Mel Odom is a professional when it comes to the writing industry, he has over 100 novels to his name and has won multiple awards for his talent with words. If you haven’t read any of his work now is a good time to start.
What is your driving force as a professional novelist?
I have a lot of stories inside me. Fantasy stories, historical adventure stories, mysteries. I usually imagine characters having a really tough time getting through life. Sometimes it’s because of personal reasons, but sometimes it’s just the way things are at that time or in that place. I get so interested in those “people” and their “problems” that I just have to write about them. And I want to do it in a way that others can understand and be entertained by. After all, the best stories in life are the ones that you can share.
When you first started writing what was the best piece of advice you were given? What is the best piece of advice you give out to budding authors?
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is to not give up. Whenever things get bad or seem uphill, that’s what I cling to. Simple tenacity has seen me through more problems than anything else. I also adapt. If something’s not working for me, I move on to something else, then come back at a better time. It’s better to be working than sitting around feeling bad about not doing something. That’s the advice I give all writers.
When you do research for a book where do you start?
I start with character. Who are the kinds of people that live in this environment? What kinds of stories do they have? How interesting can it be? Who seems like they have the best story I want to tell? Then I branch out the research from that point, making sure I cover as much as I can. Sometimes the best plot twists come from facts you found that you weren’t actually in search of.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Great interview, Katie (along with your recent review of Mel's "Hunters of the Dark Sea") of one of BC's best and most descriptive book reviewers.
2 - Katie McNeill
Thank you