I was asked to join in this blog tour by Julie York. The idea is to link here to the person who tagged you, then tag three other authors whom you’ve asked to do this.
I met Julie online and she participated big time in my Facebook Release Party for Hearts of Evil. Thank you, Julie, for this opportunity. So…here are the answers to the four questions about my writing process.
1. What am I working on? I’m currently working on a book called “Fire Wizard”. It’s a paranormal romance with a little bit of a different angle for me. There are no vampires, werewolves, or ghosts this time. The hero and heroine in this book are just a little…different.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? I usually put a little different twist on things. Some of the vampire or ghost lore doesn’t apply in my characters. I actually got criticized in a review because my vampires could eat real food. LOL. I believe when it comes to creatures that aren’t real in the first place, we have free reign to change the rules.
3. Why do I write what I do? I’ve loved vampires since I was a kid and starting watching Dark Shadows. I’ve always been fascinated with the paranormal, even though I’m a total skeptic. That’s why paranormal romance came easily to me when I started writing again. (I say “again” because I gave it up years ago and came back to it.) There’s always some kind of story in my head. I’ve branched out a little into horror a couple of times, and I’m actually playing with the ideas of other genres. I like to try new things!
4. How does my writing process work? I’m not sure I have a process. I’m always so busy at work, I barely have time to write. I feel like I’m always trying to just squeeze a little writing in when I can. When I do get to sit down and write, I like to do it in my office surrounded by munchies and my two cats.
As far as the plotting goes, I really don’t like it. I tried seriously plotting the last book I wrote, and although I was able to do it, I pretty much hated it. I’m a pantser at heart and like to see the story develop as I type. I love it when my characters surprise me. I really kind of plot in my mind. I don’t do it all ahead of time. I figure out what I want to happen the next time I sit down to write. Then I hit those main points I want to make, but I allow myself to drift away from those if I think of something even better while I’m writing.
Here are the three authors I’m tagging:
J.R. Pearse Nelson
I am a fantasy and paranormal romance author. My work is fast-paced, adventurous, and sometimes dark.
I’m a native Oregonian, residing in the beautiful Portland area. I live with my husband, two small daughters and the family dog. I’m always searching for the magic in our world. I love to weave tales rooted in mythology, bringing legend to life in modern-day and fantasy settings. I’m the author of the Children of the Sidhe paranormal romance series, and Queen Witch, the first installment of the Foulweather Twins fantasy series.
L.S. Engler
L.S. Engler is an aspiring writer, dreamer, creator and editor.
Her works have previously appeared in Temenos, 10;29, and The Grand Traverse Insider, and she is the author of a collection of short stories entitled Bowlful of Bunnies, available now on Amazon.
Michelle DePaepe
Michelle DePaepe is the author of The Gardener, Vampire Music, and Eaters (published by Permuted Press).
I hear you on the plotting. I can rewrite a book that I wrote years ago easier than I can plot. I don’t know why. Someone told me that she can’t write a book if she knows everything that’s going to happen. I thought maybe that was why I don’t like plotting, but since I’m having fun rewriting the old story, that can’t be why I don’t like plotting. I have no idea what it is. I wonder if plotters feel the same way about being a panster. š
I did get a chuckle out of the review you got about vampires eating real food. I always think it’s funny when people take fiction so seriously. If we wanted to stick with hard and fast rules, we’d be writing nonfiction. I see no reason why vampires can’t be flexible.
If they think vampires can’t eat real food, they haven’t watched the most popular vampire show ever…Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Spike liked his onion petals. LOL.
I don’t like plotting because the story doesn’t come to me while plotting. I can’t think of a thing. But when I’m actually writing, it just flows out of me. That’s the best way I can describe it.
Maybe that’s it. I have a much easier time thinking of where to go in a story as I’m writing it. Before I sit at the computer, my mind is blank, but once I start writing, it all becomes clear to me. That makes a lot of sense. You said it perfectly. š
I think you and I are a lot alike. š
Lauralynn,
I know what you mean about pantsing and plotting. I found a wonderful-for-me compromise – Rock Your Plot.
It is a very open-ended plotting method that describes itself as being more a map jotted on an envelope flap than a GPS – and that allows me lots of room for my characters to grow.
And moving through the process tends to get my characters breathing and doing in my mind in a coherent fashion – they used to just give me random flashes, and I would flounder for the rest.
I’m currently revising a completely pantsed novel -well, essentially, I’m rewriting it, with a plan. There’s lots of good – and lots of not – in the story; it will be much better when I’m done.
At some point, though, I will be revising the first book I truly planned – and that is going to be a lot less complicated, because I did a lot of the groundwork ahead.
In the end, I think we all do best when we know what works for us, and stay true to that.
Happy pantsing to you!
I’ve found that pantsers think plotters are crazy, and plotters think pantsers are unorganized. LOL. There are variations and exceptions to that, but from the things I hear from other people, it’s at least close to the truth. I know of very famous writers who are pantsers and others that are plotters. I think when we call ourselves pantsers, a lot of plotters think we are like a boat adrift with no direction. But that’s not true. Most of us know our basic points. We just don’t write them down. And we don’t have the intricate details, just the general idea of what we want to happen. Sometimes I kind of use a combination of both, depending on how complicated the plot is. I do jot down notes so as not to confuse myself later. š
Oh you silly pantsers, but I can’t complain I like your work so it must work for you.
LOL, Chris. I might be silly, but not because I’m a pantser. š And thank you for your kind words.