Paying Attention to My Values: An Interview with Melanie Bell

By Christina Consolino | July 21, 2025 |

Author Melanie Bell is a multi-genre writer. She started self-publishing poetry books as charity fundraisers but didn’t stop there. Her work includes a YA novel, a short story collection, a nonfiction book, a literary horror novella, and a musical. Melanie has also written for multiple magazines and websites and “has worked as an editor, university writing instructor, workshop facilitator, English as a Second Language teacher, freelance writer, and curriculum designer.” Like every other author or creative I’ve interviewed, she has a lot going on. Keep reading to find out what Melanie has on deck next.

Welcome, Melanie!

Christina: Congrats on The Heart Decided to Move, which came out in April. It’s a collection of “letters, poetry, and reflective prose,” that covers your “transformative journey” as you relocated to a new country. When did you decide to put together a collection—before or after you moved? How did you decide whether an idea became a letter, a poem, or a piece of prose?

Melanie: Thank you! After moving to the UK, I started writing poetry to process and convey my feelings about the experience. The poems, and the idea to bring them together in a book, came together over the years. Between working in a new country, traveling, and living through a pandemic, I had a lot to write about! I included earlier poems, too, to flesh out the collection. The Heart Decided to Move is basically a book of poetry—an earlier draft included more prose—and I created a pencil illustration for each thematic section.

Christina: The book “asks us to find our authenticity through the choices we make.” What does being authentic look like to you? When did authenticity become important to you?

Melanie: Authenticity has been important to me for as long as I can remember. For me, it involves paying attention to my desires and values. Within practical constraints, I try to let my inner compass guide my choices, over and above others’ expectations.

Christina: Choices! Every day, we make so many choices, some big and some small. Is choosing easy for you? Have you struggled with any choices in your life? Do you have any tips for those who might become incapacitated by having to choose?

Melanie: No, choosing isn’t easy for me! When I was younger, of course, my options were more limited. As an adult, I’m prone to questioning my choices. Where would I be if I’d chosen differently? It’s easy to wonder if walking a different path would have brought me closer to where I’d like to be. It’s impossible, though, to answer such questions! Who can say how different choices would have turned out? Moving to the UK seemed like the right thing at the right time, though. After learning that I qualified for an ancestry visa that allowed me to experience life on another continent, I felt compelled to pursue this experience. My advice on decision-making paralysis is not to spend too much time on fretting (since you can’t know the outcome of your choices in advance) or on regretting. And when you have regrets, see if there’s a way to reverse them. Some choices can’t be made a second time, but others can, or similar options can be pursued.

Christina: How does The Heart Decided to Move differ from your other work? How is it similar?

Melanie: All of my books have been quite different. I’ve co-authored a nonfiction book about personality types called The Modern Enneagram and written two fiction books—a short story collection called Dream Signs, which includes fantasy and science fiction stories, and a YA novel called Chasing Harmony, about a musical prodigy. I’ve also written plays and a radio play that were performed. Despite the broad variation in genre, I sometimes feel like I’m writing the same story over and over again. My work has a strongly personal dimension, and I like to focus on sound and word choice. I keep returning to themes of ability, sense of place, and how we spend our finite time. Those last two themes are prominent in The Heart Decided to Move.

Christina: Writing is not for the faint of heart, and being a multi-genre writer is especially challenging. Does one genre call to you over another, and if so, why? Do you decide on a genre first or a topic? Can you give us a little insight into your writing process?

Melanie: I usually start with a concept or idea. Genre can emerge out of what fits it best, and sometimes it’s determined by opportunities in the writing world, such as a publisher looking for a certain type of books or a showcase looking for plays. The complexity of the idea can also determine the piece’s length. Some ideas capture my attention so intensely that they become novels, and others inspire briefer reflections that lend themselves to a poem or short story. I have to admit that I especially enjoy fantasy and speculative elements where anything is possible.

Christina: What hazards does being a multi-genre writer bring?

Melanie: It’s harder to establish brand and visibility. Some writers are great at building up a readership who love the specific thing that they do. In the absence of a specific “thing,” it’s a little more challenging to publicly self-define.

Christina: You’re a certified teacher of the Enneagram personality typology. For those readers who don’t know what that means, can you give a simple explanation? What made you interested in the topic? How does one get certified? Are you willing to share what type of personality you are?

Melanie: The Enneagram is a personality typology based on core motivation. Each of the nine interconnected personality types has a different primary motivation. Two people might be doing the same thing for different reasons, and the Enneagram dives deeply into why. It’s worth taking the time to learn about it, past surface-level descriptions. When I discovered the Enneagram as a young adult, it was a catalyst for insight into myself that brought impactful, practical changes into my life. That got me interested in learning and teaching it. I studied and certified with The Enneagram Institute. I’m a type 4, which the Enneagram Institute calls “the Individualist.” I tend to focus inward and get absorbed in my feelings. My early “aha moment” came from realizing that feelings weren’t facts and, rather than expecting them to tell the truth or predict the future, I could benefit by choosing to do things I didn’t “feel like” and being open to possibilities.

Christina: You lead creative writing workshops for writers. What do you focus on in your workshops? Do you enjoy teaching? What do you hope is the most important lesson that your participants walk away with?

Melanie: I do enjoy teaching, though after doing it as a day job, I can appreciate the quietness of my current editorial work. Teaching writing is great because it’s a chance to help others articulate their ideas and shape them into art that connects with others. I hope participants walk away with more confidence in themselves and the value of what they have to say.

Christina: What’s next for you?

Melanie: Next year, my publisher Read Furiously will be releasing the romance novella I wrote during lockdown. Like many people, I turned to comforting stories during that time, and thought I’d try my hand at writing one. I have a couple of theatre projects in the works, and am working on a fantasy novel.