C Jane Elliot tagged me to participate in a brief meme to chat about the writing process. I love hearing what other authors have to say, though I admit, I don’t know how interesting mine is. Read on! I’ll make things up to keep it entertaining if necessary!
What am I working on now?
This is an interesting question. My new novel is consuming me. Literally night and day, all I can think about are these boys from L.A. I’m very close to completion, but I must say there is an emotional element at play with this story which is compelling and yet, difficult to write at times. My goal is to submit it by next week (fingers crossed). The third book in the Better Than stories just went through its first round of edits. The release date is about 3 short months away! Woohoo!
How Does My Work Differ From Others?
I write what I like. I love character driven stories with a good dose of humor. There are many authors who’s work I adore, but I try to follow my own path. When I’m in tune with the characters the words flow very easily. When I’m not… not so much.
Write What I Do?
Because I love it! Anyone who read any blog piece I’ve ever written knows I love romance novels and love stories. I am the world’s biggest romantic (aka sucker)! MM is a beautiful genre on so many levels. There are some wonderful true-life stories of same sex couples who’ve shared beautiful lives together and yet the genre that celebrates romance gives only the tiniest portion of notice. I want more! I’ve read some gorgeous stories, but there never seems to be enough material. The other part of the equation is personal. I’m the mother of a gay son and it’s important to me that same sex relationships be portrayed as beautifully as mainstream love stories. Every one deserves a happy ending (tongue in cheek).
How Does My Writing Process Work:
Oh. Here’s where the answers get vague. The truth is that most of my stories flesh out in my head before they see the computer screen. Better Than Good and Better Than Chance were easy to write because the characters were old friends to me. My newer projects have been more challenging because I don’t stick to outlines, which means if I get off-track, I’m screwed and a rewrite is in order. I am, however, a very disciplined writer. I have a morning routine which of course includes a generous caffeine fix before I’m ready to start. Oh, but first I have to check emails. And no day starts without Twitter… but then, I’m ready! I write, read, reread, and then transfer to Kindle to read and edit again before submitting. The length of time varies with each book, but I’m convinced that actually has quite a bit to do with events outside of my control, like, holidays and kids’ school schedules!
Thank you for the meme tag! I’ll pass it along to the next victim, I mean author! 🙂