Trish Milburn’s Out of Sight

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Hi, Trish! Welcome to my place, and congratulations on making the third round of American Title! How does that feel, by the way?

Thanks, Nancy. It’s always exciting to make it to the next round, and there’s also a sense of relief. I honestly don’t know how the finalists on American Idol do it – not only having their dreams live or die based on what is essentially a popularity vote, but having to hear the result on live TV. Eek!

Your American Title book, Out of Sight, sounds really cool. What inspired you to write about a character who can become invisible?

My heroine, Jenna McCay, came into being because of a what-if question that popped into my head one night while watching the news. There was a story on about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and I just thought, “Hey, I bet it’d be easier to find him (or any bad guy, for that matter) if the person doing the searching could make himself invisible.” This idea kind of combined with all those paranormal and sci-fi shows/movies I’d watched in the past where the government is always portrayed as not doing “different” well. You know, all the theories about aliens at Area 51, movies like The X-Men, etc. I eventually came up with a heroine who has tried to hide her ability to make herself invisible, but who occasionally uses it to take out a bad guy when there is no other choice. I wondered how much more good she could do if she didn’t have to hide from the “government” anymore. Instead, she ends up working for them – though she’d rather be doing anything else.

What kind of research did you have to do for this book?

Most of the research I did had to do with the White House, particularly the layout. I got a lot of good information from the Web site of the White House Historical Association. As far as the invisibility went, I pretty much made it up although I did pick my scientifically minded husband’s brain a bit.

How do your hero and heroine most often clash?

She doesn’t know whether she can trust him or not, him being an agent from the secret agency that pretty much told her she was coming to help them out or her fears of becoming a government lab rat might come true. She tends to say what she thinks, and he is forever telling her she needs to watch what she says to his boss, a man who doesn’t reveal himself to Jenna other than through a disguised voice over a speaker.

Does this book include physical fight scenes?

Yes, toward the end when Jenna and the villain cross paths. Also exciting are some high-tension action scenes, including some life-or-death chases.

Do you write paranormals exclusively, or does your repertoire include other types of books?

I tend to write quickly, so I’ve tried my hand at several different sub-genres of romance. Changing it up also keeps my creative juices flowing and keeps me from getting bored with one type of story. I love writing pure romance, romantic suspense, paranormal, and young adult. I also like to experiment with mixing some of these sub-genres together. Out of Sight is a mixture of paranormal and romantic suspense.

How did you start writing?

Wow, it was so long ago I don’t really remember. The first “book” I wrote was in the fifth grade. It was a little romance between a prince and a princess called Land of the Misty Gems. It was a class project, and I still have that little cardboard and fabric-bound story, complete with my truly bad colored-pencil illustrations. I started writing my first “real” romance novel while I was in college in the early ’90s and completed it’s final version after joining RWA and my local chapter in the mid ’90s. I was an avid romance reader beginning in my high school years, and I typically read historical romances back then. Thus, my first book was an American-set historical set on the Oregon Trail. That book, however, ended up being my only historical.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Coming up with the ideas and having them actually turn into a full story with three-dimensional characters. There’s something magical about a story that makes a reader feel as if the characters are real, like they could step out their front door and actually meet these people. I’m hopeful that my stories accomplish that.

What do you think is hardest about it?

Multiple revisions. I know they are an important part of the writing process, but after a couple sets of revisions I begin to get really tired of reading the same manuscript and start really wanting to move on to something new.

Are you active in any professional organizations?

I’ve been a member of Romance Writers of America since 1996 and currently serve as a Region 3 director on the national board of directors. I’m a member of Music City Romance Writers, Georgia Romance Writers, the Kiss of Death romantic suspense chapter, and The Golden Network.

As a multiple Golden Heart winner, how would you suggest that unpublished writers use contests to further their careers?

It depends on what point they are in their careers and what they need from a contest. At the beginning, and especially if they don’t have critique partners, they might enter to get feedback on their writing. Later on, they may be more interested in targeting contests with specific editors or agents as final-round judges in order to have a chance of getting in front of those industry professionals. Just remember to read your contest comments with a grain of salt. Take what you agree with (even if it’s hard to admit) and use it. If a judge seems like she isn’t knowledgeable or you totally don’t agree with her comments, just chuck them. Sometimes it takes awhile, but you have to learn to balance accepting constructive criticism that is spot on and trusting your writer’s instincts.

Have you had any “light bulb moments” or sudden, important insights on your path to publication?

Hmm, I can’t recall any. Most of what I’ve learned has come gradually, each year’s experiences building on the ones before. The main thing is to not give up. I know it’s often the most attractive option, but giving up is the one sure way you won’t accomplish your goal of getting published.

What advice would you give to a writer just starting his or her first manuscript?

Enjoy the experience. You’ll only have one first manuscript. Chances are good that first manuscript might not sell. It took me 18 manuscripts before I sold my first. But if you work really hard and pour all the emotion and talent you possess into that manuscript, it just might sell. But even if it doesn’t, by completing a manuscript you’ve just laid an impressive foundation for your career and accomplished something that the vast majority of people don’t even attempt.

Thanks for joining me, Trish.  Trish Milburn’s Out of Sight is an American Title finalist. For more information about Trish, check out her website.

Visitors, what do you enjoy in a book? If you’re a writer, what do you enjoy about writing?  What do you think is hard?   

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