Kelly Moran is a highly acclaimed author renowned for her captivating storytelling that has the power to mesmerize her readers. Her writing is fueled by her surroundings, and her vivid imagination is always at work, conjuring up new tales to tell.
Kelly has accomplished several literary feats, including being named a finalist for the prestigious RITA® award, a winner of the RONE and Catherine awards, a finalist for the Holt Medallion and the Romance Writers of America® Award of Excellence, and a Readers Choice finalist. Her books have also been featured on USA TODAY’s Lifestyle blog as “Must Read” and “10 Best Reads” lists. Additionally, her works have been translated into several languages, including German, Czech, Romanian, and Dutch.
Kelly’s interests outside of writing include indulging in various forms of art, watching sentimental movies, and, when the opportunity presents itself, catching up on much-needed sleep. Though she tries to keep it a secret, Kelly has a soft spot for coffee and chocolate. She currently resides in South Carolina with her partner, three sons, mischievous dog, and sassy cats. Kelly is always delighted to hear from her readers and welcomes their feedback.
Can you tell us about your writing process and how it has evolved over the course of your career?
As a young girl, I often wrote poetry and short stories, but when I was a teenager, I realized romance was my calling. I wrote an entire novel in a notebook while in high school. Early in my career, I would write whenever I had time around my work schedule, which carried through after I stayed home to raise my sons while I was part-time. I’m now blessed to be in a position where I write full-time from home. Through the years, I learned the guidelines for my genre, the ins and outs, and I’m grateful to have found my voice early on. I had amazing authors who supported me and gave immeasurable advice that I try to pay forward.
From the story concept, I flesh out plot ideas longhand, then research begins. I’m very thorough in my research, digging into everything from the climate of the setting to the characters’ careers. Though I write fiction, it needs to be grounded in fact. From there, I prefer to write the first chapter to get a feel for the stories and let the character tell it to me. After that’s complete, I jot down a timeline to look for plot, pacing, and conflict issues, which also helps me write faster. The characters don’t always listen, though.
My process has been pretty set for a long time. I tend to be a creature of habit and like routines. I write during daylight hours because I find I can separate work from personal if I’m on a schedule. After hours and weekends, I spend time with my family. Balance is important. My office is in my home on the main floor. I’m not someone who can write with a lot of distractions such as music or TV in the background. I prefer quiet. And there’s always coffee involved. Lots of coffee. The cats sometimes (always) insist on helping, but their grammar is atrocious.
Your books often incorporate elements of humor and wit. How do you balance the lighter moments with the more serious aspects of your stories?
Honestly, that is and always will be a struggle. Most of my books incorporate serious topics like depression, PTSD, social anxiety, body image issues, and assault survivors. In “Redwood Ridge,” autism, the deaf community, dementia caregivers, physical scars, and homelessness are addressed through characters experiencing them. In my opinion, medical conditions and social ailments are severely underrepresented in literature, especially romance, but just because a subject is difficult doesn’t mean we should ignore it. Thousands of people every day are affected.
For me, stability is key, but it’s difficult. Life isn’t always dark, nor light, and we are not the sum of our past mistakes or diagnoses. We laugh. We cry. We scream in anger or frustration. We worry. Yet, we love. There’s family, friendship, and hope. I try to pull from experiences and testimonies to make sure the scales are even. There are a few methods that have helped me achieve this.
If I find myself weeping on page 67 while writing a scene, then I know by page 70 I need to laugh. A timeline with chapter breakdowns aids in spotting pacing problems which can shift balance. My critique partners are great at letting me know while writing if they’re feeling bogged down by the page’s content. Once the manuscript is finished, I’ll often upload it to my tablet to read, and that’ll help point out imbalances.
Stuff happens. Reality isn’t all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. To eliminate the bad things means writing something unrealistic or unrelatable. The way I see it, and in my understanding based on reader responses, elements like these are what make the characters dimensional and a book memorable.
You’ve mentioned on social media that you enjoy photography. How does this hobby influence your writing, if at all?
Like most creative types, I get inspiration from everywhere. I’m not a professional, by any means, but photography tells a story. Lighting, the angle, the subject. I can see a tale in every image, and often get book concepts from doing so. A good chunk of my backlist came from photographs that spurned ideas. One such example is a photograph I spotted on a stock sight of a woman looking at herself in the mirror, but standing behind her in the reflection was an alternate version with white eyes and a deadpan expression. It was both haunting and mesmerizing. It’s part of how I got the doppelganger ghost theme in my second “Phantoms” book.
I enjoy a wide range of other creative outlets like gardening, crafts, and acrylic painting. My go-to is baking, however. Creating the perfect dessert and design is a wonderful mental break for me from writing. Plus, you get to eat it afterward.
What draws you to writing romance, and how do you approach writing these scenes?
I read a wide variety of genres when I was younger. Frankly, I still do today, but when I read my first romance, it gave me a visceral reaction. Profoundly. I set that book aside and knew, just knew, that was what I was going to do someday. I was going to write love stories. As a child, I had all these tales in my head and alternate versions of reality. I’d rather live in make-believe. Yet, when I finished that romance, it was as if all that swirling came to a halt with a specific landing.
Writing love scenes might be difficult for some writers, but it comes naturally to me. Probably because it isn’t about me, at all. It’s about the characters and what they’re experiencing. They are living, breathing entities in my head who have a story to tell, and I help them with that. I’m merely the conduit.
There is nothing more basic than love. We all strive for it, and we all deserve to be loved. It’s what often keeps us going and gives us hope. That connection to another soul offers a sense of completion within ourselves that we hadn’t realized we’d been lacking. What I adore about the romance genre is that, in a sometimes cruel and ugly world, it creates an escape that’s relatable, and always has a happy ending.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are just starting out in the industry?
Eesh, this is a loaded question. One without a specific answer. Each writer must find his or her own path, and figure out what their goals are. However, there are a few things that are universal, and some solid advice I got when I first began.
Read in the genre you want to write. Research. It’s one of the best things you can do to your credit. Find yourself a writing community in the same genre. I’d suggest one or two critique partners. They are invaluable. Find your voice and stick to it. This will come naturally to you the more you write. Make connections with other writers and bloggers. Reviewers are your friends. Be kind. Encourage, don’t discourage. Pay it forward.
As for the writing, draft a great story. Show don’t tell. Avoid too many adverbs and clichés. Less is more. Use the 5 senses. Utilize metaphors and similes sparingly. Limit dialogue tags. Emphasize body language. Pace the story and have solid conflict. Separate internal from external conflict/dialogue and be sure it’s balanced. Don’t bog down with backstory or be repetitive. Tie up loose ends. Read aloud. Edit, edit, edit. Then, edit some more.
Most of all, never quit. If you want it bad enough, go after it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that it won’t happen. The biggest advocate for your work and your dreams is you.
Follow Kelly Moran by Visiting: www.authorkellycovic.com
