FAQs

Leigh

Michaels

Author, Teacher, Editor

Frequently-Asked Questions

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always been a writer. There’s poetry in my baby book, written down by my sister at my dictation. My education is in journalism– I intended to be a newspaper reporter and write fiction in my spare time– so I’ve always been writing one thing or another, all my life.

How did you sell your first book?

The first book I sold was the first one I’d ever submitted, and it was purchased by the first publisher to look at it. I’d written six books before that, though, and burned them–page by page. That was how I learned what worked and what didn’t in storytelling. When I finished the seventh book, I knew it was better and different and that I’d learned as much as I could on my own. So I sent it in, figuring I’d get a rejection but hoping that the rejection letter would help me take the next step. Instead, the editor saw potential and advised me on how to revise the book, and after I did that work, she bought it.

Where do you get all your ideas?

Sometimes a news story or a comment from a friend is enough to spark a story. Years ago I clipped a newspaper story about an attorney who filed his clients’ divorce papers overseas instead of in the state where they lived, and they were finding out they might not be divorced after all. Eventually that story sparked my novel Maybe Married.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I write three or four romance novels a year, so as soon as I finish one I start thinking about the next. The active writing phase is usually from four to eight weeks.

Do you work on a schedule or when you’re inspired?

I’m a professional writer, so I treat my writing like a regular job. I usually start my day by checking email and looking in on the writing classes I teach. Then I spent the late morning and the afternoon writing. I usually work five or six days a week. But when I’m finishing a book or doing a revision, I may work 16 to 18 hours at a stretch for a few days.

What’s your favorite book?

Whichever one I’ve just done the finishing work on, so I can’t be asked to do another single thing! Seriously, I do like some of my books better than others. But that’s often because of what was happening as I wrote them–did I have to struggle with every sentence, or did the story flow very smoothly? The books I like more aren’t necessarily better books – so I prefer not to answer that question.

After writing so many books, do you still remember them all?

Absolutely. I don’t recall every word or every comparison, but the people in my stories become very real to me and I remember their stories and their emotional struggles.

How do you make each book different?

Actually I don’t, the characters do. If you put ten people in a particular situation, each of them will react just a little differently. So will characters – if they’re not stereotypes. So even if we start with the same basic premise, the stories will be different because the people in the stories are different.

What advice do you give young people who want to write?

Take every opportunity to write – whether it’s classroom work or the school newspaper or letters to the editor. And study everything you can. Don’t limit yourself to your favorite fields -- explore as widely as possible because you never know what you might be writing about. Calculus and art appreciation can be equally valuable for the writer.

What about writers in general? What do you suggest to them?

Read a lot. Read carefully, looking for clues about how the author did it, and why she did it that way. And write a lot. Writing is a skill, like piano playing - -the more we practice, the better we get (as long as we're practicing and not just pounding on the keys!)

I would have given anything, years ago when I started writing, to have a mentor, so I've tried to pass along to others what I've learned. Many, many writers have found my classes helpful, and many published writers still use the activities and worksheets in my non fiction books.

I've also started a website, Classroom on the Web, where you can look at and download many of the activities and worksheets that I use and share with students. (Since this link takes you to a different site, you may want to bookmark the Leigh Michaels site before you go check out the Classroom on the Web.)

Sometimes I can't find your books in stores. What can I do?

Series romance novels like mine are often on the shelves for only a few weeks before they're replaced by the next month's titles. You can ask a store to order a particular book, or check online bookstores like www.bn.com which keeps titles in stock longer. If you're looking for particular older titles, drop a note to bkorders@mchsi.com, which may be able to offer more suggestions.