Last weekend, one of my author friends, Anastasia Rabiyah hosted a chat at CoffeeTime Romance (this happens about once a month). Anyway, last weekend the main focus was inspiration. Where does it come from? What inspires us?
It's hard for me to come up with any one thing. I like reading, obviously. Lately I've been focusing a lot on paranormal books--anything and everything I can get my hands on. Vampires, demons, witches, shapeshifters. I don't care too much for witches and shapeshifters, and most demons, but I love vampires. Every time I sit down to read, it engages my imagination. I think that's my biggest inspiration--reading something and thinking about all the stories I'm currently working on and what I can do to make them better.
These days the best time for me to brainstorm occurs as I'm settling in for bed, just laying there and relaxing after a long day. This is my characters' favorite time to come out and tell me I've been neglecting them. They want their stories told now!
I also love this time of year. The days are getting a bit cooler, the nights a bit longer, the air is crisp. There's just something about fall that gets my creative juices flowing. I have always been a night person--I hate mornings, so more darkness also means more energy for me. I find that autumn is the best time for me to sit down and write, because the feeling in the air inspires me.
I also like listening to rock music while I'm writing. I used to need complete silence to write, but now I pop in the headphones, surrounding myself with ambiance, and I find it both easier to write and easier to concentrate. My husband usually has the TV on all the time, so I need something to drown that out. Music is both inspiring and relaxing.
I get random ideas everywhere. Some stories I don't even know where they come from. Demon's Torment was inspired by a contest I entered on www.writing.com. Avery and the Devil was inspired by something that I was going through at the time--a recently signed lease that we wanted out of so we could move. That made me think of contracts, which made me think of contracts with the devil. I know, it's strange how my mind works. I don't even know where I got the idea for Thief in the Night.
My current project--Blood Rage--started with the first couple paragraphs of the book:
I remembered my name longer before I remembered who I was.
Elliot. My name is Elliot.
These two lines haunted me for a couple weeks before I decided to sit down and start writing. Somehow I established that Elliot was a vampire (once again, I love vamps--obsessed with them), and that the change somehow stole his memories. Now I've got most of the first book written and the second one started. It's a planned trilogy, with a second trilogy to follow.
Within the next week or so I plan on posting the entire first chapter of Blood Rage. It will only be available to subscribers of my Yahoo! group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/racheldthompson/. But I will also be including a teaser here and on my website.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
My Writing Process
Currently I'm concentrating on revising/rewriting Thief in the Night, so today I was thinking about my writing process and what I usually go through for each book. At times I can be a horribly slow writer, but there are plenty of reasons for that. For one, I have a full-time job and other interests to occupy my time. But other things slow me down too, so I thought I'd share how I write a book from beginning to end.
Step 1: I come up with a great new idea and can't wait to get started. I can usually pound out between one and three chapters (each between 2,000 and 4,000 words long) before I get stuck and realize I need to come up with a plan for how the characters get from Point A: The Beginning to Point B: The Ending.
Step 2: Now comes the planning stage. I use a pen and paper for this step because I'd rather plot stuff out that way. It's easier to jot down random notes. Most times I have an idea of how long I want the story to be before I sit down in front of the computer, but that figure can fluctuate, so I don't worry about how many chapters I'll need to reach my word count goal. But I do have to come up with a bare-bones plot in this step. The plot might eventually change depending on what my character encounters, but it's good to have a plan, and a goal to work towards.
Step 3: Back to the computer. Now comes the frustrating part of getting my characters to jump through these hoops I've created for them. The middle of a book is often the hardest for a writer. It's easy for me to envision the beginning and the end, but oftentimes I have no clue what the middle looks like. That's why Step 2 is so important. Now armed with an idea of what's going to happen in subsequent chapters, it's easier to sit down and write the book one chapter at a time.
Step 4: The Ending. Don't think that means that the book is done. Not by a long shot. Once I've written it from beginning to end, and usually gotten a few critiques to let me know what works and what doesn't, I usually go back and start to rewrite the whole dratted thing. This involves more planning. I take into consideration the reviews I've received and implement the suggestions I've gotten if they make sense in the story.
Step 5: Rewrites. I'm never happy with a first draft. I always know when something needs work and it drives me crazy if I don't follow all the steps to make something the best it can be. I go through a rewriting stage, where I rewrite most of the book, sometimes from scratch as is the case with Thief in the Night, since I originally wrote the first chapter from a secondary character's point-of-view. After rewrites, it seems much more natural to tell it from the main character's point-of-view. I'm also working on huge rewrites with both Avery and the Devil and Blood Rage. This part doesn't usually take as long as writing the book in the first place though, because let's face it, the book is written. I know how the plot is going to turn out and what happens in the middle. This process is basically just for rewording. Sometimes I'll insert extra scenes or chapters to make things make sense. This is also my favorite step because next comes:
Step 6: Submission. I'm really looking forward to finishing up Thief in the Night and submitting it to my publisher of choice. Thief was originally contracted with Forbidden Publications, and sure it was an okay story when I submitted it to them. But after the revision process it will be a whole lot better. That's the plan anyway. Originally only five chapters long, with 11,000 words, I think it's going to end up being longer than that. I've rewritten two chapters so far, and arrived at the same point it took me one chapter to get to before. Does this mean it's wordier? I guess so, but in a necessary way as I dig deeper in an attempt to get to know my characters. Can't wait to share them with the world!
Step 1: I come up with a great new idea and can't wait to get started. I can usually pound out between one and three chapters (each between 2,000 and 4,000 words long) before I get stuck and realize I need to come up with a plan for how the characters get from Point A: The Beginning to Point B: The Ending.
Step 2: Now comes the planning stage. I use a pen and paper for this step because I'd rather plot stuff out that way. It's easier to jot down random notes. Most times I have an idea of how long I want the story to be before I sit down in front of the computer, but that figure can fluctuate, so I don't worry about how many chapters I'll need to reach my word count goal. But I do have to come up with a bare-bones plot in this step. The plot might eventually change depending on what my character encounters, but it's good to have a plan, and a goal to work towards.
Step 3: Back to the computer. Now comes the frustrating part of getting my characters to jump through these hoops I've created for them. The middle of a book is often the hardest for a writer. It's easy for me to envision the beginning and the end, but oftentimes I have no clue what the middle looks like. That's why Step 2 is so important. Now armed with an idea of what's going to happen in subsequent chapters, it's easier to sit down and write the book one chapter at a time.
Step 4: The Ending. Don't think that means that the book is done. Not by a long shot. Once I've written it from beginning to end, and usually gotten a few critiques to let me know what works and what doesn't, I usually go back and start to rewrite the whole dratted thing. This involves more planning. I take into consideration the reviews I've received and implement the suggestions I've gotten if they make sense in the story.
Step 5: Rewrites. I'm never happy with a first draft. I always know when something needs work and it drives me crazy if I don't follow all the steps to make something the best it can be. I go through a rewriting stage, where I rewrite most of the book, sometimes from scratch as is the case with Thief in the Night, since I originally wrote the first chapter from a secondary character's point-of-view. After rewrites, it seems much more natural to tell it from the main character's point-of-view. I'm also working on huge rewrites with both Avery and the Devil and Blood Rage. This part doesn't usually take as long as writing the book in the first place though, because let's face it, the book is written. I know how the plot is going to turn out and what happens in the middle. This process is basically just for rewording. Sometimes I'll insert extra scenes or chapters to make things make sense. This is also my favorite step because next comes:
Step 6: Submission. I'm really looking forward to finishing up Thief in the Night and submitting it to my publisher of choice. Thief was originally contracted with Forbidden Publications, and sure it was an okay story when I submitted it to them. But after the revision process it will be a whole lot better. That's the plan anyway. Originally only five chapters long, with 11,000 words, I think it's going to end up being longer than that. I've rewritten two chapters so far, and arrived at the same point it took me one chapter to get to before. Does this mean it's wordier? I guess so, but in a necessary way as I dig deeper in an attempt to get to know my characters. Can't wait to share them with the world!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I'm a winner!
Every week, Just Another Paranormal Monday chooses three paranormal book covers to showcase on its MySpace page. This week, Demon's Torment was a winner! Check it out here.
Also, Demon's Torment is still only $5.20 at All Romance E-books. Get it while it's on sale.
Also, Demon's Torment is still only $5.20 at All Romance E-books. Get it while it's on sale.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Purple Sword Sampler
Looking for something to read? Purple Sword Publications has released its first Purple Sword Sampler, a collection of excerpts from ten of Purple Sword's authors. Best of all, the e-book is completely free! Or buy it in print for a small fee. See what Purple Sword and its authors are all about. Here's the link to get your copy: http://purplesword.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=27.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Demon's Torment on sale
Demon's Torment is now available through All Romance Ebooks! Even better, right now it's on sale for $5.20, a great reason to get lost in the story of Ally and her demon lover. Please keep in mind when purchasing that this book is a sweet romance. Here's the direct buy link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-demonstorment-79578-140.html. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
7th Anniversary
My husband and I celebrated 7 years of marriage yesterday. Honestly I love him more than I ever would have thought possible, even when he annoys me. He doesn't understand my writing obsession, and I can't really call him my inspiration, but when I think of all the hard times we've been through, I realize how lucky we are to have each other. And I hope for many more years together.
Happy anniversary, hon!
Happy anniversary, hon!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Re-release
Demon's Torment is finally available in e-book format once again for those of you who like to save trees. It's published through Purple Sword and sells for $6.50. Here's the direct link to the book information: http://purplesword.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=22. Please go support this wonderful publisher and see what else they have available! They have wonderful authors contracted with them.
Of course, if you prefer the real thing, Demon's Torment is still available in paperback for only $10.99! Here's the link: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/demons-torment/4112009.
Of course, if you prefer the real thing, Demon's Torment is still available in paperback for only $10.99! Here's the link: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/demons-torment/4112009.
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