Author Q&A: Annie Solomon
Author: Trish Milburn
Original Publication Date in Love Notes: March 2003

Q. What aspect of craft has been the most difficult for you?

A. Plotting is always hard. And discipline. And confidence.

Q. How did you overcome that difficulty, or are you still struggling with it?

A. I think I’ll always struggle with “what happens next.” It’s the nature of the beast, since character is so much more present. It would be great to have two people just sit around and talk. Great for me. Boring for the reader. Alicia Rasley’s plotting class helped me see that figuring out a plot ahead of time isn’t such a bad thing. And she had lots of tools to help do that. As for discipline...well, I’m doing this instead of writing, aren’t I? <G> That’s a big struggle. Getting down to work every day, getting those pages off. I’m soooo lazy... I use the old behavior modification method — if I write at least three pages today, I can watch TV, go shopping, read a book, whatever. But first I have to do that writing. Sometimes it works, other times... 

And confidence? Well, I’m basically a needy sniveling bundle of insecurities, though I suppose you’d say I hide it well. It helps to have a couple of critique groups that either validate good ideas or terminate bad ones. Not everyone needs that, but it works for me.

Q. Who are some of the authors who have inspired you?

A. Early on I read Pat Gaffney’s Cornwall trilogy and discovered that romance writing could be nuanced and sophisticated, with deep characterizations, interesting syntax and emotional impact. At the time I was beginning to think I wouldn’t have a place at the table, and she was a big inspiration. Anne Stuart showed me that heroes don’t always have to wear a white hat and a gleaming smile. Margot Early showed me the value of deep third point of view.

Q. What one thing would you love to change about the publishing industry?

A. I guess the one thing that strikes me now, at the beginning of my career, is a wish for more promotion at the beginning. Established authors get the attention, but they don’t need it. As for romance publishing, I guess the biggest gripe is payouts. And the fact that we sell the most, but don’t seem to garner much respect. Low advances is a reflection of how undervalued romance writers are.

Q. What three things do you think new authors should focus on most?

A. Strong and believable conflict. Interesting and unique characters. Use of language to create emotion, tone and impact. I’m one of those people who think the words we choose are important. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.

Q. How do you come up with the plot lines you use in your books?

A. Gosh, who knows? Sometimes I don’t. I mean the characters come first and then I try to figure out what story they might find themselves in. With Nick Raine in Like a Knife, I knew I wanted to write about someone who’d done something horrible and was desperate for redemption. I didn’t know what he’d done or why. After coming up with and discarding several ideas, I hit upon the death of a child. Then I had to figure out how my hero could have been involved in something so awful. Nick’s background evolved from there. 

In my second book, Dead Ringer, I also had a character in mind from the beginning. A sexually aggressive, take-no-prisoners, voluptuous woman who never let anyone get the better of her, but who was deeply vulnerable underneath the tight clothes and defiant mouth. How did she get that way? What would someone like that want? What story would allow me to showcase those characteristics? 

The third book, Tell Me No Lies, was a bit of an anomaly because the germ of the idea was plot-oriented and came from a bit of research I did for Ringer. Once I had the idea, the first thing I asked myself was what kind of character would I need to make this story work? For me — and I suspect most romance writers — it’s all about character. Which is probably why plot is so hard!

Annie’s first release, Like a Knife, is out this month (March 2003) from Warner Forever.

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