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 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!)

Download LORE for FREE on Amazon

Download LORE for FREE on B&N!

Check her out on the web:

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

The Process Project: Meet K.C. Shaw!

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

I’m really excited to introduce to you a writer friend I met through Twitter, and she one of my oldest “twitter friends” K.C. Shaw! K.C. Shaw's fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. Her most recent novel, Wharf Rat, is available from Etopia Press. You can also find links to her short fiction and books on her website: http://kcshaw.net

And now…on to the questions!

J: Why do you write?
KC: I write books I want to read. I enjoy writing them even though it’s a lot of work, and I like knowing that other people will eventually read and enjoy what I’ve produced. Occasionally I get discouraged and think I should just give up writing -- but I honestly don’t think I could. Before long I’d get an idea and have to start writing again.

J: What do you write?
KC: I mostly write fantasy, but I also write young adult -- both YA Fantasy and Contemporary.

J: Do you have any writing rituals?
KC: I don’t really have any writing rituals, although I like to play music while I work. For years I carried a spiral notebook around with me and when I had a few minutes -- while on hold at work, during my lunch break, even stuck in traffic -- I’d write. These days I have more free time so I don’t usually cram writing time into odd moments like that, but it taught me how to focus on writing no matter the circumstances. I like writing in cafes, too. Once I’m really focusing, all the background noise fades away and doesn’t bother me.

J: When you are preparing to write a new story, how do you organize your ideas?
KC: I’ve tried all sorts of methods for plotting and world building, from careful outlining with index cards to the Scrivener word processing program. The best method for me is a rough general outline scribbled on a piece of paper so I can look at it without minimizing my writing document or clicking away (because when I do that, I’ll have to check Twitter and mess with my playlist and oh yeah I’ve got to send so-and-so an email…). As I write, the outline inevitably changes a lot. I try to stay flexible and let the plot/characterization evolve -- it always means a stronger story.

J: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?
KC: I work in one file, and that file has to be clean. I don’t want typos, extra spaces, notes that say “insert description here” -- that sort of sloppiness doesn’t make the first draft come faster, it just drives me crazy. By the time I type “the end,” the manuscript should look like it’s ready to submit. Even during major revisions I have to keep the file clean. A sloppy manuscript makes my thinking feel jumbled.

J: What do you do when you're stuck?
KC: Set the work aside for a while and read other people’s books. Sometimes a plot just needs some extra cooking time and the solution will pop up when I least expect it. If it doesn’t, at least I got some reading time in. When I come back to the story, I reread what I have from the beginning. Sometimes that will help me see where it started to go wrong.

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?
KC: I open a second file during revisions. If I cut a scene, I copy it into the second file so I’ve still got it in case I change my mind (but I never do). If I want to move a description or part of a scene, I first move it into the second file until I know exactly where I want to put it in the main document. That gives me plenty of freedom to hack up my text while still keeping that main file totally clean. I sound so anal!

I want to thank K.C. SO MUCH for answering these questions and participating in the Process Project! I hope you enjoyed reading her answers as much as I did!

Want to read more? Check K.C. out on the web here: K.C. Shaw || Lizzy and Jo || Goodreads || Twitter

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. 

The Process Project

Over the next several months I am going do a blog series on how and why writers write. This will be a fun a way to open the topic of writers’ processes.

Every writer has his or her own process, and it's really interesting that each person's is different. Learning about processes from different perspectives, can help other writers to a) realize that they are just as "normal" as everyone else, even those who have been published, and b) help them to hone their own processes. I think it's a nice topic for discussion, and I've actually gotten quite a few people on board! I’m really excited :)

And I hope this will grow over the next year!!

I will begin posting entries this week, our first entry will be on Wednesday, February 11, and every subsequent Writer Wednesday!


Featured Authors:

Coming soon......