A couple of weeks ago, my lovely friend, Kristi Tuck Austin, wrote a post about her upcoming participation in The Blog Tour. When I tweeted to tell her I couldn’t wait to read her answers, she asked if I wanted to join in. Please visit Kristi’s website to read about her writing process. It’s a fascinating post with some amazing novel research video of the interiors of two big-city drain tunnels and the Paris catacombs.
And now, my turn for the Q&A:
1) What am I working on?
I am writing the first draft of my fifth novel and I’m amazed that the process hasn’t gotten any easier (more on that in question 4). The manuscript is a contemporary YA, with just a little hint of magical realism, that my agent and I refer to as the HTR (Head Trauma Romance).
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I’ve been complimented on my ability to write a believable teen voice. Once, a contest judge commented that she would not be surprised to learn that I was, in fact, a teenager myself.
There’s a pretty good chance I’m old enough to be that judge’s mother.
I think (I hope) that it is my experience as the parent of teenagers that makes my work stand out. I love my relationship with my kids: the good, the bad and the dramatic. And I LOVE writing about these relationships from both sides of the proverbial fence.
3) Why do I write what I do?
My obsession with young adult fiction started about five years ago, as an effort to spark my son’s interest in reading. I challenged him to a reading race; then I devoured the entire Harry Potter series in the same amount of time it took him to read the first book.
And I was HOOKED.
The writing transition was just as easy.
4) How does my writing process work?
I’m a pantser. I get a flash of an idea: sometimes it’s an entire scene; sometimes it’s just an image of the main character. Then I sit down at my computer and write to see what’s going to happen. If all goes well, the next scene starts to form in my thoughts as I’m winding up the current one. If not, I go back and read one or two chapters to see if I took a wrong turn somewhere in the The Pantser Maze. If that doesn’t work, I get up and move around. Walking and showering are an integral part of my writing process.
My current WIP has been a bit of a struggle and just recently, I figured out why. My rewriting and polishing skills have gotten quite the workout over the last two years but I forgot how to first draft! I totally forgot that I used to start with dialogue and maybe a few notes in parenthesis to remind myself that the character needs an internal thought here or needs to move there. I forgot to take my own favorite advice (which I kind of borrowed from the movie SHREK): Novels are like onions. They’re written in layers. I write dialogue first; then I go back and answer all those questions that start with W.
Next Week on the Blog Tour:
And now, my turn for the Q&A:
1) What am I working on?
I am writing the first draft of my fifth novel and I’m amazed that the process hasn’t gotten any easier (more on that in question 4). The manuscript is a contemporary YA, with just a little hint of magical realism, that my agent and I refer to as the HTR (Head Trauma Romance).
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I’ve been complimented on my ability to write a believable teen voice. Once, a contest judge commented that she would not be surprised to learn that I was, in fact, a teenager myself.
There’s a pretty good chance I’m old enough to be that judge’s mother.
I think (I hope) that it is my experience as the parent of teenagers that makes my work stand out. I love my relationship with my kids: the good, the bad and the dramatic. And I LOVE writing about these relationships from both sides of the proverbial fence.
3) Why do I write what I do?
My obsession with young adult fiction started about five years ago, as an effort to spark my son’s interest in reading. I challenged him to a reading race; then I devoured the entire Harry Potter series in the same amount of time it took him to read the first book.
And I was HOOKED.
The writing transition was just as easy.
4) How does my writing process work?
I’m a pantser. I get a flash of an idea: sometimes it’s an entire scene; sometimes it’s just an image of the main character. Then I sit down at my computer and write to see what’s going to happen. If all goes well, the next scene starts to form in my thoughts as I’m winding up the current one. If not, I go back and read one or two chapters to see if I took a wrong turn somewhere in the The Pantser Maze. If that doesn’t work, I get up and move around. Walking and showering are an integral part of my writing process.
My current WIP has been a bit of a struggle and just recently, I figured out why. My rewriting and polishing skills have gotten quite the workout over the last two years but I forgot how to first draft! I totally forgot that I used to start with dialogue and maybe a few notes in parenthesis to remind myself that the character needs an internal thought here or needs to move there. I forgot to take my own favorite advice (which I kind of borrowed from the movie SHREK): Novels are like onions. They’re written in layers. I write dialogue first; then I go back and answer all those questions that start with W.
Next Week on the Blog Tour:
Phil Stamper is a public relations and social media professional from Washington, DC. Growing up, Phil was an only child in a small farming village in Ohio. While it could be seen as a boring lifestyle to some, he kept himself entertained through playing the piano and writing stories that stretched his imagination. As a winner of the Project REUTSway 2013 competition, his short story PRODIGY will be published as part of REUTS Publications‘ upcoming anthology.
You can visit Phil at: philstamper.com
You can visit Phil at: philstamper.com
Trinity Doyle is a graphic designer who writes realistic young adult fiction. She grew up trapped in the suburbs with terrible phone service and could be found reading in the family car in order to avoid her crazy brothers. She is currently working on two young adult novels.
Check out Trinity’s blog at: trinitydoyle.com
Check out Trinity’s blog at: trinitydoyle.com
Don’t forget the hashtag!
Use the #MyWritingProcess hashtag on Twitter to find other stops along the tour.
Thanks for stopping by,
Elle
Use the #MyWritingProcess hashtag on Twitter to find other stops along the tour.
Thanks for stopping by,
Elle
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