writing a book

Today I am doing something a little different. I’ve been sent four questions to answer on my blog.

I want to thank author Brenda Ashworth Barry for the questions.

1.) What am I working on?

I just finished releasing my young adult trilogy—Waiting for Dusk, Call of the Canyon and Stealing Time. Many readers love the characters from 1927. It suddenly made perfect sense to write a historical romance novel involving Anna and Lucinda, Kate’s friends from the past. They start their journey in boarding school and the reader will find out how they made their way out west and what caused their falling out. Look for it Winter 2015. Besides that, I am working on a contemporary novel with a touch of fantasy. My character goes to a Medieval Faire and has flashbacks to another life.

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

I like to write in a contemporary setting and then weave in a little fantasy. I hope the reader can visualize it happening to them. My Waiting for Dusk series is about time travel. A book makes the travel happen. There’s no time machine involved. I’ve read other novels where the main character drove through a storm in a car and ended up in medieval times. In another, the character has no control when it happens and just vanishes. I haven’t found a novel where a book is the culprit.

3.) Why do I write what I do?

I was an elementary school teacher for 30 years. I gravitate toward children and young adult books. I’ve always enjoyed the characters of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona the Pest and the lessons in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I never really planned on writing or becoming an author. I wrote short stories when I was in school. Then I was busy being a wife, mother and teacher.
Visiting National Parks became a recent passion. My husband and I had just returned from the Grand Canyon. A PBS series about National Parks was going to air and we decided to watch. My mind drifted to another place. I began thinking about the recent park visit, the history I just watched and how fun it might be to have a young girl move between the past and present. I had no intention of writing a novel. So it literally happened overnight.

4.) How does my writing process work?

It develops in my mind. I think the whole story through and where I want to take it. I also keep a folder on my computer for research I’ve done. When I begin the actual process of writing the story, the characters might have other ideas. I like the fact that sometimes you change your mind right in the middle of writing. That’s the fun part of writing a novel.

You can find more about me here: Amazon Author Page

Pavarotti was talking about the advice he got from his father when he couldn’t decide between teaching and singing. His father told him, “Son, if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.”

I love that message. His father wasn’t rich or famous but gave great advice. Too often in this fast paced world, people want things handed to them or become an overnight sensation. The easier it is, the better.

When I first started writing my book, I kept telling myself I was crazy. I researched how many words a book should have and found 60,000 to 100,000 as the common answer. I decided if I made the commitment, I’d stick it out till the end, regardless the outcome.

I wrote, researched, and read each chapter over and over again. I had no idea how many words it was because I decided that wasn’t important. The essential thing was to get the words on the paper. Worry about the small stuff later.

I finally gave in and used the tool bar to click “word count”. Imagine my surprise when I had 55,000 words and wasn’t nearly done. I chose one chair and stuck to it. More stepping stones would come along after the book was written but I had met the challenge. As I continued on, each task needed to be handled with that same mindset. One chair at a time.

The message is clear. Stick to one thing and do it well. If you don’t love what you’re doing, try to see it through to the end. You never know what might happen and you could end up liking it. Can you change your mind and follow a different path? Absolutely. Just do it one chair at a time.

Four Novel Questions

Choose One Chair