Melissa Blair is an Anishinaabe-kwe of mixed ancestry living in Turtle Island. She splits her time between Treaty 9 in Northern Ontario and the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada. She has a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, loves movies, and hates spoons. Melissa has a BookTok account where she discusses her favorite kinds of books including Indigenous and queer fiction, feminist literature, and non-fiction.

I had the opportunity to interview Melissa, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’ll do this rapid fire: I grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada in a tiny town with less than a thousand people until I eventually moved to Ottawa for university. I always loved reading and wanted to write books as soon as I figured out that was a thing people did. If I’m not writing or reading, I’m usually playing board games, chilling with my dog Giizhik, or book shopping. 

What can you tell us about your latest book, An Honored Vow? 

I can say that it’s the end of Keera’s story, all her struggles and lessons come to a peak in this book and lots of exciting things happen to wrap it up. I’m hoping readers will find it just as satisfying a conclusion to the series as I do! 

How do you feel about the conclusion of your The Halfling Saga series?

Bittersweet. This story has been so much of my adult life, in some ways it’s the only stability I’ve had since the pandemic and that’s hard to let go of after so long. But it has also changed my life so drastically that I can freely explore other stories— I’m excited that I finally get to dive into something new. I’ll always be thankful to Keera for that. 

Were there any books/films/music/etc. that inspired you while writing this project?

Definitely! This series wouldn’t exist at all without all the authors who wrote fantasy romance and the readers who made the sub-genre so popular on BookTok. Those books were so much fun, and the community aspect only added to it. But like most fantasy subgenres, the most popular series had many colonial underpinnings that were left unaddressed. I wanted to read a fantasy romance that addressed them head on. And when I couldn’t find one on BookTok back then I decided to write my own. 

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, particularly fantasy?

I’ve always loved stories. Being Anishinaabe, our ways of knowing and being are taught to us through stories. Since I was strapped into my tikanagan, I was constantly emersed in story. As I got older, that familiarity drew me to the library. I loved it there with so many books for me to explore. But in the early 2000s, there weren’t a lot of characters and stories I could relate to—not a lot of families or protagonists who were native like me and my family. 

That’s where the spark has always come from. Wanting to write Indigenous characters into the stories I love so much. The fantasy part of it is just because I think it’s the coolest genre, the bounds are literally endless. 

How would you describe your writing process?

Chaotic. I think I’m just settling on a process now. It took a long time to discover how I worked as a writer and what matched my brain best. While it still changes, it always starts with a two-fuse spark: a scene and a theme. From there I tend to think about it for months—maybe even years. Once I’ve decided to actually write the book, I spend about a month plotting everything out, developing every piece of the world and lore and then I jump into the first draft. 

Thankfully, I have it all plotted out because I hate first drafts. That has never changed and probably never will. From there I read, edit, and draft again. After that it’s a rinse and repeat cycle until I have something that resembles a book. 

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating/challenging?

I love the prewriting stage. That’s when my mind is the freest and I can go in any possible direction. It’s also when I know I’m writing things the readers will never see—like fantasy lore, songs that inform the narrative but will never appear on page. It’s the closest I get writing completely for myself, and I always cherish that part. 

My next favorite stage would be the second and third drafts. That’s when the story in my head really starts to take shape and I feel like I’ve fully met my characters by then. I love that time, though getting there is often a struggle.

My least favorite part is always the first draft. I’ve dragged myself through every first draft I have ever written; it is a period of great boredom and self-doubt for me. Utterly dreadful but unfortunately necessary. 

How do you feel your writing process has changed (or stayed the same) since the beginning of your career?

It’s changed so much. I’ve just learned so much more since my first book and that helps me be a more efficient writer. I no longer write on MS Word, but use a program built for novel writing. I also have deadlines which means I’m much more regimented about my writing now. Before I would only ever write when I felt like it, and I’d always focus on the scenes I was most excited about. 

Now I’m at my desk everyday hitting a daily word count. I also spread out my favorite scenes throughout the drafting process so I always have something to look forward to. I think it’s the only way I’m able to finish each book. 

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

I’d like people to know I’m Anishinaabe and queer, especially if they’re going to jump into my books. But mostly that I’m a huge nerd, I think every dog is a good one, I’ll always stand for Landback, and I really, really hate spoons. 

What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers?

Write. Build a network of writers and artists now. If you want to do this in any professional capacity, you need a network of support. And it’s okay to be slow. If you’re struggling through a draft and think you’ll never finish your book just remember that many authors take years to write their books and so can you if you need it. But it also applies later in the process. Publishing is slow. When you need to make choices about your story or your career, you can take your time to make a decision. It’s not a sprint. Even when it feels like you can’t, you can always take a couple days. 

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I can say that Keera’s story has ended but it won’t be the last you’ve seen of her. I can’t say anything official about other projects, but I would tell readers to expect more stories from me and in some different genres! 

Finally, what books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

If you’re looking for something fantasy romance with queer vibes, I always love to recommend A. K. Mulford. If you’re wanting something that explores heavier, political themes, I think everyone should read N.K. Jemisin. For more Indigenous books, you can’t go wrong with anything Cherie Dimaline or Eden Robinson have written!