Blog Tour Entry

Writing Process Blog Tour Entry

I just got tagged to write this by my friend Joseph Lee who is also the winner of the Dark Crystal Author Quest contest.  So, here we go...

What am I working on?  
My current project is a horror young fiction story about a group of children who form a "junior investigator's club" to look into supernatural incidents involving the other children of their school.  The first book consists of the back stories that have made the main characters interested in the supernatural.  All of the stories are connected in a subtle way and the last chapter is about them coming together to form the club.  Subsequent books will be from the perspective of one of the main characters involved in the club about what they are currently investigating.  All of the books will feature some sort of supernatural element and a child brave enough to confront their fears and the fears of others.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Well, my current project is similar to the "Goosebumps" series, but different in that it focuses on the same five main characters throughout the series.  Also, I've created my own mythos about where the creatures come from, and my  monsters are my own.  Some are born from the fear of the children, some are in essence "evil fairies" and some are from a sort of "realm of shadows."

Why do I write what I do? 
I write because I enjoy it.  Writing is something that I hope to establish my career in, and even if I never got anything published (which I have), I would still do it because it is a great exercise in creativity and is a fun way to spend my spare time.  I write fantasy, horror, space opera, urban fantasy, steampunk, and cyberpunk because these are all genres that are interesting to read.

How does my writing process work?
First I start with a rough idea of what I would like to write.  Then, I devote a paper notebook to it and began to write the main idea and subsequent ideas that come to me within it.  I write a detailed description of the setting, the main characters, and their general backgrounds.  Then, I transcribe my notes to my computer and attempt to outline my entire story.  At times, I start writing before the outline is finished, but generally I try to finish the outline first to increase my chances of finishing the project.  At times, I get a good idea while writing that changes the outline slightly, so sometimes it is a dynamic process.

Moving On...

I tag Diane Riggins, my friend and a writer of many genres, but currently mostly urban fantasy.  She also works with publishing companies, writes articles, and designs video games.  

I also tag Sara Taylor Woods.  A writer of erotic fiction, Sara has recently found representation and we should be seeing some of her work on bookshelves in the near future. 

Cheer up, Charlie...

Hey everyone,

Well, the results are in and I didn't win the Dark Crystal contest. J. M. Lee, the finalist that I became friends with, won instead.  I was debating about opening this blog with an "Oompa Loompa" song, keeping with the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" theme, but none of the finalists (myself included) did anything wrong so it wouldn't be appropriate.  All of us wrote very good stories, but Joseph's concept was what the Jim Henson company liked the best.  

I'm very, very happy for Joseph, but I have to admit I'm a little bit sad that I didn't win.  Mostly, I'm disappointed because I really liked my characters and they did have a story to tell.  While I could still write the story as a fanfic, I don't want to sink that much time into it.  So, I'm afraid they won't get to tell their story.  Still, they're my characters.  Perhaps I can recreate some similar characters in another story one day.  It won't be anytime soon, though.  Right now, I'm trying to focus on working on my "Goosebumps" styled story and I have another concept for a young adult fantasy novel that I'm writing notes about in my spare time.

I'm actually taking this really well.  I thought I would go to pieces if I lost, but I didn't even cry.  I was just relieved to finally know.  I think I was more stressed out from waiting than I would've been from even writing the book.  I think that stress might have also been the cause of my stomach issues.  I lost about five pounds over the course of June because I didn't feel like eating and when I did I was ill from it (of course, that had something to do with my antibiotics as well, but I digress).  I don't think the stress of writing is the same as the stress of waiting.  I've dealt with deadlines before and never had any medical issues from it, but something about the not knowing was much worse.

I heard the news at the beach and was having such a great trip, I wasn't about to let a little bad news spoil it.  I didn't feel sick (and I was ill throughout almost the entire month of June), I didn't have any stomach issues, I got to spend lots of time with my family, I ate home cooked meals nearly every night, and I got lots of mid afternoon naps.  (Naps at the beach are the best, by the way, with that mid afternoon sun pouring in, the gentle breeze, and the sound of gulls and gentle waves on the inlet...)  Anyway, I feel very refreshed now.  Getting out of town was just what I needed.  I also feel like writing on new projects again now that I know that I'm not going to be working on the Dark Crystal novel.

Long story short, despite being a little disappointed, I feel like this is a win.  The whole experience has been a good one.  I gained a contact in the writing industry, I made a new friend, and I even got to be in a very fun anthology with a group of very talented writers.  No one needs to feel sorry for me because I couldn't be happier.  I legitimately feel happy for J. M. Lee.  Since we became such good friends, I was hoping that if I didn't win then he would win instead.  It made me feel good to see his name announced as the winner.

I'm convinced, one day my lucky day will come along as well.  Now that I was a finalist of this contest, maybe, at the very least, that will make finding an agent easier for me.  I have a lot of books that need to be published and a lot more ideas that need to be written.  I'm confident now that I'll have a novel published soon.  I just have to keep writing and working hard.  I'm almost there...