It’s A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with Odessa Rose, author of Water In A Broken Glass

Author’s Bio: ODESSA ROSE received her B.A. in English from Coppin State University and her M.A. in Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park. Her first novel, Water In A Broken Glass, captured the #6 spot on the On-Demand Best Seller list, received the Just About Books Annual Book Award, is ranked #17 on Accredited Online Colleges’ 20 Essential Novels For African-American Women list, was recorded for the Maryland School for the Blind, and is included in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature, Ethnic American Literature: An Encyclopedia for Students, and Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African American Fiction.  Water In A Broken Glass was also adapted into an award-winning feature film of the same title. 

Rose’s second novel, In the Mirror received the African American Expo Award for Fiction.  Rose is a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland. She and her husband are the creators of the television magazine, This Is Baltimore, Too. Rose resides in her hometown of Baltimore with her husband and their three children. 

Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book?

Odessa Rose:  The inspiration for writing Water In A Broken Glass came from two separate events. The first thing was a friend was going through her own coming out journey. It took her some time to tell me about her struggle with her sexual identity, because she thought our friendship would end if I knew. Our conversation left me wondering what I’d done or said to make her think that would be the case. The second thing was one morning while I was rushing around getting ready for work, I received a phone call from a woman. I thought she was a friend playing a joke on me, because it sounded like one of those prank calls you get from the radio station. It was hilarious when we realized she had the wrong number. When I got to work, my friend and the phone call for some strange reason formed together in my mind and I got the idea for Water.   

DL: How do you handle writer’s block?

OR: I walk away from the book. Not in a huff. Over the last few years, I’ve learned that my characters and I need space from one another from time to time. I used to get angry if the words were not coming. I figured out that that it wasn’t anger I was feeling. It was fear that I wouldn’t be able to finish the book. 

While working on my third novel, Kizmic’s Journey, the words weren’t coming as fast as I wanted them to. One day, I walked away from the computer. I stayed away for about three hours. When I sat back down, not only did the words flow, but they flowed in such a way that the scene came out better than it was before when I was trying to force the words to come. So, now when I get stuck, I walk away. Every single time I’ve done it, I’ve written much better scenes. 

DL: What is your writing process?

OR: My writing process goes like this: I get an idea for a book and I start writing. I don’t outline or do character sketches. I have a general idea of who the character is and what he or she wants and I go. After the first draft, I dive deeper into who the character is, what he or she wants and why. I research as I go along. I love the research aspect of writing a book. I learn so much about things I would never explore if it were not for this character. 

Like in Water In A Broken Glass, I had to learn about forensic sculpting. I read several books and watched tons of videos on how to sculpt. I also interviewed a few sculptors. To get a feel of an area, I go out and take pictures so I can describe it better. I listen to the sounds in the area, smell the smells. I engage all the senses when I’m researching. I need all of that to write, because I like to be as descriptive as I can. It’s little things that make a story come to life. With Kizmic’s Journey, I have a wall full of sketches and pictures. I even have a picture album that I created and referred back to as I was writing a scene. That’s the fun part.  

DL: What were some of the challenges when writing this book?

OR: One of the biggest challenges I faced was fear that people would not like Water In A Broken Glass because of the subject matter. Water was published in 2000. Being openly gay was not accepted like it is today. Not that people still don’t have their issues with it, but back when I first started writing the book, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was the policy in the armed services and in the civilian population. The other challenge was finding time to write. I was attending Coppin State University full time and working part time. So I had to squeeze the writing in whenever I could. But I don’t think I ever went a week without working on the book. 

DL: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

OR: As an adult, Toni Morrison has had a big influence on me as a reader and writer. I love the way she writes. I love the detail she gives a scene. One of my favorite books by her is Song of Solomon. In that book, she describes an old house, but instead of merely saying the house was old and dilapidated, Morrison wrote, the house looked like “it had been eaten by a galloping disease.” Whenever I’m being lazy with my writing, I’ll pick up Song of Solomon and just reading a few passages will make me go back and rewrite a scene. 

DL: What was the best writing advice you’ve ever been given?

OR: The best advice I received came from my mother when I was nine years old. It was summertime and I was sitting on the front steps reading one of my mother’s Reader’s Digest books. My mother is an avid reader. She stayed in bookstores and loves reading horror books. Well, I came across a story in that Reader’s Digest. I can’t remember the title or what it was about, but something about it struck me. My mother and father were sitting on the porch, and I turned around and said, “Hey Mama. I want to be a writer.” My father smiled encouragingly, and my mother said, “Well, write, baby.” I started writing the next day and haven’t stopped. 

DL: What are the keys to success in marketing your book(s)?

OR: Marketing is the hardest part about writing. You have to be creative and determined. Tell any and everyone about your book, which can be difficult because a lot of writers are introverts. We like writing books and talking about them, but we don’t want to be a salesperson. But in order for our books to sell, we have to figure out how to feel comfortable talking about our work. Not bragging. I know that’s one thing that held me back. I felt as if I were bragging. But watching other authors sell their work, I learned that talking about your writing is not bragging. It’s believing in your work. And if you don’t believe in it, if you don’t promote it, then why should anyone else? 

DL: What tips would you give to aspiring writers?

OR: The first tip I have for writers is to read as much as possible. That’s how you learn to write. Read all kinds of books, but especially read the books in the genre you write in. Then write. That’s the only way you are going to get the book written. Don’t talk about it more than you write about it. Get the story down on paper. Also, when I first started writing, I used to call myself an aspiring writer. Then one day a poet friend of mine said, “Odessa you write, so you are a writer.” Aspiring is synonymous with unpublished. But just because you are not published doesn’t mean you are not a writer. If you write, you’re a writer. That helped me to see myself as a writer and to value my work. 

DL: What would you like to share about Water In A Broken Glass?

OR: I’d like to provide the link (see below) for the film that is based on Water In A Broken Glass. It is written and produced by DC filmmaker, Jamelle Thomas. 

Synopsis for the film: A talented artist’s ascent to fame is challenged when her career is put in jeopardy. While meandering through the throes of a love triangle Tonya Mimms is forced to come to terms with herself as an artist and a woman.

It stars:

• Billie Krishawn as Tonya Mimms. She is an award-winning stage play actress.
• Candiace Dillard as Nikki. You may know her from the Housewives of the Potomac.
• Wes Hall as Malcolm. You’ve probably heard him on Howard’s radio station or seen him commentating on the Wizards’ games
• Toni Belafonte as Satin Pierce. She has starred on shows such as Law & Order, 911, FBI, and numerous commercials.
• Victoria Rowell as Aunt Josephine. I’m sure everyone remembers her as Drucilla on The Young and the Restless.
• Shani Ashley as Meyoki. She has appeared in several commercials as well.
• Lee Avant as Robin. She is an actress and designer. 

Here is the link for the trailer on AppleTV ‎Water in a Broken Glass on iTunes (apple.com)

You can also view it on Amazon Prime.

You can also buy it on Blu-ray or DVD. Amazon.com: Water in a Broken Glass [Blu-ray] : Jamelle Thomas, Lodge Street Films, Six Point Pictures, Tekoa Smith, Jamelle Thomas, Beth Zeiger, Stefan LaToure, Carletta Hurt, Danielle S. Mooney, Jamelle Thomas, Danielle S. Mooney, Billie Krishawn, Victoria Rowell, Wes Hall, Toni Belafonte, Candiace Dillard, Carlyncia Peck, Lee Avant, Shani Ashley Francillon, Omar McClune, Renea Brown: Movies & TV 

DL: What new projects are you currently working on?

OR: Right now, I’m working on my third novel titled, Kizmic’s Journey. I got the idea for this book right after Water In A Broken Glass was published, but every time I tried to write it, either life or another story got in the way. In January 2019, I decided that nothing was going to stop me from writing this book. I spent all of 2019 and 2020 working on it. And there were times, especially in 2020, that I wanted to toss it aside, but I asked God what He wanted me to do, and one Sunday, He told me three different ways to keep writing. And when I wrote “The End” in February 2021, I cried, because I was so happy that I didn’t quit. 

Readers can learn more about me and my work here:

• Website: http://odessarose.com/
• Amazon Author Page: Amazon.com: Odessa Rose: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/odessa.rose.3
• Instagram: Odessa Rose (@odessarose6) • Instagram photos and videos
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Odessarose6
• Book Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3laZVKs 

DL: Thanks so much for being here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you and your work.

OR: Thanks for having me!