FAQs - Shamontiel's Motto: Live to Write

Frequently Asked Questions

1.) I'm currently working on a novel/short story/play. Do you have any advice for me about how to write professionally?

If you like to write, you should be an adamant reader. There are a billion books that will coach you through the writing process in every single bookstore, but the ones I'd recommend are Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual" (for the brave folks who want to self-publish), Fern Reiss' "The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days" (for marketing advice), my AC Article "How Booth Attendants Can Get Customers" (for book expos), but before you get any of those, please buy the latest edition of "The Writer's Market." "The Writer's Market" breaks down what book, magazine, and newspaper publishers are looking for; how to send your information (SASE, query letters, or full manuscripts), and when to send them so they don't end up on the slush pile. Marketing and networking is the hardest part of a writing career. You would think getting the book done is, but it's not even half the battle. Books like "Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships" by George C. Fraser give readers an excellent breakdown. Before you can break into any business, you have to research it first. Of course there will be mistakes along the way, but just don't make the same mistake twice. As far as the money end, the pay varies depending on the printer or the publisher. I will forewarn you that in any artistic business, the "starving artist" title is no joke. It usually takes time to really make a profit and sometimes you may have to have more than one word hustle. I have never been a full-time author, but I have much respect for those who took that leap.

2.) What made you want to be an author?

I've taken on a lot of hobbies over the years (nail design, styling hair, designing t-shirts, sewing/fashion design, photography, painting ceramics, playing the saxophone and piano, acting in plays, baking, dancing, and so forth), but as soon as I learned how to do each hobby, I was bored with it and promptly stopped (minus dancing--I still enjoy dance class and the occasional nightclub). However, there has never been a day in my life since I learned to write that I've ever been bored with such creativity. I'm a pretty outspoken person, as well as being sensitive and intense (read the description of a Scorpio; I don't think astrology is golden, but that particular description fits me), so I've always found writing as my means of therapy to get all of those emotions out of me. I write when I'm angry, disappointed, excited, inspired, flattered, and any other status. I enjoy writing even more than I enjoy reading a good book or watching an entertaining movie, two more things I love to do.

3.) How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

I went to a university for two years that had 8,000 students and only about 95 of them were Black. Northern Michigan University consistently ignored diversity groups, African-American history, African-American literature, and the newspapers would not talk about multi-cultural events on campus. I fought for two years with everyone from the cable company to the head of the English department about diversifying the education of students. It made me much more interested in my own culture. In a speaking event, one student asked me did I get anything positive out of going to NMU. I told him yes. If not for that university, I probably would not be so hell bent on learning more about my own culture besides the mediocre paragraph in textbooks that the Board of Education approves. Now I won’t let a day go by without learning some new African-American history fact.

4.)  What are your current writing projects?

I am currently a transcription editor and transcriptionist for Media Recall, a freelance writer for AssociatedContent.com, and Examiner.com's Chicago Relationships Examiner, Chicago Black Hair and Health Examiner, Chicago News & Events Examiner, and Chicago Fragrance Examiner.

5.)   What is a favorite book from your childhood?

I was a big fan of “Babysitters Club” books because Jessica was someone I could relate to, being a positive African American pre-teen like myself who liked to dance, and Ann M. Martin was the first author who encouraged me to write. I owned about 85 of those books, not to mention the "Ramona" series, some "Fear Street" books, some "Goosebumps" books, and you couldn't top me when it came to collecting "Peanuts" comic strips. I also used to bumrush the Sunday papers to check out "Curtis" and "Luann" comic strips.

6.)  What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading your books?

The best review I’ve gotten so far was from a young lady who read “Round Trip” and got tested for HIV/AIDS. Although her results were negative for that STD, she found out that she had another one. While that is not the outcome I hoped for, I still felt like her feedback was the most important because I strongly encourage everyone to get tested, if not for your partner, for yourself. Safe sex is imperative. I write about a lot of controversial issues: police corruption, HIV/AIDS, Greek hazing controversy, divorce, suicide, depression, politics, the color complex, the legal system, and rape, in addition to lighter topics like friendship, marriage, education, and youth. Even when writing fiction, I want to make a person think about their own life decisions afterward.

7.)  On your Associated Content page, you talk a lot about social and political issues in the African-American community. What is your motivation?

Fox News! That and the way mainstream media completely disregards positive things happening in the African-American community. Initially, I just wanted to discuss things that were on my mind, but some of my articles (such as the Jena 6 pieces) really took off. When I saw that people were interested in my work that they were not able to experience themselves, it made me take a second look at journalism. I took several courses in undergrad, but I'd never seriously though about going in that direction. However, I thoroughly enjoy being able to inform people about topics that are important to me, whether it's going to my alma mater to talk about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, discussing racism in educational facilities, and other topics that have high rankings on Google. Most of my articles are inspired while debating with people about something on the news or something that should be newsworthy. And then there's random inspiration I get from walking through a mall and seeing something that really interests me, like men's cologne or sagging pants. Reader feedback is what keeps me moving because I have some very opinionated, loyal readers.

8.)   Who has been your biggest supporter?

I've had a lot of supporters, and they are all mentioned in the front of "Round Trip." However, there has been no bigger supporter (or constructive critic) than my mother. What I really enjoyed about my mother's feedback was that she's not a fiction reader, so she came from a different perspective, plus she has zero problems telling me what works and what doesn't. In addition, she was there to travel with me to my first book signing in Missouri, walked around promoting me at local Bronzeville events, smiling and strutting to my table at the Hilton Chicago, and I'm sure she'd go anywhere else I asked her. She is absolutely my shoulder to lean on and the one who'll shake me to snap back into reality. Besides her, I was surprised by all of the feedback, appreciation, and truth that I got from people I didn't expect to embrace my work mainly due to the age group I was writing for. Pretty much anyone I came in contact with who read the book(s) gave me valuable information I needed. The only person I left out who has been a loyal reader since "Round Trip" is my brother-from-another-mother Shuntal, another loyal reader. If I write a third book, you'll get your XOXOs too.

9.) Do you feel more African-American youths are reading? If not, how can we help increase this.

I think that more African-American youths would read if they had stories they could connect with. Growing up, I can only think of one series of books that I could read with African-American characters, and that was Jessica from “The Babysitter’s Club.” I used to be so amped when one of the books was about her because she was pretty, loved to dance like me, and she was a positive person. She was also my age. I would also support comic strips like "Jump Start" and "Curtis," before "The Boondocks" came into play. There seems to be a gap in fiction--books go from elementary school straight to middle age. I specifically catered to a college audience because I wanted something that high school and college age students could relate to.

10.) How long did it take you to complete "Change for a Twenty" and "Round Trip"?

"Change for a Twenty" was initially a journal entry that I wrote in undergrad in about four months, but I went back to it later, re-read it, and decided that this would be a better book if I added more male characters to make the story fair and more entertaining. All in all, it was about eight months. "Round Trip" was also about that length of time. I've never had writer's block, so length or time has never been an issue for me. Making sure it's ready for the public to read takes far longer for me than actually writing the book, research included.

11.) What made you pick the topics you chose?

I read a lot of books, and growing up, I used to always want to read about the high school age and college age groups, which is the reason I loved the television show, "A Different World," so much. I've always been interested in the HBCU experience even before I went to Lincoln University (Missouri). Plus, I hung out with many girls who would tease girls who were not virgins and act like they were behind the times. I wanted to write a book for those girls who want to wait and let them know that it's a great thing to think seriously about your first. And as for "Round Trip," I'm dead tired of hearing so many cases of African American people who could've avoided this deadly disease if they'd just strapped up. I had a very close friend who rolled her eyes at the thought of wearing condoms and said it felt better without it. I asked her if life felt better to her than sex. She just stared at me. There are numerous other ways to get it, but having sex with protection is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself. I wanted to tell a story from the college perspective of that experience and how it can shape a person's growth.

12.) What types of classes or jobs should I pursue in order to be a full-time writer, author or journalist?

The beauty about loving to write is you can use your experience in many markets--Web sites, law firms, book publishing industry, newspapers, magazines, etc. I would recommend taking Creative Writing workshop classes (including poetry, nonfiction, and fiction writing classes) to develop thick skin for criticism. When you write something for the public, you have to be able to stomach the positive and negative feedback. While I've watched authors show their uglier side when their work was criticized, everybody who doesn't like your work is not a hater. Sometimes the most critical advice can improve your work, even if it's hard to hear. Listen. Learn. Improve. It's also a good idea to take editing classes. Every author is not an editor, and that's why editors will never go broke. However, authors tend to write better when they're pretty decent editors. Journalism courses are obviously going to be essential for the writers who want to work for newspapers and magazines and learn how to write articles, how to get valid sources from interviews, and the importance of research. I've been a Web Editor and Staff Writer for the "Chicago Defender" newspaper and the Message from Montie blogger with ChicagoNow.com (owned by the "Chicago Tribune"), an Assistant Copyeditor for an educational textbook publisher called Kaplan Financial (Dearborn Publishing) and a proofreading contractor for Pearson Education. But outside companies have hired me for my writing and web/book/news editing experience, including D'PUC Credit Union for web and newsletter editing, a legal claims company called Sedgwick CMS for transcriptions, and Media Recall for both transcribing and editing media projects. You don't have to work for a book publisher to be able to use your craft.

13.) What do you do when you're not writing novels?

Please check the Other Publications tab for more print and online work of mine. Outside of working and writing, I'm usually spending too much money on clothes at NY&CO, relaxing at the lakefront, visiting vegetarian restaurants like Quench! and Alice & Friends (now Loving Hut), sitting in a movie theater, driving around in my Suzuki, or hanging out with close family/friends. I try to travel as much as possible, and I'm really determined to get back to Niagara Falls before 2010. That waterfall is something else. I could sit there staring at the different colors at night all day long.

14.) You discuss the vegetarian lifestyle in both of your books. Are you a vegetarian? If so, why?

I don't eat anything that had eyes. Period. I make a point of not going around telling people who do eat meat about the horror stories of animal torture, but I am a vegetarian for the moral purposes. If you're interested in finding out the moral issues, I'd strongly suggest you check out "The Vegetarian Alternative: A Guide to a Helpful and Humane Diet." If you just want to know ideas on what to eat, please click the following links for great restaurants in the Chicago area: Alice and Friends (now Loving Hut), Chi-Tung, Vegetarian Life, Quench, and Protein Bar.

15.) Where did the title "Change for a Twenty" come from?

College is when people really start growing up and developing their individuality. In addition, when we get into our twenties, we start seeing what directions a person is going in. I think every single character in here started deciding on how they were going to react to relationships, education, friendships, and other obstacles during this age range. But "Change for a Twenty" without including "year old" was more catchy, don't you think?

16.) Who are your book cover artists? How can I contact them?

I loved working with the photographer of "Round Trip," and his name is Luke M. Schierholz. He is extremely flexible, creative, and deadline oriented, plus he was quickly able to imagine the type of imagery I wanted. You can see his work on Flickr or on his media website. The photographer for "Change for a Twenty," Evan J. Hunt, can be contacted here.

17.) Who is Maroonsista and Message from Montie?

Maroonsista is a long-time alias that I've been using since my sophomore year of college (2000). My favorite color is maroon, and everything from my microwave; phone; towels; and even my first car and license plate were maroon. The sista part is self-explanatory (i.e., black woman). Chances are if you see a username that's Maroonsista, it's me. As for where "Message from Montie" came from, click the link.

18.) What made you write about HIV/AIDS? Do you know someone with it?

I have always been very passionate about safe sex and being careful of who you sleep with. I was raised to respect my body, so I try to urge others (especially young people) to do the same. One of my favorite moments while promoting my own work was speaking at my alma mater, Lincoln University, about safe sex and BEHIV. If you want to read more about my focus on sex, check out the following articles: "How Do You Know When It's Time to Lose Your Virginity," "Condom Fitting, Sizes, and Allergies," and "Getting Tested for HIV/AIDS." And yes, I've met people with HIV/AIDS, but I am not close friends or related to anyone with it though.

19.) Are you going to write any more novels from a college perspective?

I don't believe I will. I think I've covered the issues I wanted to cover in college, but I will continue to write for the generation that doesn't get much attention in books. I enjoy writing about people my age, and I'd like to explore more issues that are important to Generations X and Y.

20.) When will you travel to a book signing or speak in my area?

I've done various book signings/speaking events/networking in several states. Word of mouth is the most powerful means of getting others unfamiliar with my work to pay attention. If you'd like me to come to your university or book club meeting, please spread the word to whomever is in charge and use the Contact Shamontiel link. I'm open to visiting any organization that is interested in having me there to network.