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Lynsey who? According to Australian author Lynsey Stevens,
that's what the editors at Mills & Boon will be saying if
she doesn't produce a new manuscript soon. This comment is
typical from this unassuming writer, whose twenty third novel,
MALE FOR CHRISTMAS, was published in December 1999.
Since then, Lynsey has been on a sabbatical and her life has
been full. She bought an old house and tried her hand at
renovating. She also spent time resurrecting her hobbies -
photography, cross stitching, scrapbooking and genealogy.
Lynsey is forever trying out plots in her head and although
she hasn’t written a book lately she claims her shopping lists
are works of art. She believes it wouldn't take much for her to
get back into a writing routine. It would just be a case of
putting aside other commitments… like hanging the washing up
by peg colour!
‘Writing,’ Lynsey says, “is more than sitting at your
computer and producing the magic. It means warning your family
and friends you're no longer available to them. When you're
writing it takes over your life. Gone is Lynsey-the-friend and
in her place is Lynsey-the-writer." A good thought but
harder to put into practice because a physical drawback is
sitting for long periods of time, which aggravates her back and
neck. So when she finally makes a commitment to a book she will
write the manuscript long hand, then her sister types it.
In the twenty odd years she’s been writing, Lynsey’s seen
numerous changes in the industry. The biggest is political
correctness. She believes it has caused writing to become more
stilted as authors become more conscious of what they’re
writing. “You have to wonder what detrimental impressions you’re
making on young people. You worry about what you write. Then
again,” she laughs, “young people could probably tell tired
old writers a thing or two.”
Lynsey insists established authors have hassles too - like
the realisation that she/he has to keep writing. Most of us have
the same goal - to write a book and get it published. After
that, keeping it all flowing is one of the biggest hurdles.
Lynsey laughs. “It's then that I wish I was one of those
people who have a whole heap of books in a drawer waiting for a
revamp.
“When you write ‘chapter one, page one’ on the top of
your page, the end looks a long way off,” she explains, “but
it's easy to get started because you have heaps of stuff in your
mind you just have to get down. A third of the way through
though, you begin to teeter a little and by two thirds it's
something like, ‘what's next? How do I get them to the end?’”
The plot outline Lynsey starts with usually flies out the
window because her characters have come to life and taken off
with their own ideas. She wants her characters to do it her way,
but people never react the way you want them to in a given
scenario. So what do you do? The hardest thing is to keep going,
make yourself continue. You're driven to find it again. And you
should trust your instincts, if not as a writer, then as a
reader. Then, when it all comes together and you feel you've got
it right, all the hard work you’ve done is well and truly
worth it.
Critique groups, Lynsey believes, offer great moral support
and foster friendships. Working within a group who know what
they're reading can only be beneficial. “There was nothing
like that around when I started writing. But I hate people
reading my work before it's finished, I’m very superstitious
about that, so I can’t see me being brave enough to read out
my unfinished work to a group.”
In her twenty year career with M&B Lynsey has seen her
share of changes in editorial staff. Frances Whitehead, Luigi
Bonomi (her first male editor), then Samantha Bell before a
reshuffle at the top had editors and writers swapped.
It was Karin Stoecker, Editorial Director for M&B, who
suggested Lynsey start writing again. “That doesn’t mean
they’ll take my book,” she hastens to add. “There are a
lot of great writers out there.”
Overseas travel has been a bonus for Lynsey since she began
writing and she has attended RWA conferences in Hawaii and
Orlando and a Romantic Times Booklovers’ Conference in New
York. Of course, the conferences are much larger affairs than
our Australian counterparts, quite mind-boggling, far less
laid-back and more stressful. Lynsey takes a humorous slant on
the serious subject of ‘steamy bits’ and will give an
updated presentation at Passion in Paradise. “Writing steamy
bits,” Lynsey insists, “doesn't necessary mean writing it
raunchy. You have to write what you're comfortable with. Write
what makes you happy.”
Anne Mather, one of Lynsey's favourite M&B authors, has
the knack of writing a sexy scene filled with emotional punch
without the hero and heroine even touching. Now that, according
to Lynsey, is a love scene.
She also enjoys reading various genres besides romance
including mystery, some historical - Georgette Heyer and
Victoria Holt - and an occasional science fiction. Some of her
favourite authors are Sue Grafton, Kathy Reichs, Lee Martin and
a second-hand bookshop find, Barbara Serenella. Katie Munger is
another favourite, who writes quirky stories with a twist of
humour. It’s not easy to do humour, Lynsey insists. It defuses
the tension between the main characters.
Although she enjoys various genres and would enjoy the
challenge of writing an Intrigue or a mystery, for now, she’ll
stay where her heart lies - with Presents.
But what would she do if she gave writing away? “Maybe I
could make a commercial. I could be the fat lady with the mop,
selling floor cleaner. Or, go on the dole, get some of my tax
money back.” She ponders for a few moments. “I’ve let my
credentials go so I can’t go back to being a librarian. No,
writing’s my career, so I’d best get back to it.” She
gives another of her great laughs. “Do you remember Ryan and
Liv? Ashleigh and Mitch? They were the main characters in RYAN’S
RETURN and TROPICAL KNIGHT. Well, this story dancing in my head
is the third book in that series. It goes like this... “
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