Welcome, Meghan!
"Thanks for having me! I’m thrilled to be able to answer your questions."
Let's dive right in...
1. Plot or Pants? Do you pre-plot your books, use an outline, fly by the seat of your pants or some combination of things? How do you keep track of characters in a series? Do you keep a journal of your characters statistics, such as hair and eye color, relatives, hometown, etc.
2. Tell us about your first… published gay fiction/romance
and then your most recent one..
3. Where do you write? Do you have a routine?
4. What are your writing goals for the next year? The future?
5. Something people would be surprised to know about you
6. Which character still pops into your mind to visit from time to time?
7. Who’s your biggest supporter/cheerleader?
9. What made you decide gay romance was the genre you wanted to write?
10. How can we connect with you?
1. Plot or Pants? Do you pre-plot your books, use an outline, fly by the seat of your pants or some combination of things? How do you keep track of characters in a series? Do you keep a journal of your characters statistics, such as hair and eye color, relatives, hometown, etc.
I am a definitely a pantser. I usually have a few scenes in my head when I start a new project. Many times the scenes seem unconnected. I know a lot of pantsers have an idea of what the ending will look like, but when I first start, I really don’t have a clue—other than a happily-ever-after, of course. As I write, a theme usually emerges and then I write toward the theme. It helps me figure out what the ending needs to look like. In my latest release the theme was confronting long held prejudices and I pull that theme through the book in several ways and through more than one character’s arc. That’s another thing, for a pantser, I’m really all about structure and character arcs. My characters need to grow and evolve in every book.
I keep track of my characters and all the details of their worlds in Scrivener. Since I’m a pantser I don’t create my world before I start, but I do add the details of it after I’ve finished writing. This helps me for the next book in a series. So, for example, after book 1 I add all the details I’ll need to know before I begin book 2. I review that file before I start writing book 2 and then once I’m finished with book 2, I add the new details to the document. And so on. I also turn all my books into audiobooks, so I relisten to the audios for whatever series I’m working on to refresh my memory. It really helps and it throws me back into that world.
2. Tell us about your first… published gay fiction/romance
My first published gay romance was a 19K novella called, A Cobra’s Charm. It’s a paranormal romance between a cobra shifter and a honey badger shifter who have both been captured and held in a private zoo by a collector. It doesn’t fall within my more comic brand, but I’m still very fond of it. It’s a hurt/comfort read. I’ve unpublished it for now, but if anyone would like a free copy, you can download it here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/lgqbKtPA
and then your most recent one..
My most recent release went live on September 30, 2021. It’s Book 4 in Starfig Investigations and is called, Fairy and Impartial. (Tammy reviewed it here)
The blurb:
All Twig Starfig wants is to settle into mated life with his wizard and be a good leader to his clan. No drama. No heartache. A happily-ever-after fit for a dragon. Or half-dragon, at any rate.
Instead, Twig and Quinn get roped into a new case involving missing orc stones. Yes, those really are a thing. Twig’s dad is on the PR warpath . . . again. Quinn's little brother can't seem to stop pining over their housemate. Someone—or something—seems to be following them. And getting quality time alone with his wizard is more difficult than keeping one’s virginity at an incubus party.
To make matters worse, Twig's old enemies start dropping like fairyflies, and they find themselves smack in the middle of an inconvenient murder investigation with a certain red fury as the main suspect. With everyone in Lighthelm convinced of Bill’s guilt—and by association Twig’s—Starfig Investigations is on the case.
Is there no one in the Elder Realm who’s fairy and impartial?
3. Where do you write? Do you have a routine?
At the moment, I write all over the house. I have an office, but my office chair is uncomfortable, so I tend to move around to other spaces in the house. I work in the entertainment room, the kitchen, my bedroom. Pretty much everywhere except my office. I’m getting a new chair soon and will then move back in there full time.
I don’t have much of a routine at the moment. I used to, but the pandemic threw a lot of that out the window when my kids came home during the day. So, I write when I can and where I can. That’s as much of a routine as I’m able to hold onto at the moment. I also have difficulty writing before about 11am. I’m pretty much useless until I’m several cups of coffee in. I’m a night person, but because of my family obligations, I rarely get to write at night.
4. What are your writing goals for the next year? The future?
Each year I set goals for myself. At first, those goals were only writing related. Now, they’ve moved to be both writing related and financial. I’m working on growing my backlist and my brand. I’m not a fast writer. 3-4 books is all I can comfortably write per year. I have three series going at the moment and I will definitely do a book in each one. I have a mm paranormal romance that’s almost complete, so I may decide to finish that one up and publish it next year, too. We’ll see. I’d like to write a middle-grade fantasy book, as well. I have an idea for a trilogy rolling around in my head. I’m not sure I’ll have room on my writing schedule for it, but I’m going to try to work on it between projects and see what happens.
My future goals are simple: write more books, make more money. Lol.
5. Something people would be surprised to know about you
I’m kind of an open book. I guess people might be surprised to know that I can be quiet. I’m an extrovert but I grew up in a house of introverts, so my coping mechanisms are more introvert than extrovert. It’s a weird combo. Also, Meghan Maslow is my pen name. My real first name is Meg, and I decided to keep it since I didn’t think I’d be great at answering to another name. Maslow comes from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Love is one of those needs. It seemed fitting.
6. Which character still pops into your mind to visit from time to time?
Twig Starfig pretty much lives in my head at all times. Seriously. I hear his commentary on everything. Bill—everyone’s favorite resident red fury—visits frequently, and Nico pops in from time to time. But Twig is always there. He’s super opinionated.
7. Who’s your biggest supporter/cheerleader?
I honestly don’t have a biggest cheerleader. I am in the very fortunate and enviable position where all of my family, Mister Maslow’s family, all our friends, my kids, and even my neighbors are aware of what I write and are supportive. I’ve never had a single person in my life bad-mouth what I do or what I write. My kids give me hugs when I need them, Mister Maslow takes long walks with me to let me talk about issues in a story, and my mom reads absolutely everything I write. I have a professional writing group that always has my back, great friends in the mm community, and a fantastic bunch of readers who reach out to let me know they enjoy what I write. So, I would say I’m surrounded by cheerleaders.
8. Do you write full time or part-time?
I feel like this is a trick question for parents who are also writers, lol. I write as much as I’m able. My family life is busy. There are lots of curve balls thrown my way. I haven’t been able to establish a routine with completely set hours. Some weeks I get way more than 40 hours in, and some weeks I’m lucky if I get 10. That’s just the reality of my situation. So, am I full-time or part-time? Yes to both.
9. What made you decide gay romance was the genre you wanted to write?
I started out writing mysteries and crime stories, but wasn’t completely satisfied with it. I also love fantasy and thought about writing fantasy with mysteries in them. But I spent a good portion of my teenaged years into my twenties reading romance and liked the idea of incorporating romance into my stories. I didn’t want to write het romance, though. I didn’t like the gender dynamics, and I couldn’t really see myself in these stories. But with gay romance I found a lot of freedom. I also like writing in a genre that by its very nature has an element of social justice. It shouldn’t be radical to write about happily ever afters for LGBTQ+ folx, but in many ways it still is. And it’s not just that I write gay romance. I need the mystery and fantasy elements, too. So, really I write gay fantasy romance with mystery elements. More often than not, there’s a strong comic element to my stories. These combined elements make my soul sing, and I’m just thrilled and grateful when someone else enjoys the stories I tell.
10. How can we connect with you?
I spend too much time on social media. Again, extrovert. I thrive with contact and interaction. So, I’m easy to find.
My latest news! NEWSLETTER
My Reader Group! MASLOW’S MISCHIEF, MAGIC, AND MURDER
My Author Profile! AMAZON
Let’s be friends! FACEBOOK
Bookbub, Baby! BOOKBUB
Insta for the win! INSTAGRAMOne more place to stalk me! WEBSITE
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