Blog Hop - My Writing Process

Welcome to all 3 of my blog entries! Fear not. More are coming. I plan to start blogging about my quest to make a living as a writer through self-publishing.

I'm getting back into the swing of things with a Blog Hop that my writer friend Tricia Sanders invited me to join. I can't wait for her to publish her CeeCee Cavanaugh cozy mysteries. You can check out her blog and read about her writing process at her blog A Novel Approach.

Here's to living the dream, writer friends.

1. What am I working on?

Way too many projects. When it comes to writing, I have the attention span of 3-year-old at Disneyland. I have started a zombie book, a space opera, a young adult novel, a literary novel, a non-fiction self-help book for overweight teens, a Christmas romance, and a contemporary romance. Someone give me a deadline, please. I did manage to finish a book about my liquid dieting experience: My Liquid Diet, How I Lost 58 lbs, My Eyebrows, and an Internal Organ.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I hope it doesn't. I want my books to have all the qualities that I love in a good story - likable characters, humor, excitement, and swoon-worthy heroes. Even the non-fiction.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I write in lots of different genres because I read in them. Also ideas come to me like a swarm of angry bees, and I swat one away only to be stung by another. I made that sound a lot worse than it is. I actually like the bee swarm.

4. How does your writing process work?

It involves knocking cats off my keyboard, hiding from teenagers, and promising myself lots of chocolate if I actually write something. On one project. For more than 10 minutes.

Then I have a vague idea of scenes I want in the book. I start with one and then write until I work my way logically to the next, adding scenes as I go. It's sort of a combination of pantsing with a very shaky outline. I try to come up with what motivates each of my characters before I start, so I know how they might react in a given situation. What would they do based on what they want out of life?



 

The 2-Year Plan: Making Money as an Indie Writer

I've wanted to be a writer as long as I can remember. I've started at least a half dozen projects, but finished few. So this year, I made a plan. My youngest is graduating from high school in June. Both my kiddos will be busy with work and college, so it's time. Over the next 2 years, I want to publish as much as I can.

My grand scheme started in January when I epublished my memoir about a liquid diet I went on after my divorce. Next up is a zombie book followed by a Christmas romance. From eating brains to eating pumpkin pie. Yeah, I'm crazy that way.

That's the plan for this year. My main problem is staying focused on one project long enough. I also procrastinate and get distracted by very legitimate, everyday issues and just living life. So the quest begins.

It's odd. I thought being published would be exciting, but mostly it was terrifying in a way I hadn't expected. I put myself out there, and I felt the exposure keenly. I still feel it somewhat. I'm not sure if it will be better or worse when I publish my fiction for the first time. Only time will tell.

Onward.