Ask the Author: Michelle Richmond
Answered Questions (13)
Michelle Richmond
I'd follow Jodi Foster to wherever it is she goes in CONTACT, by Carl Sagan. I saw the movie before I read the book, and I always picture Eleanor Arroway, the protagonist, as Jodi Foster. This heroine who refuses to take no for an answer, who fights the establishment and wins, who makes first contact with intelligent life, will always be one of my favorite characters in fiction.
And, harkening back to my first literary love, I'd follow Lucy through the wardrobe door into Narnia. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe utterly enthralled me when I was a young reader. C.S. Lewis's extravagant, rich world-building was so magical, Narnia became a frequent landscape in my dreams.
And, harkening back to my first literary love, I'd follow Lucy through the wardrobe door into Narnia. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe utterly enthralled me when I was a young reader. C.S. Lewis's extravagant, rich world-building was so magical, Narnia became a frequent landscape in my dreams.
Michelle Richmond
Hi Cam. Thank you, I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed The Year of Fog! Yes, I knew I wanted to write from the time I was in elementary school. When I was in high school, I assumed I would be a journalist or write for magazines. I studied Journalism and Creative Writing in college, but I spent most of my time and effort on my creative writing classes. And, yes, you're correct--along with the passion for writing, I've always been a reader.
Michelle Richmond
Hi Jessica. Thank you for your question! If you enjoy books about marriage, I would recommend Golden State, which is the story of a marriage in turmoil set against the backdrop of a hostage crisis at the VA hospital in San Francisco. The Year of Fog continues to be my most popular novel; it's about a girl who goes missing in the fog on a San Francisco beach while she is with her soon-to-be-stepmother. No One You Know is a literary mystery, about the murder of a young math prodigy at Stanford, told from the point of view of her surviving sister. I hope that helps!
Michelle Richmond
I get inspired to write by reading great books in many genres, by walking (I write in my head when I walk), driving (yep, I write in my head while I drive), listening to people, observing small odd moments out in the world. Of course, there is no inspiration without coffee. The coffee is a big part of it.
Michelle Richmond
I'm writing a suspense novel set in a small Northern California town. That's all I can share at the moment, but I'm close to having a first draft!
Michelle Richmond
1. Read widely and well. Read in multiple genres.
2. Send your work out. Once you have written, revised, and polished a story, don't be shy: submit it to a few literary journals.
3. Consider rejections to be a part of the business, not a personal affront. Most stories get rejected by literary journals, and most novels get rejected by agents and publishers. It's not you; it's just a tough business. If you go into each submission with the idea that you have a one in thirty chance of getting a positive response, you'll be better prepared to deal with rejection when it comes, and then to move on. THE YEAR OF FOG was rejected by pretty much every publisher in New York and elsewhere before my wonderful agent sold it to Bantam for a small advance. It went on to sell more than half a million copies in the US. A lot of rejection came before success. You have to have the commitment to revise and polish, and faith that your best work will find a home, even if it takes a long time.
4. Take a class! You don't need an MFA to be a writer, but you do need to know how to craft a story using the basic building blocks of narrative. Many colleges and universities offer creative writing classes through their continuing education programs; this is a great way to meet other aspiring writers and to learn what you need to know to get started. Many writers offer small classes online or in person (see mine here: http://bayareabookdoctor.com)
5. Yes, you need a literary agent if. You don't need an agent to submit to literary journals, but you do need an agent to publish a book with a major publisher. Even if the book you want to publish is a novel, you can get your name out there by publishing short stories in reputable literary journals. Not only can this lead to your being discovered by an agent who reads journals to find new talent; it also makes the query letter you send to agents seeking representation more enticing.
6. Keep writing.
7. Know your genre when you submit your book to an agent. Even if you don't want to be "labeled," the industry runs on labels. It's difficult to publish a book without knowing what to call it. Your cover letter should state the genre; some common genres are literary fiction, suspense, psychological thriller, coming-of-age, and women's fiction. Nobody puts baby in a corner, true, but Baby should at least be able to identify the corners!
2. Send your work out. Once you have written, revised, and polished a story, don't be shy: submit it to a few literary journals.
3. Consider rejections to be a part of the business, not a personal affront. Most stories get rejected by literary journals, and most novels get rejected by agents and publishers. It's not you; it's just a tough business. If you go into each submission with the idea that you have a one in thirty chance of getting a positive response, you'll be better prepared to deal with rejection when it comes, and then to move on. THE YEAR OF FOG was rejected by pretty much every publisher in New York and elsewhere before my wonderful agent sold it to Bantam for a small advance. It went on to sell more than half a million copies in the US. A lot of rejection came before success. You have to have the commitment to revise and polish, and faith that your best work will find a home, even if it takes a long time.
4. Take a class! You don't need an MFA to be a writer, but you do need to know how to craft a story using the basic building blocks of narrative. Many colleges and universities offer creative writing classes through their continuing education programs; this is a great way to meet other aspiring writers and to learn what you need to know to get started. Many writers offer small classes online or in person (see mine here: http://bayareabookdoctor.com)
5. Yes, you need a literary agent if. You don't need an agent to submit to literary journals, but you do need an agent to publish a book with a major publisher. Even if the book you want to publish is a novel, you can get your name out there by publishing short stories in reputable literary journals. Not only can this lead to your being discovered by an agent who reads journals to find new talent; it also makes the query letter you send to agents seeking representation more enticing.
6. Keep writing.
7. Know your genre when you submit your book to an agent. Even if you don't want to be "labeled," the industry runs on labels. It's difficult to publish a book without knowing what to call it. Your cover letter should state the genre; some common genres are literary fiction, suspense, psychological thriller, coming-of-age, and women's fiction. Nobody puts baby in a corner, true, but Baby should at least be able to identify the corners!
Michelle Richmond
My summer list includes THE UNIT by Nina Holmqvist; La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life, by Elaine Sciolono; Find Her by Lisa Gardner; the anthology Oakland Noir, edited by Jerry Thompson and Eddie Muller; Time Travel, by James Gleik; Almost Sisters, by Joshilyn Jackson; Fierce Kingdom, by Gin Phillips; The Wanderers, by Meg Howrey; The Readymade Thief, by Augustus Rose; The Child, by Fiona Barton; Anything Is Possible, by Elizabeth Strout; The Silent Corner, by Dean Koontz; Spaceman, by Michael J. Massimino...and a slew of other books far too numerous to list here! I'll be on my usual diet of a wide range of fiction, science, memoir, and anything I can get my hands on (fiction or nonfiction) about space and time travel.
Michelle Richmond
Hmmm, that's a fun question. I'm not sure how to answer it because, although I love TV, I never turn on live TV, so I don't just see a bit of a movie. I record certain shows and I watch lots of movies through Vudu and other services, but they're almost always movies I've searched for. There are movies I mean to re-watch that I haven't gotten around to, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Donnie Darko. I did recently re-watch Eyes Wide Shut after seeing a review of The Marriage Pact in which someone compared it to Eyes Wide Shut. I love that movie!
Michelle Richmond
Hi Kristin. I'm so glad that you enjoyed "Day 49." Funny, I didn't even realize it was still available on Smashwords. For years I have considered writing a sequel to The Year of Fog, showing where Abby and Emma are now in their lives, but I haven't quite figured out the story. Trust me, you're not the only reader who was furious with Jake and felt that Abby had been treated really unfairly!
Michelle Richmond
Dear Crumb,
Thank you so much for your note! What a great question. One of my favorite books of the last few years was Shine Shine Shine, by Lydia Netzer. Okay, so maybe the characters aren't entirely ordinary, as one is an astronaut, but the protagonist of the book is not the astronaut but his wife, who is left home alone with their children while his space mission goes awry. It's a strange, tender, exciting book. Then Wanderers (also with a space theme) is wonderful, as was Michael Faber's The Book of Strange New Things.
There are two memoirs by writers that I've read recently and highly recommend. The first is Dear Friend: From My Life I Write to You in Your Life, by Yiyun Li, and Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World, by Nell Stevens.
I always love reading books about space and science. One I'm in the middle of and absolutely love is Time Travel, by James Gleick.
Thank you so much for your note! What a great question. One of my favorite books of the last few years was Shine Shine Shine, by Lydia Netzer. Okay, so maybe the characters aren't entirely ordinary, as one is an astronaut, but the protagonist of the book is not the astronaut but his wife, who is left home alone with their children while his space mission goes awry. It's a strange, tender, exciting book. Then Wanderers (also with a space theme) is wonderful, as was Michael Faber's The Book of Strange New Things.
There are two memoirs by writers that I've read recently and highly recommend. The first is Dear Friend: From My Life I Write to You in Your Life, by Yiyun Li, and Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World, by Nell Stevens.
I always love reading books about space and science. One I'm in the middle of and absolutely love is Time Travel, by James Gleick.
Michelle Richmond
While on a brief stopover vacation in Iceland 18 years ago, my husband and I were befriended by a nice young couple on the ferry from Reykjavik to Akranes. We did not exchange numbers, and we didn't even get their names, but they told us they lived in Ohio. At the end of the ferry ride, we wished each other well.
A few weeks later, I was at the movie theatre near our apartment on 84th street on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In the lobby, I saw the woman who had been on the ferry with us. I waved to her and smiled. She saw me, seemed to recognized me, but did not respond. She quickly turned and left the theatre. By the time I got outside, she was gone.
I've always wondered what she was doing in my neighborhood, and why she ran away.
A few weeks later, I was at the movie theatre near our apartment on 84th street on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In the lobby, I saw the woman who had been on the ferry with us. I waved to her and smiled. She saw me, seemed to recognized me, but did not respond. She quickly turned and left the theatre. By the time I got outside, she was gone.
I've always wondered what she was doing in my neighborhood, and why she ran away.
Michelle Richmond
Hi Kristin. Thanks for the question. Yes, this was a chapter that was in the original book, but the editor thought it wasn't the right ending, so it was cut. It never appeared in the published version of The Year of Fog. I made it available to readers because so many people had questions about certain outcomes of the book. I'm curious how you found it. I'd like to make it available to readers again. Thanks! Michelle
Michelle Richmond
I love what Stephen King says in "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft." "Butt in the chair." Really, it's about sitting down and writing.
Because I'm always working on a novel, and I'm always aware of a chapter or scene that needs to be either written or revised, I don't really struggle with writer's block. There's no sense of, "okay, what will I write today?"
I do, however, experience fair amounts of dread and distraction. Once I'm IN the chair, the challenge is to actually work on the novel-in-progress, rather than using the time to do other, non-novel work, like reading submissions (for the small press I run), responding to email, reading the news, etc. The news is a big pitfall for me!
Because I'm always working on a novel, and I'm always aware of a chapter or scene that needs to be either written or revised, I don't really struggle with writer's block. There's no sense of, "okay, what will I write today?"
I do, however, experience fair amounts of dread and distraction. Once I'm IN the chair, the challenge is to actually work on the novel-in-progress, rather than using the time to do other, non-novel work, like reading submissions (for the small press I run), responding to email, reading the news, etc. The news is a big pitfall for me!
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