Melinda Carla Burton - The Unveiling Of A True Emotion

Writing has and will always be her passion and mechanism of exploration. Whether it be love, trust, hurt or anger Melinda Carla Burton unwraps all in her collection of poems titled The Unveiling Of A True Emotion. Melinda is a 21 year old author from London. Her passion from writing stems from her life experiences which has effectively built her into the independent, pesive and artistic woman that she is. Through her writing she hopes to inspire people young and old, as well as offer an alternative perspective on life. Melinda also has another novel 'Street Conflict' in the pipeline which is due for realease later this year. I thought I'd catch up with Ms Burton herself to find out where her passion for writing came from, as well as how and where she see's herself in 2011.


What do you do and where did it all start?

I’m a 21 year old author. A lot of people always ask me where did it start and my response is: what exactly are you asking me? Where did what start? My dream, my passion, my understanding, my focus. There are so many elements and aspects to respond to, so I’m simply going to say writing is what I was born to do. I’ve gone through a lot of things and the only way I know how to express myself is to write, to take words and make them come alive, creating journeys by using mechanism that can explore ones mindset, it’s a powerful talent to have.

What book title's have inspired you to write your own?

When I think of titles I think of statements, powerful statements that make you stop and think and consider the possibilities of what if. One statement that comes to mind is by a man called William Jennings Bryan and he said “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved” I couldn’t agree more. Being a writer you don’t see things the way everyone else does you take time to observe the flaws of your environment the passion of creativity and most importantly the understanding of life and what you have to do to make it to be classed as successful. But, how you get to that place is determined by the route you decide to take.

Aside from writing where do your other talents lie?

I’m a strong black independent woman that’s a talent within itself. Apart from writing, I have specific talents depending on my desire at that particular time. I tend to have a craft of all trades, my talent can and has opened up many doors of opportunity, so all I can do is continue with what I’m doing now, I have a very artistic vibe which allows me to design create and imagine, so I can do most things.

How do you motivate yourself to write?

I look at the struggles around me.I’m a realist all day every day and I wont curb what I have to say if it’s the truth. For example, I live in a society where young black females don’t consider themselves as having a chance to do well, you have young mothers- who are still babies themselves - having babies and there’s no man to support them, or you see men treating girls like there worthless it’s a laughable shame. The struggle I observe motivates me to write. Money is only one part of the armour that you need to win the war called life. There are so many different aspects to consider and to embrace. I’m a peaceful person who enjoys her own space when I’m in my zone I create magic.

What problems have you faced and how have you overcome them?

To list all the problems I have faced, I would be here all day, but the biggest issue that I’ve overcome is negative minded people. That includes ex partners, friends and even family members, you have to understand that not everyone you meet will have your best interest at heart and that’s the truth. Certain people will want you to stay on their ship of non-productivity and drown you in there unconstructiveness. It’s down to you to remove yourself from that. I find that if your around me and your draining my creative energy I have to remove you from my personal space I can’t afford to allow myself to suffer because someone doesn’t wish me well. As far as I’m concerned, you can hate me from a far what I’m not exposed to can't hurt me.

Who are your target audience and how do you appeal to them?

Once you can love, feel, understand and communicate then you are my target audience, there is no age limit. Depending on the topic I’m writing about you will gather who I’m trying to aim for. For example my novel Street Conflicts isn’t designed for someone over 45, but yet again might interest them because the mind of a young woman is a fascinating thing. On the other hand, my poetry selection can be read by anyone and every one. Sex and love are the easiest things to write about, but yet the hardest to explain, if you don’t understand what I mean by that, have a think about it. I want people my age to be aware of what is going on around them, and I appeal to that age group because I understand. I’m not going to act like I know everything but I know enough to make a statement that’s worth listening to.

What mediums do you use to promote yourself and your work and how successful has this been?

I’m very direct and I tend to approach people, if you can’t talk to people face to face then what’s the use of writing. Since my book has gone on sale, I've had people adding me on Facebook, Blackberry and even talking to me when they see me. On many occasions I've been asked, how does it feel to be an author at the age of 21? All I say is, it feels normal, because I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I’m proud of myself but I never once doubted that I wouldn’t become successful. I haven’t made it yet, I’ve only just started the journey I still have a long way to go, but every great journey starts off with a single step. I have to admit I haven’t really had to promote myself, everyone's done it for me. I had the guys on radio and had people mentioning me at performances, so really those people deserve a big thank you. A key thing about the human race is that people love to talk and that’s the best promotional tactic that can be used; once you have people talking about you the rest becomes easy.

Where do you see yourself this year?

I’m already a published author, that title will remain with me until the day I die. I plan to become a professor of wisdom, meaning I want to teach people and let others be embraced by what I have taught them. There’s a force within each and every one of us and it’s the thirst of wanting something. That something could be anything in this world, ranging from wanting a good man, to wanting to win the lottery or down to having a nice meal. If that force had a voice imagine what it would say, it’s like a little voice inside you and it splits your thoughts. It makes you look past the tiny beads of your perspectives to finally see yourself and everyone else as a design, a complicated, unpredictable subject to change, but nonetheless, beautiful because of it. Melinda Carla Burton is the next big thing, it’s neither a thought nor an idea it’s a true fact. And that’s my aim for 2011 and many more years to come

You can now purchase Melinda's book The Unveiling Of A True Emotion and if you wnat any more information onher, you can also contact her via Facebook page. Watch out for the release of her new book Street Conflicts later this year.