Interview With a Male Romance Writer

I'm so very glad to announce The Write Way's first interview.  The best way to learn about the various aspects of writing as a career, is to talk to other writers.  My goal is to interview people from every stage, no matter how experienced or inexperienced.  If you've got a question you're dying to have answered, contact me.  I'm compiling a list of interview questions reader's of the blog would like to see answered.  

I absolutely adore my first interviewee, James Mayes.  Our paths crossed on +Google.  We both hangout there (maybe too much) and I always look forward to his posts.  What first got my attention about James is that he is a romance writer.  I've gotta admit, I've never had the pleasure of getting to know a male romance writer.  Regardless of that, I'm super-glad I took the initiative to become friends with James simply based on who he is as a person.  We have entirely too much in common for it to be healthy.

James Mayes was born and raised in Southern Oklahoma.  After running tree service companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for several years, he moved closed to his hometown.  He now lives on a small ranch and sub-contracts for environmental companies, which affords him time to work on the ranch and his one, true passion—writing.

If he’s not writing, reading, or working, he spends his time hiking, 4-wheel-drive mud-racing, or horseback riding.  He firmly believes life is too short to sit still for very long.

And doesn't he just look like the epitome of a male romance writer?  He does to me!

James, I'm very intrigued to meet a male romance writer.  How do you feel about doing an interview for my blog?

Sure.  I'm not sure if I'm interesting enough for a blog, though. 

I think the fact that you are a male romance writer makes you very interesting...

Ask away. 

Q1: Do you read romance or only write it, like some authors?

No, I read as well.  Sharon Sala, Roxanne St. Claire, and Heather Graham are among some of my favorites.

Well...that answers Q1-B!  

Q2: How long ago and why did you start writing romance?

Ah. This one is a little more difficult.  

That's okay. I forgive you for being long-winded in advance if you don't mind sharing.

I first attempted writing romance about 9 years ago when people who had read my work noticed I added in some type of romance to all my stories, and suggested I should try to write romantic suspense.  Long story short, I somehow ended up on eharlequin.com and got into the forums there, trying to learn more about it.  

I'm still not sure why romance stuck with me in my writing, though.  I have simply always been fascinated with relationships, I guess.

I tend to think having love absent from a story disqualifies it from being "real." Love makes the world go 'round.

Exactly!

Q3: As a woman, I have found myself reluctant to admit I write romance in certain circles. So many people prejudge romance novels as smut and trash. How do you feel about this from a male perspective?

Well, I have to admit, I really emphasize the "suspense" and "thriller" part, or at least I use to.  I say right up front it isn't smut, though.  I can't read or write erotica or anything like Blaze.  I like the story and the feelings part.  I'm not sure how I can explain the one I am working on now, though.  It is 90% romance/relationship oriented.  I guess as I've gotten older, though, I don't care what people think, either.  I enjoy it, and that's all that should matter. 

Q4: Can you give us a short introduction to your current hero and heroine?

Well, believe it or not, I have tried to make my hero and heroine as normal as possible.  I really wanted the focus on the story itself.  So, they are basically two people who have had a real life.  They were boyfriend and girlfriend in high school, but went separate ways after graduation.  They both had a hard life growing up, and neither one of them wanted to make the same mistakes as their parents and not have to struggle through life, so he went off to the military.  Hmm...it is really hard to describe them, though.  They are growing as I write, and I seem to be learning their personalities as I go along, as they discover who each other are as well.

High school sweethearts reunite is one of my favorite types of stories.  I take it you're a panster?

Actually, no, as far as the plot is concerned.  Yes, as far as who the characters are.  I use to be a panster, but I never finished my stories.  I would end up with a jumbled mess.  So when this story came to me, I wrote it down.  I think I must have picked up someone else's muse, though, because this was the clearest story I ever put down in my life.  I even had the dark moment come to me today that was so perfect, I couldn't wait to get to the computer and put it into the outline before I forgot it.  I was literally running up the stairs to the hotel room.

I guess in short, my Female Main Character is afraid to take chances in life, and has to learn how to start, because obviously, playing it safe didn't work.  My Male Main Character always wanted out of their little rinky-dink southern town, only to discover later in life he should have never left.  He inherits his grandfathers ranch where he use to work on in the summers, and that's how he ended up back. 

A cowboy? Thump, thump.

Eh.  I'm really not into cowboys.  :)

Sorry. Couldn't resist.  I joke around a lot.

Q5: Where are you in your writing career as far as publishing? My blog is dedicated to helping newbie writers find their way. Any experience you can share is appreciated. 

As far as being published, only in non-fiction.  I started publishing articles for trade magazines such as Tree Care Industry and Arbor Age, and several local newspaper articles on various subjects, ranging anywhere from advertising to healthy living.  I also published a lot of articles for internet sites, way back during the beginning days of the AOL era.  Hopefully, this book I’m currently working on will be my first fiction piece.

Don't be afraid to take a chance, and don't be afraid to ask for help!  That would be the best advice I could think of.  I was asked for a full by Silhouette Intimate Moments back before they became Silhouetted Romantic Suspense, and I never sent it in.  I tried to re-read and re-write as I went, and thought this could be better, and that could be better, and did not save the original as I went.  I had no clue to what I was doing, and just messed the whole thing up. Then time went on, I tried re-writing it, and simply couldn't get it right after that.

Sad. I know.  But like I said, I didn't know what I was doing.  I had all these voices from all these different people in my head saying to do this and do that, and I'd got into a few bad critique groups, and just gave up on the whole thing.

I also didn't back up my other writing that I thought had a chance, and ended up losing about 6 novels 8 years ago.  That put me in a major funk.  On top of that, I was traveling for a living, away from home, had a stressful job, and ended up getting a writer's block that lasted until November of last year when I changed jobs.  So, hopefully, this one I am working on now is going to be my first fiction piece.  

I am so sorry you lost your work. I'd like to let everyone who reads this know there are a few free sites you can backup your work on, like Google Drive and DropBox.

Q6: I've been privy to a lot of discussions about female writers' approaches to writing a male's POV. How do you approach writing a female character's POV?

How do I approach the FPOV?  Well, it may sound weird, but it just comes to me.  I do have to admit I have trouble with describing the hero through her eyes, because I just don't see the attraction, so I learned most of that from reading.  But as far as everything else, it just comes to me.  I see her thoughts, feel her feelings, etc.  I didn't grow up with 10 sisters or anything, and I was about as rough as a guy could be (still am, most of the times), so I don't know why.  I call it multiple personality disorder.  I can spend the day fishing, mudding, and snake catching, but come back that night and write a 4000 word chapter in her POV like I was actually in her head, and never miss a lick.  It's kind of strange, to be honest.

Wow. You are a freak! Just kidding. If you are, then I am, too, because I really enjoy writing the hero's POV.

Q7: Where can we find you? (Twitter, +Google, blog?)

Google+ is the only social network I am on.  I use to have FB, but got rid of it two years ago.  I have a twitter...I think.  And I have too much ADD to remember to keep up with a blog or any of the other social networks.  If not for notifications, I'd never remember G+ probably. :)

We are scary alike! I got rid of FB over a year ago and never looked back.

I really had a great time getting to know about you and your writing. Thanks for sharing with us.  I'll be anxiously awaiting the day I get to read something of yours.  We'll be promoting your book on The Write Way before long!

If you have a question for James, please leave it in the comment form and I'll make sure he sees it.