The Process Project: Meet Kara Jorgensen!

If you're not yet familiar with the Process Project, check us out here!

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Meet Kara Jorgensen! 

Kara Jorgensen is an author and professional student from New Jersey who will probably die slumped over a Victorian novel. An anachronistic oddball from birth, she has always had an obsession with the Victorian era, especially the 1890s. Midway through a dissection in a college anatomy class, Kara realized her true passion was writing and decided to marry her love of literature and science through science fiction or, more specifically, steampunk. When she is not writing, she is watching period dramas, going to museums, or babying her beloved dogs.

And now, for the questions...

JB: What is your genre? 

KJ: My main genre currently is historical fantasy or more specifically steampunk, but my work tends to have a literary fiction edge. I have another series on the backburner that I will be working on soon that is fantasy.

The Process Project: Meet Talia Vance!

If you're not yet familiar with the Process Project, check us out here!

Meet Talia Vance!

This week I am so incredibly excited to share my interview with Talia Vance. Last summer I read Talia's Silver (ripe with Irish lore and handsome boys and tons of drama to boot....I am holding off reading the sequel, Gold, until this summer).

Talia Vance is a practicing litigation attorney living in Northern California with her real life love interest, two-point-five kids, and a needy Saint Bernard named Huckleberry. Talia has been writing since she could talk, making up stories for every doll, stuffed animal and action figure she could get her hands on. She grew up hoping to write the great American novel, but her life ran more along the lines of tortured romance and fast paced thrillers, so that's what she writes. (From TaliaVance.com)

And now, onto the juicy stuff....!

JB: What is your main genre?

TV: I write Young Adult novels, both contemporary and fantasy, but all of them have a touch of romance to them.

JB: ​What is your writing routine like? Do you have any writing rituals?

Talia: Since I work during the week, my writing time falls on the weekends. I spend most Saturday and Sunday afternoons curled up on my couch with my laptop and a latte (or two). I’ll write for hours at a time, shooting for 2500-4000 words a session if I’m working on a first draft. If I’m revising, I don’t have specific word count goals, but I do try to set a goal, such as finishing a new plot outline, or working setting details into the scenes.

I often listen to music while I write, creating a playlist for each manuscript. Once I find a song that fits a character or mood I’m trying to create, I listen to it while brainstorming or editing, although I don’t really “hear” it unless I stop to think.

JB: When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques do you use to organize your ideas?

Talia: My pre-writing process has always been short, because I love to discover characters and plot points while I write the first draft. However, this leads to a lot of stops and starts (and LOTS of revision), so I’ve expanded it for recent books, taking a couple of days to formulate scenes and plot points, so that I have a fairly complete outline of the story before I start.

I use a corkboard and stack of index cards to brainstorm ideas for scenes. There are usually four or five big scenes that I already have in mind, so I start with those, and then fill in the scenes that happen in between. Once I have the scenes in an order that makes sense, I start to write.

I’ve noticed that I almost never go back and look at my corkboard once the work is done, but doing the work ahead of time helps me to keep the entire plot trajectory in mind while I’m writing, so that even when the story deviates from the initial plan there is a structure there.

JB: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?

Talia: Every book has been a little different, but I usually start one Word document and write scenes in chronological order. I don’t outline scenes in advance, and often have only a vague idea of what happens. The scene prompt might be as simple as “A and B go out on a date.” I let the scene unfold as I’m writing, and often the characters and situation will supply the conflict without my having to think about it too much about it. Since I’ve already done my plot outline, I know where the scene fits into the overall story structure. This helps with making sure the scene moves the story forward, but I don’t worry about that while I’m writing. That is something that can always be fixed in revision.

My favorite scenes are usually the ones that surprise me while I’m writing them, when a character does something that reveals a layer I wasn’t aware of, or the story takes a compelling turn I hadn’t yet thought about. One of my favorite plot lines in the BANDIA series is Brianna’s time travel scenes with Austin and the way those scenes bring us full circle. Those scenes weren’t in my outline, but flowed organically during the writing.

​JB: When it's time to revise, do you have any particular methods that you use to help you through the process? ​

Talia: My revision process works from the outside in. I start with a big picture plot overview. After the first draft is done, I take down my corkboard and create a new one, using cards for each chapter in the book and pinning them to the board to give me a visual representation of the novel. Recently, I’ve added a calendar, which I create from a Word template, which gives me a visual representation of the story’s plot points in relation to each other on a timeline. From there, I figure out where there are gaps in the plot (scenes that need to be added) and scenes that aren’t serving the story (things that need to be cut). I’ll also move scenes around on the board, experimenting with different plot structure before making any changes in the manuscript. Once I’ve determined what to cut, add and move, I create a third corkboard, which serves as the outline for the next revision. Then I go into the manuscript and cut, add and move as needed.

Once I have the plot where I feel comfortable with it, I will start working on the scenes within the story. First, I’ll go through and note where certain plot points need to be expanded or dropped within the scenes themselves. Once this is done, I’ll do a revision where I focus on conflict within scenes, then one pass for setting, one pass for dialogue and one for voice. Once those are done, I’ll send the word document to my Kindle and do a read through. This is my favorite part, because the manuscript looks like a real book, and both the parts that are working and the parts that still need work are easier to spot.

JB: And most importantly....why do you write?

Talia: I love to discover characters and stories. There is nothing like the excitement the comes with an idea you can’t shake, the need to get it all down and see where it leads, and the satisfaction of watching something rough develop into something you love.

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I want to extend a big giant THANK YOU to Talia for participating in the Process Project. I hope you enjoyed her interview as much as I did. You should go out and get a copy of her books now! You can purchase Talia's books on Amazon.  And you can check her out on the web in these spots!

TaliaVance.com | Twitter @TaliaVance | YAMuses | Goodreads

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Read more about her books below!!!

SILVER 

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"As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away."

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party when Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her that she's been hiding even from herself. Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable. But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both. Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.

Read SILVER: Amazon | B&N | BAM | Kindle | Nook

GOLD 

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Descended from an Irish demigod, Brianna has fled to Ireland to escape destruction at the hands of her sworn enemies, the Sons of Killian. Taking refuge at the estate of her former nemesis, Austin Montgomery, Brianna discovers a rift in time that opens to an era before the feud began.

Wrestling with her newfound feelings for the more innocent Austin, Brianna begins to wonder if she can alter the past. But when Brianna and Austin learn that the Sons are raising an army of mythical beasts, the pair will need to use their magical strength in the present to avoid a tragic end.

Read GOLD: Amazon | B&N | BAM | Kindle | Nook


SPIES AND PREJUDICE

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Fields' Rule #1: Don't fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She's busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she's sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her "nothing amazing," it's no loss for Berry. She'll forget him in no time. She's more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother's death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can't Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

Read SPIES AND PREJUDICE : Amazon | B&N | BAM 

The Process Project: Meet Dale Rogers

Welcome to week eleven of the Process Project!! If you don’t know about us already, you can find out more here and read about other authors’ processes: The Process Project.

This week I am so excited to bring to you an interview for one of my long-time twitter friends, Dale Rogers!

Meet Dale Rogers!

Dale Rogers lives in North Carolina with her husband, Rick, and two Siamese cats. A South Carolina native, she holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina, and she has published articles and poetry, as well as a Post Script in The Saturday Evening Post. An amateur photographer, she has a photo on the inside back cover of Sandlapper, the South Carolina state magazine, and she writes fiction for all ages. (She's even taken a stab at a couple of television scripts.) 

And now, for the questions!

JB: What is your main genre?

DR: Right now it seems to be Middle Grade, since I've written four of those, although I've also dabbled in romance and adventures for adults.

JB: What is your favorite place to write?

​DR: My favorite place to write is outdoors on a nice day, but that's not always possible, so I'll settle for a cozy room, sometimes late at night. I'm super bad about thinking about something I'm working on after I get in bed, then I have to keep getting up to jot down ideas.

JB: Do you have a writing routine?

DR: I don't really have a routine, but I need music to block out traffic or other distracting noises. The only problem with that is sometimes the music is so good, I have to stop and listen! 

JB: How do you prepare your ideas for writing?

DR: I'm afraid I'm not as organized as some writers, but when I start getting ideas, I try to keep good notes. I outline the story loosely, then add details later on. I've been adding to a list of interesting names for years, including foreign ones, and I refer to it when I can't readily think of just the right name for a character. 

JB: How do you organize as you write?

DR: I basically write scenes as they come, but anytime I think of a better way to write a thought or action anywhere in the manuscript (sometimes late at night) I make a note to change it later. I pick up descriptive words and phrases here and there, and I keep them in a document which I skim occasionally to find inspiration. 

JB: When you get stuck, what do you do?

DR: Sometimes, when I have trouble working through a scene or finding a way to express something, it helps me to do a menial chore such as dishes or laundry. The answer seems to come more easily while I'm doing physical work than when I'm at the computer.

JB: Can you talk a little about your revision process? 

​DR: I research links for good writing advice, and try to incorporate it into my work. My early edits are mostly for content--being sure the story makes sense and is interesting and intriguing--and my later edits are concentrated more on grammar, sentence structure, and typos. Something that really helps is a word search. I use “Ctrl + F” to locate words I use too often, such as quickly, just, and some. I have an article in Literary Rambles' “Tip Tuesday” listing the ones I have the most trouble with: http://www.literaryrambles.com/search?q=dale+s.rogers

JB: And last, but definitely not least, why do you write?

DR: Writing is in my blood--literally. My mother and sister both have taught English and worked for newspapers, and words have always been important to me. I was taught correct grammar and sentence structure more than housekeeping skills (which is evident by the state of my house), and I feel a need to express my thoughts in writing, even when I'm not in a talkative mood. I believe writing also helps to keep me sane.

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Thank you so much, Dale, for participating in the Process Project! If you have any questions for Dale, please leave them below!

Want to read more by Dale? Check out her out on the web at the links below!

Her Blog can be found at: DaleSittonRogers.wordpress.com

Follow her on Twitter: @DaleSRogers

Excerpt from her unpublished MG Adventure novel, The Legend of Feather Lake

Short stories and poetry: QuarterReads Magazine

"New to New York City" Travel Origins Magazine--Eye & Pen 

A few of her poems: http://wp.me/P1Nylx-6H

The Process Project: Meet Holly Tellander!

Welcome to week ten of the Process Project!! If you don’t know about us already, you can find out more here and read about other authors' processes: The Process Project.

Meet Holly Tellander!

Holly hails from Wisconsin where she lives with her husband and two kids -- she is currently working on her Young Adult/Magic Realism series! All of Holly’s work can currently be found on her website. She’s participating in the April A-to-Z Blogging challenge, so check in to see her progress.

And now for the questions!
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JB: What’s your genre?
HT: I am currently writing the second book in a YA/MR trilogy, but I don't know that I've found my forever genre. I'm realizing more and more than I really like writing self-help and parenting articles and babbling about whatever happens to catch my fancy. The process of stringing words together effectively and lyrically is what I love most of all, so any genre that allows me to do that (and air out my inner know-it-all) is a genre that works for me.

JB: Do you think your genre of writing informs your process?
HT: I actually don't. I think whatever character or message has formed in my head is the one that has the most impact on my process.

JB: Do you have a writing routine or any rituals?
HT: Hmmmm.... I do not have a particular time of day when I usually write, but I am certainly more productive when I write in the morning. I do have a writing spot, but I share it with my techie husband who collects gadgets and screens the way some people collect stray animals. Someday, I will remedy this situation.

I am the mother of two small children, so having 'space' at all is a luxury. I'd never get anywhere if it had to be a 'certain way' :) Kids.... the gift that keeps on giving!

I do like music, but if feels distracting. The best background noise for me is to have my windows open, a breeze blowing in and to hear the sound of people doing their business outside; lawn mowers mowing, kids shrieking, cars whizzing by, dogs barking... that's my kind of white noise.

I usually brew myself a hot cup of green tea with a dollop of honey whenever I start to write. If things go well, that's where it stays. If things go downhill, I have no choice but to break open a bag of Kettle Chips to entice my muse to come back to me.

JB: When do your best ideas come to you? What are your best brainstorming times?
HT: Definitely when I am walking my dog without a notebook in sight ;)

JB: Who/what inspires you?
HT: People watching!!

JB: Now let’s talk process. How do you organize your ideas before writing?
HT: Oh dear, you are highlighting my shortcomings ;0 I have a dedicated writing journal for jotting down ideas when they come to me, but I hardly ever have it with me. The truth is that I have notes spread all over the place; random slips of paper in my purse, notebooks, disconnected word documents and even the notepad feature on my phone. This is an area that needs attention... *slinks off to round up wayward notes and compile them.... or eat Kettle Chips....*

JB: Is there any particular way you like to structure your work while writing?
HT: I've just discovered how much I like outlining and I am using it for my second novel. The system I used for my first novel would be best described as 'walking into a pitch black room with a weak flashlight and taking teeny tiny steps to make my way across the vastness of the plot and only making it out alive by the skin of my teeth after 8 jabillion re-writes'. I like outlines much better.

JB: When you’re on the road and ideas come to you, what do you usually do?
HT: Dictate them into the voice-to-text feature on my phone and pretend I'm a business bigwig who will have someone come along and type them up and leave them on my desk by the end of the day.

JB: How do you handle revisions?
HT: I confess to eating more Kettle Chips in the rewrite stage. I also need a dedicated beta reader at that point to help me see things clearly. Dedicated beta readers are a godsend, are they not?

JB: Is there any advice you can give to writers struggling to get the words flowing?
HT: Take a break. A real break. We go around telling ourselves that we have to keep our noses to the grindstone, that we have to keep up with all the other writers out there is social media land, and if we don't we end up feeling like we aren't 'real' writers. But the truth is that everyone needs downtime. No one can produce in a vacuum. And when I say 'really' take a break, I mean take as long of a break as you need without pummeling yourself with guilt. (I find that only slows down the process of getting back to work for me.) Also - exercising works wonders, cuddling with someone is always useful and did I mention the amazing power of Kettle Chips? (I think it's the extremely gratifying crunch.)

JB: And most importantly: why do you write?
HT: Simply put, I write because I have something to say :) I put my heart and soul into it when I have some to spare, and I try not to beat myself up on the days that I don't.

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Thank you, so much, Holly, for participating in the Process Project! It is so valuable to hear about the process of writers at all stages of their careers! Don't forget to check out Holly’s progress of the April A-Z blog challenge, and keep an eye out for her YA/MR series! You can stay up-to-date with her progress on her blog and these other websites!

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Holly Tellander (Blog/Website)

The Process Project: Meet Poet, Kim King!

I am THRILLED to be sharing with you an interview with the amazing Kim King! I was fortunate enough to share my thesis experience with this wonderful and supportive poet who I am now happy to call my friend. In honor of National Poetry month, I bring to you, the writing process of Kim King!

Meet Kim King!!

Kim King's poetry has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, including Prompted, An International Collection of Poems, Wild Onions 2013 and Wild Onions 2014, Point Mass, In Gilded Frame, The MidWest Quarterly and The Road Not Taken. She lived and studied in France before becoming a high school French Teacher. She has an MA in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University and writes from her home in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

And now...onto the questions!

JB: What do you write?

KK: I'm a poet!

JB: What is your writing routine like?
KK: My writing routine is not a routine, because I teach French at two different high schools every day. Sometimes, if I have an idea percolating, I will drop everything to get it down, but I always have lessons to plan and papers to correct. In the summer and on weekends, I have time to write. I like to write in the mornings, when the sun is hitting the patio. I'll make a pot of coffee, take my journal outside, listen to the birds, smell the grass, and start writing. I prefer quiet to write, so I find writing in a coffee shop distracting, unless I put on headphones. I often write poems directly on the computer, but the distractions of email, Twitter, and FB get me off task. Following an interview that I read in The Paris Review with Billy Collins, I've returned to the journal and pen. I ordered the same pens and journal that he mentioned, hoping that they'll bring good writing karma.

JB: When you are preparing to write a new poem, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?
KK: Usually, poets will say that the poem writes itself. For me, when I have an idea, an image, or a metaphor that is rattling around in my head, I'll write down those first few words. Sometimes a title comes first. I'll try to think of concrete images to connect to those first words. I may do research on whatever it is I'm writing about, like the types of trees, names of flowers, descriptions of how bridges are built, or historical or literary information. I'll write one line, and then another, and just keep writing until it ends. I'll read what I have written and decide whether or not the poem needs to be written in a certain form. Some poems come out as sonnets and others as free verse. I may rewrite a free verse poem in iambic pentameter blank verse, if that's how it sounds best. I may start out writing a sonnet and decide later that the poem does not want to be a sonnet. I experiment.

JB: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?
KK: Once the poem is down, I transfer to the computer and always write in Times New Roman twelve point double spaced, as my professors at Johns Hopkins required. Once it's on the computer, it's easier to move the lines, to add and delete words, and to play around with the form. I'll save the first version by a title or by the first line of the poem. Later, when I work on it again, if I make major changes, I'll rename it as the "Title2", "Title3", etc. When the poem is where I want it to send it out for publication, I'll rename it "TitleFinal." I keep my poems in files for each year. When a poem is sent out for publication, I move it to a "Submissions" file. I keep a document with all the names of the journals where I submitted, the dates of my submissions, the title of the poems that I sent, and the deadlines for responses. I update that file with "Accepted" or "Rejected" when I hear from the publication. This way I can be sure that I do not send simultaneous submissions to journals that do not accept them.

JB: Can you tell me a little about your revision process?
KK: Revisions are tricky. I'll go back and tweak a poem many times, trying to tighten it up and eliminate unnecessary words. I'll double check the meter, if it's in meter, and concentrate on end words and enjambment. I want the end words of each line to carry a punch of sound or meaning. I'll look for words that I've used twice, find another synonym, and change one of them. I want each line to pull the reader to the next line. If the reader gets bored or lost, he or she will never finish the poem. I have a few trusted poets that I may send the poem to for another pair of eyes. They may find a tense shift, a preposition, or a metaphor that doesn't quite work, and I'll revise it again. I revise until I cannot find anything else to fix. I usually have the most trouble with the endings. I have to decide if the poem is complete, or if it needs another stanza.

JB: And so, Kim, my final question for you is...why do you write?
KK: I write because I have ideas for poems in my head, or because I'll see something that I want to tell someone else. I wrote a poem about domestic violence after I saw a man smash his wife's head into boxes of candy at Costco. I wrote a poem about a crippled man begging at an intersection on North Avenue in Baltimore, because I saw a girl hand him a lunch out her car window. I wrote many poems about my father, a World War II veteran, because I wanted to preserve my memories of him for my children. He told great stories and taught me all about life and how to be a good citizen. I wrote a series of poems while I was going through medical procedures for a possible breast cancer diagnosis. Those poems tell the story from the first phone call to the biopsy and then to the negative results. I wrote most of them in the waiting room or while staring at the ceiling in the hospital.

I look around me every day, especially when I'm driving, and I see something that triggers an idea for a poem. The idea may lay dormant for a while, but eventually, I write about it. I've been driving and jotted notes down for a poem on the back of an envelope, and if I'm a passenger, I always have my notebook with me. I often come up with ideas first thing in the morning, when I'm in the shower. When I get out of the shower, I write them down.

Some of my best writing comes from being under pressure, so taking a writing class with prompts and deadlines is a good idea. I also suggest participating in one of the Writer's Digest's April Poem-A-Day writing challenges. Even if the poems are not ready for publication, you have thirty poems at the end of the month to start revising.

Kim is participating in the Poem-A-Day via Robert Lee Brewer’s Poetic Asides Blog you can check out her poems on her blog here! Ksquaredpoetry

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I want to give a big giant THANK YOU to Kim King for taking the time to share her answers with us. Remember, April is National Poetry month! So get out there and read and write some poetry!

Want to read more of Kim King? Check out the links to some of her work below, and you can check Kim’s Blog out here: Ksquaredpoetry – or Follow her on Twitter @madkking.

Check out Kim's work here:
Prompted, An International Collection of Poems
Wild Onions 2013
Wild Onions 2014
Point Mass
In Gilded Frame
The MidWest Quarterly
The Road Not Taken

The Process Project: Meet Louise Lindley!

Welcome to week seven of the Process Project!! If you don’t know about us already, please visit The Process Project page to find out more about this project, and read interviews with other authors.

Today’s interview is going to be broken into two segments, you can read the continuation of our interview tomorrow!

MEET LOUISE LINDLEY!

Louise grew up in the North-East of England. In 2004 she moved to Canada with her husband, for what was supposed to be one year. Ten years, two children, two cats and a dog later, she appears to be staying. She worked as a registered nurse until giving up her career to raise her family. When she was diagnosed with a chronic disease, she turned to writing, combining her knowledge of the medical world with personal life experiences. She currently lives in Vancouver with her husband and two boys. Bruises is her debut novel.

And now, for the questions...!!

JB: What is/are your main genre/field of writing?

LL: Romantic fiction, my first novel has been classified as “erotica,” but honestly, despite its steaminess, is very tasteful.

JB: Do you think your genre of writing informs your process? 

LL: I don’t think so. I imagine I would use the same process if I wrote a different genre. I consider myself a bit of an amateur, so I’m not sure what other process I would use to be honest. I just do what comes naturally.

JB: Who/what inspires you?

LL: Writers: JK Rowling, she taught me to believe in myself.

Personal friends/relatives: My mother-in-law for her courage & my best friend for her loyalty and selfless support.

I am inspired by the fact my life often feels like a test I didn’t study for, but somehow manage to pass and move forward.

JB: And most importantly: why do you write?

LL: Where do I begin?! First you should know that since 2010 I have suffered from a chronic arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis. Essentially my spine is slowly fusing. It is normal for people like me to suffer chronic pain, but look completely normal. I self-inject two mls of very expensive fluid, known as a biologic, every three weeks, as well as a whole host of other medications I take orally for the other parts of me the disease affects. You may find it interesting and amusing to know that I take Viagra for very poor circulation! Since before my definitive diagnosis I have attended physiotherapy 1-2 times a week. I usually have IMS treatment – fine needles inserted into my muscles to stimulate then relax them. This is often very intense, and causes a lot of discomfort/pain. It is an essential part of my quality of life, and why I look so ‘normal’. This disease rules many aspects of my life: what I eat (I can’t eat starchy foods), what activities I can do, where I sit, how long I sit for, if I can put my own socks on, how I play with my kids, if I can play with my kids, if I sleep, etc., etc.. I could go on and on. It has taken many things away from me; things that I never thought it could possibly get its evil claws into. It has forced me to retired from nursing due to ill health.

When I turned forty, which in itself didn’t bother me, I began to notice that as my boys were becoming more independent, I was becoming more brain dead. I had lost my identity, a common problem when you stay at home with your kids apparently. Whenever I met people who hadn’t seen me for a while I would either be asked about the boys, or if the inquirer knew about my physical condition, I would hear a very patronizing ‘and how are you?’ Honestly, I felt like a walking disease, but I didn’t have anything else to steer the conversation away from these two subjects.

This was all around the time that Fifty Shades was gaining momentum. I read it, of course, and a whole host of others popular at that time, and began to get bored and frustrated with the same format that was being used for all of these stories. I didn’t get why we had to be so crude and raw about this subject, why couldn’t we have all the steam but be more tasteful about it. As I mentioned earlier, English was not my strongest subject, but I was always told at school that I had a good imagination. And so it began, my mind turned everything on its head and created a story that gives the reader characters they can relate to, with more realistic jobs and life issues, with tasteful, but smouldering bits in between, and most importantly, no obvious ‘happy ever after’.

Suddenly, I became more interesting, enthusiastic, and animated about ‘what I do’. Nobody ever expects you to reply ‘oh yeah, I’m a fictional novelist’ let alone an erotic one at that. I had an identity again; my brain had been resuscitated, and I had found the perfect escapism from the cruel realities of chronic disease. Most importantly a published novel is something my disease can never take away from me… that is why I write!

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Check back in tomorrow when we delve a little deeper into how Louise writes.

In the meantime, you can follow her on the web here!

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wordpress

And you can get your copy of her debut novel, Bruises!

The Process Project: Meet Karen Bynum!

Welcome to week six of the Process Project!! If you don’t know about us already, please visit The Process Project page to find out more about this project, and read interviews with other authors.

MEET KAREN BYNUM!

Dragons, unicorns, genies…oh my! NA/YA author, coffee-lover, olive-hater, tea-drinker, music-listener. Random becomes me. Married to a genius. Mother of a human baby and a furry baby. Easily distrac --  Rep'd by AKA Literary, LLC.

And now, let’s hear some more about Karen’s writing process...

 

JB: What is/are your main genre/field of writing?

KB: I started out writing Young Adult paranormal romance, but as I looked back on my seven completed works, I realized only two of them were true Young Adult stories. I really write more New Adult urban fantasy/romance with diverse characters.

JB: Let’s talk a little about your writing routine and rituals. First, do you have a writing time or day?

KB: Before my little *cue Gollum voice* precious was born, I used to write at 4:30AM (insanity, right?), but now I covet every second of sleep…so I write throughout the day when he naps.

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JB: Music you listen to? Need silence?

KB: Uh, none! Unless it’s totally instrumental. But, I prefer silence. All the better to hear the voices, my dear. :P

JB: Do you drink or eat something special?

KB: Hmm, it varies…coffee, chocolate, some kind of carb, or hot tea. I tend to eat more when I’m editing/revising then when I’m creating new worlds.

JB: When do your best ideas come to you?

KB: On the treadmill, in the shower, and on long drives.

JB: When you’re on the road and ideas come to you, what do you usually do?

KB: Jot them down at a stop-light on the Post-It notes I keep in the console or put them in Google Keep on my phone.

JB: When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?

KB: Back in the day, I pantsed my way through many a novel. I’d just open a Word document and race through the tunnel until I saw the The End light. The problem with that was plot holes, flat characters, and rushed endings. While all those things are fixable and did get fixed -- because I have an amazing editor -- I wouldn’t have had to work as hard if I’d known more of my characters’ backstory, goals, motivations, and conflicts. After loads of hard work and experience, I’ve found plotting -- at least fleshing out goals, motivations, and conflicts (GMC) -- helps the words flow easier and the edits less intense.

JB: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?

KB: Even though my thoughts about the story don’t always come in order, I still write linear. I’ve tried writing by scenes, but it just ticked me off because I ended up having to rewrite those scenes completely since things changed.

So instead, I start each story out with a few notes about the world-building and GMC, scribbled on Post-Its or in old notebooks, and then I launch into the words. Fingers to keys. Eyes to screen. Voices chatting away inside my head.

I do find plotting out a few overarching ideas/turning points helps. And I use Michael Hauge’s Plot Structure for that. But I can’t plot too intensely because if I do, and I know everything that’s going to happen, it just kills the story for me. (I had that happen just recently. Argh!)

JB: ​When it's time to revise/edit your work, do you have any particular methods that you use to help you through the process? ​

KB: After I type The End, I usually don’t look at that story for at least a week…maybe two, if I can wait that long. ;) Then, I read the entire thing over a couple days while taking notes on repeated concepts/phrases and things that need to be tweaked/rewritten. I get those things done, send to my beta readers, and cut out overused words while I await their feedback. After I make the beta reader adjustments I read it one more time, and then it’s off to my freelance editor (*insert plug here* Danielle Fine is ALL THE AWESOME, seriously, don’t know where I’d be without her). Once she’s worked her magic -- AKA we’ve done about a gazillion rounds of edits until it’s shiny like a diamond -- it’s off to my agent!

JB: What do you do when you're stuck?

KB: Keeping the momentum going is a huge help. So even if I only write ten words one day it’s something. If I’m plugging right along and suddenly seem to have worked myself into a corner, I’ll do something else for a few minutes -- laundry, dishes, eat a snack. Anything that I can accomplish in a short amount of time, and then I go back to my manuscript. Usually, I’ll have worked out the problem by not thinking about it for a bit. And I always try to remember, “First drafts don’t have to be good. They just have to be written.” Because… “You can’t fix a blank page.”

JB: And most importantly: why do you write?

KB: To be honest, guilt. LOL Writer’s guilt is real and alive in me. If I don’t meet my daily word count the voices in my head make me feel horrible. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE writing… It’s an escape -- and it’s like playing God to the worlds I build. But, it definitely is something I have to do. If I don’t, all the worlds I have in my head will collide and my soul will implode. I need those worlds on paper! I need to keep my soul intact! So, yeah, that’s why I write. :P

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Want to read more by Karen Bynum? You can check out here books (and download FREE below!)

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Karen Y. Bynum's Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

The Process Project -- More from J.C. Davis!!

Welcome back to Week 2 of the Process Project Blog series! Today is a continuation of yesterday’s interview with J.C. Davis. Click here to catch up on the first half of our interview where we talked about how and why she writes. Today, we will find out a little more about how she writes and revises!

J: When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?

JC: When I first get an idea, I jot it down on anything close to hand: the computer, a random bit of paper. At the first opportunity, I go into my computer, start a new Scrivener project and jot down everything I can about the idea. Later I'll flesh out details, but in that initial phase it's all about getting ideas on paper as quickly as possible. As other tidbits of info come to me, I'll add them as well. When I feel like I have enough of a story to go somewhere, I create a loose outline and start working from that. I'm a bit of a pantser but I still need a vague idea of where I'm headed and what's happening along the way. My initial story outline and ideas are usually wildly different from the end product, but the basic germ of the idea is there. My process is continually evolving as well so I try different techniques with each story and novel.

J: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?

JC: I tend to use a rough outline. I use Scrivener for all my writing and I love, love, love the corkboard view with its little virtual note cards. I often create a bunch of blank note cards, jot scene ideas on them and then drag them around and fill in the gaps with other scenes until I've got a semblance of structure. Despite how organized that sounds, quite often while I'm writing a scene it may twist in a completely different direction and I follow wherever my fingers lead and worry about cleaning up the narrative later.

J: When it's time to revise/edit your work, do you have any particular methods that you use to help you through the process?

JC: I make a new copy of my file before I begin revisions so I always have that first copy to refer back to. Then I sort of dive into revisions. I make several passes, each focusing on different areas: plot consistency, sub-plots, foreshadowing, character development. As I go along I do line edits as well, tightening words and scenes as needed. I run a small writing group off of Scribophile.com so I actually post chapters after I finish them. Which is helpful for keeping my momentum going and having critique partners point out errors as I go. It helps my first draft stay fairly clean - though structurally it may be a mess. It also means my poor initial critique partners get to see my story waffling all about as I find my place. After I've finished the entire novel and my first revision I send it off to a different set of beta readers and wait for their feedback. Then revise. Resend. Rinse, lather, repeat until the manuscript is in good shape. With my current novel there have been half a dozen different revision passes.

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I want to thank J.C. for taking time from her writing, work, and family to answer these questions for us! Reading her answers can help all of us with our own writing processes. Thank you, J.C.!

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What to read more by J.C.? Her short stories have appeared in Bastion Science Fiction Magazine, Writing Tomorrow, and Spark: A Creative Anthology among others. You can find links to all of her work here: J.C. Davis. A programmer by day, J.C. Davis writes Young Adult & Middle Grade fiction, the occasional short story and has far too many hobbies to keep up with. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, two kids and a hedgehog named Percy Jackson. A second-generation book addict, she has piles of books in her house and a serious picture book habit that's transferred to both of her kids. Family visits to the library are a frequent and necessary thing in her household. She adores Doctor Who, Harry Potter and has an unnatural affinity for Monty Python skits.

Check her out on the web here: Website/Blog || Twitter: @JCDavisAuthor || Goodreads

The Process Project: Meet J.C. Davis!

Welcome to the Process Project!

Week 2, Day 1

MEET J.C. DAVIS!

Welcome to Week TWO of the Process Project. In case this is the first time you’re hearing about us, the Process Project is a blog series compiling answers to questions all writers should think about when it comes to their process. Many of us just write...we don’t think about how, or why, we do the things we do. Thinking about your own process can help you be more productive, and hearing about other writers’ processes can help you hone yours, or make you feel like you’re not as crazy as you think you are. And c’mon, it’s just downright interesting!

For week two, I’d like to introduce to you J.C. Davis. A programmer by day, J.C. Davis writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction, the occasional short story and has far too many hobbies to keep up with. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, two kids and a hedgehog named Percy Jackson. A second-generation book addict, she has piles of books in her house and a serious picture book habit that's transferred to both of her kids. Family visits to the library are a frequent and necessary thing in her household. She adores Doctor Who, HarryPotter and has an unnatural affinity for Monty Python skits. Her short stories have appeared in Bastion Science Fiction Magazine, Writing Tomorrow, and Spark: A Creative Anthology among others. You can find links to all of her work here: J.C. Davis.

J: First and foremost, why do you write?

JC: I write because I love stories. I am an intense book addict and I love making stories of my own in addition to reading as many books as I can. I average around 100 books a year and read across several genres. Words are a kind of magic that wrap around me. I can't imagine not adding to that deluge of words. I also have amazing friends, betas and critique partners who cheer me on and keep me in-line when I need it.

I suppose most writers will say they always wanted to be a writer, but that wasn't true for me. In college, I toyed with a few book ideas but never started any of them. Later, when I discovered the Harry Potter books, I fell so deeply in love that I had to scurry online to find other Potter-heads to share my obsession with. That led to the fascinating world of fan-fiction. I read some, decided I could definitely write that and then jumped in with both feet. I wrote a novel length fan-fiction with original characters and that gave me the confidence to know that I could finish a novel, that I could plot and that, at least according to other fans, I was a decent writer with a bit of potential. I put the world of fan-fiction behind me and started writing original work. My first novel was an utter mess. It's locked in a drawer and guarded by attack trolls. My second novel is the one I am currently submitting to agents.

J: Can you talk to us a little about the environment you write in?

JC: Ninety-nine percent of my writing is done on the train during my commute to and from work. I love the motion and the background noise; it unlocks my muse. When I need to, however, I can write almost anywhere, though I prefer a bit of quiet. A nearby library, my bed, my writing desk, all are fair game. I never listen to music while I write because the noise distracts me, pulls me out of the story and drops me into a different world.

J: When you’re writing, and you get stuck, what do you do?

JC: This is where writing on the train comes in handy. If I get stuck, I people watch and jot down descriptions of my fellow passengers and make up stories about them. I sometimes try asking my characters open-ended questions and then writing down the answers. I've tried free-writing whatever comes into my brain. If I am really, really stuck it normally means there's a plotting issue I'm missing so I go back to my loose outline and fiddle with it, possibly leap ahead a few chapters if I need to, just so I can keep my momentum going.

Want to read more?? Tune back in tomorrow to see how J.C. Davis writes and revises!

And, in the meantime, check her out on the web here! Website/Blog || Twitter: @JCDavisAuthor || Goodreads

The Process Project: Meet Amanda Pate!

Welcome to the Process Project!

Week 1, Day 1

MEET AMANDA!

To kick off our Process Project Blog Series, we’d like to introduce to you, Amanda Pate. Amanda has been published the 2012 and 2013 issues of The Baylorian for photography and for poetry, as well as the Oklahoma Baptist University Literary Journal, Scriblerus. You can read her latest project, By Order of the King, on Wattpad, which is updated on a bi-weekly basis! Read More About Amanda below. Now let's get to some of those questions!

J:  What are your main genres/fields of writing?

A: I write in a variety of fields. I have written in poetry, historical fiction, fantasy, and I've even tried my hand at contemporary realistic fiction. However, the genre in which I most enjoy writing is fantasy. I have written two novels in that genre, and I'm currently planning another.

J: Can you talk to us a little about your writing routine and rituals?

A: I feel like my writing routine is slightly peculiar. I cannot be in a place that has a lot of action going on, so coffee shops are a no-go. Even the library sometimes throws me off because I'm in a different environment. The best writing space is on my bed, in my room, with the door closed. I can't write in any other place.