Interview: Prescott Lane, Romance Author

Prescott Lane was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, but currently resides in New Orleans, Louisiana with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. Prescott Lane wrote her first short story at the age of five and sold it to her daddy for a quarter.  She was hooked from that moment on. 

Congratulations on the release of your latest book, First Position. When did you start writing and what got you into romance? 

I started writing in the fall of 2012 when the characters in my head just would not shut up.  My characters drive my writing and their story was a romance.  I love romance novels because I love happy endings and there just are not enough of them in everyday life.  If someone asked me the meaning of life, I would say the meaning is to love — to love with your entire being.  And that feeling is what I want to capture in my writing.

Did you have a mentor who encouraged you?

My husband is my mentor.  When I started writing, he was the only person who even knew I was writing a novel.  He was the first person to read my words.  There is no way I would have had the courage to publish without his gentle nudge and undying love.

Who is your target audience?

I used to think my target audience was women, really of any adult age.  But recently, I met a man who read my book and was so touched he was moved to tears.  I still think it’s a novel mostly for women, but anyone who appreciates the power of second chances should enjoy it as well.

What do you hope readers will get from your book?

Mostly, I want my readers to have fun reading my book.  I want them to believe my characters are real and be emotionally invested in what happens to them.  If I can succeed in doing that then I feel like I’ve done my job as an author.

Do you have a writing schedule? Are you disciplined?

I do not have a writing schedule because I am a wife and mother first.  I write every single day, but not at any set time.  Usually, my writing takes place in the middle of the night when everyone else is sleeping, that seems to be when I’m my most creative.

How do you celebrate the completion of a book?

I’ll let you know when one gets complete.  Technically, my novel was published months ago, but it is truly never complete.  There is a constant barrage of emails, promos, interviews that have to be done.  I never want to think of the book as done, part of writing is having your characters live on forever.

How do you define success?

Success for me was finishing the book.  It’s nice to get great reviews and sales, but I feel like I’m a member of a very exclusive club.   There aren’t very many people in the world that can say they’ve published a full-length novel.

George Orwell once wrote: “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”

I agree.  Writing is exhausting and painful sometimes.  The characters who live in my head do sometimes feel like demons, because they are demanding.  I dream about them. They are relentless.  When my characters voices need to be heard, I can get nothing else done in my life.  Sometimes I resort to scribbling notes on my phone at traffic lights to calm their voices.  Probably why I’ve gotten three traffic tickets this year.