Tag Archives: Editing

My Writing Process; Blog Hop

Posted in Writing by

When  a  writing  opportunity  comes  my  way,  I’d  be  foolish  to  turn  it  down.  So,  when  my  twitter  lit  up  with  a  message  from  Roger,  asking  me  to  be  a  part  of  this  tour,  I  agreed  immediately.  After  all,  it’s  pretty  exciting  to  talk  about  writing  in  any  capacity.  But,  before  I  take  over  the  limelight  let’s  talk  about  the  wonderful  Roger.  He’s  a  writer  of  horror  and  the  geekiest  guy  on  the  block.  Seriously,  don’t  ever  confuse  Star  Wars  with  Star  Trek  because  you’ll  end  up  feeling  like  Penny  in  a  room  with  Sheldon,  Leonard,  Howard  and  Raj.  Oh  yeah,  I’m  Super  proud  of  my  Big  Bang  Theory  metaphor  there.  I  also  realise   my  coolness  factor  just  dropped  astronomically.  (If  you  watch  the  show,  you’ll  notice  the  puns.)  You  can  read  his  writing  process  here,  and  I  also  urge  you  to  read  his  short  story  pieces  too.  He comes  with  an  abundance  of  creativity  and  his  #FridayPhrases  captivate  quite  the  audience.

I’m  truly  grateful  to  be  a  part  of  this  hop,  and  I  thank  you,  Roger,  for  thinking  of  me.

Now,  on  to  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  uh,  I  mean,  insightful  questions…

What  am  I  working  on?

Here’s  the  part  where  I  jump  up and  down  with  excitement  to  share  some  new  information  with  you  all.  If  you  follow  me  on  twitter  or  stalk  me  on  facebook  then  you’ll  know  I’ve  started  writing  Nature’s  Destiny  2,  and  while  that  is  still  very  much  a  part  of  me,  I  have  something  brand  new  in  the  works.  Sometimes  an  idea  won’t  quit  no matter  how  much  you  write  down,  and  that’s  exactly  what  happened  with  my  current  WIP.  It’s  a  New  Adult  MC  Romance,  and  for  those  that  don’t  know  what  MC  stands  for,  its  Motorcycle  Club.  That’s  right,  I’m  writing  a  hot,  steamy,  gritty  biker  book  that  focuses  on  two  viewpoints.  Yup,  I’m  dabbling  with  dual  POV’s  this  time,  and  it’s  definitely  intended  for  a  mature  audience  (17/18+).  As  I’m  still  in  the  early  word  count  stages  of  this  novel,  I  don’t  want  to  reveal  too  much.  But,  stay  tuned  for  more  details  in  the  next  month  or  so.  Oh,  and  if  you’re  a  little  curious  and  want   to  get  a  little  taste  as  to  the  ‘feel’  of  the  novel,  you  can  check  out  my  Spotify  playlist  titled  MC, (actual  title  to  be  chosen.)

How  does  my  work  differ  from  others  of  its  genre?

You  know,  when  I  first  read  this  I  was  going  to  answer  by  saying  it’s  because  of  my  style.  Every  writer  has  their  own  imprint,  just  like  the  unique  DNA  cast  in  the  grooves  of  our  fingers.  But,  that’s  when  I  realised  I  had  a  correlation  of  themes  in  the  novels  I’m  writing.  Basically,  it  all  boils  down  to  family.  If  you’ve  read  Nature’s  Destiny,  you’ll  know  what  I’m  talking  about.  It’s  okay,  I  won’t  divulge  any  spoilers  here.  I  guess  you’ll  have  to  read  it  for  yourself  to  find  out.

Why  do  I  write  what  I  do?

It’s  simple  really,  I  just  love  to  write.  With  Nature’s  Destiny,  I  love  to  explore  and  create  the  things  that  don’t  exist.   I  was  recently  asked  a  few  similar  questions,  which  you  can read  here,  and  ultimately  it  returns  to  that  feeling  of   free  reign.  I  have  been  obsessed  with  the  paranormal  since  I sat   down  and  watched  Buffy  the  Vampire  Slayer  with  my  best  bud  when  we  were  in  primary  school.  Angel  became  the  first  vampire  I  fell  in  love  with,  Oz  was  my  first  taste  at  a  werewolf,  and  Buffy,  the  first  strong  female  character  I  truly  admired.  I  was  so  caught  up  in  Joss  Whedon’s  Buffyverse  I  wanted  to  be  her.  The  supernatural  are  fascinating,  to  exist  with  a  power  that  saves  mankind  on  a  daily  basis  without   all  the  glory?  Firstly,  sign  me  up,  and  secondly,  let  me  capture  that  in  my  writing.  As  the  years  have  gone  by,  the  paranormal  community  has  kept  my  addiction  going  from  episodes  of  True  Blood,  to  films  such  as  Underworld.  And  on  another  note,  I’m  pretty  sure  I  have  a  ghost  in  my  house,  but  we’ll  get  to  those  stories  another  day.

What  I’m  currently  working  on  isn’t  paranormal,  but  it’s  still  romance.  And  that’s  the  main  genre  of  my  novels.  Not  everything  in  life  is  fair  or  easy,  and  sometimes  the  bad  things  win  too  many  times,  but  writing  what  I  do,  I  want  to  create  an  escape  for  someone  else.  I  want  to  be  able  to  provide  some  happiness  for  someone  that  needs  a  break  from  the  real  drama.  And,  if  I  can  do  that  for  them  by  providing  a  Happily  Ever  After,  then  my  goal  as  a  writer  has  been  met.

How  does  your  writing  process  work?

My  process  is  simple.  I  write  the  entire  first  draft,  then  I  rewrite,  and  finish  by  editing.  There’s  a  lot  of  stuff  that  happens  after  that  like  beta  readers,  but  those  three  steps  are what  I  do  alone  first.  I  have  a  big  whiteboard  on  my  wall,  seriously  it’s  like  the  size  they  use  in  schools,  and  I  use  it  to  plot.  Then  I  dab  post-it  notes,  pictures,  lyrics,  anything  that  inspires  the  storyline  around  it  too.  Honestly,  when  I  wrote  Nature’s  Destiny,  the  entire  wall  looked  like  it  had  been  redecorated  with  all  the  pieces  of  paper  I’d  blu-tacked  to  it.  The  whole  idea,  isn’t  that  I’ve  gone  absolutely  insane,  but  it’s  the  fact  I see  it  when  I  go  to  bed,  and  it’s  the  first  thing  I  see  when  I  wake.  It  becomes  embedded  so  deeply  in  my  subconscious,  that  when  I’m  not  actively  thinking  of  it  my  mind  will  throw  an  idea  that  could  help  me  solve  whatever  writing  struggle  I’m  having.  I  stick  to  writing  goals;  2000  words  a  day,  and  if  I  don’t  succeed  that  day  I’ll  add  it  on  to  the  next.  Why  do  I  put  that  pressure  on  myself?  Discipline.  If  I  didn’t,  I’d  never  get  anything  done.  And  with  every  milestone  I  achieve, I  do   a  little  celebratory  dance,  like,  YAY  I  finished  the  first  draft,  YAY  I  finished  rewrites  etc.  Every  step  is  worth  a  pat  on  the  back  because  it’s  another  step  closer  to  publishing.  Don’t  play  it   down,  it’s  a  great  feat  to  have  conquered.

So,  with  my  writing  process  mumblings  out  of  the  way,  I  guess  you’re  wondering  who’s  up  next.  And,  boy,  have  I  got  a  line-up  for  you,  which  I’m  so  grateful  they  accepted!  I  can’t  wait  to  read  what  they  have  to  say…

Heather  Hildenbrand

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Heather  is  an  acclaimed  indie  author  of  over  10  YA  &  NA  titles  including  her  bestselling  Dirty  Blood  series  which  can  be  found  at  her  blog.  She’s  also  the  founder  of  Phoenix:  Author  Ink  where  she  coaches  authors  from  plotting  to  publishing,  and  most  recently  co-founder  of  Elephantine  Publishing.

Loubelle  Bree

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Loubelle’s  blog  holds  written  pieces  inspired  by  her  life.  From  a  series  she  dedicates  as  letters  to  her  dad,  to  the  struggles  and  joys  she  finds  during  the  creation  of  her  WIP.  Oh,  and  a  love  for  avacado’s  too.

Erica  Alex

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Besides  the  many  names  Alex likes  to  pen,  her  blog  is  filled  with  writerly  musings,  and  a  regular  story-telling  posted   as  Finally  Friday.  She  also  holds  updates  on  her  current  WIP  titled,  The  Final  Chapter  of  Rain,  which  in  turn  is  the  first  instalment  of  the  Zodiac  series.

That’s  it  from  me  for   now.  Thanks  again,  Roger.

Have  a  great  week  all!

Reflect And Renew Resolutions

Posted in Writing by

2013  was  the  year  I  vowed  was  for  me,  not  because  I  depended  upon  luck,  but  because  I  promised  myself  to  make  things  better. I  was  stuck  in  the  shadows  of  my  past  as  they  tore  away  at  me  day  by  day.  I  was  becoming  hollow,  a  mere  figment  of  the  person  I  once  was.

I  wasn’t  the  type  to  create  resolutions  year  upon  year  that  I  already  knew  I  wouldn’t  keep.  Determination  couldn’t  succeed  if  belief  and  willpower  wasn’t  behind  it.  Why  set  yourself  up  for  a  fall?

I  didn’t.  I  succeeded because  I  believed  in  myself  to  not  give  up,  not  this  time.  Being  ambitious  and  determined  didn’t  make  me  naive,  it  made  me  dangerous.

A  person  with  a  dream  and  a  goal  was  far  more  likely  to  succeed  than  somebody  who  didn’t.

Who  was  the  fool  now?

Like  a  Phoenix  I  rose  from  the  ashes  of  my  buried  past,  and  made  the  year  better.

I  hadn’t  set  out   to  write  my  debut  novel  this  year,  but  like  a  sequence  of  events  everything  clicked  together.  The  pattern  that  formed  soon  after  was  what  led  me  here.  The  secret?

Reading.  Never  underestimate  the  power  of  a  good  book.  It  led  me  to  write  mine, to  create  this  blog,  and  most  importantly  to  connect  with  others  in  the  wonderful  writing  community.

While  they  may  not  be  resolutions,  I  do  have  a  plan  for  the  writing  year  ahead:

  • January  1st  will  be  the  day  I  begin  writing  the  sequel  to  my  novel  Nature’s  Destiny.  I’m  super  excited  about  extending  the  journey  that  begins  in  my  debut,  and  I  cannot  wait  to  expand  on  the  ideas  I’ve  had  rolling  around  my  mind  for  the  past  few months.
  • Nature’s  Destiny  will  be  published.  I’m  nearing  the  end  of  my  editing  process,  and  will  soon  be  depending  on my  beta  readers. 

While  I  cannot  promise  to  know  exactly  what  will  happen  in  the  long-term  future,  I  do  know  that  I’ll  make  the  most  of  it.  Why?  Because  being  optimistic  has  given  me  the  better  outlook  on  life.  The  time  I  wasted  trapped  in  the  past  changed  my  perception.  The  clock  continues  to  tick  whether  I  want  it  to  or  not,  only  now  there  isn’t  a  minute  I  want  to  waste.

Writing  has  become  the  essence  of  my  being,  and  I’ll  make  sure  it  has  a  place  in  my  future.

2013  was  my  year.  Will  2014  be  yours?

Battling With A Poisonous Mind

Posted in Nature's Destiny, Writing by

I  pounded  my  head  against  the  desk  again,  frustrated  at  my  lack  of  creativity.  The  word  document  open  on  my  white  laptop  held  the  same  sentence  I’d  deleted,  rewritten,  and  deleted  again  before  deciding  it  was  actually  decent  enough  to  keep.  #Irritating

I  closed  the  document,  and  clicked  on  the  internet  icon  knowing  exactly  where  I  was  heading  –  Social  Media.  Twitter,  Facebook,  an  update  on  the  blogosphere,  anything  was  better  than  having   to  scrunch  my  brain  into  writing  something  worthwhile.

Between  self-doubt  and  procrastination  feeding  each  other,  I  wasn’t  getting  very  far.  The  blank  wall  always  seemed  infinitely  more  interesting  than  any  drivel  I  was  sure  to  waffle  on  about.

Writing  as  a  craft  was  exciting,  exhilarating,  stupefying  and  damn  terrifying.  I  was  alone  in  my  pursuit  to  create   a  masterpiece,  saving  all  comments  for  when  my  manuscript  was  perfectly  polished  to  my  satisfaction.  Only  then  could  I  really  appreciate  the  feedback.  That  was  until  the  seeds  of  doubt  grew  into  a  mighty  tree,  and  the  evil  demon  sitting  on  my  shoulder  grew  into  the  devil.

Do  you  ever  feel  like  your  head  has  turned  into  a  jumbled  mess?

I’d  read  articles  online  in  an  attempt  to  ease  the  warring  conflict  of  what  I  thought  was  right  and  wrong.  Trying  to  find  the  answer  to  my  harmony.  Was  I  good  enough?

My  already  gooey  brain  turned  into  an  even  bigger  slush  pile,  as  the  articles  contradicted  one  another.  What  was  I  supposed  to  believe  now?  I  liked  logistics,  and  I  liked  rules,  but  when  they  clashed  it  left  me  with  a  headache,  and  an  uneasy  stomach.

Advice.  That’s  what  I  needed.  The  best  I  ever  got  was  to  forget  about  the  rules  and  just  write.  I   soaked  up  information  like  a  sponge,  and  what  I  thought  was  the  right  way  to  do  something,  wasn’t  the  right  way  for  me.  I  flexed  out  my  fingers  like  a  pianist,  and  bashed  away  at  the  keyboard.  Something  was  better  than  nothing.

The   key  role  to  writing  was  that  it  was  personal.  My  way  wasn’t  your  way,  but  I’d  still  get  there  in  the  end.  And  wasn’t  that  the  point?  To  share  our  passions  with  readers?

Writing  was  as  solitary  as   I  made  it,  but  I  wasn’t  alone.  Not  really.  I  couldn’t  expect  my  writing  to  be  perfect,  when  I  wasn’t  a  perfect  human.  I  was  my  own  worst  enemy,  but  it  was  time  to  loosen  the  reins  a  little.

“Whatever  happens,  happens.  We  can’t  go  back  in  time,  and  there’s  no  point  in  guessing  what  might  happen,  it’ll  cloud  your  judgement  and  you’ll  second-guess  your  motives.  No  good  can  come  from  that.  You  need  to  believe  in  yourself  Luna.”
–  Riley,  Nature’s  Destiny,  coming  2014

Howling All Beta Readers

Posted in Nature's Destiny, Writing by

As  I  continue  to  edit  Nature’s  Destiny,  I  can’t  switch  my  mind  off  from  the  many  self-publishing  tasks  ahead.  Today’s  thought  of  choice  is  Beta  Readers,  and  the  irony  of  this  title  isn’t  lost  on  me.

I  have  researched and pondered  many  times  over  this  topic,  and  inevitably  questioned  whether  anyone  would  even  want  to  Beta  Read  my  novel.  It  is  such  a  trusting  nature,  to  send  off  your  pride  and  joy  to  someone  unknown,  in  the  hopes  that  they  won’t  tear  it  apart  completely.  I  know  as  a  general  rule,  that  I  won’t  please  everyone,  but  the  majority?  Yes  please!

That  means  feedback  is  the  only  way  forward.

I  have  an  awesome,  talented,  writer  buddy  whose  promised  to  read  my  novel  –  providing  I  haven’t  scared  her  off  already.  I  value  her  opinion, and  I’m  really  excited  to  hear  what  she  has  to  say  about  it.

 I’m  getting  ahead  of  myself,  because  as  I  say,  I’m  only  at  the  editing  stage  now,  but  I  like  to  be  prepared.  It’s  good  to  have  a  schedule,  right?

So  I’m  wondering,  are   there  any  other  Beta  Readers  out  there  who’d  like  to  read  my  novel  when  it’s  ready?

NaNoWriMo – Exciting Adventure or Dauntingly Pressurised Task?

Posted in Writing by

It’s  that  time  of  year  where  writers  stock  up  their  cupboards,  dig  out  their  cosy  pyjamas,  and  litter  the  house  in  post-it  notes.  That’s  right  folks,  National  Novel  Writing  Month  is  upon  us.

Though  I  already  feel  like  I’ve  competed  in  this  form  once  already  this  year  I’m   contemplating  par  taking  again.  Why?  Because   I’m  clearly  crazy!  As  some  of  you  may  know  from  reading  my  previous  posts,  I’ve  just  finished  writing  my  first  novel  which  I  spent  the  month  of  August  doing.  I’m  deep  in  the  stages  of  editing  now,  but  I  can’t  shut  my  mind  away  from  the  lurking,  I  mean  tempting,  month  of  November.

I  have   quite  a  busy  life  at  the   moment,  which  by  the  way,  I’m  willing  to  trade  with  anyone  who  has  free  time.  Go  on,  you  know  you  want  to.  Wink,  wink!  Between  my  bakery  course,  business,  writing  course  and  current  novel  I  have  extremely  limited  time  left.   So  my  question  is:

Do  I  NaNoWriMo  via  the  website?  Or  do  I  do  the  sensible  thing   and  join  in  when  I  can   without  signing  up?

I  have  a  few  ideas  as  to  what  will  happen  in  the  sequel  to  my  novel,  Nature’s  Destiny,  but  I  want  to  invest  the  appropriate  time  it  deserves  in  it.  You  can  understand  that  right?

After  all  this  deliberation  I  still  haven’t  reached  my  decision.  Perhaps  I’ll  leave  that  down  to  you.  What  are  your  thoughts?

To  be,  or  not  to  be  involved  with  NaNoWriMo?  That  is  the  question.

Holiday Revealed, Revived, Rewarded

Posted in Writing by

Warbling  my  way   through  another  song  in  the  car,  I  was  on  my  way  to   Center  Parcs  at  Longleat  for  the  family  holiday.  I’d  waited  for  what  seemed  like  years,  though  it  were  mere  months,  for  this  time  away.

As  with  most  holidays  the  time  flew,  and  regrettably  I  had  to  say  goodbye.

As  it  was  a  sporting  holiday  (yes  I  did  say  sporting),  I  came  home  thoroughly  bruised,  achy,  and  covered  in  oil  –  you  know  to  ease  my  joints.  I  may  not  be  a  good  dancer,  but  even  I  could  manage  the  robot  with  all  my  stiffness.

For  those  of  you  who  don’t  know,  cycling  is  considered   the  main  form  of  transportation,  besides  walking  and  the  land  train.   If  you  thought  you  were  healthy  before,  you’d  definitely  come  home  twice  as  fit.  The  vast  expanse  of  Center  Parcs  pushing  your  stamina  to  the  forefront.

I’m  terrible  at  cycling.   When  I  was  younger,  our  annual  trip  included  extra  family  members.  While  they  were  sorting  out  their  bike  rentals,  I  pedalled  outside  on  my  very  own  pink,  purple  and  white  bike.  As   clumsy  as  I  am,  I  did  indeed  fall  off,  landing  uncomfortably  on  my  arm.  That  was  the  first  hour  of  the  first  day  of  our  holidays.  Yes,  I  had  broken  it.

Fast  forward  a  good  10  years  or  so,  back  to  the  same  bike  rental   building.  I  decided  I  would  be  brave  and  rent  a  bike  for  the  week,  though  I  hadn’t  ridden  one  in  years.  I  cycled  from  the  shop  to  the  villa  and  that’s  where  it  stayed  the  entire  week.  I  couldn’t  believe  how  utterly  rubbish  I  was  at  it.

Two  years  on,  I  decided  this  time  that  I  wouldn’t  bother  with  the  hassle.   I  had  learnt  from  my  mistakes.  Though  my  father  and  brother  had  gotten  bikes,  I  resisted  the  urge.

After  much  cajoling  I  was  made  to  use  my  fathers’  bike  on  occasion.  A  saddle  sore  bottom,  scrapes  and  cuts  across  my  legs,  fixing  chains  more often  than  cycling,  and  a  generic  lack  of  enthusiasm,  I  realised  the  term  ‘It’s  just  like  riding  a  bike’  true  meaning.  It  wasn’t   so  easy  after  all.

Even  more   spectacularly  was  Adventure  Golf.  As  proud  as  I  am  to  boast  that  I  was  the  only  one  to  have  a  hole-in-one,  I  was  also  the  one  that  lost  drastically.  Go  figure.

My  favourite  sport  had  been  eating,  and I  regularly  exercised  my  stomach  muscles.  They  are  now  at   their  rotund  peak.  I  will  soon  be  ready  to  compete  at  Sumo  Wrestling.

Through  foraging  in  the  woods  with  my  newfound  navigational  skills,  splashing  and  getting  stuck  in  the  not-so-lazy  river  part  of  the  pool,  and  spending  quality  time  relaxing  and  editing  my  novel,  I  have  had  a  well-spent,  exhaustively-happy  holiday.

A  shame  it’s  back  to  reality  on  Monday.

Happiness Unlocked

Posted in Nature's Destiny, Writing by

Friday  afternoon  I  celebrated  by  flailing  my  arms  about  in  the  air  whilst  my  legs,  extremely  uncoordinated  as  they  are,  swayed  to  my  non-existent  music.  Why,  you  ask?  Because  I  finished  the  first  draft  of  my  debut  novel!  Cheers!

As  I  questioned  my  ability  for  the  hundredth  time,  I  metaphorically  slapped  my  back  and  congratulated  myself  on  reaching  the  first  milestone.   Yipee!

For  the  past  month  I  have  sat  my  (hopefully-though-not-likely  small)  butt  at  the  desk,  and  written  every  day  pouring  my  heart,  guts  and  questionable  eye  fluid into  my  story.  I  could  tell  you  I  did  it  because  I’m  crazy,  but  honestly  I  loved  every  minute,  even  when  I  was  frustrated  at  my  characters  for  not  doing  what  I  asked  of  them.  I  mean  seriously,  who’s  the  writer  here?

After  the  writing  comes  the  editing,  and  perhaps  rather  foolishly  of  me,  I’m   looking  forward  to  the  process.  Please,  I’m  not  stupidly  punishing  myself,  but  it  means  I’ll  be  another   step  closer  to  publishing  my  little  bundle  of  joy.  You  can  understand  that  right?  Plus  I  really  need  to  make  sure  I’m  not  repeating  myself.  Repeating  myself.  😉

Idealistically  I’ll  have  you  all  swooning  over  my  creative  efforts,  and  by  some  unfathomable  reason  you’ll  be  knocking  my  door  down  to  read  the  sequel.  After  all,  I’m  nothing  but  optimistic.  *insert  cheesy  grin,  and  awkward  wink*

On  a  serious  note,  I  will  be  posting  the  prologue  soon  which  I  hope  you’ll  enjoy.  As  a  kind  farewell  I’m  going  to  let  you  in  on  a  secret;  my  novel  is  based  on  Werewolves.

Have  a  howlingly  good  week!