Pay It Forward Interview: Francesca Miller

This week, writer sites around the blogosphere are participating in "Pay It Forward" interviews, spotlighting people who've traveled down the long and winding road toward publication. Some of the interviewees already have book deals. Some of them have agents. They've "made" it. At the bottom of this post, you'll find a list of blogs that will be featuring up-and-coming writers all week long. Hopefully, we'll inspire other writers, provide a beam of hope along the way, and really prove that you CAN succeed in this crazy business.
 
Susan Adrian will be interviewing me this Friday, and today I'm featuring Francesca Miller, one of my critique partners and a kindred spirit in my love of Gothic fiction.

1. Thanks for joining me, Francesca.  Tell us about your current book.

My current manuscript is called Mitzi of the Ritz. It’s a look at Los Angeles and the movie industry in 1932, during the Pre-Code era, and is written from the point of view of a sixteen-year-old girl who becomes involved in film. Mitzi represents a lifelong dream for me. I was raised in Los Angeles and have always wanted to write about the city I grew up in. I’m also a bit of a movie buff and at one time or other have visited every movie lot in Hollywood, including the old Columbia Pictures lot before it was torn down. It was fascinating to look at the Jews of Hollywood in a non-academic way and pay homage to their contribution to world culture. I’m still in the rewriting process with Mitzi but entered it in the current Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest and made the quarter finals. The current manuscript is much improved from the one I sent, but I’ve been happy with the feedback so far. Even if it doesn’t go any further, I’m looking forward to the critique of the manuscript from Publishers’ Weekly.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication (finding an agent)?

I went the usual route, bought several books on landing an agent, and started sending out queries. It was a very long process and a discouraging one. During the time, I discovered my initial query letter was weak and I was sending it to the wrong agents. I rewrote it and a friend suggested that I send it to my current agent. We connected, and I had a contract within two weeks. My agent fell in love with my first manuscript, which was a very dark tale entitled Boston Gothic. It was a very heady experience until the rejections started coming in from the big publishing houses. The problem was they were all “almost” - I almost got a publishing deal several times. The Thirteenth Tale was the big Gothic hit then, and I can’t tell you the number of times Boston Gothic was compared to it; unfortunately, detrimentally compared to it. Often the initial editor liked it, but the second and third one had reservations. It was a learning process, one that will continue even after I get published. I was able to read their comments without tearing up and incorporate them into the newest incarnation.

3. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?

I’ve always thought I was born to be a storyteller, so giving up has never been an option. Since I also write non-fiction, which has been published, it keeps me involved in the publishing process and has honed my research skills. I also got very interesting rejections from editors, and I used a number of their comments in the rewrite.

4. How have your goals/dreams changed since you started the process?

My goals have only gotten bigger since I started the process, and writing consumes my life. Once, I simply wanted to have a book published, but now I want to publish a good, well-written work from a different point of view. The task may be difficult, but I think I bring a unique voice to the literary world and have stories people will want to read. I’m willing to look at different genres too. It was an interesting process submitting Mitzi in the contest. The work fit into more than one genre - it’s a mystery, but it’s also a romance, and because of the large amount of research I did, it also falls under historical fiction. The protagonist is only sixteen, and I labored under the misconception that it might be young adult fiction. I stopped second guessing myself and submitted it as a mystery in the general fiction category.

5. What's the piece of advice you wished you knew when you started?

I was so cocksure about my work that I sent it out before it was ready. It was very difficult because I didn’t have someone who had strong editing skills, and sometimes the encouragement of well-meaning friends can be detrimental to a writer. You show it to people who aren’t involved in the publishing game and often get a thumbs-up too early. I’ve been lucky recently to connect with a writer (you) who has been very helpful in her critiques, and it has made me reevaluate my writing process. I’ve also watched as others around me crashed and burned in the process.

For more information about Francesca Miller, including her fabulous "In a Gothic Mood" page, head to FrancescaMiller.com.

Check out these other blogs that are featuring over 70 more writing success stories:
Susan Adrian, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Beth Revis, Leah Clifford, Victoria Schwab, Kirsten Hubbard, Elana Johnson, Dawn Metcalf, Kim Harrington, Carrie Harris, Amy Holder, Kathy McCullough, Suzette Saxton and Bethany Wiggins, and Tiffany Schmidt.