Nick Pageant is best known for his novels Beauty and the Bookworm and Billy’s Turn. He has a way of writing stories that readers enjoy, creating page turning novels.
What made you decide to write m/m fiction?
I wanted to write about my own life. (I’m very lazy.) M/M is the best way I’ve found to do good, honest writing. It’s also what I read more than any other genre, so my mind is always spinning in that direction. There are so many m/m writers to look up to as heroes and mentors – Josh Lanyon, Amy Lane, and Eli Easton, just to name a few. All these things fit together to push me toward m/m.
How did you begin your career and how did you grow your fan base to be so humongous?
I wouldn’t call it humongous, but it’s growing rapidly. Interacting with readers is the best way to grow your fan base. If readers know that you’re interested in their opinions, I think they will be as loyal to you as you are to them. As for starting my career, I majored in creative writing. I encourage anyone who wants to write to get some classes under their belt. Once school was wrapping up I decided to take the plunge and haven’t looked back.
Has living in the Northwest influenced your writing?
Absolutely. Portland, Or. is always a character in my books. There’s something very free about the Northwest and the people here. Everyone is creative in one way or another. The whole atmosphere of Portland is conducive to creativity and the artistic spirit.
Who is the LAST person you’d want to discover you write m/m fiction? How do you think they’d respond?
I have some very homophobic family members, so probably them. Everyone knows I write, but not what I write. If they were to find out, I think there would be some fireworks, but I’d keep writing.
What was it like creating the relationship between Mason Leery and Shane Beaumont?
I am Mason. It was great fun imagining, and writing, about meeting the perfect guy. I just wrote myself, Mason, and then imagined Mr. Wonderful running past my favorite park bench. The story flowed quite easily from there.
Why do you think so many women love to read m/m?
I hate this question. I can only make assumptions, but I think that women like to see the sensitivity that men are actually capable of in life. M/M books offer a window into men’s emotions that people don’t normally see portrayed in other fiction. Plus – the sex is hot!
What, or who, inspired you to write Billy’s Turn?
I have a disabled, gay cousin. Billy’s Turn is for him. He has had real struggles in the love life department, but I’m sure he’ll find his Prince Charming in the end. He’s my hero and a very determined guy.
Do you have any current projects?
I’m finishing up a comedy called From Penthouse To Pup Tent and writing hard on a love story called Aspens and Oceans. Penthouse To Pup Tent is a bit of cotton candy for the brain in the same vein as Beauty and the Bookworm. Aspens and Oceans is about a long-term, long-distance love affair between two men who can’t quite get it together and make each other happy. I’m very proud of it and think it’s probably my best work.
Tell me about your writing process from idea to finished draft? Do you rewrite to death? Do you outline?
Ideas usually come to me from real life. I take a problem I’m having and write about it, usually having things turn out the way I wish they would in real life.
I usually outline. I don’t rewrite so much as edit, edit, edit. My books, in their published form, are usually less than half of what I actually wrote.
How long does it typically take you to write a novel?
Roughly three months – but that varies a great deal. I wrote Beauty And The Bookworm very quickly – about a month, but three months at 6 hours a day is normal for me.
What was it like creating Charlie Reed, and his relationship with Lane Frost?
Terrible. I hate that book. I’m rewriting and expanding it, but I doubt it will ever see the light of day again.
What advice do you have for those thinking about writing gay romance and what advice do you have for those who are trying to build an audience from scratch?
Read the genre – as many books as you can so that you understand what readers are looking for. There are certain tropes that readers want to see in their books. I try to follow the rules readers have laid out in their reviews whenever I can. That’s not always possible, because a story goes where it wants, but I try to keep readers in mind when I’m writing.
Building an audience – write a book that speaks to people and take advantage of sites like goodreads. The readers there are brutal critics, but they’re very supportive as well. They will tell their friends about your books and you’ll find your readership growing.
Jamie Lake is the author of Bad Boy: Naughty at Night and other m/m gay romance novels.
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