It gives me great pleasure to welcome Christina Hamlett onto the website today. Former actor and theatre director, Christina is an award-winning author whose credits to date include no fewer than 44 books, 254 stage plays, five optioned feature films and countless articles and interviews both online and in print.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Christina.
Christina: I was an only child growing up and, consequently, entertained myself by reading, writing stories and penning lively theatricals for my puppets and stuffed animals. Since I supplied all the voices of my make-believe characters, the neighbors were convinced I had squillions of siblings. Interestingly, this was a precursor to my adult life as a playwright. Specifically, whenever I wrap work on a new script, my husband and I do table-reads over adult beverages in the dining room. On summer nights when the windows are open and we’ve thrown ourselves with gusto into a variety of accents, I’m pretty sure anyone within earshot thinks there are at least 17 other people living with us.
Acting and writing have always been intertwined in my career path. My first job out of high school was with a weekly newspaper. I was the publication’s movie and play critic, and one of my early assignments was to attend a performance at the local melodrama theatre. The show looked like such fun that I followed up with a letter a few months later to the husband and wife producer/director team and asked if I could audition. Mind you, I had never acted before in my life but, hey, how hard could it be? Although they already had enough actors that they really didn’t need any more, they graciously invited me to come and watch a rehearsal for their next production the following Sunday afternoon. As Fate would have it, the heroine was painting her house that day and forgot she was supposed to be at practice. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! They needed someone to stand in and read her lines. I must have made a stellar impression because they immediately made me the understudy for all the women’s roles and even wrote me into some dance numbers. Long story short, I not only stayed in theatre for the next 16 years but also launched my own touring theatre company, The Hamlett Players.
Much as I loved acting and directing, however, I knew I’d have to find something that would give me greater flexibility, a longer shelf-life as a creative, and free up more of my time. That “something” was playwriting coupled with novels, short stories, business books and articles. It must have been a smart choice because my credits to date now include 44 books and 254 stage plays. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that those years I spent treading the boards were what taught me everything I know about dialogue, character development, pacing and set design.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Christina.
Christina: I was an only child growing up and, consequently, entertained myself by reading, writing stories and penning lively theatricals for my puppets and stuffed animals. Since I supplied all the voices of my make-believe characters, the neighbors were convinced I had squillions of siblings. Interestingly, this was a precursor to my adult life as a playwright. Specifically, whenever I wrap work on a new script, my husband and I do table-reads over adult beverages in the dining room. On summer nights when the windows are open and we’ve thrown ourselves with gusto into a variety of accents, I’m pretty sure anyone within earshot thinks there are at least 17 other people living with us.
Acting and writing have always been intertwined in my career path. My first job out of high school was with a weekly newspaper. I was the publication’s movie and play critic, and one of my early assignments was to attend a performance at the local melodrama theatre. The show looked like such fun that I followed up with a letter a few months later to the husband and wife producer/director team and asked if I could audition. Mind you, I had never acted before in my life but, hey, how hard could it be? Although they already had enough actors that they really didn’t need any more, they graciously invited me to come and watch a rehearsal for their next production the following Sunday afternoon. As Fate would have it, the heroine was painting her house that day and forgot she was supposed to be at practice. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! They needed someone to stand in and read her lines. I must have made a stellar impression because they immediately made me the understudy for all the women’s roles and even wrote me into some dance numbers. Long story short, I not only stayed in theatre for the next 16 years but also launched my own touring theatre company, The Hamlett Players.
Much as I loved acting and directing, however, I knew I’d have to find something that would give me greater flexibility, a longer shelf-life as a creative, and free up more of my time. That “something” was playwriting coupled with novels, short stories, business books and articles. It must have been a smart choice because my credits to date now include 44 books and 254 stage plays. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that those years I spent treading the boards were what taught me everything I know about dialogue, character development, pacing and set design.
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Christina: Whether it’s a new plot for a play or a novel, it’s always replete with snappy conversations, characters that readers fall in love with, copious twists and red herrings, and, of course, humor. Along with romantic comedy, mysteries and time travel themes, I’m zealous about doing historical research and imagining “what-if” scenarios in which my fictional personas cross paths with—and sometimes even influence—those who actually lived in prior centuries. In many of my scripts for the high school market, my focus of late has been on real-life heroines whose courage and indomitable spirit make them savvy role models for future generations.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Christina: I always know how the novel or script will begin and how it will end up. What happens throughout the middle is largely left up to my characters. After all, they know their own story better than I do, right? My most interesting development process is the one I share with my writing partner, Jamie Dare. The two of us think and write so much alike that our collaborations are seamless. For instance, I’ll write an opening scene or chapter and hand it off to Jamie with a list of “reveals” which are new characters and plot points to be introduced. She has a lot of latitude within that framework to develop the next chapter before handing it back to me. This keeps things fresh and exciting for both of us from start to finish. What is perhaps even more amazing about our partnership is the fact we have been a successful team since 2012 but have spoken only once on the phone and have never met in person. Our philosophy is that if a system works, why mess with it?
Christina: Whether it’s a new plot for a play or a novel, it’s always replete with snappy conversations, characters that readers fall in love with, copious twists and red herrings, and, of course, humor. Along with romantic comedy, mysteries and time travel themes, I’m zealous about doing historical research and imagining “what-if” scenarios in which my fictional personas cross paths with—and sometimes even influence—those who actually lived in prior centuries. In many of my scripts for the high school market, my focus of late has been on real-life heroines whose courage and indomitable spirit make them savvy role models for future generations.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Christina: I always know how the novel or script will begin and how it will end up. What happens throughout the middle is largely left up to my characters. After all, they know their own story better than I do, right? My most interesting development process is the one I share with my writing partner, Jamie Dare. The two of us think and write so much alike that our collaborations are seamless. For instance, I’ll write an opening scene or chapter and hand it off to Jamie with a list of “reveals” which are new characters and plot points to be introduced. She has a lot of latitude within that framework to develop the next chapter before handing it back to me. This keeps things fresh and exciting for both of us from start to finish. What is perhaps even more amazing about our partnership is the fact we have been a successful team since 2012 but have spoken only once on the phone and have never met in person. Our philosophy is that if a system works, why mess with it?
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Christina: While You Were Out (written with Jamie) is our first foray into chick lit and features a leading man who looks like Robert Downey, Jr. (Major swoonage!) The premise: It’s one thing for Henny Tinker to think that her handsome and charismatic new boss, Geoffrey Bond, is way out of her league. The more she reflects on his secret trips and his uncanny ability to acquire never-before-seen artworks, the more she starts to suspect that he’s also – quite literally - out of her time-zone. Could it have something to do with the Scottish railway clock in his office that runs perfectly… in reverse? Is it his penchant for period outfits that supposedly coincide with the various themed costume parties he attends? Or has Henny simply been watching too many time-travel movies with her father and now sees evidence of its existence everywhere she looks? Set against the backdrop of modern-day London, While You Were Out is just the right mix of romantic comedy, mystery and a dash of wicked competition in the world of expensive art acquisitions.
Along with a plethora of new scripts, two new chick lits are in the works: Saving Captain Cupid (set in Seattle) and Til the Cows Come Home (set in Ireland).
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Christina: A Fairy To Stay written by Margaret Beatrice Lodge in 1928. Sometime when I was in high school, my mother gave away a lot of my favorite books without me knowing it. I was upset to discover this was one of them. It wasn’t until my 40s that I remembered it and did a search on Amazon. At that time, there was only one copy available and it was over $150. It meant so much to me that I bought it. Imagine my surprise when it arrived and on the inside cover was my own bookplate from childhood. I was also an avid fan of Nancy Drew mysteries and still have seven of the originals from the 1930s in my home library.
Christina: While You Were Out (written with Jamie) is our first foray into chick lit and features a leading man who looks like Robert Downey, Jr. (Major swoonage!) The premise: It’s one thing for Henny Tinker to think that her handsome and charismatic new boss, Geoffrey Bond, is way out of her league. The more she reflects on his secret trips and his uncanny ability to acquire never-before-seen artworks, the more she starts to suspect that he’s also – quite literally - out of her time-zone. Could it have something to do with the Scottish railway clock in his office that runs perfectly… in reverse? Is it his penchant for period outfits that supposedly coincide with the various themed costume parties he attends? Or has Henny simply been watching too many time-travel movies with her father and now sees evidence of its existence everywhere she looks? Set against the backdrop of modern-day London, While You Were Out is just the right mix of romantic comedy, mystery and a dash of wicked competition in the world of expensive art acquisitions.
Along with a plethora of new scripts, two new chick lits are in the works: Saving Captain Cupid (set in Seattle) and Til the Cows Come Home (set in Ireland).
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Christina: A Fairy To Stay written by Margaret Beatrice Lodge in 1928. Sometime when I was in high school, my mother gave away a lot of my favorite books without me knowing it. I was upset to discover this was one of them. It wasn’t until my 40s that I remembered it and did a search on Amazon. At that time, there was only one copy available and it was over $150. It meant so much to me that I bought it. Imagine my surprise when it arrived and on the inside cover was my own bookplate from childhood. I was also an avid fan of Nancy Drew mysteries and still have seven of the originals from the 1930s in my home library.
Alex: Wow! What an extraordinary thing to happen. There's probably a rather good short story in it. How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Christina: Research is one of my favorite things to do, and I like to have all of my notes on hand before I embark on a new project. Invariably, tidbits and factoids that don’t make it into a current project will always find their way into something else.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Christina: Oh absolutely. There’s no shortage of ex-boyfriends, insufferable bosses and dysfunctional relatives who might otherwise be chalk outlines on the floor if I hadn’t pursued a safer career in fiction. What continues to amaze me is that (1) the really rotten ones never recognize their villainous counterparts in print and (2) everyone else assumes they were the inspiration for the characters who are dashing, charming and sexy. To those in the second category, my response is to smile sweetly and say, “My, my, how very clever you are to have seen through the disguise.” It would only hurt their feelings if I said, “Actually we were writing about Robert Downey, Jr.”
Alex: Haha. I love your honesty. Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Christina: Two of my most recent reads were angst-inducing page-turners: The Last Flight by Julie Clark and Who Is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews. While both embrace a trope that has been done and redone ever since The Prince and the Pauper, the daring idea of stepping into another’s shoes and doing a walkabout is a theme that never grows old.
Christina: Research is one of my favorite things to do, and I like to have all of my notes on hand before I embark on a new project. Invariably, tidbits and factoids that don’t make it into a current project will always find their way into something else.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Christina: Oh absolutely. There’s no shortage of ex-boyfriends, insufferable bosses and dysfunctional relatives who might otherwise be chalk outlines on the floor if I hadn’t pursued a safer career in fiction. What continues to amaze me is that (1) the really rotten ones never recognize their villainous counterparts in print and (2) everyone else assumes they were the inspiration for the characters who are dashing, charming and sexy. To those in the second category, my response is to smile sweetly and say, “My, my, how very clever you are to have seen through the disguise.” It would only hurt their feelings if I said, “Actually we were writing about Robert Downey, Jr.”
Alex: Haha. I love your honesty. Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Christina: Two of my most recent reads were angst-inducing page-turners: The Last Flight by Julie Clark and Who Is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews. While both embrace a trope that has been done and redone ever since The Prince and the Pauper, the daring idea of stepping into another’s shoes and doing a walkabout is a theme that never grows old.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Christina: Social media, interviews, blogs, teaching and consulting. A journalism professor I had in college served up the advice, “You never try to sell your book. What you sell is your expertise as being the best qualified person to have written it.”
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Christina: My husband and I are both gourmet chefs and we’re always on the lookout to find new recipes to try. We love traveling as well, and at such time traveling actually becomes fun again, there are quite a few places on the planet we’d like to see. My other interests include photography, playing the piano, and teaching online classes in playwriting and screenwriting. As for unwinding, we recently moved to a new townhouse with its own lake and lots of trees in SW Idaho. We truly feel as if we live miles in the country even though we’re not far from civilization. Walking our dog around the lake and watching the ducks, swans and geese is a lovely slice of Heaven.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Christina: For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie and her marvelous ability to craft copious twists and turns in her plots—all the while leaving the real clues in plain sight. Jane Austen? Count me in! For contemporary authors, I enjoy Rhys Bowen, Alexander McCall Smith and Jacqueline Winspear. All three excel at character development, smart dialogue and creating a sense of place so detailed that I always feel as if I’m in the scene myself. Lastly, I never tired of reading the works of Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare. They were all at the top of their game in the theatre world and I like to believe they have been an influence in my own wordsmithing.
Alex: Thank you so much Christina for sharing so much fascinating insights into your writing world. Your writing partnership with Jamie is really interesting. For many years I used to work with a partner as a creative team in the advertising industry in London, and I guess in many ways it's similar in that you can bounce ideas off someone on the same wavelength. And when you have that kind of partnership, you know between the two of you when something feels right. Anyway, I've really enjoyed hearing what you have to say and I'm sure our readers will, too.
Christina: Thank you Alex. It's been great fun.
Christina: Social media, interviews, blogs, teaching and consulting. A journalism professor I had in college served up the advice, “You never try to sell your book. What you sell is your expertise as being the best qualified person to have written it.”
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Christina: My husband and I are both gourmet chefs and we’re always on the lookout to find new recipes to try. We love traveling as well, and at such time traveling actually becomes fun again, there are quite a few places on the planet we’d like to see. My other interests include photography, playing the piano, and teaching online classes in playwriting and screenwriting. As for unwinding, we recently moved to a new townhouse with its own lake and lots of trees in SW Idaho. We truly feel as if we live miles in the country even though we’re not far from civilization. Walking our dog around the lake and watching the ducks, swans and geese is a lovely slice of Heaven.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Christina: For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a fan of Agatha Christie and her marvelous ability to craft copious twists and turns in her plots—all the while leaving the real clues in plain sight. Jane Austen? Count me in! For contemporary authors, I enjoy Rhys Bowen, Alexander McCall Smith and Jacqueline Winspear. All three excel at character development, smart dialogue and creating a sense of place so detailed that I always feel as if I’m in the scene myself. Lastly, I never tired of reading the works of Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare. They were all at the top of their game in the theatre world and I like to believe they have been an influence in my own wordsmithing.
Alex: Thank you so much Christina for sharing so much fascinating insights into your writing world. Your writing partnership with Jamie is really interesting. For many years I used to work with a partner as a creative team in the advertising industry in London, and I guess in many ways it's similar in that you can bounce ideas off someone on the same wavelength. And when you have that kind of partnership, you know between the two of you when something feels right. Anyway, I've really enjoyed hearing what you have to say and I'm sure our readers will, too.
Christina: Thank you Alex. It's been great fun.
