Carly Wayne's Blog, page 2

Happy pub day!

Happy Publish day for me and Marissa’s Muse! I am so excited that today is the official publish date for my first novella.

I’d like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to both Linda and Frank for encouraging me to finish the story and make it available to the world. Without your support and encouragement, I would never have had the guts to do it!

I would also like to thank my beta readers Linda, Frank, and Morgan for their their insightful and honest thoughts to help me polish the story with those nice finishing touches, and helping me to ferret out those pesky typos!

Another thank you to Moonshine Caravan, for agreeing to take a chance on an unknown author.

I hope Marissa’s Muse sparks the interest of all romance readers out there. Marissa’s adventure in Ireland was a pleasure to write. I look forward to hearing from all of your readers out there!

Plotting or Pantsing?

When writers get together to talk shop, one of the first questions they inevitably ask each other is: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Of course, unless you have spent a season in Nanowrimo-land, these terms probably don’t mean much to you. A plotter is a writer who takes the time to plot out their next work in varying degrees of detail. A pantser literally writes by the seat of their pants. They may have a general idea of where the story is going, but they simply sit down and start writing, trusting that the words pouring out will combine into a cohesive whole.

I used to be a pantser. I was proud of the fact that I wrote “organically”, as a free spirit, following my muse.  In fact, Marissa’s Muse was mostly written this way.  I had an idea of where I was going, but each new page took me on a journey just as if I were a reader, discovering the plot as I went along. 90% of Marissa’s Muse was written several years ago, when I was in this mindset.

Today, I fall staunchly into the plotter’s camp. Maybe it is because my current work in progress (#WIP) is, at its heart, a mystery. Mysteries take planning–sorting out clues and suspects, alibis and red herrings. And then maybe it is my age. The older I get, the more I appreciate a well-laid plan. Whatever the reason, I am having a wonderful time plotting out my next story to birth into the world. With a lot of hard work it will be ready for you soon!

Marissa’s Muse on Sale through July

Get 25% off during the month of July at Smashwords Summer Sale. Use code SSW25 at checkout to purchase Marissa’s Muse for only $2.24!

Camp Nanowrimo

Nanowrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month which is observed every November, when writers around the world commit to writing 50,000 words in 30 days. It is a grueling but rewarding month for all writers, and a perfect opportunity to come together as a global community.

Camp Nanowrimo begins next week, on July 1. The Camp is a fun “practice round” to gear up for the main event in November. You can set your own goals and work at your own pace, receive pep talks from some of your favorite authors and publishers, form a cabin with your closest friends, and connect with writing buddies from around the world or in your own neighborhood. The forums are a great place to meet people who share your passion, and receive support when you just can’t seem to dig yourself out of a plot hole!

If you are a writer, or just love to write, come and join me! Be my writing buddy! I’ll be working on my next novel, Random Treasures. Just search for me in the Nanowrimo directory: User name CarlyWayne, or by email carly@carlywayne.online. It will be a blast!

Click here to go to Nanowrimo.org

The Real Carly Wayne: An Interview

If you would like to know more about me, here is my full interview from Smashwords.com.Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you? 

Well, it wasn’t the first story I read, but the first book that had a large impact on me was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon. I was about twelve years old the first time I read it, and I was already in love with the tales of King Arthur and his knights. Mists of Avalon told the story from the women’s point of view (something I had never seen before), with an emphasis on Morgaine and her initiation into the mysteries of Avalon. I was hooked! I loved the epic-scale of the story, and Marion Zimmer-Bradley’s use of imagery and description pulled me into the mysteries, as if I were living the events myself. I remember thinking “Wow! I want to write a story like THAT!” 

What do you read for pleasure?

 I like cozy mysteries, especially ones with a paranormal twist, and dry humor. 

I absolutely loved Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series, and Louise Penny’s Three Pines Mysteries.  

The trilogy Chronicles of the One, by Nora Roberts was fantastic, and timely. It was kind of spooky, knowing it was published just a few months before the first reported case of COVID-19! 

What is your e-reading device of choice? 

I read all of my e-books via the Kindle App on my iPad. When I find a book I really love, I purchase the physical version (either paperback or hard-cover) to add it to my library shelves. Cicero said “A room without books is like a body without a soul,” and I agree with him. For me, nothing will replace the feel of real-life pages. 

Describe your desk.

My desk?! (Laughs) Well, my desk is my sacred space, to be perfectly honest. No matter how chaotic the rest of my house may be, my desk is always organized. Everything I need is within reach – computer, printer, a legal pad for jotting quick notes… I have a fetish for fountain pens, so a small collection of my favorites are always inked up and ready to go on my desk top, each with a different color ink, of course! I also couldn’t live without my planner, which is always displayed within my line of vision. 

What is your writing process?

 I guess I am a combination of plotter and pantser. I usually start out with less than an idea. Maybe a picture I see, or a phrase I hear will evoke inspiration. I just sit down and write free style to see where it takes me.  

After a page or two, I sit back and see where I am – Is there a story developing, or a character forming in my head? 

If the answer is yes, I begin the brainstorming process. Who is this person? What are their circumstances? What do they want or need? If the page I wrote is simply about scenery, then what type of people would be found there? What type of event has caused this scenery to develop the way it has? Things like that. 

If I come up with anything compelling, I move on to some loose plotting and then I just write. The characters will tell me where the story needs to go.  

Once I feel really invested in the story I take a step back and work more on plotting and timing. 

So, what happens when, after a page or two, you don’t see a story?

Then I just save the writing. Something may come to me later, or those pages could end up in another story. I never delete anything. All writing is valuable, if it doesn’t work now in a particular story or setting, it might be exactly what I need two or three stories down the line! 

How do you approach cover design? 

Cover design is all about evoking a feeling. Its purpose is to make someone stop for a second to take a closer look at your book. Beyond that, it is literally the face of your manuscript, and should reflect the tone as well as the subject matter. It is also inspiration for me! I will often design a book’s cover before I am even half-way through writing it, so that I can envision a completed manuscript. 

What’s the story behind your latest book? 

My latest book is really a departure for me. It is the only romance I have ever written. Frankly, I am as surprised as anyone that it is the first one being published.  

I began writing it in my spare time during graduate school. It was a welcome reprieve from all of the dry academic writing one has to endure in the scientific community.

Marissa’s Muse is the story of a woman in her mid-forties who accidentally falls in love with a man she believes is much younger than she. It is about the struggle she goes through, trying to accept herself and discovering that you are never too old for passion and romance. 

What are you working on next? 

I’m very excited about my next book! It is a paranormal mystery involving a witch who lives under a family curse, and a small town sheriff with a dark past. They will work together to stop a killer who may – or may not – be completely corporeal. But that is as much as I can tell you for now. (She says this with a glint in her eye.) Stay tuned for more on that story at the end of July.

The Real Carly Wayne: An Interview

If you would like to know more about me, here is my full interview from Smashwords.com. Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?  Well, it wasn’t the first story I read, but the first book that had a large impact on me was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s […]

5 Stars for Marissa’s Muse

The results are in and Marissa’s Muse received five stars!

Reading as Marissa meets and falls in love with Finn, eight years her junior at 38, is so heart-warming and beautiful. Their story has instantly become one of my favorites, and though I was given this e-book in exchange for an honest review, I just purchased a physical copy as well. I have to have this in my library.

This book had me laughing and crying and I HAD to know what was going to happen next and how it all would end.

Carly Wayne has truly written a wholesomely beautiful love story for the ages.

Rebeccah’s Reviews

Read the full review here!