It was at this time
last year that Jessica Bell and I were working together in an effort to finish
the first drafts of our novels-in-progress.
I was re-writing my NaNo novel and having trouble restructuring the plot
with the new cast of characters I’d swapped for the less vibrant players in the
NaNo version. Jessica was drafting Bitter Like Orange Peel, her second novel which was underway but moving slower
than she would have liked. We swapped
chapters every Friday, spent the weekends reading and critiquing, and then met
on Skype for a live chat when we discussed our notes. It was a wonderful time of honest
collaboration during which I learned a lot about my own writing style and the
art of penning the novel. And I owe much
of that to working with the genius mind of Jessica Bell. She is THE best!
About two and a half
months into our writing schedule, Jessica caught the attention of Janice Phelps
Williams, founding publisher for Lucky Press, LLC. Janice had requested the
full manuscript of Jessica’s first novel, then titled Dead in the Corner of My
Bedroom. It was an exciting time, a hope-filled time
when our fingers were crossed so tightly we lost feeling in our hands. And finally, after Jessica worked her butt
off to make changes in her MS that reflected the suggestions Janice sent her, her
newly renamed novel String Bridge was contracted for publication through Lucky
Press.
I’m so happy for
Jessica’s success and it is with love and pride in my heart that I bring you
the following interview with my dear friend, Jessica Bell.
1. How did the idea for String Bridge
first come to you? Did it begin with a
character, a theme, a story line, or something else?
I don’t think there is one thing from the first draft that
is in the final version, so regarding ‘getting the idea,’ it wasn’t like an
idea just hit me and I started writing about it. It was gradual, and developed
more and more with each revision. The thing with this book is that I never
really ‘focused’ on plot. It was more about the characters and their emotions
and their interactions with each other. This book is very much centered on the ‘effect’
rather than the ‘cause.’ Even
though music doesn’t define me as much as writing does, it is still a big part
of my life. The inspiration for the book came about when I was thinking about a time in my life
when music was all I ever wanted to breathe. Even though my priorities had
changed then, I still
wanted to write about the power music has over someone who is so passionate
about it. But I think music could be replaced by any sort of passion in String Bridge,
because basically the story is about needing something more than you need
yourself.
2. String Bridge is a triumph in
character-driven storytelling. And the
accompanying soundtrack to the book is an absolutely brilliant idea, both as a
way to heighten, for readers, the emotional impact of Melody’s conflicts, and
as a marketing tool. How did that
project come to be?
The songs that appear in the book started off as
poems. Then it occurred to me that I could create and produce an album for
Melody. That’s when the idea for my book trailer came about after listening to
a few of my mother’s songs on YouTube. The poems then turned into lyrics. When
I finished the final revisions I sat down and wrote music to the four songs
that appear in the book. Once those were done, I wrote six more songs to create
Melody’s album. I’m hoping this album will create a little more interest
in the book, than the book itself is capable of, as I can actually market the
music to an audience that probably wouldn’t look twice at the book without the
album existing.
3. Such a brilliant idea! Let’s talk more about the book, now. So many times, an author slips a slice of her
soul into her main character, shaping the character by drawing from her own
perceptions and life experiences. How
much of your soul does Melody carry inside her?
It’s quite hard to say, to be honest. I could try and
give you a percentage of how much of myself is in Melody, but I think I would
always change my mind. I think every writer puts themselves into every
character, but the similarities come through in waves which depend on various
factors, such as mood, while writing. For example, I’m as emotional and passionate as Melody is. I’m as cheeky
as Tessa is. Depending on the circumstances, I can get as cold and aggressive
as Betty and Alex, and as passive and timid and obedient as James. I can
sometimes be as boisterous as Heather and as caring and generous as Serena. I
can even be quite selfish at times, which I think each and every character in String Bridge
is as some point or another, and so is each and every person on this planet at
some point in their lives. There is always
going to be a piece of the author in every single book they write. And that
cannot be avoided.
4. We meet Melody when she’s in a very dark,
low place in her emotional life. How
were you able to channel those emotions each time you sat down to work on the
project?
Though touched by a few very dark moments in my life,
it was mostly instinctual. There were times though, when I was writing, where I
felt my instincts might be wrong. There were so many times I wondered whether
what I was writing was too melodramatic. I didn’t want the book to become a
soap opera. I really had to sit back during those moments and close my eyes and
put myself in Melody’s shoes, and ask myself, “How would you react if your
husband did this to you? How would it make you feel? Does this reaction suit
Melody’s character?” Sometimes my possible reactions didn’t suit her character and I had to alter them accordingly, but
trying to live it in my mind certainly helped. Personally, if I were in
Melody’s situation, I wouldn’t have put up with as much as she did. I also
probably would have slapped myself in the face and told myself to snap out of
it and take a look at all the blessings I have in life.
Mind you, I can’t deny how many times I bawled my eyes
out after writing this book. It certainly was taxing on my mental state.
Sometimes I even felt myself slipping into her depression. I usually had to
take a few days break to feel ‘normal’ again between rewrite sessions.
5. I’m not surprised; there were scenes when I
was bawling my eyes out too! As much as an
author can invent feelings and reactions for their characters, you wrote String
Bridge at a time in your life before parenthood. Life with children is a reality often
difficult to imagine without direct experience.
What was it like creating four-year-old Tessa? From where did you draw inspiration for her
personality, mannerisms and word choices?
I think I created her to be the daughter I hope to have.
I’ve worked with kids her age before in a few English schools here in Athens, so I drew a few
observations from that experience. But mostly it was guess work. There were also a few times as I was
writing when I thought about a home video my grandmother took of me singing in
her garden when I was four or five. I guess you could say Tessa is a bit like I
was as a kid.
6. Mother-daughter relationships play
important roles in this story. Did the
exploration of the dynamics between Melody and Tessa, and between Melody and
Betty, become a cathartic experience for you?
Did their story lines reflect your own hopes or fears about
parenthood?
Yes, it certainly did. I love and adore kids. I can’t
imagine never having the chance to bring a child into this world. But ever
since discovering I wanted to write, and doing so consistently, I haven’t
thought about children so often. I’m always asking myself, do I really want to
bring a child into the world if I can’t see myself sacrificing time for it? I
haven’t answered that question yet. I know women think they can have it all.
And I’m sure we can to some degree if we really put our minds to it. But there
are only a certain amount of hours in a day and there’s always going to be
something that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I’m not sure I’m willing
to struggle with that. Not yet anyway. Let’s hope my biological clock keeps
ticking until I can finally take the plunge.
7. Speaking of the time you consecrate to your
craft, how long did it take you to write String Bridge, from beginning the
first draft to completing the finished manuscript?
I spent about five years writing it because it went through
about seven different revisions. Although it wasn’t the first thing I’d ever
written. I was still learning along the way. And you know what? It still
doesn’t feel finished to me. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night
with ideas on how to improve it. That can be a bit annoying actually, because
now it’s impossible. Ha!
8. I can relate to that! Is a story ever, truly, finished?? *shakes
her head no* Everyone’s story about how
they landed their book contract is different, but a common thread that connects
everyone seems to be the emotional roller coaster ride of the journey. What was your path to publication like, for
you?
Full of tears and low self-esteem and realizations about my
strengths and weaknesses, eureka moments, rejections, more tears, doubts, high
self-expectations, not being sure if I could cope with all the let downs, but
pushing through anyway. But one thing I’m very proud to say is that I never
ever had one thought of giving up. It just wasn’t an option for me. It was the
first thing I have ever ever ever
wanted so much in my entire life. I wasn’t going to let it go over a few years
of pressure.
9. What’s next for Author Jessica Bell? Any new projects you can tell us about?
My second
novel, Bitter Like Orange Peel, is
about a twenty-five year old Australian archaeology undergraduate named Kit,
who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. She feels misplaced and comes to the
conclusion that meeting her father, Roger, will make some sense of her life,
despite him being worth the rotting orange rind in her backyard. Well, at least
that’s what she’s been conditioned to think of him by the three women in her
life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in
quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her
face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed professional archaeologist, with a
slight case of nymphomania, who fled to America after a divorce to become a
waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her
feelings with medical jargon, and who named her daughter after intravenous.
Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger, but in doing so,
discovers he is not the only rotten fruit.
My third
novel, Muted,
is set in Arles, France,
in a totalitarian society where it is illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing
without accompanying instruments. Concetta, a famous Italian a cappella singer
from before “the change,” breaks these laws. As punishment, her vocal chords
are brutally slashed and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope
with living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river, clothed in a dress stained with
performance memories from her hometown, Milan.
But Concetta's suicide attempt is cut short as someone grabs her by the throat
and pulls her to the surface. Is it the busking harpist, who encouraged her to
feel music through vibration, acting as saviour? Or a street warden on the
prowl for another offender to detain? From this moment, the reader will
discover how Concetta came to be in this position, and what will happen to her
after the suicide attempt.
Muted will explore a variety of themes such as overcoming loss, coping with
mental illness and disability, dealing with discrimination, loss of freedom,
inhibited self-expression, motivation to succeed, escaping oppression,
expression through art and music, self-sacrifice, channelling the thoughts of
the deceased, and challenging moral views and values.
So many
projects in the works! Best of luck with
all of them, and everything the future holds for you. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences
and your stories with us!
Thank you
so much for having me, Nicole!
Purchase links:
eBook
Paperback:
Amazon UK: (Coming soon)
Soundtrack:
Jessica's links:
String Bridge Website: http://www.stringbridge.com/
Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education. In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards, on her website. From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.
Get outside your regular writing routine. If you write at a desk, try sitting on the floor. If you have a laptop, go outdoors to a park or a coffee house - someplace where you've never written before. I usually need quiet to write, but I tried playing Christmas music softly in the background one day. It made me feel instantly happy and relaxed, and I eked out an extra 700 words during that writing session. 
Have your writing totem with you for every writing session. A writing toten is an object which inspires you or imbues you with inspired energy. It can be a figurine, a stuffed animal, a hat you wear, a picture or photo - anything! My writing totem is a small, solid brass figurine that looks a lot like Pumba from The Lion King. I bought him at a copper and brass artisan shop in France about ten years ago. It just looks happy and reminds me of good times. "Pumba" is small enough to sit on my laptop keyboard near where the top and bottom hinges together. When I feel stumped and want to stop writing, I look at him and remember my goals for the writing session. And his jolly belly and goofy stance remind me to have fun while I'm at it!
Challenge yourself to writing sprints. A writing sprint is a set short amount of time during which you refuse to let your fingers stop tapping those keys or your pen to lift from the paper. My favorite sprints are fifteen minutes long. (I find these are great practice for Leger~ 
's "15 for 15 Contest " 
) I am also a big fan of 1K-in-1Hr sprints (1000 words in an hour). 
Find friends with which to stage write-ins. I did my first write-in a week and a half ago, and it was fabulous! Summer Frey lives a half hour from my house, and we get together every few weeks to hang out and talk writing-and-blogging shop. Since we were both doing NaNo this year, we decided to meet in a funky local coffee house for a five-hour write-in. We'd wish each other luck and hit the keys, for a while. At some point, one of us would need another cup of coffee or a bathroom break, and we'd stop for ten or fifteen minutes. We tweeted from our couches and updated our Facebook statuses, and laughed a lot. And I wrote 5000 words that day. 5000! 
<—What?? Emoticons, too? Yay! 
