Madge Maril: On Making Yourself Write
In this interview, author Madge Maril discusses the inspiration behind her debut romance novel, Slipstream.
Madge Maril is a writer, editor, and Byronic hero enthusiast whose work has been published by Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and more. Previously a beauty and fashion journalist, Madge fell back in love with fiction through fandom and has been writing stories about big feelings ever since. She lives in Ohio with her husband and cat. Follow her on Instagram.
In this interview, Madge discusses the inspiration behind her debut romance novel, Slipstream, the surprises in the publishing process, and more.
Name: Madge Maril
Literary agent: Ann Leslie Tuttle at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
Book title: Slipstream
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: May 20, 2025
Genre/category: Romance
Elevator pitch: In the high-speed world of Formula 1, documentarian Lilah teams up with racing driver Arthur Bianco for a whirlwind of revenge—and perhaps something more.
What prompted you to write this book?
It was such a convergence. I’d just gone to a football game and saw a media team scurrying around, which is where I got the actual plot idea. Athlete, camerawoman. But also, I was working at a public library, and we were going through a levy election cycle, so every day was intense and unknown. And I’d just gotten married, so one of my husband’s vows was still pinging around my head—paraphrasing, but “I like the parts of you that you think are too weird.” Slipstream was all these threads coming together at once; this little sports romance idea, my own need for escapism, and this beautiful concept of loving the sides of someone they think no one could ever even like.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It happened so fast. I began writing Slipstream in September of 2023; I wrote the first draft in like two or three months, just total summer-romance-mind-meld onto the page. And my agent is wonderful and helped me rip the story apart twice to get it submission-ready. A lot changed during those big edits—I credit my agent fully for slowing the burn way down—but a lot is the exact same as the first synopsis I sent her. Which is funny, because each edit felt so massive at the time!
Then, amazingly, Slipstream was purchased by Simon & Schuster in October of 2024 for a May 2025 release. So, it was about a year from first paragraph to book deal, and six months from book deal to on-sale date. (I think… math is not my strong suit.) It’s been an exhilarating ride, and kind of fitting for a Formula 1 romance.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Every step of the way. This is my debut novel, and my only hope was to connect with an editor who “got me.” I wasn’t an overnight success. I queried to (deserved) crickets with my first manuscripts. I had a book die on sub. I think us writers arm ourselves with realism, and dream very big while genuinely hoping for very little. Like, I didn’t dare to imagine publishing with Simon & Schuster’s flagship imprint. That’s still bonkers to me. I texted my mom a screencap of my book listed somewhere next to a Stephen King novel and she asked me if I’d photoshopped it.
But my editor, Olivia Taylor Smith, along with the entire team at Simon & Schuster have knocked it out of the park. I had no idea that the publishing process could be so collaborative and fun—like the book cover was a mix of mine and Olivia’s ideas, and at one point we were literally on the phone hashing out details together. That’s just the sort of far-off fantasy you have as an aspiring author. One day, after years of work that occasionally felt completely foolish, you’re on the phone with your editor and she loves your ideas, and it was all worth it.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Definitely. Without giving any spoilers away, there’s a really pivotal scene that originally happened in, like, chapter three; a big conversation between the hero and the heroine. I ended up moving that conversation to way later, like 15 chapters later. So, when I was editing after that, I always knew exactly how big that conversation would be, what it entailed, and how I could foreshadow it. It almost became a mystery element at the center of the romance: What makes this guy tick? Why is he like that, and how can I figure him out? (Common thoughts when falling in love, in my opinion.)
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Oh man. Two things, really. The first being the inspiration to find your own team if you haven’t already—that no matter who you are, or what you believe about yourself, there are people out there just waiting to love you. And the more authorial, poetic answer is: Beautiful things always come back. There’s always another sunrise and another chance.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
I didn’t start taking my author dream seriously until I realized nobody is going to make me do this. No one sits you down and asks you to write a novel instead of doing the dishes. It has to be you. And your only competition is yourself and time.
And maybe also, give yourself a little treat when you write. That helps, too.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
