When I try to talk to friends and family about my
writing, a curious frown often develops on their faces and they ask, “How do
you do that? How do you come up with
your ideas? How can you sit still
that long?”
The Writing Process Blog Tour is where we get to answer
some of those questions. A huge thanks to YA Fantasy author Lisa M. Green for
inviting me to take part in this tour! Check out her response to the questions
on
her gorgeous blog.
So it’s confession time. What exactly goes on behind
those closed doors to produce … *hand flourish* … magic?
What am I working
on?
Currently, I’m trying to strategize a war and puzzle out
how to defeat an army of flesh-eating ogres. Book 3 of the Falcons Saga is
underway. Fury of the Falcon will
conclude the adventures of my Ilswythe twins. That’s not to say that Fury is the last readers will see of the
characters, however. Just that the focus will shift to someone else in upcoming
adventures. So, while “the ogres go munching two by two,” I’m also weaving in
details to set the stage for those later adventures.
How does my work
differ from others of its genre?
The characters, definitely. My fiction is hard-core character-driven, rather than quest-driven. Readers may discover epic battles and hunts for stolen children, but it's what happens inside the characters and in their relationships with each other that drive the story forward. In truth, when readers pick up copies of the Falcons
Saga, they will find many elements common in traditional fantasy, from the
races they will encounter to the magic system. However! My ultimate goal is to make my characters so real to
readers that they will feel a lingering void when they’ve been away from them for too long.
Why do I write
what I do?
*Shrug* That’s a matter of practicality, I suppose--if
writing fiction can be called ‘practical.’ I started out wanting to write
historical adventure. But at the time, the internet was in its infancy, and in
my house we did not have a computer or internet access. Libraries that featured
research material weren’t near at hand. So the short of it is that I felt
frustrated in acquiring the information I needed to write authentic historical
stories. So it just made sense to start making up my own worlds where I knew the
history, the laws, the culture, etc. Suddenly I felt confident in what I wrote,
so I stuck with fantasy.
How does my
writing process work?
Groaningly. That’s how. By 11:30 a.m, I had better be
sitting at my writing desk with a mugga joe in my hand, or I start to get a
little peevish. With my first cup of coffee comes the pleasant task of
re-reading what I wrote the day before, making changes, big or small. Then, with
the second cup of coffee starts the mental anguish of writing new material. I despise writing the first draft of most
everything. All the words want out at once, and most of them aren’t even the
right words. The brain becomes a bottleneck, and the fingers on the keyboard
start twiddling, saying “Ho-hum, is there anything
up there? We’re waiting.” So I pace my house,
or I say my mantra, “It’s a rough draft, just write it,” or I go pull some
weeds or chase a cat out of the house or sweep my floor. I’ve found that sweeping
is the best exercise for finding the next phrase. Why did I leave the broom
lingering in that doorway? Because that’s where the muse decided to show up and
cooperate.
Some days the words flow. Some days they don’t. Magic is
hard to come by.
So there’s a peek behind the glittery door of writerhood.
It might be best to back away slowly.
Next week, on Monday, March 24th, take a gander at the writing habits and quirks of these
writers. I’m honored to present to you:
