Meryl Brown Tobin is well known in Bass Coast for her poetry, short stories and non-fiction but she has entered new territory with her first novel, a romantic suspense set in the
far northwest of Australia.
far northwest of Australia.
Post: Why a novel now? Was this a pandemic project?
Meryl Brown Tobin: It is now because, after many years of writing novels, I have found a publisher who appreciates what I have to offer and has taught me how to write my love story in a way they are prepared to publish.
Post: Love and crime – a classic combination. Did you have a lot of fun writing this?
MTB: I enjoy writing but to me writing is a serious business. I could describe it as satisfying but not fun unless writing a comic scene.
Post: Did you read a lot of romances or thrillers before you wrote Broome Enigma?
Meryl Brown Tobin: It is now because, after many years of writing novels, I have found a publisher who appreciates what I have to offer and has taught me how to write my love story in a way they are prepared to publish.
Post: Love and crime – a classic combination. Did you have a lot of fun writing this?
MTB: I enjoy writing but to me writing is a serious business. I could describe it as satisfying but not fun unless writing a comic scene.
Post: Did you read a lot of romances or thrillers before you wrote Broome Enigma?
MBT: As a young person, I might have read the usual Jane Austen, EV Timms and the like but I wouldn’t call their books romances – they are more stories about people and involve love. Once I won 10 romance novels in a competition and I read them all. I was surprised at the quality of the stories as they brought in subplots about environmental issues and other issues of interest to me.
Rather than read romances, I watch films and TV dramas and series, which might or might not include love stories, and detective stories. I like a bit of suspense but I don’t read or watch thrillers as I am not a lover of extreme stress or tension, violence or horror. I enjoy programs such as historical and contemporary dramas with love stories within them, such as ‘Sara Dane’, ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘Poldark’, ‘Downtown Abbey’, ‘Vanity Fair’, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Victoria’ and also comedies such as ‘The Vicar of Dibley’. Some detective programs I enjoyed were the first seasons of ‘Midsomer Murders’ with Tom Barnaby played by John Nettles, ‘Inspector George Gently’, ‘Morse’, ‘A Touch of Frost’ and ‘Vera’, and the legal dramas ‘Rumpole of the Bailey’ and ‘Judge John Deed’.
Rather than read romances, I watch films and TV dramas and series, which might or might not include love stories, and detective stories. I like a bit of suspense but I don’t read or watch thrillers as I am not a lover of extreme stress or tension, violence or horror. I enjoy programs such as historical and contemporary dramas with love stories within them, such as ‘Sara Dane’, ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘Poldark’, ‘Downtown Abbey’, ‘Vanity Fair’, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Victoria’ and also comedies such as ‘The Vicar of Dibley’. Some detective programs I enjoyed were the first seasons of ‘Midsomer Murders’ with Tom Barnaby played by John Nettles, ‘Inspector George Gently’, ‘Morse’, ‘A Touch of Frost’ and ‘Vera’, and the legal dramas ‘Rumpole of the Bailey’ and ‘Judge John Deed’.
 Bass coast writer Chrissie Michaels will launch Broome Enigma at the Wonthaggi Library on Saturday, November 25 at 11am. Copies will be on sale at the launch for $30 or contact the author at h-mtobin@bigpond.com | Post: Are the characters based on anyone we know? A young Meryl, for instance? MBT: No, a young Catherine. (Just joking, Catherine.) My characters are fictional, but real-life people or an amalgam of them can inspire a character. For instance, years ago on an Outback Australia trip, we met a handsome young man who gave rise to Joe, the main male character in Broome Enigma. Very tanned and dressed only in jeans and sandals, the man was moving sprinklers around a caravan park lawn. Except for his subdued personality, this man could have just walked off a film set where he was the star of a film about surfing. As he seemed so out-of-place in his caravan park job, I wondered how he came to be there and eventually came up with some fictional answers to the mystery. Post: Can we expect a future romantic suspense novel by Meryl Brown Tobin to be set in Bass Coast? In the 30 or so years I have been writing novels, I have already written one set in the Wonthaggi-Cape Paterson area. Another was set in the Waterline area. When I rewrite them in The Wild Rose Press style, maybe they too will be published. |
Meryl's tips on writing a romance or other novel
- Read widely, especially in the genre of interest. Try to analyse why a work is successful or not.
- Write what you know and what you can research to fill in the gaps.
- Do a writing course. It’s a lot quicker than learning by trial and error.
- Network with other writers. Join writer support groups such as Bass Coast Writers based in Inverloch, the Ibis Writers, Writers Victoria, The Society of Women Writers Victoria and the Australian Society of Authors.
- Get constructive criticism, whether from a TAFE course, writing buddies, a mentor or a good editor.
- Plan your novel. You might fully set it out before you start or you might have an outline in your head and let your novel unfold as you write.
- Show, don’t tell.
- Write your rough draft without worrying about editing. The main thing is to get it down. Editing can come later.
- Keep a journal or writer’s notebook, especially when travelling.
- If you think writing a novel is hard, wait until you try to find a publisher or an agent, or, if you self-publish, a market. Consider trying The Wild Rose Press Inc, which published Broome Enigma. It was established by two authors who believe publishing should be a joint effort between publisher, author and editor.