My 500 words day three: the beginning of the writing process

So today's topic is about something I get asked in interviews and radio shows. I suppose it makes people curious how in a little over a year I can have seventeen stories published and have five currently in the works. It's more of a question of curiosity and for those who want to be writers I hope it helps them find motivation. What's the question? When do I find time to write? Are there specifics needed to create my writing space? How do I begin the process? How do I maintain the process? Okay, so that's more than one question but it all comes together for one blog topic.

First I think it's important to note. It helps that I have an amazingly supportive husband who works in the real world while I work at home creating fictional worlds and characters. This is perhaps the biggest contributing factor to having an abundant back list of books/stories. It also helps that I mix things up with novellas/short stories/full lengths. My largest book is over 115k words and my smallest comes in around 10 - 15k words. I'm proud of the number of stories I've produced but I also know length and time are contributing factors to their production.

I also split up my day between managing and cleaning the house, working out, chatting with my fans/street team, marketing my books, working with coaching clients, and somewhere in that midst I find time to write. Those of you who know me, know I'm at my best in chaos... this is not the same for everyone. I think for those aspiring authors my best advice is to create a schedule, stick to it as best you can, be flexible when needed (this is something I tell my coaching clients all the time ~ change is inevitable, don't fight it, work with it), and watch your story grow. You may not be able to produce a ton of books right away, which can have to do with time or self-confidence, but getting that first one out there is the biggest hurdle... it does get easier as time goes by.

As far as writing space, I really only need my laptop and some music. I can write by the pool, in the bedroom, or a moving vehicle (as long as hubby is driving). I also carry a mini recorder for ideas and to work out scenes if I'm struggling with writer's block or nowhere near my laptop. I used to carry around a notebook for that same purpose. Either one works great. The music I suppose is my anchor. I can write without it but the ADHD part of my mind needs a distraction which is what the music becomes in the background. As long as I distract the hyper part of my mind I can focus on the story and characters. When I do my final read thrus of manuscripts I can always tell the parts that were written without the distraction component.

The last two questions can be answered together. At any given time there are multiple manuscripts open at the bottom of my computer screen. Currently there are five stories running around in my head (Fire Master Rising ~ book three of Winters Saga, Daddy Made Me Do It ~ book one of Demon Ascension series, Dragon's Dream Dancer ~ book two of Demon Fairy Tales series, The Faerie King's Guardian ~ book two of Mystery Springs Series, and The Gator's Witch ~ book two of Shifter Love Tales)  and four more on the back burner of the creative process stove (Remote Paranoia ~ PBI Case Files book five, Spiritual AI ~ book three of Ghost Connection Series, book one of the Refuge Island, and the third book of Vanished Series).

I pop between manuscripts throughout the day adding new chapters to the stories. This helps me to keep things from getting stale. If you've read my work you know I like a lot of action mixed with romance, fantasy/paranormal blended with mythology, and a ton of twists and turns. I love it when fans tell me I bent their minds or made them think/wonder what if. I try hard to make scenes unique to the characters, especially the intimate scenes. As many times as I write a kiss or fight scene the challenge becomes making it different. Working on multiple manuscripts at one time helps me in that arena. It's an odd process, I know, but it works for me. I guess my advice here to aspiring authors is to find and develop your process. Every storyteller is different and the writing process changes from one to the next.

Thank you for reading my daily journal. I hope it helps you with whatever you're working on.

Since this post was about the beginning of the writing process I figured I'd share my Winters Saga in this post as part of the business side of things. Have you read Lone Wolf Rising and Vampire Princess Rising? Fire Master Rising is shaping into quite an action packed story and coming soon. This was my first series ever published and I wrote the story for mature young adult to adult fans of any age.

It started out as a story of a teen witch who became a werewolf in search of vengeance and grew into a family affair. Rebecca's Story in Lone Wolf Rising was so intense the first book only covered a week of her life. In book two, Vampire Princess Rising the focus went to the broken relationship between Rebecca and twin sister Savannah after Rebecca's actions in book one caused Savvy's transformation. Of course, those that have read it know there is a lot more going on in the background as the story progresses.

Book three has a larger focus on Hunter and his journey to becoming a powerful fire witch. There is still plenty of paranormal battles, traveling between universes, and alternate from different dimensions. All mixed with some romance. It's a great romantic adventure and one I hope you get a chance to check out.

Okay I guess it's time to get back to writing. I have a scene for Fire Master Rising running around in my head and want to get it finished tonight. Thank you for letting me share a little about myself and my work. I hope you have a wonderful day.

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