Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Joy E. Held
Book Title: The Mermaid Riot
Released: 03/03/24
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “The Mermaid Riot”?
Held: The Mermaid Riot was inspired by a tweet. I caught an agent’s tweet several years ago about “The Mermaid Incident” legend that happened in Charleston, South Carolina in 1867. The event was so real that the Charleston Daily News ran more than one story about the episode at the time. The agent’s tweet directed me to a 2015 article written by Dustin Waters reviving the story in the Charleston City Paper. The newspaper article by Waters hooked me on the idea of writing a book. I never found the tweet again, but when COVID hit, I had lots of time at home to write. After tons of research, I plotted the story. It took me a total of six months full-time to plot and write the book.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Held: Part of my research included the global legends of mermaids and the various names used for them. I first searched the Greek word siren which translates to “enchanter or entangler.” From there, the word serena popped up in the search and is Spanish for “mermaid.” Mami-Wata I learned about in more than one resource, and it denotes the African water spirit that is a central focus in The Mermaid Riot. I even researched the history of the wheelchair and the kind of fabric used to make a hot air balloon in the 19 th Century.
This painting served as the inspiration for Serena:
I found the name for Tobi in “popular names for boys” at the Social Security dot gov website:
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1880s.html
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Held: Me: I’ve taught college English and creative writing for 21 years. I’m a creative writing instructor in the online MFA Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University. I also teach hatha yoga and meditation as well as being the founder and CEO of https://mywriteday.com/ subscription box for writers.
If "The Mermaid Riot" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Held: The Mermaid Riot as a movie is an awesome idea, and I actually plotted the book following the guidance of Alexandra Sokoloff’s wonderful book Screenwriting Tricks for Authors, Stealing Hollywood, Story Structure Secrets for Writing Your Best Book which riffs off successful movie script structure. Of all the story structure options out there, Stealing Hollywood worked the best for The Mermaid Riot.
For contemporary actors to play the roles, I would suggest:
Tobi Doyle to be played by Jonah Hauer-King because he’s done a lot of historical movies including the live-action Disney The Little Mermaid! I think Suri Cruise would be wonderful as Serena Robinson because she is young, energetic, sings/dances/acts like her Mom, and knows what she wants.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Held: Sorry to disappoint, but writer’s block is not a problem I face. I am cursed with writer’s diarrhea and not enough time to write down all the ideas I have. I credit my persistent journaling habit for protecting me from writer’s block.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Held: A. Invest in serious training as a writer.
B. Butt in chair writing five days a week (which is different from five times a week). Fifteen minutes a day in a year produces a rough draft of a book.
C. Become a stellar literary citizen.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Held: My favorite genre is and always has been historical romance. I grew up reading Catherine Cookson, Connie Mason, and Johanna Lindsey.
What are you working on next?
Held: There are several projects currently in the hopper.
Book 2 for Mermaid tells Serena’s story.
Book 2 of my current adult historical romance is set in 1800 along the Ohio River and tells the story of a young immigrant woman who wants to own a tavern in Marietta, Ohio during the heyday of the ship building era in that town.
My WriteDay subscription box is a year old in September and expanding to cater to kids and teen writers.
Learn More About the Author and The Mermaid Riot:
I absolutely love to hear from readers and other writers.
https://joyeheld.substack.com/
For links to most of my social media accounts in one place: https://linktr.ee/joyeheld
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
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