For those who don't remember from Dorothy's post last week, the My Writing Process blog tour works like this: I have four questions I must answer about my writing process, then I nominate three blogger/authors to join the tour. They will answer the same four questions one to two weeks later. Sounds like fun, right?I thought so. Anyway, here are my answers to the questions:
What am I working on?
I just finished the line edits for my first published novel, CALL ME GRIM, (a YA paranormal due to release November 2014, and whose cover will be revealed April 11th ... Eeeeek!). I am currently working my butt off to complete the sequel to that novel, titled DEATH BECOMES ME, and I'm pretty sure it wants to kill me. I also have another novel I'm writing, a YA thriller, that's waiting patiently for me to have the time to get back to it.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Tough question. My novels are paranormal, so I guess there's nothing special there. But I like to delve pretty deep into the characters. There are lots of little, hidden places to explore inside every character and I really enjoy finding those places and shining a light on them.
Why do I write what I do?
I've always been a sucker for an exciting story with paranormal elements. Perhaps it was my early (I mean, like, ten years old early) love of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. And then I started reading YA and I was hooked. I can't imagine writing in any other genre.
How does my writing process work?
Well, it often starts with a nugget of an idea, usually something small. For CALL ME GRIM, the idea was "What if Death wanted to quit his job?". I though that was a pretty interesting question to ask, so I built on that idea. I usually get a few scenes in my head, almost always including the ending, and then I sit down and start writing. I write in chronological order and during the first stages of the process I'd definitely call myself a pantser.
After I get a few chapters done and I start to get to know my characters, then I plot. Half of the fun of writing for me is figuring out how I'm going to get from A to B and how my characters are going to handle all the crap I throw at them. Yes, I'm a bit sadistic.
Now, I get to tag three more fabulous authors to take the torch and carry on. I hereby nominate ...
Kate Brauning
www.katebrauning.com
Kate is the author of HOW WE FALL, a YA contemporary coming in November from Merit Press at F&W Books. She writes YA contemporary and speculative suspense, and she is represented by Carlie Webber at CK Webber Associates. She is an editor with Month9Books, and a compulsive traveler, cake-baker, and music lover. You can visit her online at www.katebrauning.com or on Twitter at @KateBrauning.
Jen McConnel
http://www.jenmcconnel.com
http://jennifermcconnel.wordpress.com/
Jen McConnel is the author of DAUGHTER OF CHAOS, a YA paranormal available now! She first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.
Christine Fonseca
http://christinefonseca.com
http://christinefonseca.blogspot.com
Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Drawing on her expertise as an educational psychologist, her nonfiction titles address issues of emotional intensity, resiliency and giftedness. In fiction, she explores the darker aspects of humanity and delivers gothic thrillers that take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Her YA thriller, COLLIDE, will be released April 29th.
