Steph Vizard: 'Competitions can be a great way to work to deadlines and serve as motivation to push your work forward'

Steph Vizard studied on our Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in London in 2013 and, more recently, our six-week online Writing a Romance Novel course with Jenny Colgan. Her debut novel The Love Contractis to be published by HarperCollins Australia on 30 August 2023.

We spoke with her about studying with CBC, the inspiration behind her debut, creating chemistry between romantic leads and her advice for entering writing competitions.

You studied on our Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in London in 2013 and, more recently, our six-week online Writing a Romance Novel course with Jenny Colgan. How did the courses impact your approach to writing?

Both courses were a game changer for me. During the three months course in London I learned so much about how the industry works, which was invaluable when it came time to prepare The Love Contract for submission. One moment that particularly stuck out was when Jojo Moyes spoke to us – she was incredibly candid about her own career path and to see an author whose novels I’d loved in real life made it feel like writing a book was a dream that maybe could come true.

The Writing a Romance Novel course was brilliant. I’d moved back to Melbourne and I was on parental leave with my baby daughter in the middle of one of the world’s longest lockdowns during winter. In this fairly bleak time I got to immerse myself in the world of happily ever after and I had so many ‘ah ha’ moments listening to Jenny’s practical wisdom.

Your debut novel The Love Contract is to be published by HarperCollins Australia on 30 August 2023. It is an enemies-to-lovers romance about a sole-mum-by-choice and a workaholic lawyer who pretend they’re a family for three months to get ahead, shining a light on work-life balance, ambition, and family. Can you tell us a bit more about the novel and the inspiration behind it?

I’ve loved romantic comedies since I was a tween, so this was always the genre I wanted to write in. But the idea for The Love Contract came from a few places. Firstly, my partner’s work began to offer all their male employees four months of paternity leave – and encouraged all their new fathers to take it. Secondly, I had a baby and was navigating the craziness of trying to lock in a childcare place. And I thought – we actually live in a world where pretending to be in a relationship for reliable childcare/ to get ahead at work isn’t the craziest idea.

Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?

Yes! Some of my favourite memories of the course in London are of staying out far too late each week chatting endlessly with the group and on trips back to London I’ve been lucky enough to have reunions. And it’s been a complete joy to see so many of my classmates’ books be published (and to be able to send them photos of their books on Melbourne bookstore and library shelves). The Love Contract first reader was Michelle, who I met on the Romance Novel course and whose writing I find hilarious. I’ve never met her in person but her feedback and support has been invaluable.

Your debut focuses on the themes of motherhood and family. Can you tell us a bit more about this and what drew you to experiment with family dynamics?

When I hit my early thirties and became a mum I found myself desperate to read about the experience of being a professional working parent – but in a funny way (because often it is hilarious). I wanted to write about the topics my friends and I talk about and are trying to work our way through – the many roles professional mothers have to play, the mental load, the motherhood penalty (and the fatherhood bonus!), workplaces that weren’t as family friendly as they’d promised – and make it entertaining (and a little bit sexy).

The chemistry between your two lead characters, Zoe and Will, really sizzles on the page. How did you create chemistry between your romantic leads that feels believable?

On this front Jenny Colgan’s advice was invaluable – write a romantic lead that you find incredibly attractive. So I did! Will is off-the-charts intelligent, has an acerbic wit, is incredibly driven and is gorgeous – a combination I find pretty irresistible. She also said that every moment between your romantic leads has to be electric – and I found writing these scenes SO much fun.

You successfully won the 2022 Banjo Prize for Fiction with your then unpublished manuscript, winning a publishing contract with HarperCollins. Do you have any advice to share with the aspiring authors reading this, particularly those who are thinking of entering a writing competition?

Winning the Banjo Prize was a dream come true – one day at work I got a phone call out of the blue from Anna, who’d become my publisher at HarperCollins, telling me I’d won and that my book was going to be published. So, my first piece of advice is to do it – to enter the competitions. Of course I think it’s always a good idea to submit the best version of your story that you can. But at the same time competitions can be a great way to work to deadlines and serve as motivation to push your work forward.

If you could only recommend one rom-com, what would it be and why?

In a world where Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella, Beth O’Leary, Jenny Colgan and Christina Lauren exist how could anyone answer that question!? My first (rom com) love is Catherine Alliott and I’d read her shopping list if I could.

Lately I’ve been inhaling rom coms by Australian authors like Genevieve Novak, Saman Shad, Clare Fletcher and Karina May.

Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?

When I set out to write The Love Contract I wrote in my journal that I wanted to write something entertaining, something that showed the lives of women as I know them and something romantic (and a bit funny). I’d love to keep telling these stories.

The Love Contract is out on 30 August 2023.

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