Interview – Romance Writer Celeste Bradley
Bestselling Author Talks About the Writing Life and Advice
Jun 27, 2009
In an interview with Suite101 writer Jennifer Jensen, romance novelist Celeste Bradley talked about her writer's life and daily schedule, meeting editorial deadlines, and what she wished she knew when she started writing.
About Celeste Bradley
Celeste Bradley is the author of one novella and thirteen romance novels, including the trilogy, "The Heiress Brides." Her newest book, Devil in My Bed, will be released in August, 2009, the first book in her new "Runaway Brides" trilogy.
What Writers have Influenced Your Work?
I'm a fan of all kinds of fiction and non-fiction. I read everything from science fiction to books on beekeeping. Authors I admire include Lois McMaster Bujold, Stephen King, Alice Hoffman, Alice Walker, Sue Hubbell, Jane Austen, the Brontes, Chuck Palahnuik, Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut . . . this could take a while.
How Many Drafts Does a Finished Book Usually Take? Has that Changed with Experience?
I do as many drafts as my contract will allow me time for. I often run over deadline because my books are scheduled pretty tightly, but also because I can take weeks to ponder a single scene. Or I might write three chapters in a week. I never really know.
The first draft is pretty scanty. The second is nearly complete. The third is when I usually decide I hate large sections and then rip them out and rewrite them. The fourth, which is necessary to catch inconsistencies because I just rewrote six chapters, is usually done in all-nighter sessions with my editor making "collection calls" and me pretending I'm not home.
The only thing that has really changed with experience is that I'm much more confident about ripping the guts out of a bad section. We all know when something stinks, don't we?
What is Your Favorite Part of the Writing Process?
I love and hate them all equally. No, I love brainstorming because it's so creative but requires hardly any actual work! And I really, really don't like appearances. People are so kind and generous but I'm still basically an introvert. Very difficult.
Do You Write Full Time? What is Your Daily Schedule Like?
Yes, this is my only income. My daily schedule consists of finding reasons why I can't sit down and work yet, then flogging myself into reluctantly working, then starting to get into the story again, then typing as fast as my fingers can translate my thoughts, then being yanked protesting and resentful from the book by life's interruptions. Next day, rinse and repeat.
I am a single mother with two children. I juggle by deciding what is worth succeeding in. I am an excellent mother, a lousy housekeeper and a sporadic cook. It turns out you can eat cereal for dinner!
What Do You Know Now that You Wish You’d Known when You Started Writing?
I wish I'd known that the only person, other than myself, whose opinion matters is my editor. I am the author and she represents my readers. No one else matters. Not reviewers, not my snobby intellectual friends, not the bookstore clerk who rolls his eyes. I write for women who enjoy a good, sexy escapist ride with a little humor and a little suspense. Anyone who doesn't get it isn't even on my radar screen.
For more from Celeste Bradley and other romance writers, read Romance Writers Speak on Getting Published, Agents, Writing Tips.
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