Michelle MacQueen's Blog, page 6

A Bigger Story

We've been celebrating Dawn of Rebellion for a month now and it's been fun, but sometimes I forget that the story is so much bigger than that. The scope changes in the final two parts of the trilogy. We go from one sister trying to save another to two sisters being thrown into the middle of a hopeless war.But that is where we're wrong. There is always hope. It's a lesson these girls have to learn the hard way. Hope means different things to people. To Gabby it begins to be something she can strive for. If she can be a part of something big, do her part, maybe just maybe she can grasp it. She puts her faith in actions, battles.For Dawn, it matters how you do something., not only what you do. Hope is an ideal that she pins on others.  She puts her faith in people.Today is the day when everything changes.Today is the day we becoming known.Their differences make the story what it is. Day of Reckoning sees Dawn and Gabby explore Texas, discovering truths that put them in danger at every turn. We meet Jonathan Clarke and his band of rebels, including a few surprise characters. Dawn explores one of the only remaining rAmerican cities. Then they fight. The colonies are a powder keg, waiting for someone to light the match and there is a line of people anxious to do just that.Day of Reckoning has been called exciting and dark. It takes everything to a whole new level.Now you can listen to the amazing narrator as she takes on British, American, and Texas-American accents!Dawn of Rebellion is published by Creativia Publishing. You can see it on their siteHERE. Check out the entire seriesHERE.Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list for your free copy of my newest book, Confessions,HERE.

Ten Questions With an Audio-Book Producer

One of the coolest things I've been able to do as an author is have some of my books made into audio-books. Dawn of Rebellion has been available in the format for a few months and Day of Reckoning releases soon.I was lucky to partner with someone who has done a better job voicing my girls than I ever could have imagined. Hearing Danielle Cohen bring them to life has been mind blowing.The first 3 people who see this and message me will receive free audible copies ofDawn of Rebellion!Here is Danielle!Tell us a little about yourself.I am an English lass living in the woods of Vermont with my husband and two daughters.  Apart from acting, I am a trained fitness instructor, love baking and cake decorating, volunteer at numerous libraries in the area and love to read! I drive a VW Beetle.How did you get into audio-book narration?Oddly, I feel like I have always been some kind of narrator!  From a very young age I would read articles from the newspaper aloud to my family and I dreamt of being a newsreader. I took speech and drama classes throughout my childhood; one of the skills you had to master was sight reading – a good skill to have as an audio-book narrator!I pursued a career in acting, but put things on hold once I had a family.  Reading aloud to my children was probably the catalyst that made me realize that audio-book narration was for me; I loved it, they loved it.  Moving to a quiet house in the woods where it’s easy to record with no background noise of planes, trains and automobiles seemed like destiny!What do you look for in a book when deciding to take a project on?The book has to be interesting for me and something I think some member of my family would read.  We are all avid readers and have very different tastes, so I think we have most bases covered.  I enjoy novels with lots of characters and enjoy young adult and fantasy in particular.In Dawn of Rebellion, you showcase your talent for accents – having to do British, American, and American southern. What other accents do you have in your toolbox and how did you master them?From a young age I was always doing impressions of people from television programs, so I think my love of accents is innate.  I grew up in England with a lot of American and Australian TV, so sometimes I think that helped me with those accents.  I also do a variety of British regional accents too and am always happy to try out more.  Now with the wonders of the internet, working on accents is easier.What’s your favorite thing about producing audio-books?I love the reading!  I can’t think of a better way to spend my day.Least favorite thing?I sit a lot…especially during the editing process.  I am a pretty active person and sitting for prolonged periods is not easy for me!How long does it typically take you to finish producing a book?It depends on the length and style of the book.   For me, with kids getting home from school at 3.30 pm, my working day is often cut short, so I would say about 3- 4 weeks.Describe your recording setup.I am lucky that I live in a very quiet house, in the middle of the woods.  I record in my little booth in the basement, which has just enough room for my microphone, stool and a side table for my water.  I use a Rode NT-1 cardioid mic and edit on Avid ProTools; it was all quite an investment, but I think it’s important to have high quality audio.Can you describe, step by step, the process you go through?When I get a job, I first read the book all of the way through, I do this for a number of reasons: I like to get a feel for the style of writing; I want to understand what characters are involved and plan how to voice them.  I make notes of words I need to check how to pronounce; it’s funny, I have been reading all my life, yet each book will inevitably throw up some words that I may have never said aloud and I feel I need to double check them!I record the audio in batches – usually I do about 2 hours of recording and then spend the rest of my day editing. The editing is much more time consuming and depending on how fluently I have read (!) can vary in length.  I would say every finished hour of audio has probably taken me 6 hours of work in all.Once I have edited each chapter, I listen through to it, following the manuscript to check for mistakes, I like to be thorough. Interestingly, reading the book so closely, it’s not uncommon for me to find the occasional typo/mistake that I can then tell the author about.The final mastering process involves using filters in ProTools to ensure that every minute of the finished book sounds its best and is at the correct listening volume.I then upload the chapter for the rights holder to approve.How would you characterize Dawn of Rebellion?I see Dawn of Rebellion as a young adult novel about two sisters who won’t give up on each other in a dystopian world.  It reminded me of The Hunger Games and other books in that genre where people are trying to survive in a broken society.Dawn of Rebellionis published by Creativia Publishing. You can see it on their siteHERE. Check out the entire seriesHERE.Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list for your free copy of my newest book,Confessions,HERE.

Ten Questions With An Editor

I'll boldy state that I made a mistake when I published Dawn of Rebellion. I didn't have it professionally edited. It was an amateur attempt at putting a book out there. But, we live and we learn. It has since gone through multiple versions before landing with a publisher.Patrick Hodges read one of those early versions and had the guts to tell me the story is great, but it needs edited. So he did. And he did a fantastic job. Since then, he has edited each of my books.Get to know Dawn's editor!Tell us a little about yourself.I was born and raised in Phoenix, and currently reside in Glendale, Arizona. I have been married to my lovely wife Vaneza for fifteen years, and she is my biggest supporter.  We have no children (unless you count fur kids, in which case we have three, two that bark and one that meows). By day, I work as a medical biller, and am a staunch fan of the Diamondbacks and Cardinals. I love to read, mostly Young Adult, and I ONLY read indie authors, because they need my support, and because some of them are awesome!How did you get into editing?I read a lot of indie books, especially from authors that I have come to know.  If I notice typos, I figured it’s my duty to inform the author so they can take steps to correct it.  Before I knew it, authors were asking me to go over their current projects, asking me to edit them before they were published.How does being an author yourself help with your editing?It helps a lot. It’s tough to tell authors how something should be written without being a writer yourself. I’ve learned so much from editing others just what it means to be an editor, as well as a writer.How long does it usually take you to fully edit a book?Depends on the length, usually. Having a full-time job and a wife that likes me to pay attention to her on occasion, the amount of time I can devote to editing on a daily basis varies. Sandwich that around doing my own writing, and the consistency of life to always intervene, and, well, you get the picture.  I try to always have my projects finished in 2-3 weeks.All authors have bad habits. One of an editor’s jobs is to fix them. What are some of the most common bad habits you see?A lot of authors, I’ve found, don’t use hyphens in two-word phrases that need them, choosing instead to write them as separate words or just one word. Every author and editor has different theories about how to properly use colons, semicolons, emdashes and ellipses, but a lot of authors have problems using these appropriately. But the biggest problem I’ve found is that writers don’t use commas correctly, preferring instead to use run-on sentences that make a lot more sense when commas are inserted.What is the biggest challenge you face?Finding the time. I may have to take a year off to catch up on sleep at some point.What do you enjoy most about jumping into another writer’s world?The same as any reader, I guess. Getting a taste of someone else’s creativity and imagination is a treat whether you’re editing someone’s work or merely reading it. There’s nothing better than burying yourself in someone else’s world, and the better-written it is, the better the experience.Favorite genre to edit? Why?I’ve read, and edited, almost every fictional genre. If I had a favorite to edit, it would probably be Young Adult books, because that is what I read the most (and write).Do you edit your own book? If not, what makes that more difficult?Most editors and pundits will tell you that you should never edit your own stuff, and there is some truth to that, because you can never look at your own stuff with an unbiased eye. That being said, I do edit my own work purely on a copy-editing scale – I am good about catching my own typographical errors and such. However, as far as content goes, I have an amazing team of betas that have been of such help to me, pointing out inconsistencies, plot holes, and whatnot. This is probably the best substitution for paying a qualified editor (who can often be hella expensive).Dawn of Rebellion is turning three this year. Describe the series in your own words and how it made you feel.I’ve read many books and many series since becoming a writer and editor. Very few have packed such an emotional wallop, or was such a roller-coaster, as the Dawn of Rebellion series. I love stories that keep me on the edge of my seat, making me turn page after page. This series did that for me.Dawn of Rebellionis published by Creativia Publishing. You can see it on their siteHERE.Check out the entire seriesHERE.Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list for your free copy of my newest book,Confessions,HERE.

What You Didn't Know

Surprise! Every Author is different. We don't all write the same way or choose names the same way. Some outline and others ... don't.I even write my own books in different ways. Sometimes I do more planning, sometimes I just let the story come. When it comes to names, it's much easier to use people I know in my romances. Less risk of killing my sisters or best friends. Haha.So, here's what you may not have known about Dawn of Rebellion. Your peek behind the curtain as the saying goes.I’m a pantser, not a plotter. When writing Dawn of Rebellion, I had no idea I’d turn it into a series until the end.There are only two characters in the series named after people I know. After bothof them died, I stopped using the names of people I love.Coming up with names is difficult. Many of mine are the names of hockey players and characters onBattlestar Glacticawhich I was watching at the time. Lee and Sam, seen below, come to mind.Without giving spoilers, I’ll say that I cried when someone died at the end. They were my favorite character. I’ve gotten angry reviews about that, but necessity won over feelings.Cliff hangers. Love them or hate them? At the time, that was the popular way to write. Now, I don’t know if I’d do it the same way.Have you ever eaten Alligator? Gabby and Jeremy eat it in the camp, loving every bite. It’s actually pretty disgusting.It took me two months to write the first draft and then I didn’t touch it for three. I wasn’t going to publish it, only showing it to my friend, Bri. She convinced me to move forward with editing.This month we're celebrating Dawn all month! I'll have interviews with people who crafted it into what it is, including the editor and the audio-book narrator. And you don't want to miss the giveaways!Dawn of Rebellion is published by Creativia Publishing. You can see it on their siteHERE. Check out the entire seriesHERE. Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list for your free copy of my newest book,Confessions,HERE.

A Book That Changed My Life

This month marks the third year anniversary of Dawn of Rebellion and I’ve been trying to figure out what that means to me as the book’s author.As authors, we take pride in everything we write. The time and commitment and hopefully the skill that is put into our books gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. The day the proof copies of our newest book show up in the mail is like Christmas.Dawn of Rebellion was my first book and I experienced all the normal emotions, but it wasn’t normal for me. In order to try to explain what I mean, I have to get personal. I’ve never been shy about talking about my disability. It’s not something I’m ashamed of, it’s just something I have to live with. I have episodic ataxia. Now, I highly doubt most of you have heard of it. Not much is known about it. There’s no cure and no treatment. Think of an advanced case of untreated MS.I’ve struggled with varying degrees of the illness for most of my life, but when I was eighteen, it disappeared. It felt like a miracle. I’d get to live a normal life. I went off to college and enjoyed the best four years of my life.About six months after graduation, I started having frequent episodes again. For the first six months, I could hardly get out of bed. I was shattered to say the least. Here I was, twenty-three-years-old and suddenly disabled – even worse than I had been when I was younger.So I started to write. It started out of boredom. There’s only so much Netflix you can watch. I never expected to finish a book, let alone have it be any good, but I did. All of a sudden, I had something to look forward to again. A belief that I could still do something worthwhile. I think we underestimate the importance of that. Of productivity. Of having something you love to do.Most people have told me that the writing gets better in each subsequent book, which would make Dawn the roughest, but it will always be my favorite. Gabby and Dawn, our adventurous sisters, got me through the hardest time in my life. They’re family.I’ve said before that Dawn of Rebellion saved me, but that seems too dire. So, for now, we’ll just say that it changed my life. It taught me the greatest lesson I could have learned. Disability doesn't mean I can't dream. It just means I have to redefine what those dreams are.This month we're celebrating Dawn all month! I'll have interviews with people who crafted it into what it is, including the editor and the audio-book narrator. And you don't want to miss the giveaways!Dawn of Rebellionis published by Creativia Publishing. You can see it on their siteHERE.Check out the entire seriesHERE.Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list for your free copy of my newest book,Confessions,HERE.

Inspiration with Susan Faw

Well, our month of inspiration is drawing to a close and I have one more interview for you. Susan Faw is a fantasy author who writes epic tales. She has to get her mojo from somewhere!Tell us a bit about yourself.Where to start? I am a single mother of three, who has worked in the corporate sector for my entire life. It’s what you do when you get married, right? Find a stable job, help support the family. But all I have ever wanted to do was write. I am a voracious reader and when I find a series I love, I quickly morph into a super fan. Yup, I am happy to admit I am one of those loonies who dress up in Harry Potter gear and stand outside book stores for Potter releases at midnight. Those are great times, like facebook parties in person!What inspired you to write Seer of Souls?I had just come through a nasty divorce and needed to find focus for my life. I had lost itall, everything except my kids, and it was then that I remembered my hero’s words at the Harvard Commencement. JK Rowling said to the entire world, in that speech that “ROCK BOTTOM BECAME THE SOLID FOUNDATION ON WHICH I REBUILT MY LIFE.” I had always wanted to write if she could do it, why not I? So I began to write Seer.  I had noidea what I was doing, and I think in some areas it shows, but all the conventional wisdom says that you should never go back and try to ‘fix’ a book, that way lies madness. So instead I decided to write all around it, with the hope that putting it in context will clarifythe story.What is the oddest thing that inspires your writing?I discovered an acapella sound track for the Lord of the Rings series by Peter Hollens. It is like listening to monks sing while I write. It certainly puts me in a fantasy frame of mind!Do you base anything in your stories on events or people in real life?No, if anything I plagiarize the gods , but I figure they have big shoulders. Especially Atlas, that guy was built!Tell me about a time when you wanted to write, but just couldn’t find the inspiration to do so.Those times tend to be after especially trying days at work. The cerebral pressures of corporate leave little room for imagination and sometimes it’s tough to fire it up at the end of a grueling day. So I write in the mornings when the mind is fresh and I can feed off the dreams of my sleep. I am a very vivid dreamer and often dream entire scenes. It’s easy to pop out of bed and write it when it is fresh like that.Do you ever get over-inspired where the story is flooding your mind, but you can’t seem to get it out fast enough?Yes, in fact that is where I am headed next, to get down the rest of my plot outline for act 2/3. For the most part I am a pantser, but I am finding it useful to have some kind of an outline even in a very basic form. Later books seem to write themselves as you have to work with the previous material you have written!When did you start writing?I started writing long before I could write. My sister and I used to play a game when we were preschool aged, where we would randomly pick out a picture from the National Geographic magazine and we had to make up a story about it and tell it to the other. We would play this for hours. We couldn’t read at the time.Why do you write?I love to tell stories. I love English idioms and write about them on my website in a short story format. The stories that I use to illustrate the idiom are totally available to steal, so drop by and see if something catches your eye.  I also love puns and a lot of my humour is spontaneous and quippy.Does your writing inspire you in other parts of your life?I would have to say yes. It makes me happy so therefore it spills over into other areas of my life.What advice would you give to writers who can’t seem find that little something they need to keep going?Sit your assets in the chair and type. Waiting for lighting to strike doesn’t work. If you can’t figure out the next scene, skip to one you do know and write that. Or skip to the end and write your conclusion. Or pick a random character and write a scene about something he is thinking about. Your subconscious knows the story, you just have to turn on the light.Do you think finding inspiration becomes easier the more you write?Absolutely. You are exercising a muscle, called a brain. The more heavy lifting you do, the better and quicker and stronger it becomes.Cayden in Seer of Souls is a strong character who has the ability to become an inspiration for your readers. How do you write a character like that?I write people from the inside. I try to see from their eyes, from their perspective. I “possess” them, I guess you could say. If I don’t understand their motivations, I find it difficult to write them. I strive to do this for every character, even minor ones, because I find that it influences their dialogue and how they observe and interact with the world around them.Do you have anything more you’d like to tell your readers out there?As I write this I am about ¼ through the final book. Book two, entitled Soul Sanctuary, is scheduled for a late December/early January release. Book three, entitled Soul Sacrifice, Is looking like a summer 2017 release. Long before the series wraps up, I will be heavily into my next series, which will feature a female protagonist who is what I dub “a female zorro with magic, crossed with Princess Leia.”  Stay tuned!You can download the series starter for The Spirit Shield Saga, entitled Soul Survivor, as an instafreebie. Just follow this link to get your copy today!Click here.Want to join my street team? There is a pinned post on my facebook page, stop by and drop me a line! Free books forever and inclusion in a growing, fun book fandom group!How can readers connect with you?FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagramTumblrWebsiteSeptember has been inspiration month at MichelleLynnAuthor.com. Thanks for sticking around. Don't forget to check back in next month while we celebrate the three-year anniversary of my debut novel,Dawn of Rebellion.Want a FREE book? Sign up for my mailing list to reserve your copy of Confessions, book four in the New Beginnings series. This IS a stand alone. Sign upHERE.But if you'd really like to check out the rest of the series, hint hint, you can do soHERE.Miss reading about what inspires me?HEREyou go!

Inspiration with Michelle Bryan

So, last time you heard from many different authors on what specifically inspires them. They were an amazingly diverse group, no two people mentioning the same thing for their writer's juice.Now we'll go more in depth with dystopian writer Michelle Bryan. You guys will like her! A big thanks to Michelle for doing the interview and sharing her thoughts with the world - or at least, with my world.Tell us a bit about yourself.Okay, let’s see. Well I live in Nova Scotia, Canada with my three favorite guys-my husband, my son, and my fur baby, Garbage. And yes, my cat’s name is Garbage. Someone had left him in a dumpster as a kitten so for some reason we thought it appropriate, lol. I am a huge geek and nerd. Lover of books, video games, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. I’m store manager of a chocolate shop and oh yeah, I write a little in my spare time.What inspired you to write New Bloods?The New Blood series was thought of one night while watching a documentary about scientists genetically engineering the blood of soldiers to make them more resistant to biological warfare. I just thought about what terrifying side effects it could have. True scientific facts are the best inspiration for fiction.What is the oddest thing that inspires your writing?Snow. So I guess it’s good I live in Canada, right? There is nothing like a cold, snowy winter’s day to get my mojo flowing. I love sitting at my computer drinking coffee and watching the snow fall while I work. It’s very inspiring.Do you base anything in your stories on events or people in real life?Cat from the New Bloods series is loosely based on Garbage. That cat of mine has quite the unique personality.Tell me about a time when you wanted to write, but just couldn’t find the inspiration to do so.This summer my dad passed away and he was my biggest fan. It was a hard time for me and I just couldn’t get back into my writing.Do you ever get over-inspired where the story is flooding your mind, but you can’t seem to get it out fast enough?Oh my, yes! All the time. And then I usually end up changing it over and over because I can’t decide which idea is best.When did you start writing?I started writing as a teen, so, SO many years ago but never followed through on it. Then life kind of got in the way and I went into the managerial field. About four years ago I was off for a couple of months on sick leave and started to lay down the story in my head and the New Blood series was born.Why do you write?Because I absolutely love it and couldn’t imagine my life without my stories.Does your writing inspire you in other parts of your life?For sure. I work in retail and I meet people from every walk of life. I take the quirky bits of these individuals and incorporate them into my stories.What advice would you give to writers who can’t seem find that little something they need to keep going?Just do it. Write everyday whether you feel like it or not.  Not everyone will like what you write, but there will always be that someone who you will inspire, and that makes it all worth it.Do you think finding inspiration becomes easier the more you write?Yes, The more I write, the more I want to write. I can’t get the story down fast enough before my mind is itching to move on to the next great idea.Tara in New Bloods is a strong character who has the ability to become an inspiration for your readers. How do you write a character like that?To be quite honest I think Tara wrote herself. She was just this little voice in my head that wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote her story. And even then she didn’t co-operate. I’d want her to do one thing and she would do something else. She’s a stubborn one.Do you have anything more you’d like to tell your readers out there?Just thank you for all the support I’ve received. The messages, the emails, the reviews. I love reading each and every one. They really inspire me to keep writing.How can readers connect with you?FacebookTwitterAmazonWebsiteSeptember is inspiration month at MichelleLynnAuthor.com. I hope you’ll stick around to hear from other authors about finding what works for them. We’ve got a pretty great line up of posts coming your way.Want a FREE book? Sign up for my mailing list to reserve your copy of Confessions, book four in the New Beginnings series. This IS a stand alone. Sign upHERE.But if you'd really like to check out the rest of the series, hint hint, you can do soHERE. Miss reading about what inspires me?HEREyou go!

Many Authors and Many Inspirations

Continuing our month of inspiration!Inspiration is everywhere and nowhere depending on the day. As writers, we never know when we’re going to find that spark or what is going to give us the jump we need to get through a particularly hard scene. Every author has their own quirks. We live in very different places surrounded by people who provide us with varied material. No two authors are truly alike. It’s why so many unique books exist out there. Two authors can take the same basic idea and create two fresh stories. It’s one of the things that makes the world of literature such a wondrous place – it highlights the amount of inspiration there is to be found in this world.I wouldn’t be able to hammer home my point about the differences between authors without hearing from a few others. Here is what they had to say when asked what inspires their writing.Themes - time of year - to me, Autumn is the best time to start writing something, or to get back into writing something. The nights drawing in and the crisp, cool air all make for perfect setting.Author Norma MaclennanIn every conversation you have, every song you listen to and every sight you stop to take in. You just have to condition yourself to slow down and breathe so you don't miss those little moments of inspiration.Author LJ HigginsI'm inspired by the sleepy ramblings of my children. Children's imagination flows so freely; random thoughts and countless questions with no pause for an answer as the fantasy is far more interesting than reality.Author Sylva FaeIt is as true for me as it was for her.Author Susan FawMy inspiration for writing is often people watching. I wonder why is someone so sad, happy, rude, kind, etc and a story comes.Sometimes I read a newspaper article and think, 'What would happen if...'Author Penny LukerMy inspiration derives from life's hard knocks and other people's emotions. I find a way to turn negatives into positives. I guess you can say I am inspired to take the good from the bad and I write misery with hope.Author Sharon BrownlieInspiration for me comes from the desire to make a difference. It is an instant in time where a thought becomes an action and is what drives my writing, occasional art, and desire to tilt the equilibrium of life towards positive outcomes in the face of adversity. Long live inspiration.Author Ian D MooreI'm inspired by bugs on my windshield...The little splats of misunderstanding that bring messes...how people clean them up or fail to.Author Tobias Van BurenI've always been inspired by the backs of buildings and alleyways; those places that prop up the frontispieces of reality, but no one ever visits.Author Eric LahtiIt's what makes people who they are that inspires my writing. Their family background, nature over nurture, the experiences of childhood, the disappointments of adulthood, relationships. Life is a thousand shades of grey and I try to understand and empathize with each one.Author Rebecca BrynSeptember is inspiration month at MichelleLynnAuthor.com. I hope you’ll stick around to hear from other authors about finding what works for them. We’ve got a pretty great line up of posts coming your way.Want a FREE book? Sign up for my mailing list to reserve your copy of Confessions, book four in the New Beginnings series. This IS a stand alone. Sign upHERE.But if you'd really like to check out the rest of the series, hint hint, you can do soHERE.Miss reading about what inspiresme?HEREyou go!

Inspiration with Debbie Manber Kupfer

I'd like to thank Debbie for joining me on my blog today to talk about this month's theme - Inspiration. It's a great thing, isn't it? To be inspired - there's no other feeling like it. Like we've mentioned before, it's unexplainable. Well, let's try to make a tiny bit of sense of it, shall we?Tell us a bit about yourself.I’m a writer, puzzle maker, mom, and cat lover! I grew up in London, but today live in St. Louis, MO. I divide my time between writing fiction and creating puzzles for magazines and my website, Paws 4 Puzzles. I get through each day by drinking about a gallon of hot tea with milk and the occasional piece of dark chocolate.What inspired you to write P.A.W.S.?P.A.W.S. came to me in a flash in October of 2012. I clearly saw a young girl being handed a silver cat charm by her grandmother and knew instinctively that it was important. Over the next few days I mulled over the story with my daughter and it grew and then one day my daughter looked at me and said “Mom, you really have to write this!” It was just before National Novel Writing Month, so I took the challenge.What is the oddest thing that inspires your writing?Odd snippets of overheard conversation. I love people watching and spend a lot of time hanging out in cafes listening in to conversations. Sometimes you pick up the weirdest things this way and from those odd, out of context comments my stories are born.Do you base anything in your stories on events or people in real life?Oh yes, there’s a ton of real mixed in with my fantasy. The characters of Celia and Max (Miri’somama and opapa) are based on my grandparents and like Miri I lost my omama when I was just ten years old. We were very close and lots of the stories she told me about life in Vienna and London make it into my stories. Even the cats, Kitty and Susie, she kept when my father was small have made it into P.A.W.S.Also Joey Marks, the animagus kangaroo exchange student is based on my son, Joey, who shares a lot of hischaracteristics. Very bouncy and enthusiastic, but also crazy smart.Tell me about a time when you wanted to write, but just couldn’t find the inspiration to do so.I often find it hard to get going; I’m a procrastinator (wouldn’t that be a lame super-hero?!) But once I do I usually find the words.Do you ever get over-inspired where the story is flooding your mind, but you can’t seem to get it out fast enough?When I was writing the first draft of P.A.W.S. this happened quite a bit. I’d get so caught up in the story that I’d forget to eat and it would blend into my dreams.When did you start writing?I’ve been writing ever since I was a child. I wrote a story when I was 8 about turning into a ladybug (see even back them there was a shapeshifter!) and sent it to the Puffin Post. I was so excited when I saw my name in the magazine; I’d got a special mention for my ladybug story.Why do you write?Because I’d go crazy (scratch that, even more crazy) if I didn’t. And because I have a story to share with the world and myself – I want to know what happens!Does your writing inspire you in other parts of your life?Oh yes, I’ve decided to become a cat in real life! Can I do that? No, seriously I think it’s more the other way around. Much of what I do inspires my writing and ends up in it somehow. The puzzles for example. In every book I’ve written so far there’s been a character or two who enjoys puzzles – and there’s a crossover in Paws 4 Logic, the puzzle book I wrote with my son, as several of those puzzles are set in the P.A.W.S. universe.What advice would you give to writers who can’t seem find that little something they need to keep going?Chocolate helps! I bribe myself with mint chocolate M&Ms! Also try NaNoWriMo. It really really helped me get started and I still participate each November. This year I’m going to write the first draft for P.A.W.S. 4 (No title yet.)Do you think finding inspiration becomes easier the more you write?Sometimes. But to be honest I’ve always had ideas for stories, it’s just sitting on my butt and making them happen that’s the problem.Miri in P.A.W.S. is a strong character who has the ability to become an inspiration for your young adult readers. How do you write a character like that?There’s an awful lot of me in Miri. I was bullied at school and feel that the experience overall has made me stronger. I’ve gone through life wanting to prove my childhood bullies wrong and that attitude translates onto the page in the form of Miri.Do you have anything more you’d like to tell your readers out there?Keep reading, keep dreaming, and take your time to stop and watch the world go by!Thanks again Debbie! How can readers connect with you?Paws4ThoughtPaws4PuzzlesFacebookTwitter: @CiciCat42AmazonGoodreadsSeptember is inspiration month at MichelleLynnAuthor.com. I hope you’ll stick around to hear from other authors about finding what works for them. We’ve got a pretty great line up of posts coming your way.Here is the kick off post!Want a FREE book? Sign up for my mailing list to reserve your copy of Confessions, book four in the New Beginnings series. This IS a stand alone. Sign upHERE.But if you'd really like to check out the rest of the series, hint hint, you can do soHERE.Miss reading my take on romance cheese?HEREyou go!

Finding Inspiration

“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.”-Saul BellowI know what you’re all picturing right about now. A stereotypical writer, lying in bed – maybe some crumpled papers surrounding them because they fell asleep trying to make sense of the book they were writing. It was frustrating. The writer’s block was fierceuntil they finally closed their eyes, glasses slightly askew, hair mussed. Their eyessuddenly pop open. A sly grin tugs at the corner of their lips. Their husband or wifegrumbles something unintelligible as the newly energized writer rolls out of bed, pulls on a robe, and sits down in front of their type writer – because, why not?You don’t fool me, that’s exactly what you think of when someone says “writer’s inspiration” as if it’s a singular “AHA” moment where the story floods their mind. Well, I’m here to tell you that those moments aren’t enough. Your book can’t survive on rare golden nights. They would starve without the coffee filled mornings or the average, not-so-special days of writing.So, what does the writer do? Why, they create inspiration of course! Some would call itfinding rather than creating, but I am not one of those people. In order to be inspired, you have to be open to it; you have to look for it. You must let the ordinary seem extraordinary. This is creation – taking the mundane and seeing it for what it is. Life. Life is inspiring.There are two lines from an iconic Willy Wonka song that stick with me as a writer.“Take a look and you’ll see into your imagination.”“What we’ll see will defy explanation.”You can’t explain it, but you must look for it and it will be there. The best writers have learned to channel the energy of their daily lives into their works. Family, jobs, pets, friends, big life events. All fodder for books; all things that inspire creativity. For those of you that surround an author, keeping their life interesting, don’t stop.This one might surprise, but sporting events can inspire. I’ve written an entire book based on a hockey team and I’ll tell you a little secret.It’s my best book.Things in life that bring you joy, grieve you, anger you, or make you laugh. Take Willy Wonka’s words to heart and you’ll see. You’ll find what you need to be inspired and to inspire others. Don’t forget, you too are a piece in someone else’s story. They may not need that “AHA” moment either.They might just need you.September is inspiration month at MichelleLynnAuthor.com. I hope you’ll stick around to hear from other authors about finding what works for them. We’ve got a pretty great line up of posts coming your way.Want a FREE book? Sign up for my mailing list to reserve your copy of Confessions, book four in the New Beginnings series. This IS a stand alone. Sign upHERE.But if you'd really like to check out the rest of the series, hint hint, you can do soHERE.Miss reading my take on romance cheese?HEREyou go!