Ask the Author: Lisa Marie Gabriel
Answered Questions (6)
Lisa Marie Gabriel
To be completely honest, and this is an awful nono on Goodreads, I don't even have a reading list. I have not had a reading list since I was sixteen and obsessed with Gothic novels and biochemistry textbooks. I am the world's worst list maker. I only recently started making shopping lists and that was only because of COVID. No, I have a shedload of books I should read, literally, and I tend to be impulsive with my Kindle purchases. If a book says "read me" I often do. You might call it Catholic taste.
Lisa Marie Gabriel
Hi Carlyn :) Sorry I missed this - I have been awful about reading questions. I will email tomorrow and let you know what I've been up to. You must let me know what's been happening your end :)
All the best, Lisa
All the best, Lisa
Lisa Marie Gabriel
Yes, thank you, I do use an outline. I have an idea for a story and usually the first thing I do is set out a very rough series of events. It isn't necessarily very detailed but the major elements will be there before I start the first draft. I find that it helps with pacing and plot. It also keeps me on track so I don't go rambling too far off into the distance. I might not stay strictly to that plan, often it will evolve, but having one helps me at those times when the writing sticks for some reason. I think everyone has some degree of writer's block and if I have that plan I can use it to go forward at those times.
Lisa Marie Gabriel
Thank you for the question Christine. :) I write about a lot of things and I am very much driven by how I feel on a particular day. I admit that I do like to write about things I am familiar with such as places I have visited or my pets. Sometimes I will blog or write articles and my training is in music so I have written instructional material on the internet. I am totally cat mad too, so I write a lot about my cats. I like to write poetry, but that is mostly for myself to be honest. I do enjoy writing about nature, so description plays a big part in my stories - possibly too much at times. Stories tend to come from thoughts I have when I am relaxed or from dreams even. Characters might come and speak to me in my head and that forms the germ of a story. I admit I enjoy fantasy because it allows me to explore interesting ideas like immortality which, as far as we know, we can't actually experience. At the moment I have several bigger writing projects on the go and none of them near the beta stage. They are all very different.
Lisa Marie Gabriel
As a writer I try to be as faithful as I can to my characters and to offer readers an experience that leaves them thinking afterwards. I want the story to be a kind of shared journey too. Being a writer is a little like being an actor I think; for a while you can immerse yourself in the lives of your characters and, if you do it well, draw the audience along with you. You want readers to be excited by the story, eager to know what happens next, but that isn't all. If readers feel the emotions of characters and empathize with them, love them or hate them that is even better. Sharing a sense of time and place is important to me too, so descriptive prose has a place in my stories. To do all that well is not easy but I want to do the best I can to rise to that challenge. When someone enjoys what you have written it is a huge privilege and a wonderful feeling. That is my dream as a writer.
Lisa Marie Gabriel
I have several ideas on the go at the moment, but the main one is a paranormal romance/horror novel set in the past. It is mainly in the Renaissance, but will move in time towards the present day. It has the premise that there are both good and bad vampires. It draws on Eastern European and Romany traditions as well as more ancient influences. (I want to keep you guessing for now!) No title as yet because the initial concept has changed and I want to christen it after it is born rather than before. It follows the vampire and shapeshifter theme and is darker than The Cougar but more mainstream in some ways. The horror aspect will be stronger in this novel. I am about halfway through writing the first draft and will let you know more when it is at the beta stage.
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