Tag Archives: Writer Wednesdays

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Today’s Writer Wednesday guest is SD Grady…

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: The cat.

When I embarked upon my first novel, there was a lot of closet writing. I hunkered down in front of the monstrous desktop and typed away. I put on music, but mostly tried to ignore the goings on in the rest of the house. But there was Betty. My tuxedo kitty who has never accepted the fact she was the “also ran” from the pet store.

Betty would jump on my lap, purr (you would not believe the engine on that cat) and meow. She does that a lot. It can be annoying. She’s got that, “Hey Mom? Mom. Mom? Mooom. Hey Mom!” thing going. Closing doors does not work, she just tries to rip it off its hinges when locked away from me.

One day, she sat on the floor next to my chair and stared up at me, making her usual amounts of noise. Occasionally the paw would fly up and hit my knee, or the seat cushion, maybe my hand. We had discussed writing with her in my lap before. It didn’t work. But clearly she required easy access at least to the human level of the planet.

I spotted my shaker foot stool in the corner and wondered. I brought it over and placed it next to my chair. Betty jumped up, purrrrred, and laid down. That was that.

Ever since, whenever the keys start clicking, she comes running and parks her lazy butt next to me. We’ve moved around the house a bit with the advent of laptops, but there’s always a spot for me, and one for…Betty.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Find some new friends. Lol Don’t get rid of your current ones, that’s not what I mean. You need fellow writers in your circle. Ones who will tell you when you’ve messed up, who are ready to work with you, and who will understand when you can’t go to sleep because the people in your head won’t shut up.

Writing groups are the reason I’m still doing what I do. Fellow scribes are supportive of this addiction, and tend to IM in complete sentences

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: Absolutely never…

There are no absolutes in writing. A great many rules exist that will help you get to where you want to go, but you can break every single one of them and still succeed. You just need to know why those rules exist in the first place…then have at it! Writing is a creative process, not a mathematical equation.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: The Cat in the Hat

Before we pick up War and Peace, the planet must first be able to read. Every child and adult needs to be able to read. In order to do so, they need someone who does read to share their joy of reading with them.

I know at this blog, I’m preaching to the choir, but I’m gonna ask the question anyway. Did you read with your child, today?

Even some forty years later when I visit with my parents, we pick up the morning paper and share columns that spark our interest. I do it at work, pointing out articles to those who usually don’t bother with the paper. Others show me links on their phones.

Awareness of politics, news items, sales, health hazards, weather….literacy for every person on the planet is required.

want to know more about Writer Wednesdays?  Go here…

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Today’s Writer Wednesday is Sarah Makela

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: The one thing that remains unchanged during my writing process is the way I keep track of my progress and daily word count goals. I love my Excel spreadsheet. It keeps me aware of my deadline, so I know if I should change my pace if I get ahead or too far behind of where I should be.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Don’t give up! If you want it fiercely enough, you’ll achieve it.

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: I’d totally wipe away “Write What You Know.” If I followed that and wrote solely what I know, my books would be so boring. I’ve never shot a handgun. I’ve never met a weretiger or a technomage. I’ve never been a private investigator. That’s the beauty of research and the creative mind.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: I’d say for everybody to read a book that happily whisks them away from everyday life. I started reading when I was younger, and it’s helped me through some really challenging times.

Want to do the Writer Wednesday? Check it out here…

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It’s time for another Writer Wednesday…

Today’s author is Farrah Rochon!

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process,
from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: After much trial and error, I’ve developed a pretty set process, but
the one thing that never changes is my story bible. As soon as an idea
sparks, it gets it’s own notepad, and I carry that notepad everywhere.
Plotting ideas may pop up while I’m waiting in line at the bank, or stuck
in traffic, and my cute little story notebook is never far away.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Do this job because you love writing; no other reason. If you’ve
decided to become a writer because you want to be Kathleen Turner in
Romancing The Stone, you are in for a rude awakening. You must love
creating stories because that is where you will find your joy in this
business.

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of
writers everywhere?

A: Head-hopping, or point-of-view switching, is a cardinal sin punishable
by a slow, brutal death. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but you hear this
all the time. You should never, under any circumstances, switch
point-of-view. Some of my favorite books of all time hop back and forth
between the hero and heroine’s POV. If you can do it well, there is no
rule of writing that cannot be broken, or at least bent a little.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: Judith McNaught’s Whitney, My Love. Some people love it, others
absolutely hate it, but I think that’s one of the things that’s so special
about Whitney, My Love. Any book that can evoke such strong emotions in
it’s readers is worth reading. It’s also one of my absolute favorite books
of all time, so, of course, I think everyone should read it.

Want to do Writer Wednesday?  Read about it here… 

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Another Writer Wednesday…(if you’d like to do one, check out this post for info)

Today we have Clair Ashgrove/Tori St. Claire

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: Plotting by far. Everything else from environment, to physical setting, to background music changes with my mood. But plotting is consistent. I’m a heavy plotter. I stick to my outlines as rigidly as possible. And I plot until I can write down, chapter by chapter, what’s going to happen next, where my cliffhangers are, etc. It’s a start to finish process, or sometimes a finish-to-start process. But it is unchanging.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Writing is like every other job, sport, or art form out there. You very rarely can overnight yourself into success (no matter what your version of success may include). You have to work at it. You have to take ‘continuing education’. If you truly want to be published, develop a training schedule, train yourself to write like you’re already an in-demand novelist, and don’t deviate unless there are emergencies. Gold medal Olympians train daily, Pro Quarterbacks are always studying the game – follow those successful examples and create your own regime. If you want it badly enough, make that evident in your daily life. Make it part of your daily life.

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: “When you finish a book, you must revise it.” No. You mustn’t. You may choose to go into revisions, or you may be aware there are gaps you need to fill in. But revisions are not mandatory. What is, is an editing pass. A read through where you check for loose ends, fix that sentence that accidentally changed direction in the middle of it because you were interrupted. It is okay to be happy with your completed product and feel like it is as tight as it could be when you reach the last word the first time around. Repeated revisions can (and often do) destroy an author’s voice. Believe in yourself. When you’re done, be done. Even if that means facing down a cocked eyebrow or wide eyes when you inform “so-and-so” you omitted revising the book. If it should happen that the book doesn’t sell, don’t dwell on it. You haven’t done anything wrong. Write the next one and don’t get buried in the “I must revise, revise, revise to be any good” mindset.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: Oh gosh, this is hard… very hard. There are so many books that have made an impact on me… I would love to say Hamlet, but I know Shakespeare is a difficult chore, and not many would follow through. I’ll have to go with John Jakes’ North and South. It has all the elements of a great story – internal and external conflict, outstanding three dimensional characters, layered plots and twists, romance, action – it’s really a wonderful read. An unforgettable read. So yes, that’s my answer – at least for today! Ask me tomorrow and it might end up being, “As I Lay Dying,” by Faulkner… but that one too… well let’s just say it could require patience to appreciate.

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Another Writer Wednesday…(if you’d like to do one, check out this post for info)

We’re talking to Michelle Lee today…

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: While I do have a pretty thick digital files of writing music (anything moody, good mood, bad mood, sexy, anything that sets the intensity I want in my fiction) the big thing that never changes is my writing method. I’m a half plotter-half pantser.

I’ve found that I can’t outline a whole book because I don’t know where it’s going to go. But that same uncertainty can kill my ability to write in the time I can steal away from the rest of my life. So I outline 4-6 chapters at a time so I know where I’m going and often leave myself notes when saving for the day about where I’m going next. Sometimes it’s simple “climax scene here” and sometimes it’s funny “Next time on [Novel Title] Bad guys, poisonous bulldogs and please gods can I get some caffeine”.

And when I do my first pass of edits I outline how the book ended up and decide if the novel is organized correctly and what needs more fleshing (I’m an under-writer, not an over-write. My drafts often come in between 60 & 70k and I have to add more to get it up where I want it.)

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: I never got a single story done until I sat down, fought against the “I don’t know what’s next”s and just got the first draft out. I got stuck in polishing the same 6 chapters over and over. I got stuck not writing for months because the muse wasn’t hanging out with me anymore. And I got discouraged when someone didn’t immediately like my story idea or when a similar sounding story came out. I got lost in life and just never seemed to have time.

If you want to actually have completed writing you have to sit down, inspiration or not, time or not (I stayed up late, I wrote while in waiting rooms, I wrote in the bath tub, or for fifteen minutes while dinner was cooking), and sometimes even ability or not, and just get the story out there. Later you can make it better, make it smoother, change the plot, but you won’t get anything done if you don’t sit down and get the whole thing out.

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: Any piece that starts with “never” or “always”. There is NO one way to success, whether that success is just writing a novel or building a lasting career. So many people will tell you how to (and for some reason people love to hear authors ramble on about their process) but you HAVE to find out what works for you and to do that you cannot keep comparing yourself to other people, especially the kinds that tell you to “always” do this or “never” do that.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I remember the first time I read it in high school even the nonreaders seem to be stricken by the idea of censorship on that level. Because it’s not just about book burning, but about altering people and society to make it more palpable. Also, hopefully, it can help us realize that opinions, like information, has the right to be shared, even if we don’t believe it’s true, or don’t like what it means

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Another Writer Wednesday…(if you’d like to do one, check out this post for info).  Today we’re talking to Billie Jean.

Q: What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: My plots are always fast paced, and my characters are always very intense — deep — with flaws. I think everyone has flaws. Flaws make us unique. I try hard to make sure my characters are unique, fully developed, and the romance between the two seems perfect — when the dust settles. For my character development I spend a lot of time on working out ‘who’ exactly my characters really are. I feel like a shrink at times, or a nosy friend, but I hope it works. While I write, I HAVE to listen to music. Especially fight scenes/action scenes. Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cents, Pink, Pussycat Dolls….When I edit though, no music allowed. I talk to myself too much to hear over the tunes. lol

Q: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Keep writing. Find people that encourage you and nurture your style — your voice. Join groups, find friends, read, write, read, write, and talk to other authors/readers. It’s important to feel comfortable within a group, and with all the new groups online, you need to feel your way slowly. Lurk. Read emails. Get a feel for the people in the group. If you feel safe enough to share you questions, ask away. I’ve never been ignored when I asked for help. Authors are busy, but be patient, you might be surprised. And never take advise if you feel deep in your bones it’s just not the right advise. You know your story best, remember that.

Q: What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: You have to know your grammar in order to write. People who are too critical to the point they stutter your growth and stories.

Q: What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: Oh my. That is wicked hard to answer Shiloh! I’m not sure I can reduce the books I love to ONE!!! Mmm, okay, I’ll give it a shot. I think everyone, writer or not, who also loves paranormal romance should read Robert Jordon. lol. How’s that? I know, I know, not a book, but wow…..so, anyway, if not his series, then at least The Lord of the Rings. heeeheee…..I can’t even begin to say which ROMANCE book to read because, omg, I have too many favorites.

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I’m looking for people to add to my Writer Wednesday list.  You can read about what it is if you click the link.

If you’re interested, all you need to do is copy the questions below and answer them-INCLUDE THE QUESTIONS PLEASE.

Then email it to me at shilohwalker(at)gmail.com with WRITER WEDNESDAY in the subject line.  I’ll post them on Wednesdays in the order I get them.   Please note… I’ll include a cover and I do link to your blog or site, but I’m not including promo pieces… this writer’s latest is due out…etc, etc, etc…this isn’t a straight promo thing-I’m not including book shout outs and stuff.  I also can’t really schedule these around book release dates,  I schedule as I receive and I’ll email the date your post will go up.

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Today’s WW is from my twitter pal, Amy Ruttan.  Don’t mention gorillas…oh, never mind.  I will.

She was asking what would scare a swan (I think it was swans).  I told her a gorilla would do the trick.  But she said she didn’t think gorillas roamed around regency England.

Well.  She shoulda been more specific.  ;)  A gorilla WOULD do it, I bet.  Now we tease each about gorillas.  I even referenced a gorilla in If You Know Her while thinking of her.

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another?  (ie: Intensive plotting?  Music?)

A: Background noise, mostly music playing. I can’t write without music. If it’s dead silence, I don’t write. I need some kind of background clutter to help me focus. I have playlists, lots and lots of playlists for different moods and different manuscripts, so I’m glad MP3s were invented or my house would be filled with CDs.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Always strive to learn new aspects about your craft. It helps keep the Muse, and your writing fresh.

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: I think I have to agree with Lynn Viehl about erasing that old saying of write what you know from writer’s minds, if I did that my books would be pretty damn boring recitations about the legal system in Canada from a Law Clerk’s POV. Don’t be afraid to create new worlds, write what excites you. If you love what you write it will shine through.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. He was a master, as was his books.