I’m
pleased to be part of a blog-hop centring on four questions that reveal part of
my writing life. Thanks to Toni V Sweeney for
the plaudits and hand-on.
What are you working on?
I’m launching
the paperback of The Bull At The Gate,
Book 2 in the Torc of Moonlight
trilogy of supernatural thrillers, so at the moment it is more admin and
promotion than creative writing. At the same time I’m oiling the ol’ creaking
brain cogs for its follow-up, so on my immediate To Do list is
a) gentle brainstorming
for Book 3 which leads to...
b) collecting
initial research information for said book;
c) turf out my
disgusting office to...
d) find the
notes I scribbled while writing Book 2.
What is happening around you while you write?
What should be happening is peace and
tranquillity. I am both lucky enough not have to go out to earn a living and
I have office space with a door that can be shut on the household, but it rarely
works that way. I’m either on call too much or too easily distracted.
As an
illustration I’ve just returned to my office after remembering the laundry
needed checking in the drier [shakes head...]
Which comes first plot strand, character, or.....?
...problem,
solution..? Initially it’s a gaseous mass of all these. If/when two ignite they
either illuminate another element or burn it to cinders. This is where the
gentle brainstorming comes in; it’s akin to poking at a smouldering fire. Once
the elements begin to take on a smoky form, it is then that the characters take
precedence. Each book of the trilogy has three intertwining storylines – one
historical, two contemporary – and once the main characters in each are
identified I will write their mission statements, their back-stories, and start
a timeline of how they view the unfolding novel. It's my way of gaining a handle on them as true people.
Explain your research routine
There’s a lot
of non-fiction reading involved, both book and internet, which goes on at the
same time as the gaseous mass is coagulating. This shows up both probable
dead-ends and possible incendiary material useful to the novel. Characters’
mission statements, back-stories, and viewpoints start to turn into the novel’s
Bible – an ever-growing Word document navigated by internal hyperlinks. In the
Bible is listed every character and their mores, and links to all internet research,
as well as the main outline of the novel, which eventually takes on the form of
a working synopsis. Somewhere along the line I will have made a start on the
novel itself, as it is in the writing that the beast comes truly to life.
Thanks for
taking the time to read my Writer’s Reveal. If you have any comments or questions
go ahead and ask them below. Or if you've enjoyed the post, please give it a Tweet below; it would be most appreciated.
If you’d like
to read the openings of any of my books, click the covers in the columns to be
taken to its relevant Amazon page and use the Look Inside facility.
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Stuart Aken is a pantster, writing books
that blur the boundaries between genres. For him, story chooses genre and
characters drive plot. He’s written thriller, romance, erotica, scifi, horror
and, in his most recent release, epic fantasy of a type that appeals to both
genders and all readers over 15. Joinings; A Seared Sky, was released in
print and digital formats by Fantastic Books Publishing on 30 March.
V.M. Jaskiernia writes dark
fantasy romance in her world of Noctuina. She is influenced by mythology, fairy
tales, modern fantasy, horror, and history. Her first series, 'The Courting of
Life of Death' (Clandestina), follows the duc of Piques, Pierre Salvador, as he
consorts with the Lady of Death while also courting the Lady Elizabeth Anne.
Enjoy both!
Interesting and entertaining post, Linda. Always fascinating to learn how other writers go about the craft of creating stories. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling in, Stuart. After writing the post I got to thinking 'It's not always like this, though, is it?' It depends on the story - or the characters. Perhaps even the genre. I'm looking forward to reading yours to see if your changes in genre affect the way the stories reveal themselves.
DeleteI'm also interested to read how other writers work as my MO seems to change with every book I write. Also - do you happen to use any software Linda, such as Scrivener? I know some writers swear by it but it seems to me yet another hurdle to overcome on the way to creating one's masterpiece. Good luck with book 3!
ReplyDeleteHi Patsy: I don't use software to write - I use Evernote occasionally to capture webpages or store links - but I build a "bible" for the research, before and as I am writing, which I keep as a Word.doc with internal hyperlinks. This I've found to be the most useful for me. I think it is a trial & error for most writers until we all find what best suits us.
DeleteThanks for commenting, and the good wishes for Book3 (I really must give the thing a working title!)