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Before I Forget cover image

Before I Forget

by Melissa Hill

Book of the Month: July 2009

Exclusives

A quick chat with Melissa

Did you always aspire to become a novelist or was it an accidental career?

I’ve always loved writing stories and have been a voracious reader since childhood, but being a novelist wasn’t something I ever considered for a career because I’d always believed that you needed to be very high profile or extremely well-connected to get a novel published, and I was neither. It was only when I was on holiday one year and was hugely disappointed by a book I was reading that the thought of writing my own crossed my mind. When I muttered to my husband that I could do better myself, he replied ‘Why don’t you then?’

When we returned home I sat down, starting writing and I haven’t stopped since.

How did the idea for Before I Forget come to you?

A couple of years back, I was snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and having the time of my life. For someone who can’t swim and is afraid of water, it was a pretty scary, but at the same time, hugely exhilarating experience. Afterwards I boarded a helicopter for a bird’s eye view of that same utterly beautiful reef and remember thinking to myself that as long as I lived, I would never, ever forget this.

In that same instant, the idea for a story was born. What if I had no choice in the matter? What if something happened to me that meant this and all the other great memories I’d gathered in my lifetime were lost? This is what happens to Abby in Before I Forget.

What kind of research, if any, did you need to do for the story?

When researching some of the items on Abby’s to do list, I went out and had some pretty unforgettable experiences of my own – I took a road trip across the US in a convertible, lost quite a lot of money on roulette in Vegas, and had a stand-off with a vicious rattlesnake in California. Who’d have thought researching novels could be so perilous?

Your books usually include a dramatic twist that surprises readers and turns the story on its head in many ways. How difficult is it conjuring a different twist for each novel?

It’s getting harder and harder with each new book as regular readers now try to outthink and catch me out at every turn. So I end up having to double and triple-bluff in the plot so as not to disappoint them. Inevitably I end up twisting myself in knots too, but really relish the challenge of keeping readers on their toes.

What is your typical working day like?

After taking my dog on his morning walk, I sit down at my desk, open up Word and immediately write a line of dialogue. Then I check emails and do any other necessary business online so by the time I’m ready to go back to writing, I’ve already kicked off a scene and am ready to go. On a good day, I work steadily throughout the day until about 4 pm. On a bad day, you’ll usually find me immersed in housework …

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Read as much as you can and read critically. Study what works for you and what doesn’t but don’t make too many comparisons to your own writing as you are on a learning curve. While I’m on the first draft of a novel, I will not – under any circumstances – allow myself to read another women’s fiction novel. I’ll read thrillers and sci-fi but nothing like I’m writing myself, otherwise, I get really disheartened despite the fact that mine is still a work-in-progress.

What’s next for Melissa Hill?

I’m just finished my next book Please Forgive Me, which is about a woman who rents a beautiful Victorian house in San Francisco and stumbles across a box of letters left behind by someone else. All are signed off with the words ‘Please Forgive Me’. Intrigued by these love letters, she tries to find out the story behind them.

Letter from the author

Dear reader,

So, there I was, face down in the ocean, terrified out of my wits, but having the most unforgettable experience of my life...

I was snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, and for someone who can’t swim and is afraid of water, it was a pretty scary, but at the same time, hugely exhilarating experience. And sometime later, when my hubby and I boarded a helicopter for a bird’s eye view of that same utterly beautiful reef, I remember thinking to myself that as long as I lived, I would never, ever forget this.

In that same instant, the idea for Before I Forget was born. What if I had no choice in the matter? What if something happened to me that meant this and all the other great memories I’d gathered in my lifetime were lost?

This is what happens to Abby in Before I Forget. One morning she’s going about her daily business when she gets hit on the head and sustains damage to the memory centre in her brain. The doctors tell her that all her long-term memories will soon begin to fade.

But Abby refuses to accept this and determined to fight it, she makes a list of all the things she’s ever wanted to do, and decides to go out and bombard her memory with experiences so strong they will be simply unforgettable. But will it work?

I particularly loved writing this story, because when researching some of the items on Abby’s to do list, I went out and had some pretty unforgettable experiences of my own – I took a road trip across the US in a convertible, lost quite a bit of money on roulette in Vegas, and had a stand-off with a rattlesnake in California!

I very much hope readers enjoy taking this journey, and will cheer Abby on while in her bid to save her memory, she faces her fears and rediscovers all the amazing things life has to offer. Perhaps it might even make them think about their own to do list.

But I also hope that they appreciate, like I did when writing the story, that while we all tend to seek out the extraordinary, the very best experiences in life can nearly always be found in the simplest of places.

With many thanks and best wishes,

Melissa Hill

Melissa's 10 Unforgettable Memories

1. My two weddings. I got married once in Ireland with friends and family and (to the same man) again on a beach in Bali.

2. Finding out my first novel would be published.

3. Holding a copy of the finished book in my hands.

4. The arrival of my baby nephew Luke.

5. Christmas dinner on top of the World Trade Centre in New York in the year 2000.

6. Finding out my book had reached No 1 in Ireland.

7. Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia when I’m terrified of water.

8. Bumping into a rattlesnake while hiking in Yosemite National Park.

9. Scaling the pyramids at Chitchen Iza.

10. Watching stars in the night sky over Uluru.

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

Melissa's Memories

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