Oh my god, you guys, it’s my first ever blog hop! Exciting!
I was tagged by J. C Hart of Just-Cassie.com, whom I got to know during Camp NaNoWriMo in July 2013. I’ll admit I’d been eyeing this blog hop quite lustfully as it’s been hopping around on blogs I follow and was really hoping to get tagged, so I’m very thankful to Cassie for tagging me!
The rules are: Answer the four questions below, link back to the person who invited you, and name the people who will be posting the following Monday.
What am I working on?
Right now (and by right now, I mean almost always) I have several active projects at different stages of development. My debut novella, Going Home, is in the final stages of production (it needs a last rewrite and then some polish, as well as a cover and some things like that). It’s as of yet untitled sequel has been drafted and will get an initial rewrite during the spring before being sent to beta readers. And of course, tomorrow I’m starting on a new draft, unrelated to the aforementioned novellas, for Camp NaNoWriMo! I also have a few shorts in the later stages of production.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Honestly, half the time I’m not even sure which genre I’m writing in.
I think saying what makes my own work original can be really hard. I mean, the fact that it’s my work automatically makes it stand out for me, but that doesn’t mean it necessarily stands out to other people. However, there are a few things I think are a bit unusual about my writing. My main characters tend to be in their 30s and 40s (even though I’m in my 20s), whereas speculative fiction in general seems to prefer younger MCs. My stories often lack proper antagonists. I try to avoid anyone “saving the world” and focus on smaller, more personal and character-centered storylines, even when they take place against a more fantastical backdrop.
Maybe those things aren’t that different. But I’ll make you a deal: I’ll actually finish a couple of books and then you can tell me what makes them stand out! 😉
Why do I write what I write?
I’m going to be a bit boring here and say: because I want to. Sure, there’s more to it than that but when it comes right down to it, I find something (a concept, a place, a character, a scene) that inspires me and makes me think “man, it would be fun to write a story about this” and then I build from there.
How does your writing process work?
Although I’ve been writing stories for as long as I’ve known how, it’s only in the last year or two that I’ve really gotten serious about increasingly my productivity as a writer. So, my writing process is still a sort of work in progress. However, what I’ve found so far is that intense writing projects (like NaNoWriMo or the Camp versions of it) are a really great way for me to draft and get an idea all written down. It works best if I go into it semi-prepared. I need to know where the story starts and ends, any major plots points in the middle and I need to have a fair grasp of the main characters. Exactly how to get between plot points and the finer details of the world and characters is something I tend to work out as I go. I find this gives me the freedom to improvise and go where the writing takes me without risking getting stuck or wandering aimlessly.
Once a draft is done, I’ll go over it myself and do a first round of edits. With Going Home I sent the manuscript to beta readers already after the first draft, but I’ve realized that I prefer having edited once before getting a lot of comments. I like to try and get a mix of beta readers, both people I know and strangers. Once I’ve gotten feedback from them, I edit again. And then I suppose I keep editing until I’m done. I don’t know, I haven’t gotten that far yet!
Well, that was fun! Now I’m passing the blog hop on to the following people:
Both these ladies hang at the same writing community as me on Google+ and were kind enough to jump on board once I realized most of the writing peeps I know had already been tagged in this hop. I look forward to reading what they have to say!
I enjoyed reading your answers to the blog hop questions, Emma. I always find it interesting discovering how others approach the writing process. Good luck with your writing!
Thank you on both counts, and I really agree that it’s interesting!
Hello Emma! I enjoyed your answers. I agree with Teagan in that it is very interesting to read about the writing process of other writers. Good luck with all your projects and happy writing!
~ Vashti
Thank you, Vashti and thanks for visiting!