Melinda Kucsera, epic fantasy author and host of the Epic Fantasy Adventures, Books, Lore & More! podcast
The Creative Council
Welcome to The Creative Council, where I interview creatives about their lives and work and the ups and downs of being a creative soul.
Today’s interview is Melinda Kucsera, an epic fantasy author who’s written over twenty books since 2016. Usually, I’m the one to introduce my guests, but Melinda’s characters were adamant I bestow the honour on them instead. So here goes:
Melinda Kucsera writes fantastic short stories, novels, and books when not being kidnapped by dragons or chased by armies of fictional creatures. (We do, on occasion, rescue her.) She leaves the running of her newsletter to a cast of lovable characters who hog her inbox. Enough about her, it’s us you’re really interested in, so join us every week for a new story.
The Interview
Hi Melinda! It’s so good to have you here. Are you ready to dive in?
· When did you start creating? Do you remember what pulled you in?
I love making up and telling stories, and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t. So I started creating the fantasy world where all my books take place when I was really little, and I built out most of the world and its history by the time I graduated from high school. For the most part, I stick to it. But I have made changes to that world over time as I created new characters and places.
· When did you start pursuing your current craft for real? As in, when did you begin to take yourself seriously as a creator?
My sister passed away from a tragic accident in 2014, and the last conversation we had was our usual argument, but we had it on the driveway because I was helping her pack the car before she left. What did she want? My sister wanted me to finish one of the stories I was writing and publish it. She asked me to promise I would look into it while she was on vacation. I agreed because it wasn’t an unreasonable request.
My sister immediately upped the stakes and amended her original request. She asked that I not only finish the story I was working on then but that I also finish all the stories I’d been telling her and publish them to. It was the ultimate sibling power move and I agreed to that too figuring I didn’t have to do that now. She didn’t put a due date on it, and she’s four and a half years younger than me, so I figured I had plenty of time to finish the story, figure out this publishing thing, and get a copy of the book to present to her.
Little did I know, I didn’t have any time at all. My sister died five days later due to complications of diabetes. She was only twenty-nine.
Her last words to me were that one request—to finish all my stories and publish them. So in my mind, that was her last wish, and I had to do that.
But I had never finished a story before. I liked writing the beginning because the story could go anywhere. But somewhere in the second act, I always stopped because that was the point where the story had to pick a direction and go there. But at that point, I knew the ending, and writing that wasn’t fun anymore because there was no more mystery.
My characters took that as a personal challenge. They wanted more page time. To get that, they needed to keep me writing. So they plotted out their own ending and kept me guessing until the end of the book. And that was how I finally finished my first book, Curse Breaker Enchanted.
I published the original version of Curse Breaker Enchanted in 2016.
· How long did it take you to complete your first work?
I don’t know because I didn’t keep track. I also don’t know when I started writing Curse Breaker Enchanted. I had part of it written in 2014 when my sister passed away. I know from her death until publication was two years, seven months, and eleven days.
· How long does it generally take you to complete a work?
Now it takes about 10–12 weeks for a 100,000 word novel (400+ pages) since I write at least four chapters a week for my Patreon and Ream. So readers can read as I write, then get a finished copy of the ebook when it’s done. I have been writing 4–6 books per year since 2016.
· What has been your biggest ‘mistake’ thus far?
The biggest mistake was going into debt to afford an expensive book cover. Readers didn’t like the cover even though it was beautiful, so it didn’t sell. That was heartbreaking because I had no money to recover it. But it happens. Your cover can be on genre and hit all the conventions and just not click with readers. So make sure to spend only what you can in case you have to pivot because your first idea doesn’t work.
· This is such a common mistake, so thank you for bringing it up. What would you tell people about to make that same one?
Make a budget for your book and stick to it. Don’t let pretty art distract you. Sometimes, a not so pretty cover is more salable.
· Of all the milestones you’ve reached thus far, what has been your favourite?
Nothing compares to that moment when you hold your first book in your hands. But a close second is holding every book after that in your hands. Because then it’s real.
· When was the last time you celebrated a creative milestone?
I think the last time was in 2016 when I published that first book. But I want to celebrate in some way my next milestone because it was a lot of work. I wrote and illustrated a trilogy of humorous epic fantasy books, the Rogue Gods Trilogy, and I’m launching them through a Kickstarter campaign soon.
· What do you struggle with most as a creative person?
I love to write and I love to think about writing, but only one of those things actually gets the book done.
· *Dries tears of laughter* Have you always had that struggle or has it changed over time?
Yes, I love thinking about how the story could go, but I still hate when I have to pick one ending and write it. I like not knowing where the story is going. But to finish a book, I have to write the ending. So the struggle goes on. I win it more than I lose it since I have finished twenty-seven books, and I will finish the twenty-eighth book soon. But not today, because I want to play with different scenarios for a little longer.
· What advice would you give to creatives dealing with the same?
It’s the classic pantser versus plotter problem, which has been written and argued about extensively in author circles. For me, I just keep sight of the goal. I promised my sister I would finish all my stories and publish them, so I just keep doing that. It helps if, like me, you have another story you want to write immediately after you finish your current WIP because that story could go anywhere. So the magic is back!
· What do you do to stay inspired?
Inspiration is not an issue for me. I have more ideas than I know what to do with, and more show up all the time. I collect them.
· What is the biggest compliment you ever received about your work?
Reviews said my books are a rollercoaster ride, and I love that because they were a rollercoaster ride for me too while writing them. But they always end well somehow.
· What’s the best creative advice you ever received?
Question the premise. Becca Syme says that a lot, and she’s right. Look at who is saying what. What is their angle? How do they benefit if you take their advice? How do they make their money? Is it by doing the thing you want to learn from them or do they make money selling their courses? Test everything. There’s no magic bullet or golden ticket.
She’s definitely right, and it’s something I keep telling people as well. Before you take anyone’s advice, consider where they are in life and in their creative journeys, and how they got to where they are. Where did they get the expertise they claim having, and where’s the proof that it’s actually working as well for them as they’re saying?
Thank you for doing this with me, Melinda! Your answers have given us much to chew on. And good luck with your Kickstarter campaign!
You can find and connect with Melinda on her website, here on Substack, her blog, YouTube. If you want to support her work, you can subscribe to her on Patreon and on Ream.
You can listen to her podcast here, read Curse Breaker Enchanted for free here, and use code CBS20 to get 20% off all ebooks and audiobooks 2.99+ in her shop.
The Kickstarter campaign for her Rogue Gods Trilogy goes live as soon as her characters decide to listen and let her finish the last book. You can follow it here.
Are you a creative and would you like to be interviewed next? E-mail me at marielle@mswordsmith.nl and we’ll make it happen!