Chapter 6 - How I Write

I'm both a planner and a free thinker when it comes to my writing.  I usually have an idea about the beginning, middle, and end before getting started.  The ending is usually the hardest part and I give the characters a lot of leeway with regard to finishing the story.  Among the Shrouded was my most carefully thought out plot because there were so many moving parts.  The Clay Lion series went through a lot of revisions because of the time travel element.  I would think a plot line was going to work and then would realize it would be impossible and so I’d be back to the drawing board!

As far as technique with regard to mechanics, I have dozens of napkins and old grocery lists full of ideas and plot suggestions and dialogue that comes to me when I’m busy doing life instead of writing at the computer.  I’m not afraid to let things sit and brew for a few days.  I wait for the right ideas to surface and try not to force things too much.

I take inspiration from emotions and the collective experiences that draw people together.  At the end of the day, we are all much more alike than we are different and what we are all really looking for is acceptance.  Capturing emotions and stories that resonate with all of us in our unique ways is my passion.

I sit on my living room sofa with my blanket and my cats and I write during the day while the house is quiet and I’m alone.  No music.  No television.  No distractions whatsoever.  I can’t write when there are other people in the house.  I use that time for marketing instead.