Today is Blog Tour Day on my humble blog. This particular "writing process," blog has been circulating around for a little while and I am honored to have been tagged by my fellow agency mate Kelly Lyman. You can check her out here: http://www.kellylyman.tumblr.com/. So allow me to humbly share my writing process. It's actually great that I've been tagged in this as some things have changed since the last time I shared my process. http://erinashleytanner.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-writing-process.html
WHAT AM I WORKING ON?
Right now I am currently about three-fourths of the way finished with Goddess By Chance, the second novel in my Demi-God Daughters urban fantasy romance series. I am also working on a romantic suspense novel called Dirty Little Secrets.
HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN ITS GENRE?
My work differs from others because all of my novels feature people of color in stories that are normally only written for a white audience. As a young girl I was a vivid reader and read everything I could get my hands on, but the thing that bothered me the most was I never saw any heroines or heroes that looked like myself. So when I decided to get serious about writing I vowed to myself that I would write and showcase characters of colors in genres they normally would not be seen in such as urban fantasy, fantasy romance, ect. I think my work is also different because I am not afraid to push the envelope or go outside of the box.
WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?
I write what I do because at a later stage in life I finally realized writing is my calling. It's something I enjoy doing too much to ever stop. Some of the stories I write because they are stories I would like to see told. The writers I idolize most in the world are Jackie Collins, the late L.A. Banks, James Rollins and Steve Berry. Just like all those fantastic writers are not afraid to bring to life the stories they want to see, I am not either. I enjoy everything from romance to historical fiction so eventually I would love to have a story out in all the genres I so love.
HOW DOES YOUR WRITING PROCESS WORK?
As I'm learning your writing process can change as you learn new things. I start with flashcards. On the first card, goes what the basic premise of the novel will be about (fantasy romance, urban fantasy, etc.) On that same first card goes a list of dramatic situations I might want to include such as the healing power of love, vengeance for a loved one, etc.
The next flash cards are devoted to character profiles of my hero and heroine. It includes their age, physical description, what character archetype they most identify with and any little quirks about them. I try to include an aspect of myself in every heroine I write.
The next flashcard contains a list of possible plots that might be woven into the story. (FYI: There are about 20 plots that are used to comprise almost every novel ever written.) Examples include: Temptation, Transformation, Forbidden Love, etc.
The last flashcard is a list of things or scenes that come to mind that I would like to include in the novel.
The last thing I do before getting started is a new tool that was recommended to me by my fellow agency mate CJ Matthews, The W. Method. This method is basically a way for you to keep track of the important places in your story. You include: Regular Life, Inciting Incident, Challenges, Turning Point, Bigger Turning Point, Conflict, Black Moment and the Resolution. After I've filled all these things in as best as I can I'm ready to start. On a sticky note I usually jot down what I think will happen in each chapter as I write the chapter. Now I'm finally ready to write.
COMING NEXT
Check back next Friday when I will be sharing best selling author Shelly Ellis' writing process.
Shelly Ellis- Shelly Ellis began her romance writing career when she became one of four finalists in a first-time writers contest at 19. The prize was a publishing contract and having her first short-story romance appear in an anthology. She has since published more short stories, a few novels, and was chosen as a finalist for the 2012 African American Literary Award in the romance category. Shelly released the first book in her critically-acclaimed Gibbons Gold Digger series in 2013. The latest book the series, Another Woman's Man, will be released April 29.
When she isn't writing novels or editing and writing articles for her day job as a magazine editor, she and her husband are chasing after their 1-year-old daughter and catering to their tabbie cat.
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