Blog Hop

Okay, so I'm super excited. Not that I have anything life-changing to offer, but because I was invited. Personally. By the very talented and awesome KT Hanna. 

So--this is my writing process. Ready to be confused?

What am I working on?

I am double-minded right now. I'm working on the sequel to Dare You--which will be in the same world but a New Adult contemporary romance from two different characters POV. The other top secret project I'm working on is a 3rd revision of a story I've been working on for at least three years now. I'm changing it from a YA to NA--paranormal, magical realism-ish. Which makes no sense, but that's okay, because I'm not too sure, either.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Because I make it all as real as possible. I am completely on board with suspending disbelief--and with my stories there's a degree of that needed. But I'm a nurse and some things just don't make sense to me--I need to be able to explain them medically. So in my top secret 3rd revision project, that's what I'm doing--medically and realistically explaining every single part of why this creature is the way it is. I think of it like Michael Crichton--I can't tell you how many times I read The Lost World. I can tell you I checked it out so often I reached the limit at my library for checking out the same book in a year--I didn't even know that was possible. Back to Michael Crichton--he realistically explained how you could clone and recreate dinosaurs and bring them into this century. That's what I'm doing. Except without the dinosaurs.

Why do I write what I write?

Because I have read so many disappointing stories, ones I feel could have gone soooooo differently, done better. The romances are too cheesy and I'm sorry, but I love you just isn't enough sometimes. I 100% believe in infatuation and lust at first sight--I don't think you can truly love someone until you get to know them. You can't get to know someone in a matter of days--maybe weeks if you are with each other all the time with no breaks. That's the same reason I write paranormal, Sci-Fi, fantasy, etc--sometimes they give me great ideas to spin off of, sometimes I feel it could've been done better and I want to try, and sometimes it's just too unrealistic and over the top and I have to write something I know I want to read.

How does my writing process work?

Hahahaha. Writing process. That's great. I'm slapping my knee as I giggle. Using Scrivener has actually helped focus me a lot. And surprisingly so has going back to school. I have my associates degree and decided I want to be full of BS and am going back for my bachelors of science. Writing a paper a week and doing online discussions has actually focused my brain more than before I started school. 

So this is what I do: I open Scrivener, play a game of solitaire, listen to my iTunes, write a bit in Scrivener, play another game of solitaire, switch it up to spider solitaire if my brain hasn't worked out what I need to write next, write a bit, play more solitaire, get a snack, read a bit in a book--whether it's a new book or a re-read--write a bit more...you get the point. I don't have a set process. I work 2-4 days in a row and by the end of my night shifts, the voices in my head are very ready to come out. So I spend my 4 days off writing, doing school stuff, exercising, reading, and every few weeks cleaning my house. I have no set process. I would love to be able to plot like a crazy woman (like KT does), but I don't. Every story I've written (and Dare You is my third) goes in completely different directions than I've planned. So I let the story go where it will, as long as it ends in a happy ending.

And on to the tagging: 

The very talented Mr. Jamie Manning:

30ish. Writer. Addicted to The Vampire Diaries. BLOOD BORN & BLOOD AWAKENING out now, BLOOD REVELATION coming soon. @byJamieManning

And one of my favorite NA authors Brenna Aubrey:

I write New Adult contemporary romance about geeks & nerds. I'm also a mom, teacher, geek girl, Francophile, unabashed video-game addict & eBook hoarder. @BrennaAubrey

GO READ THEIR BOOKS! And thanks for reading my rant!