Mar
31
2014
My Writing Process Author Hop
I’ve been invited to take part in the “My Writing Process Blog Tour” by Page Morgan, the author of THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED. I just got to meet her this month, and on top of being super funny and kind in person, she has the claim to fame of writing gothic fiction, which is my favorite genre of all time. (Seriously. I own seven different editions of Jane Eyre.)
On to the questions!
1) What am I working on?
Landry Park II: Landry Parkier, which is in the edit stage right now. Send scotch.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
YA Dystopian has really flowered in the years since The Hunger Games emerged, and it’s been really exciting to see how different authors take similar themes and explore them in vastly different ways. I think Landry Park takes a slightly more glamorous approach to the Oppressive Future of Society theme–the protagonist is one of the elite, rather than being part of the underclass, and the world is richer and more colorful than many of the desaturated and gray dystopias out there.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I don’t have an easy answer for this. Sometimes I write because I’m compelled–by an image or a character or a setting. Sometimes I write to escape. Sometimes it’s both. What drew me to Landry Park was the luxurious world, with both its beauty and its darkness. I love settings that take on a life of their own, that are more and more complex the deeper you delve into them.
4) How does my writing process work?
- After the initial inspiration–a scene or an image–lodges itself in my brain, I usually give it a gestation period. Sometimes a month or several months, depending.
- Then I write the first chapter or two, just to dip my toes in the water.
- After that, I do the SAVE THE CAT beat sheet to give myself a loose road guide for the journey ahead.
- Once that’s in place, I aim for 1000 to 2000 words a day. Any less, and I won’t get the book finished in a reasonable amount of time, and any more, and my words devolve into mush that’s at best unreadable and at worst madness-inducing…
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Be sure to check out Elizabeth Otto’s blog next week for the next installment of the hop! Elizabeth is a dear friend of mine, in addition to being the most talented romance author I know. A paramedic by day, Elizabeth writes women’s fiction that’s as heartfelt as it is steamy by night.