the wife of an American serviceman, she was hired as reporter for an American newspaper in Spain.

     Later, when she moved to the United States, she took a job as an assistant director of a regional theater company, but she couldn’t stop writing. In her spare time, she finished her first screenplay and that work inspired her first novel, “Cannes.”

     Apparently, she had found her calling: Her second novel, “Gloss,” won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and the National Reader’s Choice Award.  She has since published 12 books. Her latest, just released, is “Moment of Truth,” in which she brings back Washington, D.C., attorney Kate Logan, whom she had introduced in her 1998 novel “Suspicion.”  Her books have been translated into German, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Russian, Dutch, Norwegian, Chinese, Italian, Greek and Polish.

      Catching up with Christiane on a book tour for “Moment of Truth,” MAKING BREAD asked her what advice she might offer other women who have dreams of writing their way to fame and fortune. In answer to our question :”Can a woman in a suburban split level write a successful romance novel?”, her answer was,  “Absolutely!  Writers of romance novels are all women just like you and me.”

     So, after reading this, open a blank screen on your computer. Go where your imagination takes you. You just might find the journey not only enlightening but enriching. But keep your day job until you get your first really big royalty check!

MB: With all your travels, you’ve led an exciting life—the life of a heroine in a romance novelist. Can a woman who’s sitting at a desk in her suburban split level write a successful romance novel—or is that a fantasy?

CH: First, I want to point out that I don't write romances per se.  I write ‘romantic suspense,’ which means the emphasis of the book is on the suspense/mystery rather than the romance.  I'm mentioning this because I don't want people to think I write straight romances and then be disappointed when they read my books.

     But back to your question: Can a woman who is sitting at her desk in her suburban split level write a successful romance novel?  Absolutely! That's exactly how I began. And even now, writers of romance novels are seeing their work get into print all the time and they're all women like you and me. 

MB: Many bored, overworked or unhappy housewives and type-A career women lose themselves in the pleasures of reading a good romance novel. Would you encourage them to channel their unhappiness or experiences into trying their hand at writing one themselves, if they have an interest in writing?

CH: Yes, I definitely would encourage women to do that, because there is no better foundation for a good book, romance or otherwise, than personal experiences. A woman who has suffered, or known tragedy, can bring a new level of emotion into her work—and emotion is what readers respond to. Just make sure to have some light and happy moments sprinkled into the plot, so the book is not too dark.

MB:  How did you get your first book contract?

CH: My husband and I had just returned from a trip to France, and during my absence my agent had left a message on my machine:  "I sold the book!"  Talk about a welcome-home present!

MB: How many drafts did you write of your first novel?

CH: I don't count the drafts I do on a book, because I'm constantly revising, but I would say eight, maybe 10.  I'm fussy.  It's got to be just right or I won't send it.

MB: What’s the process? How and where do you write?

CH: I write in a room I call my study.  It's bright, comfortable, welcoming.  It has to be welcoming to pull me in day after day, especially since sometimes I don't want to be there.  I usually start writing at 8 each morning, break at noon for lunch and my favorite soap opera (The Young and the Restless), and then it's back to work until my husband comes home.

MB: How long does it take to write a novel? Where do you get your ideas?

CH: It takes me about eight months to do a book, including the research.  I get my ideas from current events, a blurb I'll hear on the news, an item in a newspaper or magazine, and I take it from there.  Sometimes friends or people I know will tell me about an incident that happened to them and say, "You could probably write a story about this."  And sometimes they're right. 

MB: What advice would you give the aspiring romance novelist. Should she approach an agent with an idea? Write sample chapters first? How do you find an agent?

CH: Yes, I would strongly recommend finding an agent before submitting a manuscript to a publisher. The industry has changed so much in recent years.  There are a lot of writers out there and not enough editors. Therefore, knowing that an agent has already screened a manuscript will make the editor's job easier.  It will also get you a faster reply, because often manuscripts coming through the slush pile will not be read for many, many months. But if it comes from an agent, it will be read much more quickly.  You can find an agent in books like “The Writers' Market,” which is available in bookstores and libraries, or better yet, through word of mouth.

     The standard protocol is to give the agent a proposal.  That consists of a synopsis (no longer than 10 pages) and the first three chapters of your book.  Because I write romantic suspense and my readers like the fast pace, I try to keep my chapters no longer than eight to 12 pages, but other authors I know write chapters that are 20, sometimes 25 pages long.  It's up to you and what you are writing. 

MB: OK, let’s drop the fantasy and do a reality check: what are the chances of success? How many make it? What’s the upside financially? Will the royalties of a modestly successful book pay the mortgage?

CH: What are the chances of success?  It depends on several factors.  The first, and I'm sure you guessed it, is that the book has to be good.  It has to be well-written and have an exciting storyline (preferably something that hasn't been overdone).  A little luck doesn't hurt—you know, being at the right place at the right time.  That's why going to various conferences, no matter how small, is important.  You'll meet other writers, editors, and agents, and you'll have a chance to pitch your story, maybe even give an agent your proposal, but only if she or he asks.  That's how I met my first agent, by the way—by attending a conference.

     It's difficult to say how many make it.  As I said, the industry has changed, and some publishers have tightened their budgets.  Those changes are reflected in the advances authors get for their work, the amount of money spent on promoting books [many first-time authors do their own promotion] and the number of authors a publisher will sign on. 

Honestly, I don't think the royalties of a modestly successful book will pay the mortgage.  Take off the word 'modestly,’ and the odds change considerably.  Add the word 'immensely,' and you might find yourself asking a car salesman, "Does this Lamborghini come in red?" 

MB: What’s the value of a happy ending? And what is the predominant message you try to deliver to your readers in your books?

CH: In a true romance novel, a happy ending is a must.  Even in my case, I always write a happy ending, because I can't see putting my heroes and heroines through all the nightmares I put them through and not reward them at the end.  But, of course, in my books, a lot of bad things happen, too—and not necessarily to bad people.  You just have to balance everything and decide what's important.

     I try not to deliver messages, although I realize that sometimes authors do that unconsciously.  One of the hidden messages you might see in my books is that the strong survive.  I like that. 

MB: Would you ever write an unhappy ending?

CH: Yes, if I were writing something different.  The shock value of an unhappy ending is really tremendous.  I remember reading a very good book a few years ago.  I had become very attached to the spunky heroine (a cop).  She had gone through so much, I couldn't wait to see what the author had in store for her in terms of a reward.  Never did I imagine my brave, wonderful heroine would be killed off.  It hit me so hard, I sat there, with my mouth open, feeling numb and saying,  ‘Why, why, why?’   Impact, that's why.  Shock, surprise, reaction, even anger—those are the emotions an author wants to arouse in her readers, because that's what will make a book memorable. 

MB: Does the Internet offer any special resources or opportunities for fledging writers? What sites would you point women to?

CH: Oh, yes, the Internet offers tons of resources for writers.  Sites like  www.WritersWrite.com and Romance Writers of America (www.rwanational.org), to name only a couple, have a lot to offer established and aspiring authors. 

MB: Is there value in writing down your fantasies, even if your goal isn’t to get published?

CH: Yes.  In fact, when I first started writing, I was instructed to write down my goals for the next five years.  It's a wonderful thing to do.  It keeps you focused, and, through that list, you can chart your progress. 

MB: Who are your favorite authors? Your favorite books?

CH: My favorite authors are John Grisham, Perry O'Shaunessy, Barbara Parker, and Tami Hoag.  For a list of my favorite books, I have to return to the classics I read as a child and reread later many times over: “Les Miserables,” “Madame Bovary,“ “Jane Eyre,”  “Rebecca,”  “Great Expectations,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea.”  Oh, God, you don't really want me to go on, do you?

MB: All wonderful imaginative, romantic books! How do you keep “romance” alive in your own everyday life?

CH: Oh, boy, do I even have time to keep romance alive in my own life?  Not really, but I make time.  I don't work when my husband is home, and I cook little gourmet dinners we sometimes eat by the fire.  I try to surprise him from time to time, by taking him out someplace we haven't gone to for a long time, or maybe to a sexy French movie.  We like to travel to romantic places.  This spring, for his birthday, I'm taking him to Paris for four days and then on a seven-day barge trip down the Loire River.  He's a very happy camper right now.

MB: How have you invested the money you’ve made from your books? Do you have any investment or money-management tips for our readers?

CH: I'm trying to invest my money as wisely as I can.  Mutual funds work for me, although I had to bail out of a few this past year.  I also have a few well-chosen stocks I keep for the long run.  And, of course, I max out my IRA. 

MB: Great advice. As romantic as the ‘starving writer in the garret’ image is, it’s good to know that successful novelists can afford trips to Paris and investments in the stock market! Thanks so much for your time.

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Find out more about Christiane Heggan and read an excerpt from her latest book, "Moment of Truth," on her Web site, www.booktalk.com/CHeggan.

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