And just like that, the Process Project is reborn!
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Showing posts with label process project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label process project. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Process Project: Meet Ami Hendrickson
Ami Hendrickson writes books, screenplays, poetry, songs, manuals, and to–do lists that grow faster than Jack’s beanstalk. She also writes for famous horse people. On occasion, she has been so immersed in polishing plot points that she walked out of a store, leaving her purchases behind. She is represented by AKA Literary Management.
She fuels her muse with coffee and Earl Grey tea. While she has a longstanding love affair with chocolate, her obsession with cinnamon red hots borders on the pathological.
In addition to writing, some of Ami’s favorite pastimes involve riding her Percheron, playing with her dogs, teaching writers workshops, smooching her husband or snuggling her daughter during a movie. And eating the aforementioned red hots. There is always room at her table for one more plate; always room in her heart for one more critter. Ami and her family live with their “vast menagerie” on a 100+ year–old farm in southwest Michigan.
[Please note: In the event that science succeeds in creating a working holodeck, Ami will no longer be available to speak at conferences, as she will be… otherwise engaged. You have been warned.]
Click here to read about Ami Hendrickson's writing process!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
The Process Project: Rhiannon Paille
If you're not yet familiar with the Process Project, check us out here!
Meet Rhiannon Paille!
Rhiannon is a Booksmith from the middle of nowhere, Canada. She holds a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology, which is to say she happens to know a lot about what goes bump in the night. When she's not writing she's singing karaoke, burning dinner, and hiding her superhero identity. She'd like to own a unicorn one day, as long as it doesn't eat her. You'll find her sipping iced cappuccino despite her allergy to coffee at yafantasyauthor.com
And now, for the questions...
What is/are your main genre/field of writing?
Young Adult and Non Fiction
Meet Rhiannon Paille!Rhiannon is a Booksmith from the middle of nowhere, Canada. She holds a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology, which is to say she happens to know a lot about what goes bump in the night. When she's not writing she's singing karaoke, burning dinner, and hiding her superhero identity. She'd like to own a unicorn one day, as long as it doesn't eat her. You'll find her sipping iced cappuccino despite her allergy to coffee at yafantasyauthor.com
And now, for the questions...
What is/are your main genre/field of writing?
Young Adult and Non Fiction
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The Process Project: Tyrese L. Coleman!
Meet Tyrese L. Coleman!
Tyrese L. Coleman is a writer, wife, mother, and lawyer. She is also a master's student with the Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University. Her writing has appeared, or is forthcoming, in the Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review, PANK Magazine Online, the Tahoma Literary Review, Quaint Magazine, and elsewhere. Follow on Twitter @tylachelleco or her blog, Clever Title Pending, at www.tyresecoleman.blogspot.com.
And now, for the questions...
What is your main genre of writing?
I spend most of my time drafting what I like to consider "literary fiction." I have dabbled in young adult, even wrote a whole YA novel before I started graduate school. But, as anyone who has written anything and then gone to a Master's program afterwards, you realize that how you wrote before "learning how to write" is nothing like how you write once you've "learned" how to do it. So, my YA novel is sitting on an electronic MS Word shelf collecting imaginary dust. I tend to write short stories now, however, it appears that what I am most successful at getting published are my pieces of creative non-fiction.
What is your writing routine like?
Before I can get into the answer to this question, let me explain a few details of my life -- paint a picture, so to speak. I am a licensed attorney who does not practice, but works full-time for the federal government. I am married to a Historian. We have twin soon-to-be two-year old boys. And I have a four-year old Bassador (Basset Hound and Labrador) named Luna. I am also currently a student with the Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.
Here is an example of my day-to-day schedule and when I find a time and place to write:
When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?
Recently, I've been seeing success in my works of creative non-fiction and have decided to continue using my past real-life experiences as impetuous for new material, whether it be fiction or more non-fiction. This could change, but its what I am up to right now.
When I start any new piece, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, I generally focus on a particular memory or sensation, not so much an event. For example, the feeling of having an aunt comb your hair or riding on the handlebars of a bike. I find sensory details much more interesting than actual events. I write down what is happening in that moment, how the character or myself felt, and then proceed with "what happens next." Sometimes that intro is kept in the story, but often times it is taken out because it doesn't fit with the final piece, but it always leads somewhere.
Where the process differs between fiction and non-fiction, for me, is the pace in which I then proceed to work. With my non-fiction, I find that I can complete a first draft in one sitting. This is because the "story" has already happened, I am just documenting it.
However, it can take weeks for me to finish a short story draft. In some instances, I know exactly what I want to do with a story, but because of a lack of writing time, I may not be able to finish it all within a reasonable amount of time. So, I will go through and bullet point the main plot points and then write everything out as I go along. Other times, I may draft it out on a piece of paper, making notes and corrections.
Other times, I brainstorm. The best thing about working in an office are co-workers. When I am stumped on what should happen next in a story, I confer with one of my co-workers and talk about the story out loud with her. She gives me her opinions and thoughts, but mostly, the exercise allows me to let out what I've had boxed up in my brain since I first got the idea. It really helps to think about a story, characters, plot, theme, etc., out loud in able to voice what the story really is about.
While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?
As I mention above, if it is fiction, I will bullet point plot points or major thematic elements that I definitely want to include or I will write them down on a piece of paper and keep it with me, often going back and making more notes. I find that when I start writing with no idea as to what I want to have happen, i.e. "letting the story figure itself out," I end up not finishing. So, I am now trying to employ some of type of methodology where I determine at least one major plot and/or thematic point that holds the whole piece together. Then I write on through to those particular "scenes." Sometimes, those ideas change as I write. The story may have started off as one thing, but the characters I have written have taken it off somewhere else. At some point, I reevaluate and determine if what I've written is consistent with what I want to have happen.
I keep everything in Dropbox so that I can access my documents anywhere. Because I often write at work, at home and over and across several different computers, I find Dropbox to be one of the best ways to get to my work whenever I feel like working on it. Inside Dropbox, I have several different folders for the different types of writing I do. And, I save drafts with a date at the end so that I can see which one is the latest right away.
When it's time to revise your work, do you have any particular methods that you use to help you through the process?
Check out some of her work here!
Tyrese L. Coleman is a writer, wife, mother, and lawyer. She is also a master's student with the Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University. Her writing has appeared, or is forthcoming, in the Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review, PANK Magazine Online, the Tahoma Literary Review, Quaint Magazine, and elsewhere. Follow on Twitter @tylachelleco or her blog, Clever Title Pending, at www.tyresecoleman.blogspot.com.
And now, for the questions...
What is your main genre of writing?
I spend most of my time drafting what I like to consider "literary fiction." I have dabbled in young adult, even wrote a whole YA novel before I started graduate school. But, as anyone who has written anything and then gone to a Master's program afterwards, you realize that how you wrote before "learning how to write" is nothing like how you write once you've "learned" how to do it. So, my YA novel is sitting on an electronic MS Word shelf collecting imaginary dust. I tend to write short stories now, however, it appears that what I am most successful at getting published are my pieces of creative non-fiction.
What is your writing routine like?
Before I can get into the answer to this question, let me explain a few details of my life -- paint a picture, so to speak. I am a licensed attorney who does not practice, but works full-time for the federal government. I am married to a Historian. We have twin soon-to-be two-year old boys. And I have a four-year old Bassador (Basset Hound and Labrador) named Luna. I am also currently a student with the Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.
Here is an example of my day-to-day schedule and when I find a time and place to write:
- 6-9am: shower, get kids up and down for breakfast, take care of dog, drop off kids, and get to work
- 9am-5:30pm: BS with co-workers, eat breakfast, surf internet, turn up PANDORA (usually listening to Sam Cooke or some other soul station) and in between working on what I get paid to work on, I dip into the always-active open screen to my short story/personal essay/workshop critique/online journal/blog/duotrope/etc etc
- 5:30-7pm: grab kids, make dinner, feed kids, put them to bed (oh, and maybe say hello to my husband...can't forget him)
- 7pm-10pm: write and/or read, homework, and sometimes, very rarely, watch TV.
When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?
Recently, I've been seeing success in my works of creative non-fiction and have decided to continue using my past real-life experiences as impetuous for new material, whether it be fiction or more non-fiction. This could change, but its what I am up to right now.
When I start any new piece, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, I generally focus on a particular memory or sensation, not so much an event. For example, the feeling of having an aunt comb your hair or riding on the handlebars of a bike. I find sensory details much more interesting than actual events. I write down what is happening in that moment, how the character or myself felt, and then proceed with "what happens next." Sometimes that intro is kept in the story, but often times it is taken out because it doesn't fit with the final piece, but it always leads somewhere.
Where the process differs between fiction and non-fiction, for me, is the pace in which I then proceed to work. With my non-fiction, I find that I can complete a first draft in one sitting. This is because the "story" has already happened, I am just documenting it.
However, it can take weeks for me to finish a short story draft. In some instances, I know exactly what I want to do with a story, but because of a lack of writing time, I may not be able to finish it all within a reasonable amount of time. So, I will go through and bullet point the main plot points and then write everything out as I go along. Other times, I may draft it out on a piece of paper, making notes and corrections.
Other times, I brainstorm. The best thing about working in an office are co-workers. When I am stumped on what should happen next in a story, I confer with one of my co-workers and talk about the story out loud with her. She gives me her opinions and thoughts, but mostly, the exercise allows me to let out what I've had boxed up in my brain since I first got the idea. It really helps to think about a story, characters, plot, theme, etc., out loud in able to voice what the story really is about.
While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?
As I mention above, if it is fiction, I will bullet point plot points or major thematic elements that I definitely want to include or I will write them down on a piece of paper and keep it with me, often going back and making more notes. I find that when I start writing with no idea as to what I want to have happen, i.e. "letting the story figure itself out," I end up not finishing. So, I am now trying to employ some of type of methodology where I determine at least one major plot and/or thematic point that holds the whole piece together. Then I write on through to those particular "scenes." Sometimes, those ideas change as I write. The story may have started off as one thing, but the characters I have written have taken it off somewhere else. At some point, I reevaluate and determine if what I've written is consistent with what I want to have happen.
I keep everything in Dropbox so that I can access my documents anywhere. Because I often write at work, at home and over and across several different computers, I find Dropbox to be one of the best ways to get to my work whenever I feel like working on it. Inside Dropbox, I have several different folders for the different types of writing I do. And, I save drafts with a date at the end so that I can see which one is the latest right away.
When it's time to revise your work, do you have any particular methods that you use to help you through the process?
Revision...oh boy.
So, I like to revise first by printing off a draft and line editing. I will shred my draft to bits and question as much as I can via that printed document. Then I go back, make the edits, and repeat. I cannot "revise" on a computer screen. Revising on a computer screen is what I consider drafting the story, as I tend to revise what I previously wrote in a draft over and over again until the draft is complete. I print the draft only when its complete, never before. I don't know why...probably for similar reasons sports players grow mustaches during play-offs, superstition, I guess.
After that point, and especially since I started the program, the story gets workshopped or read by someone else before I move on. After workshop, generally there is a larger revision that may include cutting and adding significant portions of the story and reevaluating what is working and what isn't. Again, the printer is cut off. It is not until I address these issues that I start the second revision process. After that, I print and go through line by line, word by word until my eyes bleed or I start dreaming about my characters trying to attack me with Elmo shaped forks and then realize those aren't my characters, but my children instead.
And most importantly: why do you write?
I write because it makes me happy. Simple as that. It is the one indulgence in my life that I allow myself to obsess over. I don't want to call it a "hobby," because the word "hobby" does not connote the seriousness in which I take my writing. However, I cannot call it "work" because, to me, "work" involves getting paid, and there isn't too much of that happening.
But, writing is my way of life -- getting life, seeing life, enjoying life, loving life, understanding life, making it through life. When I write, I feel the most like "me." Not Tyrese the employee, the wife, the mother, the fur-mom, the friend. I am just me, enjoying life, when I write. That's why I do it. Simple.
So, I like to revise first by printing off a draft and line editing. I will shred my draft to bits and question as much as I can via that printed document. Then I go back, make the edits, and repeat. I cannot "revise" on a computer screen. Revising on a computer screen is what I consider drafting the story, as I tend to revise what I previously wrote in a draft over and over again until the draft is complete. I print the draft only when its complete, never before. I don't know why...probably for similar reasons sports players grow mustaches during play-offs, superstition, I guess.
After that point, and especially since I started the program, the story gets workshopped or read by someone else before I move on. After workshop, generally there is a larger revision that may include cutting and adding significant portions of the story and reevaluating what is working and what isn't. Again, the printer is cut off. It is not until I address these issues that I start the second revision process. After that, I print and go through line by line, word by word until my eyes bleed or I start dreaming about my characters trying to attack me with Elmo shaped forks and then realize those aren't my characters, but my children instead.
And most importantly: why do you write?
I write because it makes me happy. Simple as that. It is the one indulgence in my life that I allow myself to obsess over. I don't want to call it a "hobby," because the word "hobby" does not connote the seriousness in which I take my writing. However, I cannot call it "work" because, to me, "work" involves getting paid, and there isn't too much of that happening.
But, writing is my way of life -- getting life, seeing life, enjoying life, loving life, understanding life, making it through life. When I write, I feel the most like "me." Not Tyrese the employee, the wife, the mother, the fur-mom, the friend. I am just me, enjoying life, when I write. That's why I do it. Simple.
-----
I want to thank Tyrese for the wonderful answers and inspiration! We are so happy she was able to add to the Process Project,. I loved seeing the life of a real-life writer who does it all! Thanks, Tyrese!!!
http://www.divergentvoices.com/ ("A Caged Bird")
Follow her on Twitter at @tylachelleco
And read her blog at www.tyresecoleman.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The Process Project: Meet Pippa Jay!
If you're not yet familiar with the Process Project, check us out here!
Meet Pippa Jay!
After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes sci-fi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.
Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade and Broad Universe, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include YA and adult stories crossing a multitude of sub-genres from sci-fi to the paranormal, often with romance, and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), the EPIC eBook awards, and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).
Meet Pippa Jay!
Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade and Broad Universe, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include YA and adult stories crossing a multitude of sub-genres from sci-fi to the paranormal, often with romance, and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), the EPIC eBook awards, and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
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!
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The Process Project: Meet Gareth S. Young!
If you're not yet familiar with the Process Project, check us out here!
Meet Gareth S. Young!
You must follow SpartaGus on the web!
@Spartagus on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wattpad | Blog | Monsters
Meet Gareth S. Young!
This week I am proud to introduce my friend who I call Spartagus :) I met Gareth on Twitter and read his book Monsters (which you should get your copy of asap!) and we became fast friends!
Gareth S. Young was born and raised in Scotland, but has now lived for more than 15 years in the American Midwest. This has played havoc with his accent. In 2010, he published his first full length story, a mystery/suspense novel called Monsters In April 2013, his short story "The Orange-headed Serpent" was published in the Orange Karen Anthology. 2015 will see the release of Dynamo City: The Wolves of Dynamo, part one of an audacious YA urban fantasy series. Other upcoming works include Persephone, the much anticipated follow up to Monsters and part two of the Dynamo City saga.
And now for the questions....
JB: What is your main genre of writing?
GY: Mystery/thriller, although I'm currently working on a series of Young Adult Urban Fantasy books.
JB: What is your writing routine?
GY: I usually write at my desk on the PC or on the couch with the laptop. Invariably I find myself writing at night, since I work second shift and get home late. I have found that my inability to sleep and my imagination intersect perfectly in the evening time. When I'm writing, I often use music to set the general mood, to influence pace, or to focus on a specific emotion. I tend towards music without lyrics, to avoid getting too caught up in the words, and that means I have several movie soundtracks in constant rotation. There's no special food I like to eat. In fact, I prefer not to eat when I'm writing to avoid greasy fingers, interruptions in my typing and, I really need to watch my weight. Plenty of liquids, though.
JB: When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?
GY: I always try to write down ideas--on bits of paper if I'm not at home, or on the computer if I am. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm going to write before I really get stuck into it, just playing ideas out in my head until something feels good. I'll run scenes that will mark the path to the end, although I leave a lot of room for the characters to lead me off in different directions. I like to build the characters from the ground up, giving them a deep history, even if I never use it, and figure out character traits and dynamics between characters. That way, I will be able to write in different voices without feeling all my characters sound the same.
JB: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?
GY: I tend not to get stuck too much in one format, but I like to make sure there's a certain symmetry to my stories. I love the idea of fractals -- a never ending pattern on any scale. You can zoom in and see the same image as if you zoom out. In stories I like the idea that the broad theme of the story can be seen whether you look at the story as a whole or if you're looking at only one character. Sort of like a fractal.
Also, you have to understand the arc of your main character, your character has to "change" in some way, so it's important you know how to affect that change. Sometimes this means breaking down the most important scenes, figuring out where they go in the story, and connecting the dots between. Sometimes it means writing yourself into a corner to see if your character can get out of it. I write important dialogue heavy scenes first as pure dialogue, no description or direction, just to get the beats of the conversation. With action, I do a rough outline to be fine tuned later. I find opening chapters difficult. The first half-dozen are often the most re-written in my stories. Once I get going, though, I am usually able to see the map in my head and I write to that. I'll write down details, dates, times, and all the character information for reference, but my stories sometimes have little shape until I've gone through them once. I actually broke Monsters into three sections/parts/acts to pace it out better. For my urban fantasy I just wrote and the rhythm came naturally.
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?
GY: Yes, I use an editor. lol. My first release of Monsters was riddled with mistakes despite the fact I went through it a dozen times. I think after a while, you become blind to your own mistakes, so it's always better to get some fresh eyes on it. I pulled the book and enlisted the editorial services of Gina Hylton (a.k.a. author Regina West), who whipped it into fighting shape. I re-released it, feeling much better about it. Being self-published puts you under a little more scrutiny, and I've learned there's no reason to settle for second best just because you put the book out yourself. Work hard, get help, hire an editor and probably someone to do your cover. The dollars might add up, but its worth it to put out the best book you can.
JB: And most importantly: why do you write?
GY: I write because I remember what it was like sitting in a movie theater as the Imperial Star Destroyer chased the rebel transport through space...and remember watching Bruce Willis realize he was a ghost. I remember racing through the words as Boo Radley rescued Jem...and being shocked to discover the man from The Scythe wasn't just cutting wheat, he was doing the work of Death...and stunned as the hunters returned from the past in A Sound of Thunder to find their own time had changed because one of them had strayed from the artificial path and crushed a butterfly. It is so much fun to be caught up in a make-believe world to the point you are invested in a make-believe character. I don't know why we care about these things, but we do, and the excitement, terror, and satisfaction we can feel from stories is something I want to recreate and share.
* Imperial Star Destroyer chasing Rebel transport? Star Wars of course. A ghostly Bruce Willis? The Sixth Sense. Boo Radley and Jem are from To Kill a Mockingbird. The Scythe and A Sound of Thunder are two classic short stories by Ray Bradbury.
And now for the questions....
JB: What is your main genre of writing?
GY: Mystery/thriller, although I'm currently working on a series of Young Adult Urban Fantasy books.
JB: What is your writing routine?
GY: I usually write at my desk on the PC or on the couch with the laptop. Invariably I find myself writing at night, since I work second shift and get home late. I have found that my inability to sleep and my imagination intersect perfectly in the evening time. When I'm writing, I often use music to set the general mood, to influence pace, or to focus on a specific emotion. I tend towards music without lyrics, to avoid getting too caught up in the words, and that means I have several movie soundtracks in constant rotation. There's no special food I like to eat. In fact, I prefer not to eat when I'm writing to avoid greasy fingers, interruptions in my typing and, I really need to watch my weight. Plenty of liquids, though.
JB: When you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do you use to organize your ideas?
GY: I always try to write down ideas--on bits of paper if I'm not at home, or on the computer if I am. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm going to write before I really get stuck into it, just playing ideas out in my head until something feels good. I'll run scenes that will mark the path to the end, although I leave a lot of room for the characters to lead me off in different directions. I like to build the characters from the ground up, giving them a deep history, even if I never use it, and figure out character traits and dynamics between characters. That way, I will be able to write in different voices without feeling all my characters sound the same.
JB: While you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure your work?
GY: I tend not to get stuck too much in one format, but I like to make sure there's a certain symmetry to my stories. I love the idea of fractals -- a never ending pattern on any scale. You can zoom in and see the same image as if you zoom out. In stories I like the idea that the broad theme of the story can be seen whether you look at the story as a whole or if you're looking at only one character. Sort of like a fractal.
Also, you have to understand the arc of your main character, your character has to "change" in some way, so it's important you know how to affect that change. Sometimes this means breaking down the most important scenes, figuring out where they go in the story, and connecting the dots between. Sometimes it means writing yourself into a corner to see if your character can get out of it. I write important dialogue heavy scenes first as pure dialogue, no description or direction, just to get the beats of the conversation. With action, I do a rough outline to be fine tuned later. I find opening chapters difficult. The first half-dozen are often the most re-written in my stories. Once I get going, though, I am usually able to see the map in my head and I write to that. I'll write down details, dates, times, and all the character information for reference, but my stories sometimes have little shape until I've gone through them once. I actually broke Monsters into three sections/parts/acts to pace it out better. For my urban fantasy I just wrote and the rhythm came naturally.
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?
GY: Yes, I use an editor. lol. My first release of Monsters was riddled with mistakes despite the fact I went through it a dozen times. I think after a while, you become blind to your own mistakes, so it's always better to get some fresh eyes on it. I pulled the book and enlisted the editorial services of Gina Hylton (a.k.a. author Regina West), who whipped it into fighting shape. I re-released it, feeling much better about it. Being self-published puts you under a little more scrutiny, and I've learned there's no reason to settle for second best just because you put the book out yourself. Work hard, get help, hire an editor and probably someone to do your cover. The dollars might add up, but its worth it to put out the best book you can.
JB: And most importantly: why do you write?
GY: I write because I remember what it was like sitting in a movie theater as the Imperial Star Destroyer chased the rebel transport through space...and remember watching Bruce Willis realize he was a ghost. I remember racing through the words as Boo Radley rescued Jem...and being shocked to discover the man from The Scythe wasn't just cutting wheat, he was doing the work of Death...and stunned as the hunters returned from the past in A Sound of Thunder to find their own time had changed because one of them had strayed from the artificial path and crushed a butterfly. It is so much fun to be caught up in a make-believe world to the point you are invested in a make-believe character. I don't know why we care about these things, but we do, and the excitement, terror, and satisfaction we can feel from stories is something I want to recreate and share.
* Imperial Star Destroyer chasing Rebel transport? Star Wars of course. A ghostly Bruce Willis? The Sixth Sense. Boo Radley and Jem are from To Kill a Mockingbird. The Scythe and A Sound of Thunder are two classic short stories by Ray Bradbury.
---
Thank you so much, Gareth, for participating in the Process Project!
You must follow SpartaGus on the web!
@Spartagus on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wattpad | Blog | Monsters
Monsters (available as paperback and Kindle ebook)
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
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).
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.
---
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!
Read more about her books below!!!
SILVER
"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
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
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
SILVER
"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
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
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
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
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!
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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?
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.
--
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
A few of her poems: http://wp.me/P1Nylx-6H
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
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!
---
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.
----
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)
Meet Holly Tellander!
And now for the questions!
---
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.
----
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)
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
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?
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
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
-----
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
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
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
The Process Project: Meet Justin Sloan!
Welcome to week eight 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.
This week I am really excited to share an interview with one of my fellow classmates. We met virtually through the Johns Hopkins MA program, as he was taking classes remotely from across the country. I’ve had a chance to read some of his work and also receive feedback on my own novel from him. He’s a terrific writer, and I’m so excited to share this interview with you!
Meet Justin Sloan!!
Justin Sloan is a video game writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He studied writing at the Johns Hopkins University MA in Writing program and at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's Professional Program in Screenwriting. Additionally, he has published short fiction and poetry.
Justin was in the Marines for five years and has lived in Japan, Korea, and Italy. He currently lives with his amazing wife and children in the Bay Area, where he writes and enjoys life.
And now...on to the questions!!
JB: What is/are your main genre/field of writing?
JS: Many of the panelists at writing conferences and speakers on podcasts and whatnot recommend we find our niche, or focus on a genre of writing so as to meet our readers’ expectations or give our agents a way to sell us. To this end, you could say I write middle grade and young adult coming of age fantasy (urban and epic). My novels on Amazon certainly match this (Back by Sunrise, Teddy Bears in Monsterland, and Falls of Redemption), as does my novel that will be published in the next couple of months, Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon (a MG urban fantasy).
That said, I would argue that we are artists and therefore should not limit ourselves. If you are angry one morning, work on that thriller or epic sword fight in your fantasy story instead of the cute children’s book you have been focusing on. Are you feeling fancy? Put your mind to work on a literary novel. I have written one literary novel and have outlined a second, and find it to be a rewarding experience that uses a different part of my brain than my typical stories. My short stories are all over the place, and my screenplays tend to be half in the fantasy realm and half in the comedy genre. Luckily, Telltale Games seem to fit right into my genre, as we are doing a Minecraft game, Game of Thrones, and Tales from the Borderlands.
This week I am really excited to share an interview with one of my fellow classmates. We met virtually through the Johns Hopkins MA program, as he was taking classes remotely from across the country. I’ve had a chance to read some of his work and also receive feedback on my own novel from him. He’s a terrific writer, and I’m so excited to share this interview with you!
Meet Justin Sloan!!
Justin was in the Marines for five years and has lived in Japan, Korea, and Italy. He currently lives with his amazing wife and children in the Bay Area, where he writes and enjoys life.
And now...on to the questions!!
JB: What is/are your main genre/field of writing?
JS: Many of the panelists at writing conferences and speakers on podcasts and whatnot recommend we find our niche, or focus on a genre of writing so as to meet our readers’ expectations or give our agents a way to sell us. To this end, you could say I write middle grade and young adult coming of age fantasy (urban and epic). My novels on Amazon certainly match this (Back by Sunrise, Teddy Bears in Monsterland, and Falls of Redemption), as does my novel that will be published in the next couple of months, Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon (a MG urban fantasy).
That said, I would argue that we are artists and therefore should not limit ourselves. If you are angry one morning, work on that thriller or epic sword fight in your fantasy story instead of the cute children’s book you have been focusing on. Are you feeling fancy? Put your mind to work on a literary novel. I have written one literary novel and have outlined a second, and find it to be a rewarding experience that uses a different part of my brain than my typical stories. My short stories are all over the place, and my screenplays tend to be half in the fantasy realm and half in the comedy genre. Luckily, Telltale Games seem to fit right into my genre, as we are doing a Minecraft game, Game of Thrones, and Tales from the Borderlands.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
The Process Project -- More from 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 is a continuation of yesterday’s interview with the
lovely Louise Lindley (like that alliteration there? ;)). To read the firstpart of her interview, click here! Today we are going to talk to Louise about
how she writes! On to the questions!
JB: When do
your best ideas come to you? What are your best brainstorming times?
Walking the dog and in the bath! Occasionally, last
thing at night when I get into bed. When I was at the end of Bruises, about to write the last
chapter, I knew how it was going to end but I couldn’t figure out what the
order of events would be. I also wanted to give you something that would make
you want book 2. I was lying in bed one night staring at the ceiling, my mind
turning over. My husband was in the bathroom and walked out to me all of a
sudden saying ‘OMG, that’s it, that’s what I have to do…’ He gave me that ‘she
really has lost it this time!’ look, and offered to go back into the bathroom
and come out again. I had the perfect ending…
To be honest, inspiration can come from anywhere,
often when you’re least expecting it.
JB: What is
your writing routine? Do you have any writing rituals?
LL: As a busy mum of boys who are now 6 & 8, I
can’t be too choosy about where, when and how I write. I pick up whatever I’m
working on in the oddest of places: while watching swimming lessons; in the
school playground; the doctor’s office. I’ve been known to sit with a head full
of foils under the dryer, tapping away!
When I’m at home I can get a little carried away if I’m
really into a story. I might be sat at the table I use, overlooking the garden,
in the afternoon, or I might be sat on the couch in the evening, after the boys
have gone to bed. I can fully absorb myself in my work wherever I am,
especially in the busy coffee shop where I wrote most of my first (&
second) novel. I nearly always have a large bottle of water on the go, but as a
dedicated caffeine addict I love to sip a latté too. One thing I do like to do
is spread myself out, but then I do that with everything -cooking, crafting,
sewing, putting my makeup on, getting dressed… I like space so I can access all
my iThings, notebooks, pen case etc. easily. When I tie my hair back I have a
habit of ramming a pencil into the ponytail for easy access, often forgetting
it’s still there when I leave wherever I am!
JB: When
you are preparing to write a new story, what kinds of techniques or methods do
you use to organize your ideas?
LL: I love notebooks! I have at least 3 or 4 on the go
at one time, one of which is currently my 365 journal that I write something in
everyday. I also have a quote journal, and I’m tweeting a quote every day. When
I first began writing I had no idea where my story came from, it just kind of
evolved while out walking the dog and listening to music. I then threw down all
my ideas for characters and story line in a battered old notebook I found on a
shelf in my husband’s study (I think his tax receipts were supposed to be
recorded in it but it was empty!). In no particular order, anything and
everything I thought of became notes. Then I broke it down into sections, a
summary of each character – what they looked like, personality, family history,
work history, etc.. The story became mind maps in the form of rough chapters. I
have known the ending of each novel before I began to write; my story might
have changed slightly along the way, but essentially I always knew exactly
where it was going to end up. Then I started to write, working through the
notebook, ticking off the bits I’d used. I recently got to know a mum at my
boys’ school, who is also writing her first novel. She has a background in
animation scripts, so she showed me how she organizes her thoughts, and it was
interesting to learn that a more professional approach was actually a similar
process to my more amateur attempts that I’d developed naturally. The most useful
thing I learned was that she used Post-It notes in her notebook, so she could move
them around her story board. I am in the process of trying this myself now with
my fourth novel, and so far I like it.
JB: When
you’re on the road and ideas come to you, what do you usually do?
LL: I always have a notebook… always!
JB: While
you are working on a piece, do you have any particular way that you structure
your work?
LL: I write each chapter as a separate file, but save
them to one folder – in more than one location, my hard drive & in Dropbox.
I try to keep my notes together as much as possible, but honestly if anyone
looked through one of my notebooks they would never believe it was turned into
a novel. I was much clearer in my first two novels (which are essentially one
story I cut in half) where it was going & how I was going to get there, so
it was fairly easy to structure. With my third, I tried out some different
approaches: I wrote in in the first person; I started the book at the end of
the story and then took you through the events that led up to the main
character being in the situation she was in… it felt odd at first and took some
planning, but once I was into it, it was fun to write!
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?
LL: I always read a chapter through when I’ve finished
it, just to correct my dyslexic fingers and make sure what I’ve written does
actually make some sense. I find I can read something a gazillion times before
I notice something so obvious. I failed English at school, my grammar and
punctuation is appalling (& don’t even get my husband started on my
spelling!), as far as I’m concerned as long as my imagination and basic story
structure is there, I let the professionals (i.e. my husband!) worry about the
rest. I always read the ‘finished’ work from beginning to end before I start
any sort of editing, and nearly always on my phone so I’m not tempted to
correct any minor mistakes, I just read it like a book and make notes of any
major changes I want to make. I have a very supportive group of close friends
who love to read my work and give honest feedback. One of my biggest critics is
my mother-in-law, who can look beyond all the bad bits and constructively
criticize the deeper aspects of the book. I changed the story slightly in my
first novel as a result of this and it worked much better. Essentially, editing
for me is just going back over it enough times that I’m happy it works.
JB: Is
there any advice you can give to writers struggling to get the words flowing?
LL: You have to believe in yourself and write what you want to read. Don’t write what you
think people want you to write, write it for yourself, the way you would want
to read it. We all have our own styles, it will make you more comfortable and
confident with your work and hopefully encourage the words to flow better.
Write something everyday, doesn’t matter what it is,
the shocking weather… what you had for breakfast… the fool who thinks he can
still get through the closing doors on the Skytrain...what your kids said when
you told them they’re going to Legoland on vacation (mine don’t actually know
yet so don’t tell them!)...or just simply how you’re feeling that day. WRITE.
IT. ALL. DOWN. You never know when you might want to go back through all that
nonsense and use it.
-----
I want to extend a HUGE thank you to Louise for providing such rich answers to our questions! I hope you enjoyed her story as much as I did! Thanks Louise!!!!
You can follow her on the web here!
And you can get your copy of her debut novel, Bruises!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
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!
-----
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!
And you can get your copy of her debut novel, Bruises!
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