The My Writing Process blog tour
Many thanks to Marcia Meara for inviting me to join her in the My Writing Process Blog tour! Marcia's second novel is free today, so be sure to download a copy of this romantic suspense set in the swamps of Florida, then head over to her blog for authorial musings and book reviews.
Okay, back to the point. This tour's pretty simple --- each
participant answers four questions about how we write, then invites
three writers whose books we enjoy. So, even if you're not
interested in my musings about writing, do be sure to scroll down to the
bottom of the page to learn about three other indie authors who I
recommend before you skip past this post.
What am I working on? This question is a no-brainer --- the sequel to Shiftless!
I've been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to my first werewolf
novel, and many of you asked about the next installment. I aim to
please, so that sequel is already partially written. I don't want
to give too much away, but the werewolf introduced as "trouble" at the
end of Shiftless
does indeed throw Terra's world back into disarray. Storm is a
pack princess who embodies everything Terra ran away from. Plus,
she smells just like Terra's mate --- bad news.
How does my writing differ from others of its genre?
If you go on Amazon, you'll find two genres full of werewolf books ---
Paranormal Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. I like to think that Shiftless
bridges the gap between the two, avoiding the bodice ripping common in
the latter category while still keeping readers' interest with a sweet
romance. In addition, my werewolves aren't simply an excuse to
introduce a lot of alpha-male dramatics (although some of that is in
there); the books are also a study in how werewolves might merge the
behavioral patterns of humans and canines. In the end, though, I'm
quite happy to follow many of the werewolf-novel conventions that make
us all love the genre so much.
Why do I write what I do?
I write what I love to read. The books I enjoy are carried by
character development, so my books also put the character before
everything else. I enjoy novels that are well-written, but not so
literary that the words detract from the story, and I like the sense of
wonder you get when you enter a world not quite like your own.
There are never quite enough books available that really hit the spot,
so I figured I'd better write my own.
How does my writing process work? I'm still developing my own writing process, so what I say here is merely a snapshot of this moment in time. With Shiftless, I used the tips in Save the Cat
to outline the main plot points...and then I started writing and let
the story go where it willed. When nothing else pulls me away from
the computer, I tend to write for anywhere from two to four hours a
day, and about a third of that time involves editing what I wrote the
day before. Writing the first and second drafts at the same time
lets the words flow unimpeded, but still allows me to flesh out areas
where I wrote too fast and left out critical passages while my plans for
that part of the novel are still fresh in my mind. Later, I go
through and do a third round of editing to make sure the book flows well
and to hit more nitpicky issues, and this stage is also where I often
call in the help of family and friends. Finally, I send the
completed fourth draft out to a copy-editor for professional attention,
to make sure I crossed my t's and dotted my i's. And then it's up
on Amazon for the world to enjoy!
Who do I want to invite to join the tour?
Ella Blythe is a Canadian writer
of erotica and New Adult series. She also works for HUSH Stories, a
customization and personalization service for erotica that allows
readers to put her creative imagination to work on their
fantasies. When she's not writing under this nom de plume, Ella is
usually frequenting film festivals, traveling abroad (when she's
lucky!), and reading voraciously. She maintains a household staff
of tame zombies and buff mermen to free her from household chores.
Katie Roman was
reared outside Chicago, where she began penning stories in fourth
grade. Writing grossly inaccurate historical fiction brought her
immense amounts of joy and 
she filled up countless notebooks and
ignored a lot of homework for the sheer pleasure of writing.
Around the age of fourteen, Katie's focus shifted from history to
fantasy
thanks to Tolkien's Middle-Earth and Tamora Pierce's Tortall
books. Later, despite the many
papers and research assignments thrust upon her in college, she kept up
with her
writing, eventually earning a Bachelor's Degree in History,
with a minor in English. These days, Katie Roman mostly writes
young adult fantasy, but
from time to time works on new adult paranormal fantasy as well. In November 2013, her first published novel, Fallen Grace, was released through Whiskey Creek Press. The sequel, By Grace 
Alone, is due out in May 2014 also through Whiskey Creek Press. In February 2014, she self-published Mere Mortal, a paranormal new adult novel.
Lakisha Spletzer is an Indie Cross-Genre writer of science fiction/fantasy/paranormal romance/YA. She started writing stories and
poetry at the age of 8 and hasn't stopped yet. She's always been a
writer, but becoming a published one took a lot of work and
dedication. Her motto is to not let life's many road blocks and
speed bumps throw her to the curb. She can't wait to dive in and continue to share the stories swirling around in her head. (As a side note, the first book in Lakisha's shifter series is perma-free, so why not check it out?)
