Nicola Marsh - romance author

COLLAGES - INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA HANNAY

As promised, here is my interview with Barbara Hannay, fellow Harlequin Romance author (I love her books, with outback heroes to die for!)

How many times have you used a collage to write a book?

I've used collages for five of my books now and I'm sure they've inspired me in subtle ways almost beyond explanation. Four of those five books were accepted without revisions. The other book only required minor changes. Guess what I'm doing with my next book?

An interesting aside to this is that between using collages I've written books without collages and they needed massive revisions. It might be merely a coincidence, but I like to think the collages helped.

Do you find the collage adds elements to the story you never dreamed of at the start?

Absolutely. For example, in the collage for my WIP, the hero is wearing nothing but a towel. I wasn't really planning a scene for him with that towel, but as I was writing, I kept looking at him and drooling and suddenly realized that the guy on the page wasn't coming across nearly as sexily as the guy in my collage. The collage kept nagging me and it might surprise you to know that it took some time before I realized I had to get that naked body and towel onto the page!(duh) I'm really happy with the scene that resulted.

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Also when I was writing IN THE HEART OF THE OUTBACK, I found that the ballet tutu on the little girl started a whole thread in my story for both the hero's daughter and the heroine. She's one of those kids who wears a tutu over jeans, is obsessed with ballet, but can't learn because she lives in the Outback. The heroine can totally relate to this and I worked dancing into her back-story and the main plot… I doubt I would have thought of it without the picture. These are just two examples. It happens in lots of ways all the time.

What do you like most about using collages?

They help me to really see my characters and setting. The story becomes more real for me. And I love discovering the surprises, the secrets.

With collages, what grabs your attention more? Pictures of characters or settings?

Both. The thing about collages is that there are no rules. Each individual writer can use them to suit. It's entirely a matter of what floats your boat… um book.

So, how do we do it?

Jump in early -- You don't need to have a fully conceived idea for your next story - just a basic situation, a setting, or a few ideas about character will do. Sometimes you don't even need that much. Some authors have tried creating a collage of images that appeal even before they have a story idea -- and found that these can actually inspire a whole book!!!
Find a base - paper or cardboard or something even more permanent if you wish. I just use three sheets of A4 paper sticky-taped together.
Gather a pile of your favourite magazines (or a range of magazines from an op shop) and flip through them, allowing your muse to guide you. Tear out anything that catches your attention - faces, clothes, furniture, objects, landscape, animals - whatever tweaks your interest, even if it seems totally weird and you have no idea how it might relate to your story. (You will discover the connection later - maybe much later.)
The pace at which you construct your collage may vary. Some people like to take several days, leaving the collage out on (perhaps) the dining table, where they can fiddle as they pass at various times during the day. I like to construct my collage fairly quickly - say in half a day. Usually I'm gathering pictures at that pre-writing stage when my imagination is firing with a lovely new story idea and I'm eager to dive into writing. Making a collage extends and enriches that blissful stage before the hard grind of the actual writing begins.
Once you've completed the collage, remember, it's not set in stone. You can cover up or change pictures if something really doesn't feel right.
Keep the collage close to you while you're writing. If it's too far away (nice and tidy, but hanging on the far wall) you won't have enough "contact" and it won't inspire you as effectively.
Enjoy!!!!!!

Any last minute tips before we start collaging?

When you use collages, you shouldn't be afraid to write beyond them. Some stories take on a head of steam and you end up writing a lot of stuff that has no corresponding image in the collage. That's cool. (It's happening to me right now with my WIP.) You can, if you like, hunt for images later, to make the collage more accurate. Or not. Once again, it's entirely up to you.

And that's it, easy! Thanks to Barbara's inspiration, I'm looking forward to constructing my first collage for my next book (the sheikh one!)

A huge thanks to Barbara for her time. She's a busy lady, having written over 29 books!! Look out for her upcoming releases here.

Now start cutting and pasting! I'd love to hear how you go.