Variety: The Upside to ADD
Yes, I’m impulsive. A doctor or a shrink might label me as ADD, a label whose connotations I reject. If I have trouble paying attention, the topic must not be that interesting. I did well in school and I have a Master’s degree in Literacy from Michigan State. I’m a teacher, and my students tend to like the fact I can’t stand doing the same thing day after day.
While I wrestled with Tomorrow Cries, I read my first erotic romance novel. It was a free download on my Kindle. I’m a veteran of the romance genre, having discovered Johanna Lindsay in seventh grade, but I’d never seen anything that explicit. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I thought, “I can write better than that.” A few months later, I had the first draft of Letting Go. That ended up being my first published novel.
The next book in the Awakenings series, Hanging On, took on the issue of the lasting repercussions of a traumatic event. I dislike perfect heroines because I know they’re underdeveloped. Nobody is perfect. When you love someone, you often love their flaws. I also experimented a bit with ménage, mostly because I wanted to explore what it would be like to write an erotic scene involving more than two people.
After that, I switched back to paranormal and tried out having a supernatural villain in Irrepressible Force. In keeping with that theme, I published the first of my Daughters of Circe trilogy, Torment. This series centers around a series of soul mates who must find one another in lifetime after lifetime, but only one of them remembers they even have a soul mate. The second and third in that trilogy, Desiree and Riley, come out this summer. All of my heroes and heroines deal with this difficult and painful experience in their own ways. Both Desiree and Riley end up in foursomes, so they’re my first two forays into ménage a quatre. They also both present interracial relationships. Desiree is African-American and one of the heroes in Riley is as well.
Late last year, I returned to the Awakenings series with Two Masters for Samantha. That was just a fun read. I had no moral dilemma on my agenda or real emotional strife to explore. I used it as a chance to look at the unrealistic extremes presented in much BDSM literature, a fantasy story wearing a contemporary disguise. It was the easiest novel to write so far. I poured it out in three weeks as I avoided working on some papers for a post-graduate class I took. Then I tried my hand at romantic suspense with Crimes of the Heart.
My latest release, Time to Pretend, took the longest to write. I wrestled with it for nearly a year because Daniel was so flipping stubborn. I almost gave it up, but several readers sent emails asking for Daniel’s story, so I kept at it. Once I found out about him and Evan, things flowed much better. That discovery made it much easier to put myself in Alaina’s place. Daniel’s reluctance to face his love for another man would make me sad, not angry. I thought Alaina should be supportive. I thought she was the type of woman who would encourage Daniel to accept himself. It’s hard enough to come out of the closet. It’s impossible to be happy without the understanding and support of those closest to you. I delve into some pretty deep emotional issues here, and I hope you all fall for Alaina, Evan, and Daniel as much as I did.
Right now, I have several stories going. I’m always working on two or three manuscripts and I’m always reading two or three novels. Ideas, situations, character analysis, scenes, and dialogue flow for me when I do this. I guess that’s the upside to ADD—a mind that never stops working.
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April 21st, 2011 at 6:37 am
Nice post, Michele!
Loved learning more about you and your writing.
April 21st, 2011 at 7:40 am
Bravo, Michele! Thanks for writing a blog entry I sure can relate to. I probably have ADD, and I embrace it fully. It stops me from concentrating I things I really don’t care about, but if I care about the subject, it can give me laser focus. I love that. I couldn’t write without it, really. Wouldn’t give up my ADD.
Wishing you fabulous sales,
Michele Hart
April 21st, 2011 at 8:16 am
Lisa and Michele H-
Thanks for stopping by! The only downside is when I have to concentrate on things that are uninteresting, which I have to do every day. Good thing I have technology set to beep at me when I have appointments!
Michele Z
April 21st, 2011 at 11:20 am
I love reading about another author’s mind and how stories wind up on paper. It’s so much fun. I think non-writers have no idea what happens. They think we start with once upon a time and end with happily ever after. They have no idea how much goes into writing. They only want to read a good story.
I love your books, Michelle. Keep writing.
E.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:33 am
Michele, so much of what you said resonates with my experience with some people. I don’t think I have it, although my grade school teachers used to write on my report cards that my grades were good but I would do better if I didn’t spend so much time gazing out the classroom windows.
Yes, I was bored. I know several people who are close to being geniuses who do exhibit traits you mentioned. Maybe the two things are connected. The need to know more, and not focusing on anything long if it’s not what fascinates you. Enjoyed your post. 
Congrats on your new release, Time to Pretend!
April 21st, 2011 at 11:49 am
Welcome Michele and thanks everyone for stopping by! Sorry I’m so late joining in. Been doing the mom thing with Easter parties at school.
Super post! I love this line – “Impulsivity often works for me, mostly because my short attention span helps me to forget when it doesn’t.” You should use it in a book!
April 21st, 2011 at 11:59 am
E- Thanks for stopping by. I wish writing was as easy as starting with a ‘once upon a time’ and ending with a ‘happily ever after.’ But then I probably would get bored with it. I like that writing lets me try new things every day.
Jeanmarie- I think I’ve spent whole years watching traffic go past outside classroom windows. I’ve run across a lot of smart people who have one issue or another. I think if we learn to appreciate what makes us different, it opens up whole worlds.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Casey, I’m still waiting to use the concept of Surreal Neil as a Neil Diamond cover band. I’m not sure I could write an impulsive character well. Then again, I won’t know until I try.
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:19 am
Hi Michele, you’ve got an interesting post. I write several different subjects too. It keeps life and writing from getting stale. Congratulations on Time to Pretend. Isn’t it funny how those characters sometimes do exactly what they want to do whether we’re ready for it?
Jane
April 22nd, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Jane, On the plus side, strong characters are fun, even when they are pains in the rear. Thanks for stopping by!
April 22nd, 2011 at 5:27 pm
One of the hardest things I had to learn as a writer was to accept that it’s okay – and sometimes imperative – to use the delete key. It requires the belief that the next thing you write will be even better.
I can’t wait to read Time To Pretend!
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:01 am
Natalie- Thanks for stopping by. When I delete stuff, it’s usually with a sense of disgust. I’ll have to keep the positivity of the belief that it’ll get better in mind.
April 24th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Nice post! I have this particular gift too and appreciate your highlighting it. There’s a beauty to a mind that pivots on a dime and goes goes goes. What a wonderful tool for creative fiction eh? Congrats on the new release.
Rose
April 24th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Thanks again everyone for visiting my site and especially to Michele for writing such a fun and interesting blog!