An Interview With Melissa Ingoldsby

Ingoldsby is an avid writer on Vocal with over a 100 published stories and articles and a broad range of topics. Genuine, supportive and never disappointing, one of the golden girls of Vocal Media who is also a book author.

Interview

Melissa, it is with great pleasure that I do this interview. The sincerity of your expression shone through your posts, seriously, and your writing caught my attention. I thought, there is so much to discover about you so let's begin. May I introduce to you the lovely and talented Melissa Ingoldsby:

Let's start at the beginning: 1) How long have you been writing and what are your goals with it?

Thank you, Lisa, it is an honor to do this interview with you, as you are, to me, a very sincere and creative voice as a writer and as a support to us all. I have never been asked to do an in-depth interview and it makes me feel a bit nervous and humbled as there are so many talented and diverse artists and writers amongst our Vocal community. I started writing in elementary school and found it to be a great passion of mine. My goals are to reach a wide audience with my characters and stories, novels (still to be finished) and poetry with a large publishing house.

2) You have over 100 stories on vocal and probably at least as many subscribers. Wow, that is impressive. How do you manage writing, work, and family life, any advice for others with busy lives?

Thank you, I appreciate that. I do try to find a good balance. With my two sons, family and friends, I try to give them all the attention and care they deserve and require, and in between chores, cooking and errands and appointments, I sneak in time to catch up and write those stories down. Writing at night when everyone is asleep is also a great time to write, but to be honest, it is sometimes hard to wait. I literally feel that I have to—-because the feelings and the truth of the characters that I dream up don’t go away until I do. I had heard a interview with Stephen King once describe he has to write and how these things just flow out of him, and how he can’t stop. I would never say I am comparable to him writing wise, but I do understand that feeling.

3) You have a great diversity in writing topics, from fiction, horror, product reviews, with a special touch for character development - what is your favorite thing to write about?

Thank you, and I am glad you brought up characters, Lisa. Because that’s what I love. I love drawing up people. Dreaming of their woes, pains, loves, fears, nightmares and sadness—-their heart’s desire. That’s what I love to write about. The story is important too, but the character is what I care about first. Because I want you to care about them too.

4) Greatest Influences?

I would say my first greatest influence was a book I read in elementary school. It was in the Dear America series called, I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a freed girl. The way I connected so very deeply with her words in the first perspective and how I almost felt I knew her, it made a huge impact on me as kid. Reading her plans and fears and dreams made me want her to reach those goals. It made me want to fly, just like she did. People wise, I’d say it have to be my mom, who has always been up to read my stories and give her feedback and support! She has helped to inspire some of my stories such as the Half Paper Moon series, including the part where we read Barbara’s journal entries.

5) Favorite books, writers?

My favorite writers are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Rick Moody, Lois Lowry, Jeannette Walls, Albert Camus, J.D. Salinger, George Orwell, Carson Levine, Jonathan Barnes and last but not least Charlotte Brontë! Too many to list lol.

6) Do you consider writing an art or a well crafted skill?

I think that like most things it depends on how you view it. Do you want to create something to make money or to change a person’s life? It can be akin to being a chef. What do you want your work to be summed up as, skill or art? To spend the time to plate up a work of art made with care and devotion because of your passion for the craft—-or to keep churning out the same plates over and over with nothing new just because it pays your bills—-which is better? I’d say both have their merit, yet when it comes to writing, especially for our younger audience and children, it should be a well crafted work of art, made with as much love and passion and devotion as you have inside of you.

7) Do you have books in the works?

My zombie apocalypse series, I am Bexley, is still in the works and I am very passionate about it. It is about an apocalyptic world where zombies are in control of humans. I am absolutely going to finish this series, unfortunately it drew itself from my creative control a bit, and I became emotionally and physically exhausted, so I needed a break. I generally do not get what they call a traditional, “writer’s block.” I just get into these emotional slumps and need a breather from the material.

I also have another series with a fellow Vocal writer Graham Cooke, called the Grey Mane Series. We have been having a great collaborative process on this and definitely hope to finish it sometime in the next year or two.

8) Any opinions on the writing/publishing industry as it is now?

I have attempted over and over to reach out to many online and physical publications and magazines, cinema review websites (too many times to count), to get my foot in the door with my short stories and novellas, poetry and to pitch my writing ideas. None have accepted me yet. So, I may not have the best outlook on these platforms. However, I am not giving up. And, for all of you, I implore you don’t either.

9) Have you ever thought of play writing or screen writing or do you prefer the written word?

Yes, I would love to try this, yet I have no clue how to properly go about doing so! Lol

10) Is there anything else you would like to add that would let the public know more about you?

I am weird and I like strange dark humor, Tim Burton (his old, original stuff like Big Fish and Edward Scissorhands), Invader Zim, JTHM comic, and I really, really enjoy romance. Mickey and Minnie Mouse is my all-time favorite cartoon couple. They are just so darn cute!

How do you not luv that?! Thank you so much Melissa! I enjoyed doing this interview with you and reading your answers to let the world know more about you and your work. Looking forward to your novel when it is released and more of your Vocal stories. READ more of Melissa work here on her Vocal Page.

By Lisa Lachapelle, Writer, Author. More of her work here and here.