Monday, February 24, 2014

Writing Process Blog Hop

My good friend Natasha Knight tagged me in this blog hop! She is awesome and I do everything she tells me to do :)

What am I working on now?

Right now I am working on finishing up a Historical Spanking Romance called Emmaline's Groom. I realized that I started writing it last May. Hey, things happen, I got caught up in other stuff. I am glad I am almost finished and should have it out before the year mark of when I started it!

It's about a daughter of an English Marquess who falls in love with one of the servants at her manor. There is love, sex, spankings, a failed kidnapping plot, a shoot out- it's got a little bit of everything.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't know how my work really differs. I think every author has their own unique way of telling a story. I like to interweave some humor into my writing, even if it is not a particularly comedic book. There are other authors that also do this and I always appreciate it when I read it. I think humor can be found in everyday life, so it only makes sense to me that my characters would end up in humorous situations.

Why do I write what I do?

I started writing because I was bored. No, really. We had a period of a few months where we didn't have any cable or internet in our house. I got bored of reading and tired of buying books that I thought were 'just okay'. I sat down and wrote a book I would like to read.

I write spanking romance because that is what's featured in my fantasies. Even if I read a book that has no sex or spankings in it I will re-imagine it and think up scenes with spanking that would fit into it. I do this with movies and TV shows as well, nothing is safe!

What is my writing process?

At first I was thinking I don't have a writing process. I can't outline. Well, I can physically write an outline, but I never follow it.

From start to finish, this is what it looks like. I think up a scenario, some fantasy I am working out in my head. Then I figure out characters. Their backgrounds. How they meet, what they want from each other.

Sometimes I bounce ideas off my husband. Sometimes I bounce them off other author friends. But I always think it through completely before I even start writing. Once I finally sit down to write the characters are just dying to get out there and do something. Which is why the outline never works, they have their own agenda!

I have to write beginning to end. I can't write scenes or write the end before the middle. I might have an idea of a later scene, but I have to write everything leading up to it first.

I almost never know how my book is going to end, until I get towards the ending.

As for the actual physical writing. I get most of that done in the mornings before my full time job. On my days off I try to devote a couple of hours to writing. If I am writing at night it means I really needed to get something down on the page, but most times when I read it in the morning I end up changing it.

I used to beat myself up over word counts and productivity and worrying that other's were cranking out books faster than I could type. But I think I have come to a place where if I can just get out what is in my head, let the creative juices flow, and have a good time doing what I am doing- then life is pretty sweet. 

Thanks for stopping by to check out my thoroughly awesome writing process!
I have tagged the wickedly funny Claire Collinsgrove. She will be posting about her writing process next Monday, March 3rd.

Claire is the author of The Best of 1950's Wife
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If you don't know about Claire you should check out her blog:



5 comments:

  1. I had to giggle at your physical ability to write outlines- yeah, I so relate :D love to read about the process for you

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  2. Your process is not that much different from mine. I too, do a lot of thinking, before I sit down to write. I do "outline," but it's very sketchy. I rely a lot on inspiration. I almost always know the ending when I sit down to write--although sometimes that changes!

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  3. For some reason, I thought you wrote exactly like me but I don't do the pre-write thinking through of characters. I have some idea but it kind of works itself out while I write. It's so interesting the differences between all of us.

    These posts are always interesting - I'm always asking people about this.

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  4. Very interesting Casey. I can't outline either. I'll sometimes jot down notes for later as I go along but even those usually are forgotten by the time I get to that part of the story.

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  5. I love your humor, Casey!
    It's so interesting to read these posts, and see how everyone does their thing!

    I end up writing scenes around a few major ones that pop into my head.

    I think I may try out a few different ones, though, just to see what is easier for me. :)

    Thanks for sharing!


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