How I Write

[Hazel]

This is a Q&A, so obviously, I'm encouraging you to ask questions here. Want to know how I go about writing a book? Ask me something about that! If you're also a writer, tell me what you do and we can compare notes!

[Hazel]

Every book I write comes differently. The idea for this one actually started with the sequel that I'm working on right now. And with the idea of highwaymen in mind, Kilroy came to life as the main hero. I'm not the kind of author who writes out an outline normally. I have in the past with historical novels that have followed a historical timeline just to keep it strait with my added characters.

With Ballad of the Highwayman, I knew the beginning and I knew the ending and I knew the characters, but most of the parts in the middle I came up with while I was writing it. When I wrote Freedom Come All Ye however, I knew most of the scenes I was going to put into it and only added a few while I was writing. Most things I just keep in my head, though sometimes I will write a scene down to keep the dialogue right.

As for the actual ballad, I wrote the chapter verses whenever I would start a chapter and the whole thing, I compiled those and added the verses in between when I had finished the book. As I said before, I didn't have the whole story planned until I finished it :)

[Lynnann]

So, when you are thinking up a new story, which character do you usually dream up first, the hero, or the villain?

[Hazel]

Again, it depends on the story. Sometimes, I come up with an awesome villain and he has no hero to cross swords with. Most of the time it's the hero I come up with first, then his side-kick and then his girl (or her guy, if my protagonist is a lass) if he/she has one. The villains are usually the hardest to come up with. What's their beef with the hero? What drives them? How bad are they actually? These are all questions I ask myself. Not all villains are completely bad. However, if you have an experienced hero who goes all in when it comes to fighting, you need to make a villain worthy of his character.