Sunday 20 April 2014

The Writing Process Blog Tour

How I Write

This week I'm hugely honoured to be taking part in my first blog tour! Fellow Romantic Novelists Association NWS newbie Julie Stock has asked me to take part in the 'Writing Process Blog Tour' which gives writers the opportunity to share the way they write. Having read the posts of some of the contributors who have written before me I have already picked up some great tips and ideas and hope you find my efforts as rewarding.

On Monday April 28th please visit my fellow writers Julia Webb and Amanda Addison to learn about their writing habits. You can use the links at the end of this post to find them.

What am I working on at the moment?

Right now I'm working on my second novel The Cherry Tree Cafe which I intend to submit to the RNA New Writers Scheme by the end of April. It has been a joy to write and I am still very much in love with the story even though I know it inside out and back to front! I only hope the RNA member who finds it on their doormat is equally as impressed. The novel follows the journey of feisty redhead Lizzie Dixon who is unceremoniously dumped on her birthday and finds herself moving back to the town she grew up in but not quite able to leave her troubles behind.

I am also putting the finishing touches on the planning for my next novel which has the working title of The Skylark Serenade. Writing will commence whilst I am waiting for The Cherry Tree Cafe's return in order to help stave off the inevitable nerves and self doubt.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Of all the questions I have found this by far the trickiest to answer. In terms of genre my novels would fall into women's commercial fiction or chic-lit but when it comes to deciding how they differ from others then to be honest I hope they don't too dramatically. Of course I want the plots and characters to stand out and be memorable but I also want my readers to be satisfied that they are getting the kind of read they expected when they committed to reading.

Why do I write what I do?   

I write what I love and I love what I write so I write the kinds of novels, short stories and flash fiction that I enjoy reading in the hope that my readers will enjoy them as much as I do. I never set out on my path to publication with a particular type of book or genre in mind, I simply write the stories that are demanding to be told!

My short stories and pieces of flash fiction are quirky and definitely darker than my novels which are fun, fast paced and light hearted.

How does my writing process work?

I'm happy to admit I'm quite a planner in terms of what I'm writing and how I schedule my time. I don't need every chapter planned in minute detail but I do like to have an idea of where I'm heading and how I'll get there. I also play out scenes and conversations in my head until I feel they are real and I am recording them on the page exactly as I have watched them play out.

My writing process is very organised - Mondays and Tuesdays, when I am not governed by the day job, are what I call my 'proper' writing days and I spend every hour at the screen working on my novel manuscripts.

During the rest of the week I write as and when time allows but I do try and get something down every day. Often this means scribbling a few paragraphs before work or in the car during my lunch hour. If I can manage it I'll then type up what I've written later that evening and read through my efforts from the day before.

A writer of course is never off duty and I always carry a pen and notepad. Snatches of conversation, settings or sometimes entire plots can descend at any time and I record everything for immediate or future 'composting'.

I hope you have enjoyed my contribution to the tour. Don't forget to use the links below to check out my fellow writers thoughts next Monday

Julia Webb

Julia Webb is a writer(poet) and artist working in Norwich. She has a degree in Creative Writing from Norwich University of the Arts and an MA in poetry from The University of East Anglia. She has just completed her first collection "Bird Sisters" and is working towards her next collection. In 2011 she won The National Poetry Society's Stanza competition. She has had work published in a number of journals and anthologies. She also teaches creative writing and has run a number of different types of creative workshops. She is passionate about reading and literature of all kinds - and is a firm believer that literature has the power to change lives. 

the link to my blog is: http://visual-poetics.blogspot.co.uk/


Amanda Addison


Addison writes and illustrates both adult and children's fiction. A common theme to her work is the world of art, craft and design.  Amanda is a graduate of Chelsea School of Art and more recently completed a MA in Writing the Visual at Norwich University College of the Arts, under the supervision of award winning poet, George Szirtes.  Her interest in writing was sparked by winning the Fish Publishing Art Prize.  This led to writing and illustrating a number of travel articles for Archant.  Amanda is a tutor at City College, Norwich where she teaches on the first UK access to Higher Education in creative writing, which she co-wrote.  Amanda lives in a small village in Norfolk with her husband and two children.




1 comment:

  1. What a fantastic idea for a blog tour and I can imagine it being very helpful for other writers to get tips and ideas!

    I like how each author has their individual ways of doing things and no two are the same! :)

    ReplyDelete