Belle Calhoune grew up in a family of five children in a small town in Massachusetts. She attended Syracuse University and majored in English with a minor in French. After graduating from college she became a Federal Investigator with the EEOC in Boston, Massachusetts. She now lives in Connecticut with her husband, two daughters, one mini poodle and a chocolate lab. Writing for the Love Inspired line is a dream come true. Working at home in her pajamas is one of the best perks that come with being a writer. Belle enjoys spending summers in Cape Cod, traveling, exercising on the Elliptical machine, watching movies and reading. She’s now working on her fourth book for the Love Inspired line.
What is your best writing time?
I write best in the morning, in the hours from 9 am till around lunchtime. Since the kids are in school and my husband is at work, it’s just me and my two dogs. And they are fairly quiet unless they hear a UPS truck outside.
What is your daily writing schedule?
I try to write for at least four or five hours a day, give or take. Sometimes this changes depending on personal events or the needs of the family. I have settled into that normal rhythm and it doesn’t really change even with deadlines. I find that if I can keep up that pace I don’t really need to stress meeting deadlines or acquiring my desired word count. At least not yet.
How do you begin writing a novel?
I’m very visual when it comes to writing. Characters pop up in my head along with setting, season and visual descriptions. For me that’s where it all starts. I like to have a sense of what the overall theme of the story is before I start writing. When I begin writing the book I always try to start with whichever character has the most at stake at the beginning of the book.
Are you a planner?
I go back and forth between plotting and pantsing. Normally I do a story sheet where I fill in the character names, descriptions, quirks, fears, etc. I also do a storyboard where I can look at the grand picture. Town name, characters, relatives, back story, etc. I think this is especially important when you’re working on a series of related books. Sometimes it can be tricky to keep the facts straight. By having it all laid out it does make the details easier to keep straight.
Are you more comfortable planning ahead, or just letting the novel happen?
When I’m not planning ahead I feel very free and easy as a writer. I will say though that during these times I often have the feeling midway that I may have lost my way a little bit. At those times I make a storyboard to keep me on course. It’s important to be anchored to the story so things don’t get away from you. There’s also no right or wrong way to do it. Whatever works to complete a polished novel is what works for me.
Where did you get the idea for the novel you are working on now?
I’m doing edits now for a sequel to my first Love Inspired book which is titled Reunited with the Sheriff. In the book there were four friends who were involved in a tragic car accident. This book, entitled “Heart of A Soldier” centers around the character of Holly, who was paralyzed in the car accident. From the moment her character appeared in my mind for the first book I knew I wanted to write her story.
Do you use visuals to help your writing?
Prior to starting a book I always get visual images of my characters from magazines or Pinterest. This really helps me in the process and cements the description of the characters in my mind. It really helps when I’m describing the hero and the heroine to be able to refer back to a photograph of them. Also, when we’re asked to provide cover images for the art department I always feel as I’m one step ahead because I already have the images stored in my computer.
How do you write your way through the “murky middle” of a novel?
So far I haven’t really had the experience of the murky middle, which is not to say it won’t happen, but so far I’ve been really fortunate. I try to plan out scenes to avoid it happening and to focus on hooks that will have the reader turning the pages to find out what happens next.
Do you revise daily?
No, I don’t revise every day. If I’m having a problem with a certain scene and I’m not satisfied with the overall result, I will tweak it. Generally, I don’t revise it until prior to submitting to my editor. I like to get all the words and the scenes down on the page and then worry about the revision process later.
What is your revision process?
I tend to revise prior to submitting a proposal or full manuscript to my editor. That way I can focus on the big picture rather than just a scene at a time. I have found that this works for me.
Do you have a writing critique group?
I do have a few trusted readers for my books. These are readers who have shown a great deal of enthusiasm for my books. I trust their feedback and don’t just expect a thumbs up. If something is not working, I want to know it so I can fix it. We do it all online and with a few phone calls, as well as back and forth emails due to being separated geographically. It’s really nice to have that feedback and extra eyes on my work.
What have you learned about writing since your first book was published?
I’ve learned that I’m a writer who likes to write the stories of my heart. I can’t write a story that I don’t feel emotional about. I’ve also learned that I tend to write stories with forgiveness as a theme. I’ve been told a time or two (or three, but who’s counting) that I tend to write in an episodic fashion. I finally had a lightbulb moment where I figured out what I’m doing wrong. Hoping that for my next book I jump over that hurdle.
What advice do you have for new writers?
I advocate the method of just writing with the goal of getting words on a page, not paying attention to perfection. Getting words down on a page is the most important thing. Anything else you can tool around with later. Word choices, grammar, spelling. Just write with abandon.
Is there anything else you would like to add about writing?
Writing from the heart shows up on the page. When you do this readers and editors and publishers will respond. Pour it all out on the page and make your stories shimmer with emotion and heart. Make your hero and heroine shine. Also, you don’t have to be a perfect writer in order to succeed. Making mistakes is part of the journey. It’s also the thing that causes you to grow as a writer.