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My Writing Process

Today is a bonus post, my writing and reading friends. The author Marta Merajver-Kurlat (http://www.martamerajver.com.ar/marta/index.php/blogroll), author of Just Toss the Ashes and Why Can’t I Make Money? among other works, invited me to participate in this blog hop tour and answer four questions about my writing process.

ALL ABOUT MY WRITING PROCESS

1) What am I working on?

The project nearest and dearest to me these days is The Loyalist’s Luck, the second in the Loyalist Trilogy. It carries on with the theme of seemingly ordinary people being forced to live in an extraordinary manner because of decisions made by those who govern them. Specifically John and Lucy Garner continue the story started in 1778 New York State when he decides to join Butler’s Rangers and fight for the King, leaving Lucy behind to try to hold on to the isolated farm in the wilds of New York State. This second book takes their story across the border and introduces several other characters who all start in a new land with nothing. The book leads up to and includes their family’s struggles in the next war, the War of 1812.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Historical fiction takes fictional characters and tells their story against the backdrop of history, sometimes using actual historical figures who interact with those of the author’s imagination. That being said there are many, many books on the American Revolution but very few from the point of view of the Loyalists. This makes the Loyalist Trilogy unique.

3) Why do I write what I do?

First of all I love to read historical fiction. Then the fact that I am of Loyalist descent myself makes this topic thrilling for me to research and write about. Finally I love playing with words all the while learning more and more about my craft. And the days that a new idea pops into my head as my fingers fondle the keys, those days are the absolute best. The time flies and I delight in what has appeared on my screen as I let my brain go on a wild and wondrous rampage.

4) How does your writing process work?

I’ve tried to write an outline, a plan, sample paragraphs, etc., but my brain always takes off on its own. In my research I may find a unique thought or detail from the past and suddenly my characters grab it and run. I always thought that writers’ thing about wondering who will be on the other side of the door was just so much claptrap. But, guess what? It happens and it’s unbelievably cool when it does. So my first draft is a huge eye opener for me. Following that, I revise and look up details I’ve put in red on the first draft, and I just keep revising until I love to read what I’ve written and don’t get stopped by some bit which needs tweaking. Once I’m happy with it, I enlist my editor and my beta readers to see what they pick up. I look at their suggestions and decide to use or not until, finally, I have the book I’m proud of. This all takes forever but it’s worth it. I strive for perfect.

Next step along the Blog Hop:

Sharon Clare is an author of paranormal romantic novels and lives in Ontario with her husband and three wonderful grown-up kids who come and go from the nest. She fell in love with writing at the University of Toronto where she graduated with a science degree in psychology and professional writing. She has also published short stories, art reviews, newsletter and magazine articles. Her favourite place to write is outside under the maple trees beside the trickling pond and blooming lilies. You can find her at the following links:

http://romancebeyond.com/author/sharonclare/
sharonclare.com

14 Comments

Posted by Elaine Cougler on February 10, 2014 in Authors, FAQ's, Historical Fiction

Tags: author interviews, excitement about writing, historical fiction, novel writing, The Loyalist's Wife

The Importance of Going Back to the Beginning

05 Feb

One of the bits of personal philosophy which has stuck with me is the importance of remembering where I was as opposed to where I am now. This applies to all facets of life, I suppose, but today my writing life is foremost in my mine.

In March of 2007, my son asked me the now-familiar question when I mentioned I wished I had written a novel: “If not now, when?” Of course he was right and as my husband and I drove to Hilton Head Island (two days), I thought about his words. By the time we reached our destination I had decided. The very next day we hit the book store as we love to do and I bought a book called “How to Write a Novel”.

Last June The Loyalist’s Wife, the first in the Loyalist Trilogy, was published. For three weeks now, we’ve been back in Hilton Head avoiding the nasty winter storms back home and I’ve been working very hard on the second book, The Loyalist’s Luck. I took time out, however, to visit the store where it all started seven years ago—Barnes and Noble in lovely Hilton Head.

What a thrill to walk inside, drink in the atmosphere, and get my picture taken with my first novel and one of the clerks at the store. (I’m the short one!)

Of course I looked on the shelves for the book which had got me started those seven years before but I couldn’t find it, even though lots of other how-to volumes filled the space for books about writing. I was thrilled to use the Barnes and Noble computer to look up The Loyalist’s Wife. There it was! I had seen it from my computer at home and I knew it was all over the web, but still, to see it here, where my journey began, was pretty wonderful.

A big thank you to Barnes and Noble for helping me out with this, both by being a book store still focusing on books and by listing my novel. By the way, I’ve written over 30,000 words in the three weeks we’ve been here so all around this is a pretty awesome visit to a favorite haunt of ours.

Next year when I come I’ll have the second book in print and the third one in process. Writing can be a joyous pastime, that’s for sure.