Meet Michelle Mars

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Mars. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michelle, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

I immigrated to the midwest of the United States when I was five, with no knowledge of the language or culture. Growing up was, therefore, a training ground of navigating and overcoming being different. I refused to dim my connection with my culture or community despite at times experiencing judgement, bullying, or even direct xenophobia. The clothes I bought and wore from my country of origin, the food I would bring for school lunch, and quirks in my personality were all things open for derision or at the very least microaggressions.

Today, when I face difficult situations because of who I am or what I write, I feel comfortable meeting the challenge head on or ignoring it, as needed. It is so important for people to live freely, genuinely, and uniquely as themselves. I capture this truth for my characters, as well, since I write across many different cultures, experiences, and life choices. I hope readers take away a little bit of that self-acceptance for themselves when they enjoy one of my stories.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I didn’t always know I wanted to be an author. I started out, like many others, as a voracious reader. I would read lots of different genres, but my favorite became romance because under that umbrella, you can find every other genre. With romance, though, each story has a central romantic relationship and a hopeful ending guarantee. Often, it also focuses on an emotional arc. I could indulge my sci-fi geeky side or my suspenseful, James Bond fan side while getting all the other aspects as well.

I may not have considered a career in writing before, but I have always been a person who writes. There was a part of me that felt I needed to choose a more concrete career path so I originally became a programmer. I never found that route satisfying and when I had kids I stepped away from a career to be a stay-at-home mom. As my kids got older and post-divorce, I started to consider my options for a new career path and at the urging of my friends, I began writing my first romance.

I decided that I wanted to challenge myself. I set up a little experiment. I needed to write a romance mixing genres. It was going to have an alien and a vampire falling for each other. I figured that if I could make something so outlandish work, then I could write anything I put my mind to. As I dove deeper into the story, I fell in love with all of the characters and the overall storyline. The question remained if anyone else would connect with it. Turns out the answer was yes. Most of the people who have read, what ultimately became my first published novel, Moving Jack, have loved it.

Since then, I have completed two more novels and two novelettes in the Love Wars Series, as well as launched a traditional romcom series, The Frisky Bean, with a novelette, a novel, and a collection of short stories. My writing tends to be of the more traditional, light-hearted, banter heavy, romcoms of the past mixed with high heat levels of intimacy. I try to stay true to my tagline, “Humor is a turn on.” If I haven’t made the reader smile or even chuckle while reading my stories, then I’ve missed the mark. Another important aspect of my writing is to include good communication, strong female characters, and supportive friendships.

In the near future, I plan to keep expanding on both series until I’ve completed them. I also have three other series and a spinoff series already in my head waiting their turn to shine. That is one of my superpowers: ideas. I am never at a shortage of new things to write or new paths for my stories to travel. My challenge is writing fast enough so I can get through all the stories in my head. It is important to me that I send out stories I am proud of, though, so I take my time to make sure I’ve achieved what I wanted with each story.

The next story I’m working on is the second novel in The Frisky Bean series, along with a short story that is going into a charity anthology.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One quality that I believe is super important is to ask yourself honestly why you want to be a published author. There are many avenues to writing for pleasure, or writing fan fiction, or for friends and family. If a person were to ask a bunch of authors this question, they will get many different responses. One might be in it to share their stories and they don’t care about accolades or even having a huge audience. They want to know someone out there is reading their story. Another might say that they had a parent who was an author and they always wanted to follow in their footsteps. Yet, another might say that they love writing and wanted to do a job where they do what they love while earning a living.

I fall into that last category. I look at my writing as a beloved business. Of course, I also love sharing my stories with the world, but it doesn’t mean my focus isn’t on a sustainable, achievable career.

Another important quality is to have a thick skin. I know many have said this in the past, but it can’t be emphasized enough. This is true for all persons pursuing a career in any type of art. You could write the greatest novel of a generation, and someone out there will hate it. You will not be their cup of tea. And, that’s okay. You don’t have to make art that everyone loves. Once it is out in the world, art is interpreted by the one partaking in it.

A third quality that, I think, is super important is authentic voice. Most stories have been told in one version or, most likely, thirty versions. What is unique to each story is the author’s voice. Without plagiarism, no one has the exact same voice as another person. It is within your voice, as you create, that the magic happens both as the author and as the reader who connects with that voice. Fall in love with your characters, with your paraphrasing, with your humor, with your unique, strong way to tell a story. I listen to my editors when it comes to many things. If you find an editor you click with, they are there to help you move your story to the next level. BUT, you should always feel free to ignore whatever they say if it changes your vision for your story. Learning to differentiate between what to change and what to fight to keep might take some practice. This is your story that you are telling. Stand firm against changing anything that makes you uncomfortable.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

This question is a doozy. Unfortunately, since publishing my first book, it has felt like I am constantly tackling focus. This is because I published Moving Jack in October 2019, shortly after moving to a new city. By March of 2020, we were all in lockdown, so the promotional tour of conferences I had created for myself was out the window. On top of that, I am immunocompromised so my version and length of lockdown was hermit-like and lasted longer than for many. I still mask indoors out of an abundance of caution. As many can attest, it has felt like we have gone from one world event to another ever since. Before all this, and before I moved, I had a writing group, a local editor, and was able to create systems around my writing that kept it at a really good pace. With everything that has happened since, I have struggled to create conditions that allow for this kind of consistency. I know I’m not the only one going through this right now or for the last few years. Things that I’ve found that help me are deadlines and meeting fellow authors to write together. These things help me stop thinking about everything else, they create a calm space for work, and let me achieve my goals, which might be reached at a slower pace than I originally planned, but the main objectives are to keep moving forward and to put out work that I can be proud of. I’ve also recently added an app that helps me manage my to-do list and self-care, both important items that help me keep focused. I honestly think this is one of the things many creatives struggle with in a world filled with distractions. It’s important to find what works for you and actively take steps to implement those things. Waiting for the focus to come, for inspiration, can leave you frustrated and not able to produce what you wish to create. Luckily, many systems exist if you can narrow down what YOU need to acheive focus.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michellemars.com
• Instagram: @michellemarsbooks
• Facebook: @michellemarsbooks