Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog, page 66

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Jamie Belanger

HEIDI'S PICK SIX welcomes the Greater Portland Scribists : Cynthia Ravinski, Lee Patterson, Richard Veysey, and Jamie Belanger.



See what Jamie had to say!



HEIDI'S PICK SIX



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Dappil, hands down. Unfortunately I often find the characters I like the most are the hardest to write, and Dappil is certainly no exception. He's a combination of every annoying person I've ever met and an extremely outgoing version of my own self. I love trying to walk that fine line between annoying and hilarious; and of all my characters, Dappil is the one that does it best.



2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Coffee, and I usually drink it black unless I'm at home and have some sort of flavored creamer. I drink tea occasionally but it's rarely my first choice. I only drink milk if I have Kahlua to mix it with.



4. What else can you do besides write?

I've been programming computers since I was six years old. I founded a company with my brother for indie-publishing games and utilities that we design. I also picked up a photography hobby a few years ago and enjoy taking photo trips. Cooking is another fun hobby of mine. I have to eat, after all, and learning how to cook has saved me a lot of money. And I'm quite good at remembering odd bits of completely useless trivia.



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

Everywhere. I watch a wide variety of movies -- science fiction, fantasy, romantic comedies, slapstick, horror, and even quite a few documentaries. I also read a lot of non-fiction books. Recently, I started to actively listen to music; analyzing lyrics and song titles. Another good source of ideas is news sites. Reality is often more disturbing and ridiculous than anything I could dream up.



9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

Just about anything that is complex. I listen to opera, new age, speed metal, punk rock, and almost everything in between. Lately I've been listening to a lot of bands that mix classical instruments with metal (gothic metal, symphonic metal, folk metal, etc). Bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Haggard, Vicious Crusade, Hollenthon, and Epica.



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

They definitely take me along for the ride. I usually plan the first scene in my head, then just sit down and start writing. I always assumed this was due to my background in computer programming and the chaos that inevitably breeds. I'm trying to plan the plot for my next novel, but so far I'm finding it to be too much up-front work. I'll most likely give up and just dive right in to see what happens. I think the best part of writing this way is that I get to be the first reader. I have no idea how the story is going to end until I'm writing the last chapter or two.



13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?





Jamie started programming computers when he was about six years old, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. He worked as a developer for a small company in Tampa for eight years before moving to Maine to pursue his own projects. He currently works as a programmer and product designer for a company he started with his brother Paul, Lost Luggage Studios . His interests include writing, including the book Pariah , computers, artificial intelligence theory, cooking, nature, and photography. Find Jamie and the other Greater Portland Scribists at their blog (http://scribists.blogspot.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists). And buy their new book Scribings at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65295).

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Richard Veysey

HEIDI'S PICK SIX welcomes the Greater Portland Scribists : Cynthia Ravinski, Lee Patterson, Richard Veysey, and Jamie Belanger.



Here's Richard!





1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

2. Tell me about your travels.

3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

4. What else can you do besides write?

5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?



8.Where do you find your inspirations to write?

My inspirations usually come to me at really random times, like when I'm mowing the lawn, in the shower, or sitting on the toilet. Sometimes it'll be a scene that pops into my head that I think would be really cool. Other times, a line will pop into my head, and I'll build a story around that line. Sometimes, I'll see something, and a story will come out of that.



9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

I love music that is complex and/or full of the musicians' energy. When a song is complex, it gives the ears a variety of pleasant sounds to listen to instead of the same notes and chords over and over. When an artist performs with energy, it's contagious. When an artist is clearly having fun while performing, it's fun to listen to their music.



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

Normally I'll get an idea in my head and I'll let it simmer there for a while, until I feel the time is right. By that time, I usually have a general idea of where it's going, a beginning, a few things that happen on the way, and the end. When I start writing, though, I'm often surprised by the challenges my characters have to overcome, and sometimes I'm even sitting there thinking, "gee, how are they going to get out of this alive?" I might know my characters a little bit going into the story, but as I write, they really reveal themselves to me. One might turn out to be a total trickster, one might be a jerk, and so on, and I didn't even know it, yet.



13. Celebrity crush.

I have a lot of them, but my first and biggest is Jesse McCartney. Honorable mentions include Taylor Lautner, Gerard Way, and Miyavi. Honestly, though, this list could go on for a long, long time.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

First and foremost would probably be Ayn Rand. While some of her politics are a bit extreme for my tastes, her views on the importance of individuality and free-choice resonate with me. I love how her novels always sought not only to tell a great story, but to use that story as a way of expressing her beliefs and ideals. Whenever I write, I strive to also make readers think and examine things in their lives and in the world around them. Secondly would be Mercedes Lackey. Although her genre of choice is fiction, characters are first and foremost to her, and are so well developed that they feel like real people. In my stories, even though they can sometimes be a bit fast-paced, I like to attempt to breathe life into my characters, so that my readers can empathize with them and really be involved in the story instead of feeling like an impartial spectator.



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

I'll watch anything that resonates with me, whether it be a deep, complex drama, or a cartoon. Certain cartoons actually have a great deal of depth, and make outside references that are amusing to those of us who are "well read" in pop-culture. I've seen references to a German movie called 'Run Lola Run', H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos, etc. I think any good cartoon should be made to appeal to all ages.



Richard Veysey has been telling stories since he could put words together to form a sentence, and writing since he learned how to read. In his free time, he likes to write, program and play video games, make all-natural moisturizers, face washes, etc., and hang out with his friends. He currently resides in South Portland, Maine and works as a cashier as he tries to get his first book published. He also hates writing about himself in the third person. Find Richard and the other Greater Portland Scribists at their blog (http://scribists.blogspot.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists). And buy their new book Scribings at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65295).

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Lee Patterson

HEIDI'S PICK SIX welcomes the Greater Portland Scribists : Cynthia Ravinski, Lee Patterson, Richard Veysey, and Jamie Belanger.



Meet Lee!





Lee Patterson



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Faust, debuting in my first published work. He is a very large Maine Coon cat. A fun loving cat, with a very dark side, which I enjoy exploring. I am currently exploring Faust's dark side. I model him after my cat Tasha. She leads the carefree life I sometimes wish I could.



2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Milk, chocolate, shaken not stirred.



4. What else can you do besides write?

Video game programmer, robot builder and programmer. I got out of the video game industry when I moved to the states in pursuit of business software, but I have recently been getting myself back into games. I have published my first iPhone game Tog vs. Dino [http://axorion.com/games] in the app store.



5. Who are you reading right now?

Stephen King. I became interested in his writing once I moved to Maine and discovered he only lived a few short hours away. I had first started listening to his books on CD when I was doing a lot of driving to/from work. Then once I moved out to Maine I took a liking to his stories. He can be a bit wordy, but his stories can be quite amazing. I also started reading Dean Koontz.



6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat every day.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

11. What kind of music speaks to you?

12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?



13. Celebrity crush.

That's easy, Sandra Bullock. She first caught my eye in The Net. But the best movie would have to be Practical Magic. Rarrr!



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

King, I draw my dark influences, and story structure from him. I guess you could say, his work inspired me to start working on my first book. Piers Anthony helps when I have to think of silly or comical situations.



15. Do you still watch cartoons?



Lee Patterson has worked as a software developer for over 17 years at companies like Electronic Arts and IBM. He enjoys long weekends curled up with his iPad, gazing at a nice screen full of source code, and thinking up cleaver ways to kill characters in his short stories. Find Lee and the other Greater Portland Scribists at their blog (http://scribists.blogspot.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists). And buy their new book Scribings at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65295).

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Lee Patterson

HEIDI'S PICK SIX welcomes the Greater Portland Scribists : Cynthia Ravinski, Lee Patterson, Richard Veysey, and Jamie Belanger.



Meet Lee!





Lee Patterson



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Faust, debuting in my first published work. He is a very large Maine Coon cat. A fun loving cat, with a very dark side, which I enjoy exploring. I am currently exploring Faust's dark side. I model him after my cat Tasha. She leads the carefree life I sometimes wish I could.



2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Milk, chocolate, shaken not stirred.



4. What else can you do besides write?

Video game programmer, robot builder and programmer. I got out of the video game industry when I moved to the states in pursuit of business software, but I have recently been getting myself back into games. I have published my first iPhone game Tog vs. Dino [http://axorion.com/games] in the app store.



5. Who are you reading right now?

Stephen King. I became interested in his writing once I moved to Maine and discovered he only lived a few short hours away. I had first started listening to his books on CD when I was doing a lot of driving to/from work. Then once I moved out to Maine I took a liking to his stories. He can be a bit wordy, but his stories can be quite amazing. I also started reading Dean Koontz.



6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat every day.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

11. What kind of music speaks to you?

12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?



13. Celebrity crush.

That's easy, Sandra Bullock. She first caught my eye in The Net. But the best movie would have to be Practical Magic. Rarrr!



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

King, I draw my dark influences, and story structure from him. I guess you could say, his work inspired me to start working on my first book. Piers Anthony helps when I have to think of silly or comical situations.



15. Do you still watch cartoons?



Lee Patterson has worked as a software developer for over 17 years at companies like Electronic Arts and IBM. He enjoys long weekends curled up with his iPad, gazing at a nice screen full of source code, and thinking up cleaver ways to kill characters in his short stories. Find Lee and the other Greater Portland Scribists at their blog (http://scribists.blogspot.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists). And buy their new book Scribings at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65295).

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Cynthia Ravinski

HEIDI'S PICK SIX welcomes the Greater Portland Scribists : Cynthia Ravinski, Lee Patterson, Richard Veysey, and Jamie Belanger.





Let's meet Cynthia first!



HEIDI'S PICK SIX



Cynthia Ravinski



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?



2. Tell me about your travels.

I love traveling. And I've been meaning to do some more lately. When I was still in high school I had the fortune to travel to England, Scotland (during the international festival of the arts in August), Italy and Greece. As a resident of New England, I can hardly count Canada as a foreign country, but I did travel to Montreal for a couple of softball tournaments. Being a tourist in these countries made me want to see and feel different cultures in the world. So I took a semester in France in college. Living in a foreign country for four months may not seem like a long time, but it was. And then it was over in a flash. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done (up there with my first to pitch to an editor), and I probably wouldn't have done it if I'd known how hard it would be. But I'm very glad to have done it, and encourage everyone to try it at some point.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Oooh tough call. I've been obsessed with tea since I was a kid. I'd love drinking herbal tea, or "horrible tea" as my dad called it. In high school I pretty much drank nothing but straight green tea. And then I discovered the English teas. My parents drank their instant coffee black, so I didn't really discover that until college, and then I drank about four cups a day, in addition to a few cups of tea. I've had to scale back due to the strong affects of caffeine on me. But either way, now I drink both with no sugar and enough milk to make it just the right color.



4. What else can you do besides write?

I make jewelry. Mostly I create wire wrapped stones and my own findings (the metal hardware that holds jewelry together), and some bead stringing for necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Getting a store started on Etsy is my next project for this year. But for now you can see some of my work on my website www.cynthiaravinski.com. What you won't find on my website are my sad attempts to solder...



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

When I come across a word with a really interesting meaning, sometimes part of a story springs up around it. Often, reading books about writing inspire me to write by offering inspired solutions to stylistic issues that are hindering my progress. A more grounded inspiration is rocks. That's right, rocks. I'm no geologist, but the ground and everything under it and how it works fascinates me. And how can I forget my fellow human beings? Just look around and you'll see what I mean. Everyone's got a story.



9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

11. What kind of music speaks to you?



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

Six of one, half dozen of the other. No matter which I try it never comes out the way I thought it would. When I try outlining, it goes to pieces. When I write without structure… it goes nowhere. So I've come up with a hybrid. I keep a three point arc "feel" in mind and drive my story that way. I guess writing down my plot ahead of time just jinxes the poor thing. But when my first draft is done I always create an outline so I can see exactly what I've just written.



13. Celebrity crush.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

It was Tamora Pierce who first got me addicted to fantasy and the thrills of adventuring in a created world. This was when I was still young, so my imagination went rampant. I began reading Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books and wanted to create a world with just as many if not more adventures. I had post-its stuck all over my bedroom walls with ideas I'd dreamed up for my worlds. I later moved onto the elegance of Michael Moorecock and the mythological Robert Holdstock. More recently I'd have to point to K. J. Bishop as someone whose writing I'm trying to figure out.



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

I love watching cartoons. In fact, lately most of the programming I've enjoyed have been cartoons. I love South Park and a few things on Adult Swim, especially Venture Brothers. It seems that the folks who make them remember that many adults grew up watching cartoons and have continued to provide animated entertainment for us still.



Cynthia Ravinski just wants to create. Residing in a coastal northern New England setting she crafts stories in other worlds and otherworldly gemstone jewelry. Folklore and mythology fuel that which emerges from her mind and hands. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from UMaine Farmington and an MA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. To say she is obsessed with drinking tea is an understatement. Find Cynthia and the other Greater Portland Scribists at their blog (http://scribists.blogspot.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists). And buy their new book Scribings at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65295).

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Cynthia Ravinski

HEIDI'S PICK SIX welcomes the Greater Portland Scribists : Cynthia Ravinski, Lee Patterson, Richard Veysey, and Jamie Belanger.





Let's meet Cynthia first!



HEIDI'S PICK SIX



Cynthia Ravinski



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?



2. Tell me about your travels.

I love traveling. And I've been meaning to do some more lately. When I was still in high school I had the fortune to travel to England, Scotland (during the international festival of the arts in August), Italy and Greece. As a resident of New England, I can hardly count Canada as a foreign country, but I did travel to Montreal for a couple of softball tournaments. Being a tourist in these countries made me want to see and feel different cultures in the world. So I took a semester in France in college. Living in a foreign country for four months may not seem like a long time, but it was. And then it was over in a flash. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done (up there with my first to pitch to an editor), and I probably wouldn't have done it if I'd known how hard it would be. But I'm very glad to have done it, and encourage everyone to try it at some point.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Oooh tough call. I've been obsessed with tea since I was a kid. I'd love drinking herbal tea, or "horrible tea" as my dad called it. In high school I pretty much drank nothing but straight green tea. And then I discovered the English teas. My parents drank their instant coffee black, so I didn't really discover that until college, and then I drank about four cups a day, in addition to a few cups of tea. I've had to scale back due to the strong affects of caffeine on me. But either way, now I drink both with no sugar and enough milk to make it just the right color.



4. What else can you do besides write?

I make jewelry. Mostly I create wire wrapped stones and my own findings (the metal hardware that holds jewelry together), and some bead stringing for necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Getting a store started on Etsy is my next project for this year. But for now you can see some of my work on my website www.cynthiaravinski.com. What you won't find on my website are my sad attempts to solder...



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

When I come across a word with a really interesting meaning, sometimes part of a story springs up around it. Often, reading books about writing inspire me to write by offering inspired solutions to stylistic issues that are hindering my progress. A more grounded inspiration is rocks. That's right, rocks. I'm no geologist, but the ground and everything under it and how it works fascinates me. And how can I forget my fellow human beings? Just look around and you'll see what I mean. Everyone's got a story.



9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

11. What kind of music speaks to you?



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

Six of one, half dozen of the other. No matter which I try it never comes out the way I thought it would. When I try outlining, it goes to pieces. When I write without structure… it goes nowhere. So I've come up with a hybrid. I keep a three point arc "feel" in mind and drive my story that way. I guess writing down my plot ahead of time just jinxes the poor thing. But when my first draft is done I always create an outline so I can see exactly what I've just written.



13. Celebrity crush.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

It was Tamora Pierce who first got me addicted to fantasy and the thrills of adventuring in a created world. This was when I was still young, so my imagination went rampant. I began reading Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books and wanted to create a world with just as many if not more adventures. I had post-its stuck all over my bedroom walls with ideas I'd dreamed up for my worlds. I later moved onto the elegance of Michael Moorecock and the mythological Robert Holdstock. More recently I'd have to point to K. J. Bishop as someone whose writing I'm trying to figure out.



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

I love watching cartoons. In fact, lately most of the programming I've enjoyed have been cartoons. I love South Park and a few things on Adult Swim, especially Venture Brothers. It seems that the folks who make them remember that many adults grew up watching cartoons and have continued to provide animated entertainment for us still.



Cynthia Ravinski just wants to create. Residing in a coastal northern New England setting she crafts stories in other worlds and otherworldly gemstone jewelry. Folklore and mythology fuel that which emerges from her mind and hands. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from UMaine Farmington and an MA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. To say she is obsessed with drinking tea is an understatement. Find Cynthia and the other Greater Portland Scribists at their blog (http://scribists.blogspot.com) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GreaterPortlandScribists).

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: John DeChancie

HEIDI'S PICK SIX



As part of the virtual book tour for Many Genres, One Craft , I have more contributor interviews this week: C. Coco DeYoung , Crystal B. Bright , Kaye Dacus , and John DeChancie .



And, now, here are John's short and funny responses:



John DeChancie



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Lord Incarnadine of Castle Perilous



2. Tell me about your travels.

I prefer not to.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

None of the above.



4. What else can you do besides write?

Not much.



5. Who are you reading right now?

The attractive woman seated at the next table in Starbucks.



6. Pop culture or academia?

Do I have a choice?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

I don't understand the question.



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

In a post office box in New Castle, Pa.



9. Food you could eat everyday.

Anything Italian.



10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

Nope.



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

The latter.



13. Celebrity crush.

None that I can think of.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

Franz Kafka, Roger Zelazny, Harold Robbins



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

No.



John DeChancie is the author of over two dozen books, most of them in the science fiction/fantasy genre. He is best known for his Starrigger trilogy and for the eight-book fantasy series beginning with Castle Perilous. He lives and works in Los Angeles. Visit him online at http://www.johndechancie.com .



John is a contributor to Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction , a writing guide edited by Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller and based on the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction graduate program.

PATHS TO PUBLICATION: Kaye Dacus

PATHS TO PUBLICATION



As part of the virtual book tour for Many Genres, One Craft , I have more contributor interviews this week: C. Coco DeYoung , Crystal B. Bright , Kaye Dacus , and John DeChancie .



Find out how Kaye got published:



My debut novel, Stand-In Groom, was my thesis novel. Writing it was a four-year journey—and I didn't realize that many of the contacts I was making during that time would turn out to be important. Since 2001, I've been actively involved in American Christian Fiction Writers. Through my work as Vice President in 2005, I met Chip MacGregor, who became my agent in 2007. Also, through attending the national conference every year as well as working with her on projects like contests, I've known my editor, Rebecca Germany of Barbour Publications, for many years.



--Kaye Dacus



Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances in the Christian publishing market. She holds an M. A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She loves action movies and British costume dramas. When she's not writing, she enjoys knitting scarves and "lap blankets" (she's a master of the straight-line knit and purl stitches!). Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she's never been kissed. Visit her at http://kayedacus.com .



Kaye is a contributor to Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction , a writing guide edited by Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller and based on the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction graduate program.

PATHS TO PUBLICATION: Kaye Dacus

PATHS TO PUBLICATION



As part of the virtual book tour for Many Genres, One Craft , I have more contributor interviews this week: C. Coco DeYoung , Crystal B. Bright , Kaye Dacus , and John DeChancie .



Find out how Kaye got published:



My debut novel, Stand-In Groom, was my thesis novel. Writing it was a four-year journey—and I didn't realize that many of the contacts I was making during that time would turn out to be important. Since 2001, I've been actively involved in American Christian Fiction Writers. Through my work as Vice President in 2005, I met Chip MacGregor, who became my agent in 2007. Also, through attending the national conference every year as well as working with her on projects like contests, I've known my editor, Rebecca Germany of Barbour Publications, for many years.



--Kaye Dacus



Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances in the Christian publishing market. She holds an M. A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She loves action movies and British costume dramas. When she's not writing, she enjoys knitting scarves and "lap blankets" (she's a master of the straight-line knit and purl stitches!). Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she's never been kissed. Visit her at http://kayedacus.com .



Kaye is a contributor to Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction , a writing guide edited by Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller and based on the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction graduate program.

PATHS TO PUBLICATION: Crystal B. Bright

PATHS TO PUBLICATION



As part of the virtual book tour for Many Genres, One Craft , I have more contributor interviews this week: C. Coco DeYoung , Crystal B. Bright , Kaye Dacus , and John DeChancie .



Read about Crystal's publication route:



How I got started with getting published was through my local writing group. Even though I had a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Old Dominion University, and I earned a Master of Arts degree from Seton Hill University in Writing Popular Fiction, I still felt insecure about submitting my work to a publisher.



Rejections hurt. To soften the blow, I entered a lot of writing contests. I won some. I lost some. But losing didn't break me as much as I thought it would. So when members of my local writing group tipped me off on selling short, sweet romantic stories to a national tabloid magazine called Sun, I decided it was time to try my hand at the publishing world.



I submitted a short story that was very loosely based on aspects of my day job. I work at an electric utility company. What's more romantic than a hot kiss in one of those utility truck buckets near dangerous power lines? The editor at Sun magazine liked it and offered to publish it. It was a thrilling moment for me to get a check for something I had written. And it was even more exciting to go to my local grocery store and pick up a magazine that had one of my stories inside…even if the cover of the magazine itself proclaimed to have evidence of Bigfoot's existence. We all have to get our start somewhere.



I had three more short stories published in the magazine before I finally decided to try my hand at a larger publisher. A friend of mine from my writing group had just won a writing contest with the publisher Phaze Books, which is the erotic imprint of Mundania Press, LLC, the same publisher that publishes best-selling author Piers Anthony. After one of my short story submissions had been rejected by Sun magazine when they decided to change their format, my friend encouraged me to submit my story to Phaze Books. So I not only expanded the story, I added more erotic content. My story, now a novella, had been accepted for publication.



When my novella got accepted, I felt comfortable enough to submit my thesis for my Writing Popular Fiction degree to a publisher. I was thrilled when I got "The e-mail" that the publisher wanted to contract it. After that, I've been contracted and published by about ten different publishers. So far it's been a great ride.



--Crystal B. Bright



A self-professed nerd, Crystal B. Bright has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. Not one to give up on her dreams, she was determined to make it as an author after earning her B.A. in Creative Writing from Old Dominion University and her M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Crystal makes Virginia Beach her home. She enjoys writing, reading, watching movies and spending quality time with her family and close friends. To know more, please visit her website at www.CrystalBrightWriter.com .



Crystal is a contributor to Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction , a writing guide edited by Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller and based on the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction graduate program.