Writing Tips & Bits

Here are a few questions that readers often ask, and my answers to them! Enjoy....

Q:  Where do you come up with your ideas?
A:  From movies, books, songs, historic locations, and personal experience! That seems pretty broad, but it seems like there's an endless supply of ideas running around my head. At last count, I have 14 incomplete novels I'm playing with at the moment! Sometimes I have to push an idea around for a bit and if I can't come up with a solid plot, I scrap it mentally.

Q: When do you find time to write? Isn't it boring?
A:  I adjusted my "day job" career to one where I can work from home on nights and weekends. This gives me the full day when the kids are in school to write. My husband has accepted that the house will just not stay clean! I love writing as much as I love any other artistic pursuit. I wanted to be an artist when I was younger, and was accepted to a fashion design college in London when we lived there. We had to move, unfortunately, so I never got to pursue that dream. But I'd always enjoyed writing stories. The "high school English" writing courses were never my favorite. I never liked writing nonfiction, and in college, I was an English major, which means lot of analyzing someone else's works. But I did get lots of ideas from the works we studied. I can't begin to say what a debt I owe to the classic authors and poets who inspired me.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?
A:  I adored Margaret Mitchell after reading Gone With the Wind in high school. She is a huge inspiration as far as my historical romances go. About 7 years ago, I stopped writing and concentrated on mommy duties. Someone gave me Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and I had an epiphany! I was so in love with her book and characters that I started writing again. I picked it up where I left off.

And the most often asked question I hear:
Q: How do I find a publisher?
A: Writing is part of a larger industry, and just like any other industry, you need to learn about it. Writing groups and conferences are invaluable sources of knowledge. Without various chapters of Romance Writers of America and the numerous conferences and workshops I've attended over the years, I wouldn't be published today. Just like you wouldn't start teaching yourself how to be a doctor or ice skater or any other profession, a writing organization is crucial to honing your craft and finding the right home for your manuscript. If there isn't a local group you can join, there are numerous online writing groups you can join. Or, why not start your own?

No comments:

Post a Comment