Interview: Melissa Jacobs

And there are some other scenes that are juicy in other ways...
Ah, the sexy stuff? There is no actual intercourse in L3. The whole book is foreplay. All the better, right? No matter what I write in either of my books, people always tell me that they like my sex scenes. They ask me questions. Did I actually do this or that? It’s almost always the first thing readers ask me about. And here I thought I was a serious writer.

What would you say to someone who's classified your work as chick lit?
I would say, “Thank you very much.” I think Chick Lit is mostly a marketing device, but if not for its existence and popularity, I might not have the opportunity to be a published author. Listen, I grew up reading Judy Blume books. I think Chick Lit is simply a continuation of those. Women who write in the genre write about girls like me - and you - and issues we deal with in our lives. Men have been writing about themselves for centuries. Why can’t we?

How long have you been writing fiction?
Writing fiction? Since 2001. Telling fiction? Since I was in kindergarten. There’s a difference between being a writer and being a storyteller. When I was a wee one, I told stories about my first friend, my fictional Cousin Sally. To my grandfather and my parents, I would tell intricate stories about Cousin Sally’s adventures. And it was all fiction. Unless I was her in a previous life. But that’s another topic. Anyway, the writing of the stories is a lot harder than the telling. What with the punctuation and all.

We've seen your byline in magazines in the area. Do you think non-fiction writing helps your fiction writing?
Hmm. Writing is writing and any form we can practice it in is good. However, it is difficult to switch from fiction to non. The first non-fiction I wrote was in high school, for the town newspaper, and I was trained to write short articles. I think that evolved into the short length of my chapters, or chapterlettes as I call them. The other major
difference is that a non-fiction article doesn’t require the same literary devices as fiction, such as character development, plot tension, etc. Which is why I am still struggling to learn the why and wherefore of all that. But in general, I think any which way writers write is all for the greater good of their craft.

Any readings your fans should know about?
Fans? Please. No, I do not have any promotional events schedule for L3. I did a lot of things in this area last year, for Lexi James and the Council of Girlfriends. The only things I’ve done for L3 are attend two book clubs, one in South Jersey and one in Los Angeles, via telephone. I like attending book clubs because it’s a great way for me to connect with readers. How else am I to know what they are thinking?

What are you doing now?
I’m answering your questions and drinking coffee and then...Oh, you mean with my career? HarperCollins has an option on my third book, which doesn’t yet exist. I’ve been talking to different characters in my head. We’ll see who wants to come out and play.

You can read a sample chapter of Love, Life and Linguine here.

Image via Barnes and Noble