Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all….. About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride!
If you’re joining me from A.S. Fenichel’s wonderful blog (http://asfenichel.net/blog/ ), or just starting your journey here, welcome. By the way, her newest novel, Ascension, releases next week!! Pre-order your copy today!
Our three questions this week come from Vicki Mixon (http://vickimixon.com/ )
1.) Was there a defining moment in your life when you knew you were going to become a writer? If so, what was it?
I remember clearly after finishing The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, looking for and not being able to find any similar fantasy books available. (This was in the 1970’s, well before the Internet and Amazon). I was just starting to play Dungeons and Dragons and was looking for more fuel for my passionate fires. Not finding anything, I decided to write my own stories. Shortly thereafter Terry Brooks launched his Shanara series, followed by a whole host of new, D&D inspired fantasy fiction. But, I’d already started writing, and the stories kept coming.
2.) When you write a story do you see it unfold as one big picture, or do you add layering in subsequent drafts?
My stories usually start with a scene and a couple of characters. Most of the time it’s the opening scene, but not always. Mayn times I don’t even know where it’s going when I start out. I just launch into the story, following my characters around. I have added and deleted scenes in subsequent drafts, but rarely anything that significantly changed the original first-draft storyline. So, yes, the story unfolds as one big picture while writing my first draft.
3.) How many drafts do you usually write before you send your work to your editor?
I have a unique relationship with my editor, as she is also one of my critique partners, so she’s reading my stuff before I “send” it to her. With Hearts in Orbit: The Blarmling Dilemma, she told me she wanted the book before I’d even finished the first draft. I did finish the story and do three editing runs through it before I sent it to her.
To be honest, though, I do tend to go back and edit during the initial draft, and always do an additional edit run on whatever chapter I’m sending to her for critique. So it’s hard to tell how many times I’ve actually gone through a story, and some parts are run through more than others.
Well, there you have it. Let me know what you think in the comments below, then click through to see how Kim Handysides (http://kimhandysides.com/) answered today’s questions.
A Writer's Haven 