Fiction Friday | Readers Interview with Meredith Resce

Today Meredith Resce is the first author to answer our readers questions. Thanks for being the first author and hopefully this will become a regular feature.

If you were not an author, what would you like to be?

As writing is not a fulltime gig for me, I actually do all the other things I would like to be. Over the years since I started writing I have also brought up my children, worked with drama groups in acting, directing and producing, worked on several film sets as actor and producer, been involved in many music projects mainly through church, got a teaching degree and do contract teaching, mainly in drama, and my favourite ambition in life is to be a grandmother. I have two grandchildren, which makes me happy. And I write as well.

How do you figure out your characters’ personality?

Strangely enough, they just evolve. I guess the nature of the story often informs what kind of personality they will be. My main characters are usually flawed. I like strong-minded, capable female characters, and the same with male characters, but it is important they have flaws that will cause conflict and tension. It usually is an exercise in observing human nature. I’ve been in pastoral ministry for the best part of 40 years, and over that time have had plenty of opportunity to observe human behaviour in different situations.

If you were a butterfly, what colour would you be?

Multi-coloured, but with a colour palette that is from the blue/red side of the spectrum. And some splashes of vibrant colour to make it all pop.

How do you choose names for characters in books?

This depends on the time period. I have written a lot of historical period drama, so I’ve been through all my ancestors names. I often check to see what names were popular in those decades. For the contemporary romances, I just sit and think and go through the author names on my bookshelf until a name jumps out and fits my character. When I wrote the one fantasy novel – the names had symbolic meaning. For instance, I named a character Santos Hage. He was a type of the Holy Spirit character in the story, and Santos is loosely from the word saint or holy.

What did you learn while writing your last book that surprised you?

Not so much a surprise, but one of the themes in the book was sexual harassment. My main character needed to recognise it, and know what to do. I interviewed my friend in the police force and discovered that stalking is a major indictable offense with jail time for offenders who ignore official warnings.

If someone was just starting out with their first novel, what advice would you give them?

Have lots of thinking and plotting time. Jot down major plot and conflict ideas. Then just write. Don’t be disappointed when you finished to find it is probably a mess. Usually the ideas are solid, but the writing style is not great. Sorting that aspect of writing comes with practice. You may never publish your first few efforts, or you may go back to them in years to come and rewrite. Or you may stay with your first effort reworking it madly until you are happy with it. But write because it is fun getting involved in your story and characters’ lives.

Have you ever met a person in real life who is a doppelgänger (lookalike) for a character in your book/s?

Occasionally I see a person or a TV personality who I decide is the lookalike for one of my characters. I chose one of the English cricketers as the lookalike of my character, Adam, from For All Time.

Which book that you’ve written would you like to see made into a movie?

For All Time; Mellington Hall; How Sweet the Sound; Mortal Insight (under EB James) – Actually all of them, but I’ve written screenplay and worked with people from the film industry in Australia, and know it’s a thousand times harder to get a movie made than it is to get a book produced. But one can hope.

Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write?

I’d love to, but my husband is not a fan of pets. I used to have my daughter-in-law’s dog come keep me company when they lived next door. Her name was Yogi (the dog, not the daughter-in-law).

What do you like to eat or drink when you’re writing?

Everything that is available. I don’t think about what I shove in my mouth. I’m usually too involved with what I’m writing. I get up to stretch and automatically go to the fridge or pantry. It’s a really bad habit, actually.

Can you tell us a little about your latest book or books and where to find you on the web?

Due for release in November 11:

Contemporary romance; Light-hearted romance

Regency romance author, Luella Linley, arranges her characters’ lives, making sure that they weather all storms and live happily-ever-after. Her characters are putty in her hands, but her 21st Century adult children are not so easily organized. When her daughter, Megan, asks for support with an inappropriate situation at work, Luella decides Megan should get a boyfriend to intimidate her boss. The cop who just pulled Luella over for speeding is a likely candidate.

Cam Fletcher is expecting to be interviewed by a famous author. Instead of sharing insights into his job as a police officer, he is sharing a meal with the famous author and her daughter, Megan. When left alone with Megan, Cam wonders when the interview will begin. The parents’ extended absence gives him a clue, which Megan confirms. Luella Linley is playing matchmaker, but is he willing to play the game?