Recently I was invited by fellow author, Jason Leclerc, to participate in a Writing Process Blog Tour – thank you Jason! To find out more information about Jason, his work and his writing process please go to his website at http://www.momentitiousness.com/home.html
As part of this blog tour I will share with you information about my writing process, by answering 4 questions. At the end of this post you will find links to the next author, Shari Brady, who is participating in this blog tour as well.
1) What am I working on?
I am currently supporting the launch of my debut novel, Lindsey: Love & Intrigue. When I tell my friends that I started Lindsey on Sunday, April 5, 2009, and that it was published in June of 2013 they are often surprised by how long the process takes. What I think would be more surprising to most readers is how much work goes into supporting a new book, particularly if you are an unknown author. As a working mother of three I spend as much time as possible supporting my book, but I know it will be an even longer road supporting it than it was to get it written and published.
That said, many who have read my book have asked if there will be a sequel. I am happy to say that I have written about half of the sequel and have the outline of that book completed. I also have the basic plot of a third. But the truth is that publishing those will depend completely on Lindsey: Love & Intrigue picking up momentum.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Lindsey is a Young Adult (YA) Romantic Thriller. My book differs from most of this genre because I wrote an engaging story without extreme behavior of the main characters. As a parent, I want my kids to read books they will enjoy (because I want them to have a lifelong love of reading), but I also want the books to have socially appropriate content. In my search for age-appropriate content, I became increasingly frustrated by many of the novels being recommended. Just because a child is intellectually capable of understanding the words in a book, does not mean they are emotionally prepared to truly understand the socially charged topics presented. While many of these books are entertaining, my kids weren’t connecting with them or I thought the content was too extreme. Kids today are both concerned and curious about their teenage years. They will benefit from the glimpse they will get into the typical challenges they will face and the decisions they will confront, as they read Lindsey. Seeing these scenes play out in a story will get them thinking and better prepare them for dealing with them in real life.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I wrote Lindsey because as I enjoy YA novels that have a romantic component as well as a mystery. I wrote because I love these characters and enjoy seeing them interact both in my mind and on the page.
4) How does my writing process work?
I started with the basic story and main characters I adore. I spent months just developing these characters in my mind, fleshing out their strengths and weaknesses. Then when I felt that I knew them the way you know a good friend, I sat down and wrote the first draft front to back.
If you choose to read Lindsey, you will slowly become aware of some nefarious characters in the background. As my novel is written from the perspective of Lindsey, the reader is not privy to these characters activities directly. As the author, I have written out the scenes of these characters which I believe enriches my understanding of them and therefore enriches their impact on the protagonist, Lindsey, and the reader.
Let me introduce you to the next Author on the Tour:
Shari A. Brady is an award-winning, young adult novelist. Her debut novel, Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye won numerous awards within the first six months of its release, including the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and the Independent Publisher’s Book Award. She’s a native Chicagoan and graduate of Loyola University’s Business School and University of Chicago’s Creative Writing program. She’s currently at work on her next novel, All the World’s a Stage, set for release in 2014. She lives in suburban Chicago with two of the best kids ever, and their shelter dog, Betty Queen Elizabeth.
To find out more about Shari and her books, and be the first to read her new release, go to www.sharibrady.com and sign up for her newsletter.
The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.
Terry Pratchett
is an English author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for the Discworld series of about 40 volumes.
(born 28 April 1948)1
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