I’m so
happy to be joining the Writing Process Blog Hop and thanks to Deb Julienne for
tagging me in the blog hop
I’m
currently working on a contemporary romance, Leave Me Breathless that’s set in
Conspiracy, a northern California coastal town with C.J. (Cordelia Jane)
Pulaski, a photojournalist, and Nate Cole, chief of police as the hero and
heroine. The story also includes a murder mystery and a band of amateur
sleuths. Leave Me Breathless follows Only
For You, (debut novel), and my second book, and most recent release, Falling For You…Again.
Before
I ever start a book I create a story board. My story board is two sided. On one side I have pictures of people that
remind me of my characters. On the other side is a map of my fictional town,
streets and businesses, and pictures of plants and animals in the area. My
board is nearby whenever I’m writing.
What
makes my work different from other books in my genre? I think it’s my voice
that’s unique to me. It’s just like my fingerprint. No one else has it. I have
a perspective on life, and love, and relationships that’s unique to me. It’s
not that the stories are that different, i.e., a small town with character and
quirky characters, a hero and heroine I root for to fall in love and become
better people because of this new person in their life.
I like
writing about ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances–the loss of a
child, estrangement from a family member, a fall from grace–and show how they
resolve these issues and improve their relationships. Perhaps not perfectly, but better and deeper
than they were at the beginning of the story.
My
writing process varies because of my day job as a photojournalist. It’s rare I
get large blocks of time to just write fiction, so when I find an hour or two I
jump on it, whether it’s first thing in the morning (my preference),
mid-morning or late afternoon. I don’t have the luxury of choosing when I get to
write these days.
When I write a
new book, I write a rough draft from start to finish first, then the real work
begins. I go through many, many edits before the I finish the book. During this
process I search for stronger words and turns of phrase that are new and fresh.
I also add more depth on the emotions the characters are experiencing, and I
flesh out the setting. This is the longest part of the process for me by far.
Once this is done, it’s ready to go to the editor, then more edits when I get
it back. It goes back to the editor a second time, I make the final edits and it’s
finally ready to publish. Nothing leaves my desk until it’s the absolute best I
can make it. With every book, I strive to give my readers a few tears,
some laughs, romance and an ending that warms the heart.
The Writing Process Blog Hop continues I’ve tagged three talented
authors to follow me, so please check them out below and visit their site on
Monday, April 14, for a peek at their writing processes.
Authors:
Jasmine
Haynes is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of over
35 classy, erotic romance tales. In 2013, she started a sexy new series for
Berkley Heat, beginning with The Naughty Corner in Oct 2013 and Teach
Me a Lesson in Apr 2014. In 2014 readers can look forward to more in
her sensual West Coast series. She’s also the author of the
award-winning Max Starr psychic mystery series. And don’t miss her writing as
Jennifer Skully, KOD Daphne du Maurier award-winning author of contemporary
romance, bringing you poignant tales peopled with hilarious characters that
will make you laugh and make you cry. Look for a new Cottonmouth
adventure soon! Jasmine lives in the California Redwoods with her husband and
their newly adopted kitten Wrigley.
Diana
McCollum retired from her job Sacramento, California, and moved with her
husband to the Pacific Northwest. They reside in Central Oregon in view of Mt.
Bachelor. A lifetime avid reader, Diana loves creating worlds where anything is
possible. She can’t help but include an element of the paranormal in her
stories, and always a happily-ever-after. When she isn’t reading or writing,
she enjoys fishing, hiking, tole-painting and volunteering at the local
hospital. Diana is a member of Romance Writers of America, Rose City Romance
Writers RWA, Sacramento Valley Rose RWA, Central Oregon Writers Guild, and Bend
writer’s lunch bunch! This summer she will be releasing the second short story
about Ella Stone, one of the witches from the Costal Coven series.
Coming
this fall, her first novella will be released, “The Rose Witch”. It is a story
set in the year twelve-eleven. This historical, paranormal has romance, murder
and a mystery.
You
can reach her at:
"A former Golden Heart finalist,
Rebecca J. Clark writes steamy and sweet contemporary romances. When she’s not
writing, you can find her at her local gym where she trains clients &
teaches kickboxing, yoga & Pilates. All this exercise allows her to eat her
favorite comfort food—Cheetos—guilt free. Speaking of Cheetos and why you
shouldn’t eat them too often, she also just released her first diet book, The
Checklist Diet—basic, no-nonsense information like she’s been teaching her
clients for the past 10+ years.
Becky lives in the beautiful Pacific
Northwest with her husband of 27 years and two kids, a German Shepherd beast
who lives to chase her two cats who plot to kill the dog. Don’t get her started
on the number of dust bunnies…"
Fun blog, I always love to see how people come up with story ideas then turn them into a book. Can't wait to read.
ReplyDeleteWe are all different aren't we and I don't know about other writers but I continue to evolve and my process changes. I used to think I could only write at a specific time, but I've learned to write when I have time through noise and chaos of kids. I just learned this is the time I had and I couldn't afford to squander it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It is always interesting how different we all are in our writing process.
ReplyDeleteI agree and I learn so much from how it works for other writers. It also gives me ideas on how to improve my writing process.
ReplyDeleteI love your storyboards, Kate! They're so colorful. And you've even got the floor plan! I really need to do something like that! For my next book. And thanks for selecting me to be part of the blog hop!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jasmine. I really love doing them and I find all this detail critical for writing a series of books so I can keep track of what is where. So glad you're part of the blog hop and looking forward to reading yours on monday.
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