Myah Ariel: Stop Wondering and Start Writing

Myah Ariel is the author of debut contemporary romance When I Think of You (Berkley ’24). Her early love of movies led her from Arkansas to New York City where she earned a BA in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds an MA in specialized journalism for the arts from USC Annenberg.

For several years Myah worked across multiple roles in the film and entertainment industry before pivoting to work in academia. As a medical mom and a hopeless romantic, Myah is passionate about inclusive love stories. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Myah Ariel

Photo by Berkley Romance; 2023

In this post, Myah discusses the process of writing her debut novel, When I Think of You, her hope for readers, and more!

Name: Myah Ariel
Literary agent: Kim Lionetti at Bookends Literary
Book title: When I Think of You
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: April 16, 2024
Genre/category: Contemporary Romance
Elevator pitch: In this sweeping second chance romance from debut author Myah Ariel, the unexpected spark of two former flames may force them to choose between their dreams and each other.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I grew up in the 90s with an attachment to classic romcoms and a particularly strong affinity for the Black romances that populated TV, movies, and R&B music. I also studied film in college and worked for several years trying to “make it” as a wannabe film exec in Hollywood. Long after giving up on my movie-making dreams, these experiences began to materialize as a character in my mind—Kaliya, an aspiring movie producer who’d never caught her big break. Then there was Danny, her “one that got away” whose career had taken off, leaving her in the proverbial dust. I felt that through telling their love story, I could explore and exorcise all the unsettled feelings about Hollywood, success, power, and privilege that time and distance helped me better understand.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

My first draft took me about six months to complete in the second half of 2021. I spent the first few months of 2022 querying, and then revised over the summer after those queries turned into rejections with constructive feedback. And by Labor Day, I found my agent! We went on sub that fall and sold the book at auction by early November of 2022. I worked with my editor at Berkley throughout 2023 to polish and refine the novel, and we debut this spring.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I’ve been most surprised to discover the profound sense of community amongst authors, particularly those who share the same debut year. It’s a lot like finding yourself in this massive cohort at a prestigious grad school, where everyone’s goal is to launch their first book and our experiences will merge and divert at varying stages. The publishing process after landing a book deal can be incredibly opaque for those of us just stepping in, so it’s been very enlightening, exciting, anxiety-inducing, rewarding, etc., on the other end of it all.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

This was my first novel and first true attempt at creative writing. I had no formal schooling in this type of writing. So, the entire process was a massive learning curve, with the biggest surprise of all being that I could actually do it! I think the “lesson” here might be that if you have a story to tell, what’s left is taking (or making) the time to focus on the craft of writing it. In my case, I had to learn about three act structures, story beats, character arcs—even things as seemingly simple as how to properly format dialogue. I was really coming in on the ground floor.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

When I Think of You is a story about a young woman who is so busy fighting to be seen by everyone around her, she forgets that the most important thing is for her to truly see herself, her value, and her potential. And when she finally does, things start to change for her. So, I hope readers get a sense of empowerment from this novel. I also wove in themes of discrimination and privilege, both past and present, overt and subtle, and the ways in which they impact power structures and who gets access to success. It’s such a timely topic, not just for the entertainment industry, but society at large.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Three years ago, I had never written a book. So, if you’re like me back then and you are wondering if this is something you can accomplish—stop wondering and start writing. 

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