South African Romance Writers' Community

How did you become a writer and what made you want to write?

I’ve wanted to write ever since I was old enough to hold a pen. The first time I had a story published was when I was ten years old. It was called “The Alley Cats” and it appeared on the children’s fiction page of The Star newspaper. It was the first time I ever saw my name in print, which led to a lifetime addiction!

I have always felt a compulsion to tell stories and make up characters. I also love to read. Reading and writing seem to me to be very intertwined. I’ve had various day jobs over the years – including working as a feature writing for magazines – but writing fiction has always been my first love.

How did you come up with the concept for Trinity Rising?

The character of Trinity Luhabe popped into my head almost fully formed one day. I think she arose out of my fascination with the so-called Born Free generation of South Africans – those people who were either born after 1994, or who are too young to remember apartheid. They seem to me to be a very energetic and forward-looking generation. They’ve grown up in the communications age and have been bred to be consumers.

I was interested to explore the various strengths and weaknesses that such a character might have. And of course I simply had to set the novel at Rhodes University because that was my alma mater. I spent four very happy years there.

Why this kind of novel?

“Trinity Rising” fits firmly into the genre known as Chick-Lit, which happens to be my favourite kind of novel to read. I believe that most of the really exciting fiction written by women, for women, is emerging from this genre at the moment. Chick-Lit writers deal with a vast number of social issues and challenges, but always in an entertaining fashion.

I adore the promise of romance and humour that is contained within the (frequently pink) covers of a Chick-Lit novel.

How long did it take you to write the first draft?

Approximately six months, followed by another three months of rewriting and editing.

How long did it take from completion of the first draft to publication?

I submitted the book to Jonathan Ball in February of 2008. It was accepted almost immediately, but only scheduled for publication in April 2009. That was a strategic publishing decision that didn’t involve me.

Did you experience much rejection before selling your first novel?

Oh, yes. I’ve been through a huge amount of rejection! I could wallpaper a room with all the rejection letters I’ve received over the years. I even spent a year trying to write for Mills & Boon once. I got rejected every single time. I have a huge amount of respect for romance writers. You need to have a very special gift for storytelling to have a novel accepted by any of the commercial romance publishers.

Tell us about The Call.

This novel felt right from the very beginning. I submitted the first three chapters and a synopsis to Jonathan Ball, and very quickly got a request to see the rest of it (always a good sign!). While I was writing the rest of the novel, I got regular emails from them asking me how it was going, which I took to mean that they were genuinely interested. Then, just a couple of days after I’d submitted it, I got an email asking for my phone number so that they could contact me in person.

By this stage I was already very excited and hopeful. The first call I got told me that the publishing manager was busy reading my novel, but that everyone who had looked at it had liked it very much. That was a Friday. On the Monday, I got a call from the publishing manager himself saying that they were going to send me an offer to publish. And the very next day they did. That evening, my husband cracked open a bottle of Moet et Chandon champagne that he’d been keeping on ice for when I got my first novel accepted.

It was one of the best feelings of my life – a real dream come true.

What was the easiest part of writing this novel for you?

Many writers say that their first published novel just poured out of them. That was definitely my experience. I couldn’t get the words down fast enough. It felt almost as though my character were dictating her story to me.

What do you struggle most with when writing?

Reading over my first draft for the first time. I always want to cringe and run away. I want to hit the delete button and make it all disappear. Then I rewrite each chapter three times over, and it slowly starts to take shape.

How important is research to you?

I try not to set my novels in unfamiliar circumstances, because I don’t want to be burdened with an unnecessary amount of research. But it is very important to me not to get anything wrong. I will check and recheck my facts until I am completely sure of them.

What did you learn while writing Trinity Rising that will always stay with you?

I learned to follow my inspiration. I was in the middle of a different writing project when I suddenly got the idea for “Trinity Rising”. My work ethic told me to finish that project first, but I was feeling so inspired by Trinity that I just couldn’t concentrate on anything else. I’m glad I listened to my instinct and went with my inspiration.

Who or what has been your inspiration along the way?

My husband has always believed in me, even when I doubted myself. He always said it was just a matter of time before I got published. And he was right.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Try to get some feedback on your work from an independent source. Join a writer’s workshop, or start your own. Listen carefully to the criticisms that come your way and take them seriously. If you can afford to have your work professionally critiqued, it can be a very worthwhile investment.

What's next?

My second novel “Trinity On Air” will be published by Jonathan Ball in April 2010. It is the second in the Trinity Luhabe series.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.