Michelle Heeter's YA novel Rigg's Crossing was published in 2012 by Ford Street Publishing, which is known for its confronting fiction. The heroine, found unconscious after a car crash, apparently doesn't remember who she is or at happened, so is called Len Russell, for a name on her t shirt and sent to a youth refuge after leaving hospital. But Len remembers more than she is admitting and some of it comes back in flashbacks. Len's former life was not pretty....
Hi, Michelle, welcome to The Great Raven!
SB: You're a technical and adult writer - what made you decide to have a go at YA fiction?
MH: I was undecided as to whether to try to get Riggs Crossing published as Young Adult or as general literary fiction. I chose YA, thinking that a book with a teenage protagonist would have more appeal to a younger audience. When I found a publisher, I discovered that I was woefully naïve as to the restrictions of the genre. If I’d known about them, I might have chosen general fiction rather than YA. In YA fiction, you can’t include any material that is politically incorrect, or that might offend teachers, librarians, or parents. Of course I didn’t write the book intending to be offensive, but sometimes a character will use bad language or come out with a politically incorrect remark. Since several of the characters in the book are professional criminals, it was a major task to tone down their language, yet still be realistic. But even though it hurt my pride to have to cut certain parts of the manuscript, I knew I was lucky to find a publisher who would take the book as it was, then help me through the editing process to make it appropriate for the YA genre.
SB: What gave you the idea for this novel?
MH: A series of disturbing experiences gave me the ideas for the novel, and an extended period of boring, ill-paid jobs gave me the motivation to sit down and write the book. I knew I had a story worth telling, and being bored out of my brain at work made me want to exercise my mind by doing something creative.
SB: How much research did you have to so for this? Dope cropping, for instance, and life in the youth refuge?
MH: For the aspects of dope growing, I relied on a boyfriend who’d been involved in the drug trade before we met. I wrote down what I could remember of his stories and shaped them into a narrative. Then, on several occassions, I asked him to sit down and let me ask him questions while I worked at the computer. I read dialogue aloud to him to make sure it sounded authentic. These sessions were usually late at night, my best time for writing. They also involved a fair bit of alcohol, as talking about his criminal past stressed him. As the session progressed, I would have increasing trouble keeping him in line. He wanted to commandeer the computer and write my novel the way HE thought it should be written. It drove him crazy when I would change his material to make it fit my novel. These sessions frequently ended in screaming arguments.
I did online research about children in state care. I decided not to try to interview any children in refuges, for several reasons. I couldn’t justify using the trauma that these children had gone through in order to create a novel. I felt like I had nothing to offer in return. Also, I didn’t know whether I was going to like these kids or the people who looked after them. One of the unfortunate aspects of my personality is a penchant for lampooning people I don’t like. What if someone who’d helped me with my research found herself made into a silly or unlikeable character in the book? I think it’s fine to use other people’s experiences as material, but skewering someone in print after they’ve done you a favour…No, I couldn’t have done that.
SB: Len seems to get great comfort from working with horses - is this something that is important to you too?
MH: Very much so. I started riding horses by accident, when I was fat and unhappy with just about every aspect of my life. I had signed up for a dance class at a city evening college, but the class was cancelled. The college asked me if I wanted a refund or if I wanted to take a different class. I picked up the catalogue and chose “Horse Riding 1” on a whim. Horses changed my life. I lost weight, made friends, and developed confidence. Eventually, I was able to part-lease a horse and ride twice a week on my own in Centennial Park. In the past few years, I’ve become too busy with other commitments to ride regularly. I miss the horses, and hope to start riding again this autumn.
SB: How much of this novel is based on reality?
Hmmm….Most of the characters, even the minor characters, are based on real people. These are people I knew well, people I knew slightly, and even strangers I encountered or observed in public. As for the events in the novel, the murders that take place in the story did not actually happen, but I am confident that they are realistic. Part of doing the research for the murder scene involved staging pretend gun battles with the help of my then-boyfriend, who had unfortunate experience with firearms and with people who are capable of extreme violence. I thought of it as blocking a scene in a play. I drew diagrams of bullet trajectories and carefully went over the logic of the sequence. I asked my boyfriend a lot of questions. “Who fires first? Where is the shooter’s accomplice standing? How many shots would he fire? Would he get out of the car before shooting the other guy?” Fortunately, I’ve never had to witness a murder. Thanks to the input of someone who knows the psychology of people who are prepared to kill, I am confident that that the aspects of the book dealing with criminality are true-to-life and within the realm of possibility.
SB: Do you have a favourite character? Len's tutor, for example, has the same name you used for a pen name...did you write yourself into the book? ;-)
MH: Len is my favourite character, and I was rather hurt when readers of early drafts of the novel complained that she was nasty and unlikeable. Her personality is what I would like to be—tough and resourceful. In the end, I had to tone down her hostility several notches.
As for Renate Dunn, I guess she represents what I could have become if I’d pursued an academic career.
SB: Is there any special message you'd like your readers to take away from the book?
MH: I didn’t start the book with any particular message in mind; I just wanted to tell a good story. Now that the book is finished, I guess I’d like people to think about how much human potential is squandered because someone was born into the wrong family or has suffered a series of tragedies. The derro you see in the park, the girl who does sex work, the man behind bars—all of them have a back-story which is unpleasant or sad. Very few people are born evil or choose to live on the margins of society.
SB: Are you working on something right now?
MH: No. I have a half-finished draft of a YA book set in America, but I dread the thought of finding an American publisher. Also, the story requires multiple points of view, which I’ve never attempted before. I was having trouble getting some of the characters to talk to me, so I’ve put the project aside for the moment. And unlike when I was writing Riggs Crossing, I have a day job that involves writing and is challenging and absorbing. I no longer have the sense of desperation that motivated me to write Riggs Crossing.
SB:Thanks for answering these questions and good luck with your sales!
Michelle Heeter was born in the U.S.A., studied English at university, spent most of her twenties in Japan, and moved to Sydney in 1995. She is now an Australian citizen. Michelle started writing for women’s magazines, and eventually moved into technical writing and copywriting. Michelle loves to travel, and enjoys ocean swimming and horse riding.
“The Next Big Thing” — Have you all heard about it? It’s a chain blog post that’s doing the rounds at the moment. Actually, it’s been around quite a while and is still going strong. It’s ten questions that are an opportunity for writers to tell people about their next project — a completed book about to be published, a work in progress or simply an idea about to be embarked upon. Writers from all over the world have been taking part and posting each Wednesday.
It was Sandy Fussell (author of the Samurai Kids books) who sent it on to me. I blogged my answers last Wednesday on my personal blog (here), talking about my soon to be published third Gamers novel, Gamers’ Rebellion. I then passed the invitation on to Sue Bursztynski, Simon Haynes and Michelle Heeter. Unfortunately, Michelle doesn’t have a blog, so I offered to host her Next Big Thing here.
Michele is the author of the recently released YA novel Riggs Crossing. I reviewed that book a little while ago (see review). And now, here are Michelle’s Next Big Thing answers…
1. What is the [working] title of your next book?
Ripped.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
My first novel, Riggs Crossing, is a Young Adult novel that deals with a teenager whose father is a professional marijuana grower. Due to the constraints of the YA genre, I had to leave out a lot of interesting material. Ripped will tell a different story set in a similar criminal milieu, but will be told from an adult’s point of view and will be aimed at an adult audience.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
General literary fiction.
4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Sasha Horler for the female lead. For the male lead, the singer Paul Kelly, if he could be persuaded to give acting another go.
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A professional marijuana grower and his girlfriend become trapped in a lifestyle that leads to violence, imprisonment, and finally, redemption.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
No self-publishing! I need editors to tell me what’s good and what isn’t. I’ve managed so far without an agent, but it might be time for me to start looking for one.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
There is no draft yet. This has been roiling around in my head like a swarm of bees for a couple of months; I had not set anything to paper before answering these questions. I’ve been dreading the start of this project, as it’s going to involve revisiting a lot of bad memories and interviewing people about parts of their life that they’d rather forget.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I can’t think of a similar novel. Gabrielle Carey’s book Just Us is a non-fiction account of her relationship with a jailed criminal, but the characters at the core of my proposed novel are quite different to Gabrielle and her former partner.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
“Inspired” isn’t quite the right word. “Haunted” would be better. As with my last novel, some unfortunate past experiences provide the material to be shaped into a book. Bad luck can be turned into good fiction.
10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I was recently hired by a TV drama production company for a brief consulting gig—they’re planning a series about women whose partners are in jail. Basically, I talked to a team of screenwriters, answering their questions. It was a great experience. It would be interesting if any of the material I plan on using in the novel ends up in the series, but I don’t think this will happen. I think the screenwriters know their intended audience, who is after a bit of light entertainment and would recoil at hard truths about jail and the stigmatised life of a crim’s girlfriend. The average TV viewer does not like to be made uncomfortable or made to re-examine entrenched attitudes. Book readers, in my opinion, have more active minds.
Thanks, Michelle, for sharing your Next Big Thing with Boomerang Blog readers.
Catch ya later, George
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Apparently, there are many ways to tick off a writer. I should know… after all, I am a writer. But today, you get a reprieve from my rantings. Instead we have a guest post from Michelle Heeter, author of the recently released YA novel Riggs Crossing. I’ll leave it to her to fill you in on the details.
How to Irritate a Writer
By Michelle Heeter
Writers may be predisposed to irritability. Many of us are hyper-sensitive introverts, made sour and paranoid by rejection slips, a boring day job, or simply being surrounded by people more successful than us. If you know a writer, published or “aspiring”, here are a few things NOT to say to them:
You write for magazines? Oh, you’re an “aspiring writer”!
An elderly female relative came out with this one during a dreary suburban dinner.
The subtext: Writing is a ladylike hobby, not a career.
Why it’s irritating: It’s like saying, “you’re a wanna-be”.
The writer’s retort: Well, when I got my first cheque for a story, I stopped considering myself an “aspiring” writer. And these peas taste like shit.
I’m so sick of my job. I wish I could kick back, relax and write books.
This gem came from a Facebook friend whose status updates are often misspelled, devoid of punctuation, or just plain incoherent.
The subtext: Writing isn’t work. Writing is relaxation. Anybody can do it.
The writer’s retort: Gee, I’m exhausted after just barely making that deadline. I wish I could collect six figures for sitting on my backside in meetings all day.
Have you thought about posting your novel on the internet in a blog? I’d love to read it.
This came from a dear friend of mine. I will never understand in a million years why she assumed I’d fail at finding a publisher.
The subtext: Your book isn’t worth charging money for.
The writer’s retort: I didn’t spend years writing and revising a book so that people could read it for free on the web. You pay, you read.
Writing must be so discouraging, with all those rejections!
Have heard this more than once, even when I hadn’t said a word about a manuscript being refused.
The subtext: Dunno. I’m at a loss to explain why people automatically think that the path to becoming a writer is strewn with rejection slips. Is it genuine sympathy, or cattiness?
The writer’s retort: Actually, I didn’t get one single form rejection letter. Every knock-back came with a critique, and the book was accepted by the sixth publisher I sent it to. Oh, and the first short story I wrote was accepted by the first magazine I sent it to. By the way, how’s your book coming along?
Is your book self-published?/Did you have to pay the publisher to print it?
The subtext: Surely, no respectable publishing house would publish your work.
Why it’s irritating: There are a few self-publishing success stories. However, publishing one’s own work through a “vanity press” is often the last resort for a frustrated author who can’t get published any other way.
The writer’s retort: No.
Oooh! I might have to pick your brain about getting published.
I usually get this from stay-at-home mothers, none of whom has ever written anything. Even so, they are convinced that they too could write a children’s book, if only they had the time, and if they had “contacts” in “the business”.
The writer’s retort: There is no secret clique that decides who gets published and who doesn’t. You want to write a story? Pick up a pen and start writing. Koji Suzuki wrote The Ring with a baby on his lap. When you’ve completed a manuscript, buy a Writer’s Market and mail the manuscript to suitable publishers. That’s all there is to it.
Confession: I’ve never had the nerve to use any of these comebacks. But I have nursed grudges about these irritating remarks for longer than I should have.
George’s bit at the end
Thank you Michelle for a most entertaining post. Believe me, I know how you feel. My favourite conversation goes something along these lines…
Person: So, what do you do?
Me: I’m a children’s author.
Person: (smiles politely) Oh, really… so have you had anything published.
ME: Yes, I’ve had 65 books.
Person: Oh.
Michelle Heeter is a technical writer for a software development company. Her first novel, Riggs Crossing, is published by Ford Street Publishing and is OUT NOW… so follow the link and buy a copy. And to find out more about her, check out her website.
Catch ya later, George
PS. Follow me on Twitter
Check out my DVD blog, Viewing Clutter.
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