Articles written by Rebecca Laffar-Smith

Well, we had a fantastic response to the second half of our Hook, Line, and Sinker contest this month. There were 25 total votes and of our three entries our winner was a clear favorite. I think many of us were drawn to the drama and intrigue in that very first sentence. What do you think hooked you?

Our lucky winner is:

I’m going to kill him. Caleb found comfort in that thought. And he meant it this time. It would be quick and clean, and he could leave the body in a ditch where they were widening the highway… (read more)

Congratulations L. L. McKinney!

Fantastic hook! I’ll be in touch to get your postal details so that Les and I can get your books to you as quickly as possible.

Thank you to our other entrants, Susan Swan and Robin Joy Wirth and another huge big thank you to Les Edgerton for the added support and donation of Finding Your Voice. I know you’ll love Les’ blog, “Les Edgerton On Writing”, so check it out today!

We’ll have another new contest in September and you can tell me what you’d like to see given away or what kind of contests you’d be interested in. Leave a comment below to congratulate our winners, thank Les and our entrants, and let me know what you’d like to see at The Craft of Writing Fiction in the coming months.

My muse is a closet chameleon. She shifts and changes color at whim to suit the inspirational environment she brings in any moment. Like an actress or model who changes wardrobe every time she steps out on the stage my muse loves to embrace dramatic inspiration with her dress sense.

Today she’s wearing a taffeta summer dress of light coral and corn. Vibrant colors that often make me want to get out and enjoy life. There is a chill in this Australian winter morning but I see the cerulean sky and bright, early morning shades of daffodil, sunshine outside my window. I want to be out there, playing. I wore pink today too. A shade of orchid rather than coral but it suits the cheery mood of my muse. It’s a nod to her effervescent enthusiasm. When she wears pink I think of painting and ice sculpting. I think of synchronized swimming and dance. Dramatic, full-body expressions of creativity rather than the physical stillness facing the page.

When I’m focused and resolute in my work she shifts into ocean waves of blue, a mixture of blue colors that flow and swell. The ultramarine glisten with iridescence cornflower. There is never a single blue but every shade of blue from cyan to midnight. A kaleidoscope of turquoise and sapphire. Holograms of denim and periwinkle that never appear the same way once your lose sight of the first glimpse.

When my muse wears blue she draws me to the page. Blue communicates. It is open and giving. Calm blue waters darken in the depth of emotional intensity. Bright blue skies transcend us, lifting us into the heavens where blue darkens again into the inky black beyond.

I surround myself with the color blue when I want to write. Blue, and purple. Purple is for reaching into the imagination and spirituality. It is flights of fantasy. It is the open communication of blue mixed with the vibrant passion and fire of red and orange. Sometimes when I’m writing fiction my muse wears an indigo gown made of velvet. But when I’m working on my current novel she wears a medieval gown in scarlet, and black, with cords of gold.

When I knew I’d be trying to choose one single color for August’s Blog Chain at Absolute Write I knew I’d have trouble. So many colors speak to me creatively and like my muse, the connection to color changes from moment to moment with my emotions and with the specific project I’m working on. So, I thought I’d ask others what color they associate with their writing.

Like me, Kari Wolfe feels her writing through “all different colors”. She said, “Currently, I write with multicolored gel-ink pens. Each paragraph is a different color…”

Laura Campbell said, “Purple as I mainly write about fantasy and purple is the magic colour!” and Cari Lynn Vaughn also thinks purple represents her writing, “The Purple Rose is a symbol for perseverance and transcendence.”

Lorraine Powell‘s chick-lit is pink. While Susan McCabe‘s pink is for, “calmness and serenity.”

Misti Bailey Sandefur writes in yellow. She said, “I like to write stories that will inspire my readers and warm their souls, and to me, yellow is a happy color.” Another reader, Cheryl Grey, describes her writing as, “Emerald green” because “it’s one of the most peaceful parts of my life.” While Evea Morrow has connects her writing to “blue- because most horror movies are shot with a blue filter” and Anthony Jennings to black who’s “stories have dark endings or plots.”

The range of colors we each gravitate to is broad and I found reading the other entries in the blog chain just as fascinating as the comments from The Craft of Writing Fiction readers. Check out these other entries and leave a comment below or write a blog post of your own describing the color of your creativity. “If you had to pick one color for any aspect of your writing, which one would it be and why?”

• Aheïla: AW August Coloring Blog Chain
• Ralph_Pines: Blue – The Color Of My Imagination
• AuburnAssassin: What Color Is My Writing
• semmie: AW’s Colorful Blog Chain
• Anarchicq: Absolute Write Blog Chain – One Colour
• CScottMorris: August Blog Chain
• PASeasholtz: August 2010 AW Blog Chain
• LadyMage: Pick a color – any color!
• orion_mk3: Purple Nights In The Furniture City
• DavidZahir: August Blog Chain Color
• aimeelaine: Blog Chain : What color is my writing (AW)
• FreshHell: AW Blog Chain August
• sbclark: August AW Blog Chain
• Bettedra: The Color Of Inspiration
• Guardian: August Coloring Blog Chain
• M.R.J. Le Blanc: August Blog Chain: Color Of Writing

Photo Credit: 阿乃
Photo Credit: Red Velvet Fairy Medieval Renaissance Theme Wedding Gown with Cape and Jewelry on Etsy

We’ve had some wonderful entries in our Hook, Line and Sinker contest but now it’s time to let YOU choose which of our entries takes home their own copy of Hooked and Finding Your Voice. A HUGE big thank you to Les Edgerton for generously supporting The Craft of Writing Fiction. Check out his blog!

Now it’s time to decide which of our great entries has the most compelling hook and that’s where you can help. We’re running a poll until 8am EST August 31, 2010 where you can choose which of our entries is your favorite hook. Drum up votes for your favorites by inviting your friends to choose their favorite too. Don’t forget to click “like” on The Craft of Writing Fiction’s Facebook Fan page because next month we’ll be giving away something special just for our Facebook Fans.

Are you looking forward to future competitions? After you’ve voted stop back here to let me know not only that you’ve voted but also what you’d love to win and how you’d like to enter future contests.

It’s time to give away something awesome again! This month I’m finally letting go of the extra copy of Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers At Page One And Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton. I first read and loved Les Edgerton’s book, Hooked, on the 16th of September 2007. I can tell you exactly because the next day I wrote a glowing review which you can read here. When I attended the Reader’s Digest Writer’s Conference in Los Angeles in 2008 I couldn’t resist purchasing a second copy intending to give it away to a lucky reader. Mine is a beloved copy with the spine cracked and pages scoured over but his sister is still pristine and really deserves a home of her own where she can feel the same love from another eager writer.

When I knew what I was going to let one of you win a copy this month I wondered what kind of competition to create to get you involved and interacting with each other. The Craft of Writing Fiction is a community of writers and we need events that promote that community feel. After thinking long and hard I was inspired! What better way to get writers involved if they want to win than to ask them to write something?

Of course, with so many talented writers I’d be hard pressed to choose who will win from among the stories you might send me so we’ll do this in two parts. This week, write a story, poem, or article with a compelling “Hook” and next week we’ll run a poll where you can each vote for the “hook” you think should win. And you can invite your friends and family to vote for you. And tell your neighbor to vote. And if your dog or kids have a Facebook account they can vote too!

So, lets define a few rules:

The Prize:

One compelling writer will win a paperback copy of Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers At Page One And Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton valued at $14.99 USD

This just in! Les offered to add an autographed copy of “Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing” to the prize pool so our winning writer will win TWO fantastic books.

To Enter:

• Write a story, poem, or article with a compelling “Hook”.
• Word Count: 250 to 800 words.
• Share on your own blog: And link back to the competition.
  If you don’t have a blog you can share directly in the comments below.
  The link to this page is: http://www.craftingfiction.com/?p=4779
• Entries accepted from August 16 until 8am EST August 23, 2010

Choosing A Winner:

• Become a fan of our Facebook Fan Page by clicking “like” on the page here.
• Vote for the story, poem, or article you feel has the most interesting/compelling “Hook”.
• Invite others to vote for their favorite “Hook”. (They need to be fans too because only fans can vote.)
• Votes accepted from August 24 until 8am EST August 31, 2010

It’s time to get writing!

Brainstorm a few ideas and get the words done on the page. Then hone that opening until it’s a captivating hook that will snag readers attention and keep them riveted to your writing. Don’t forget to link to or share your story, poem, or article in the comments below.

Photo Credit: 03-09-10 © sellingpix
Book Cover: Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers At Page One And Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton

Last week I wrote about Fiction Writing Success: The Markers And Achievements where I claim that the only true measure of success is in turning up to do the work. A successful writer, writes. Period.

Steven Pressfield calls it the act of “Turning Pro” in The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. According to Steven, there are ten principles, ten qualities, that define a professional writer.

1. “We show up every day”

   If you show up to your writing every single day you are successful. Every day we face and conquer the page. We put in time in the trenches of our work and treat the job with commitment and consistency. Some professionals don’t show up “every” day but they do show up every “work” day. A professional writer sets her own hours and work days and shows up on time, prepared to do the job.

2. “We show up no matter what”

   Excuses can become addictive. Let them go. A professional writer knows that if she doesn’t show up for work she won’t get paid; food won’t go on the table; bills pile up; kids go without clothes; and we end up in a cardboard box rattling a tin for spare change. A professional can take holidays and sick leave if absolutely necessary but she doesn’t allow “life” to get in the way of doing the work.

3. “We stay on the job all day”

   Equally, the successful writer works the entire allocation. There are various parts of our jobs that must be done. It might involve writing, editing, research, or even book keeping. But every day we put in the hours we’ve scheduled and, even when it’s hard, we work. Some writers prefer to commit to word count instead of hours but whichever commitment we make, we stick to it until the bell rings and it’s time to clock out. Barring true emergencies, the professional puts in her time.

4. “We are committed over the long haul.”

   A writer’s success is built on the understanding that writing fiction requires true dedication. It takes weeks, months, sometimes years to write a novel. It requires a commitment to the task. A professional knows that writing success isn’t about being a one-hit-wonder. It’s not in the publication of a single book, it’s in the lifestyle, the career. There is no quick and dirty path to fiction writing success. It’s a long, slow, hard trek across monstrous terrain and we go into this journey knowing we may never come out the other side, and even if we do we’ll be vastly different than when we began.

5. “The stakes are high and real.”

   Have you wondered what job you’d take if you don’t “make it” as a writer? Prudence would have us making a backup plan but to be honest I shudder at the idea of doing anything else. It’s just not an option. This is what I do and I couldn’t choose to be an accountant, or a doctor, or a saleswoman. I can’t quit because writing is the only thing I was ever destined to do. There are no options, no choices, this is it. When you know that the stakes are high you won’t be able to quit either, and not quitting is where true success lies.

6. “We accept remuneration for our labor.”

   It’s one thing to love our job and another to get paid doing it. A lot of passionate artists create for the pure joy of creation. Professionals create because of that joy, and the need to put food on the table. We give a great deal of ourselves, our time. We sacrifice all else that might have come from doing other things instead of writing. Everything we give to the page has value and as such we deserve to be compensated. Our writing is a gift to our readers. Not only must we appreciate the value of our time and energy but we must acknowledge within ourselves that squandering that time and energy in unproductive pursuits is like burning money or destroying masterpieces.

7. “We do not over-identify with our jobs.”

   “I’m a writer.” We say it all the time, don’t we? But it’s not really true. I write and therefore my title is “writer”, but that is not who I am. I am Rebecca. The writer hat is just one of the many hats I wear. It is one facet of what and who I am. A successful writer understands that she is not the work she does. If you over-identify with your writing you leave yourself open to the destruction of your self-esteem when your work is rejected. You inflate your ego with reader’s praise. Your sense of success becomes dependent on what others think and feel about you and your work. It hinges on having a good or bad writing session. You are yourself, and your writing is a single facet of your world.

8. “We master the technique of our jobs.”

   The true professional and successful writer is an ever-learner. We understand that it is impossible to know everything. We remain curious, we study, we research, we constantly strive to hone and improve. I write well, but I know that I write better today than I did a year ago. And I wrote better then than the year before and that year better than the one before it. The growing up of writing comes through our constant striving to master technique. This blog is all about learning and honing the craft of writing fiction because we constantly seek to improve our skill; to master technique.

9. “We have a sense of humor about our jobs.”

   Without a sense of humor the emotionalism of writing tears us apart. I know I have to laugh or I’ll cry some days. Writing fiction requires a strong sense of humor even when we don’t write in the humor genre. You can’t take the job too seriously. It’s important to be respectful but knowing that there is no perfection and that, this too, is a transition through our lives helps keep us sane(ish).

10. “We receive praise or blame in the real world.”

    I think this is one of the greatest leaps between the professional and the amateur. Until you can break out of your Fear of Rejection, your Perfectionism, your Fear of Failure, and a deep seated sense of self-doubt, your writing success is limited. While it is important not to put the opinion of others on a pedestal, a professional writer finds the courage to share her writing. A writer might write the first draft in a poky closet but she has to bring it out into the light at some point. Writing in particular is one of those arts that requires interaction. The process of putting words on a page is solitary but those words are intended for a reader. You may start with your family (although I don’t recommend it) but the true test of a writers success is in their courage to submit their work on a grander scale. The writing is one part of a writer’s success, being read is the other.

I’ll leave you with another wisdom from Stephen Pressfield and The War of Art. He closes the chapter on “turning pro” with this, “No Mystery”.

No Mystery – Stephen Pressfield
There is no mystery to turning pro.
It’s a decision brought about by an act of will.
We make up our minds to view ourselves as pros,
and we do it, simple as that.

Image Credit: “The War of Art – Visual Book Summary” Part II by Sunni Brown.
Photo Credit: The War Of Art Book Cover from Grand Central Publishing (April 1, 2003)

One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is to define her success by some future marker. The successful writer isn’t the Hugo Award winner, the New York Times Bestseller, or even the name on a spine at Barnes & Noble. The successful writer is the one who writes. Did you write today?

In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield talks about, “turning pro”. Many amateur writers approach the page casually. When a writer has a vision of success that is some future marker they approach writing as an amateur.

If you feel like you have to “be published” to be successful, your concentration isn’t on the writing, it’s on the need and desire to be published. You don’t want to be a writer, you want to be published. What happens when you reach this marker of success? Your first book is published, now what? You’re successful? The end? What about the second book? Will there be a second book? Perhaps a successful fiction writer is really the person who writes more than one book. Perhaps a successful fiction writer is prolific. The marker of success moves as you reach milestones and you never have the opportunity to enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

Perhaps your idea of success is the understanding and acknowledgment of a reader. This validation is valuable, but it’s not real success. If your sense of success is dependent on the compliments and praise of readers your sense of failure is equally dependent. Most writers receive far more rejection then they do approval. If your sense of success is founded on the opinion of others you’re on a swift road to failure. A bad review will destroy your motivation. Fear of rejection will paralyze you; it is one of the most powerful causes of writer’s block. You must “[seed] your professional consciousness in a place other than [your] personal ego”¹.

It’s important to have goals and markers as we build our writing career. When we first pick up our pens we commit to a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page. We build on our milestones; a scene, a chapter, a book. Our goals grow with our writing and they give us a strong sense of destination and destiny. But, these markers and achievements do not equate success. Success cannot be measured on future accomplishments. Success is in what you do right now.

Examine your personal motivations as a writer. Why are you really doing this?

Now, look again, look deeper, because your surface reasons aren’t your real reasons at all. The ONLY real reason any of us follow this career path is because, “we love to write”. If you don’t, get out now.

Every one of us has the right to choose which career we venture into and, unlike the basic “day job” where you show up, clock on, and get paid, writing requires a commitment that will not be sustained by any drive other than love. Writing is a passion and the rewards of that writing are secondary.

In knowing that we choose to write for love our success comes from the act and not achievement.

Each time you begin writing, you are successful. If you wrote today, you are a successful writer. (Ok, so in some parts of the world it’s early morning so we will allow you time before work to relax but did you write yesterday? If you did, you’re a successful writer.)

If you’re truly passionate about being a successful fiction writer and you haven’t written today, stop reading, fire up your word processor, and write, right now!

Did you write today? Congratulations! I hope you took a moment to bask in the sense of accomplishment within your success. Now, how do you feel?

Footnotes
¹ Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art
Photo Credit: 02-04-08 © ayzek
Photo Credit: 10-13-09 © Janne Ahvo

Writers recreate – everything we write is not truly unique. It comes from outside of itself.

Did you know? “The muses, the Greek inspirers of the creative arts, were the daughters of Memory, or Mnemosyne.” ¹

Everything we experience, see, read, watch, hear, is archived on some level in our brain. As we write our subconscious draws from these billions of fragmented memories. This does not mean we plagiarize. Instead, drawing from experience, our own and that of others, we recreate, innovate, change, and forever alter the original. We create; new, fresh, and unique.

One night, I lay in bed watching the opening scenes from the movie Twilight. Bella’s voice-over talks about her decision to leave Arizona. “And this will be a good thing; I think.” In deciding to leave Arizona she is right into the event that begins her story. This is “The Inciting Incident”². As I considered “the inciting incident” in Bella’s story my mind wandered into the intricate folds of my current work-in-progress. My thoughts ran through and weighed significant details as I considered new ideas and improvements to strengthen the initial scene, “the inciting incident”, in my own work.

My story is not Twilight. But something within that movie triggered a connection within my subconscious that influenced my writing. Echos of Bella, the scene in Arizona, and her softly spoken but decisive words are recreated in the inspiration that gave me new insight into the opening scenes of my current project.

In another example of fractured memories influencing new content, I was recently working on my current novel, ruminating on it in the darkness of the night, and daydreaming through the day. In it, the death of my protagonist’s father is a significant memory but the actual event had not found itself on the page. A scene came to mind but I couldn’t grasp the details. They were hazy, fuzzy. I delved deeper, trying to gain clarity in the image so that I could put it onto the page.

Aspects of the scene I could visualize in my mind’s eye echoed other memories. The setting reflected one I remembered from The Mummy Returns starring Brendan Fraser. The rich opulence, ancient artifacts, varnished wood surfaces, and the palpable sense of old money was mirrored in the room where I visualized my protagonist’s tragedy.

In my head I saw a picture and aspects of it echoed the set from that movie. As I dug deeper into my image, as I dissected it, I discovered a mosaic of memories. That setting was made of a thousand different rooms, ornaments, experiences. I could recreate from each segment of the mosaic, but collectively they created a unique setting.

From the mosaic of our mind and memory, we can recreate and find inspiration for new, fresh, unique stories, scenes, characters, and plots. Do you recreate, within your own writing, inspiration found in books or movies? How much influence do you feel your experiences and memories have on your writer’s voice and the stories you write?

Footnotes
¹ “The Poetry Dictionary” by John Drury – First Edition, Page 158: Memory
² “Hooked” by Les Edgerton – Chapter Three, Page 47: The Inciting Incident

Photo Credit: 03-25-10 © Nancy Ross

It’s TIME! Yay! It’s time to announce the winner for this months contest. If you missed out, never fear because we’ll give away something awesome in August too so stay tuned for that but lets do a round up of our entries, see some of those fantastic questions again and find out who gets to see Edwina and Cecelia landing on their doorstep very soon for free!

Don’t forget, you can order the books for yourself. Simply click, “Edwina” or “Cecelia” and you can order both from $31.18 right now!

I want to take this moment to thank each of the commenters for taking the time to write a thoughtful comment. It is wonderful to have an opportunity to interact with each of you and to share your ideas and thoughts. I know Patricia truly appreciates your feedback. You asked some wonderful questions and I’d like to open the floor for our readers, many of whom are also fiction writers, to share their own thoughts, ideas, and experiences.

• Misti Sandefur asked, “Before you begin writing a novel, do you create a character outline to use as a guide?” – Click here to share your answer.
• Patti Harris asked, “Do you stick closely with an ‘overall’ outline, or your original plot idea? Or do you set the characters free on paper to go off on their own adventure once your story is underway?” – Click here to share your answer.
• Becky asked, “Aside from solving the problems and conflicts of the plot, how do you tie things up when you write?” – Click here to share your answer.

If you haven’t had a chance to read the three parts of Patricia Strefling’s interview you don’t want to miss them:

1. Writing Romance and Strong Character with Patricia Strefling
2. Writing a Novel with Romance Author Patricia Strefling
3. Self Publishing: Patricia Strefling Shares Her Experience

Now, without further ado, our winner!

Congratulations to Becky, who not only asked a fantastic question but commented on all three posts. Obviously increasing your odds of being the winner really does help! Thanks for your eager participation Becky and thanks again to all those who took part and those who shared the posts with their friends.

Make sure you subscribe to our new RSS Feed so you won’t miss your chance to be the winner of next month’s contest. We’ve got some great posts lined up and more interesting Author Interviews to come. Is there anything you’d like to ask your favorite authors? Who would you love to talk to about writing? Share your favorite writers and the questions you’d love to ask them in the comments below.

One of the remarkable adventures Patricia braved was the journey through self-publishing. Patricia Strefling joins us now to share her experience with print-on-demand publisher, Xulon Press.

Earlier, we talked with Patricia, author of romance novels, “Edwina” and “Cecelia” about writing romance, strong character and writing a novel. Don’t miss these two fantastic parts of her three part interview on The Craft of Writing Fiction.

You chose the self publishing route with two of your romance novels, “Edwina” and “Cecelia“. What made you decide to self publish your books?

Truthfully, I spent quite a lot of money going to big writer conferences, finding out all this information and then coming home so defeated that I decided I would never be able to meet all the details and requirements of proposal writing, knowing how to pitch to an editor, what they wanted, that I gave up and figured I would never be a published writer.

Life brought several changes in my life, my three sons moved to separate coasts two to Southern California, the other to New York. And my grandkids went with them, then my best friend passed away.

Suffice it to say, I was looking for a way to spend my life. I dug out my stories, and fearfully, NOT fearlessly, looked up self-publishers. Did a little research. [I] saw that one publisher had a great sale and checked it out. I didn’t know a thing about self-publishing. So I got a book that looked at many publishers, giving good points and failing points for each.

Surprisingly (to me) my chosen publisher was in the VERY GOOD category and I knew I had run out of excuses. It was now or never. Instead of spending money on conferences, I spent it on self-publishing.

What was your self publishing experience like with Xulon Press?

I was inexperienced [so I] had to learn what they were responsible for and what my part was in the POD (publishing on demand) concept. I had a lot of questions the first time around and worked to meet each expectation as it was assigned to me.

What is involved in self publishing a book and how did Xulon Press help you with the various publication stages?

Each POD Publisher has their own set of requirements. So you read very carefully what they offer, pick out the plan that works best for you and work through the process, learning as you go. The plan I chose included assigning a ISBN number, typesetting, book cover design, and marketing. I submitted an edited manuscript and they did the rest.

They kept in touch via email with every step, managing problems as we went along.

I had no idea what a galley looked like, but I can tell you one thing, when it came via email and I looked at my manuscript in book form, I was excited. THEN when they asked for a small paragraph of how I would like my book cover to appear, I had no idea what I should say. So I wrote down a few ideas and waited.

When the book cover proof came I thought it was beautiful. There was my character sitting by the brook in Scotland with her gauzy dress and the castle in the background. I expected a less professional cover to be truthful. I was so pleased. My cover did not look like most of the books I’d seen on the shelves at bookstores. Mine was beautiful.

It is a giant moment in your life when your first book is visible, when you hold it in your hands knowing all the work and love and life you put into the character has suddenly come alive. I’ll never forget the day my first books came in the mail.

Nor will I forget the first comments that came back from the readers. I knew then that writing a story is not just an exercise — it is a gift. From you to your readers. As they relate to your made-up character, you become more sober, understanding on a deeper level what it means to publish a book and place it in the hands of your readers and know it touched them somehow. Secret: I have a special folder where I keep comments, written, email, or verbal and look at it when I think what I do doesn’t matter.

Rebecca: Wow, what an amazing and ambitious endeavor. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Patricia. I’d love to know more about your writing process and the steps from that first spark of an idea to a bound book on the shelf in the future so I hope you’ll visit with us again soon.

Patricia is donating a copy of “Edwina” and a copy of “Cecelia” to one lucky winner at The Craft of Writing Fiction in celebration of her visit here. Two weeks ago I shared Writing Romance and Strong Character with Patricia Strefling and last week we discussed Writing a Novel with Romance Author Patricia Strefling, so now you have a total of three opportunities to enter. I’ll announce our winner on the 26th of July.

Want a chance to win? Simply, ask Patricia a question of your own, or leave a thoughtful comment, regarding self publishing, print-on-demand, or her experience with Xulon Press below. Then share this post with your friends.

Make sure you subscribe to The Craft of Writing Fiction in your RSS feed reader or direct to your email inbox so you don’t miss any of the great posts we have coming up.

“Writing a novel is like making love, but it’s also like having a tooth pulled. Pleasure and pain. Sometimes it’s like making love while having a tooth pulled.” ~ Dean Koontz

Last week I had the pleasure of talking about Writing Romance and Strong Character with Patricia Strefling. This week Patricia returns and we delve into the finer points of writing a novel, the process involved in writing fiction, and we find out how Patricia gets from initial idea to romance book.

Writing fiction is a detailed process and each writer approaches it differently. Do you plan and outline your books before writing the first draft? What is your “Patricia Strefling” writing process?

The only planning I start with is a “video” in my head about what my character is about… what her problem will be and go from there. You are right, we all do it differently.

I make a list of characters, and facts as I create family members, locations, and other details. This is done on scrap paper stapled at the top. That has worked thus far, but while rewriting my third book I learned a new skill (for me). The new process worked better than trying to “find” my place whenever I needed say, a birthday that I know I mentioned SOMEWHERE.

I now keep a few sheets of lined paper stapled together with each chapter listed and two or three sentences about what that chapter is about. Alongside I list a time-line so I know where I’m at. It makes it so much easier than trying to find a certain scene but forgetting which chapter it appeared in.

Unlike many of my writer friends, I do not plan or outline the story because I really don’t know what is going to happen. I prefer to have a few ideas as I begin and let the story write itself.

One question that comes up frequently is about the day to day routine of a writer. How does your writing impact your day to day living and your schedule?

Wonderfully, I am retired and not required to have a certain schedule. But I must say here that I am ADD, which just means things do not hold my attention for any length of time… except when writing a story! The hardest task for me is to START. Once I start, I cannot stop. The story seems to unwind like a long roll of toilet paper… each small square a scene.

I once wrote an entire 60,000 word novel in 18 days!

How long did it take you to write each book and how much time do you feel you spend working at each stage of the novel writing process?

I tend to be a fast writer, but I slow way down when it comes to editing. If I could write story after story, hand it off to an editor and keep on writing, that would be my dream job. I struggle with re-reading the story once it is written.

Some have taken two months to write, some longer if my life gets busy. After I wrote “Edwina” and published it, readers wanted to know what happened to Cecelia and Spencer. They had engaged in the characters.

WHAT? I had no other story in mind. But about a year later, they had their story. “Cecelia” was a lesson I learned from my readers. They want more you give them more.

Patricia is donating a copy of “Edwina” and a copy of “Cecelia” to one lucky winner at The Craft of Writing Fiction in celebration of her visit here. Last week I shared part one of my talk with Patricia and next Monday I’ll share part three, so you’ll have a total of three opportunities to enter. I’ll announce our winner on the 26th of July.

Want a chance to win? Simply, ask Patricia a question of your own, or leave a thoughtful comment, regarding writing a novel and the novel writing process below. Then share this post with your friends.

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