Finding Solace in Writing Whatever Life Throws Your Way

Tags

Author Interview, Phillip DePoy, Writing as a constant

I have been away from my writing this week and it isn’t a good feeling.  I’ve hinted at what I’ve been doing but now I have to confess. I’ve been a Realtor for the past 10 years and this market has made it so difficult that I’ve had to make the decision to give it up.  It hasn’t been easy. It almost feels like cutting off a limb because that is what I was, a Realtor.  Now what am I?  I have several applications for jobs out and have talked to a temp to hire agency so I feel confident that I will be doing something else soon. 

In the meantime, I am trying to focus on the parts of my life that are constant.  Besides the given, wife and mother, I am a writer.  Though it has been hard to focus on the writing this week, it’s still there waiting for me to  return. 

I had come up with a very interesting back story for my protagonist.  I had been trying to figure out how to add it to my story but while working with it, I think I may have either a short story or possibly even another novel idea.  I shared it with one of my writer friends recently, who specializes in short stories, and she encouraged me to maybe work with it as a short.  Besides, lots of authors have taken short stories and later turned them into a novel. I suppose it is possible. 

I do think the decision to give up my real estate career has stalled my writing but I’m determined not to let it kill my effort.  I’m going to keep pushing the story forward until it is finished.  I may decide to bounce back and forth between my original idea and this short story idea.   I need to feel successful at something right now because giving up real estate has been a big blow to my self-esteem.

What do you do to get back into the story?

I promise to have something positive to post next week.  As a teaser, I will be posting a new author interview with Phillip DePoy on Monday.  He has a new stand alone book just out.  If you haven’t read him, you should.  He currently has two mystery series.  I have been reading his Fever Devlin series and think it’s great.  I won’t go into details here because I want you to come back next week for the interview.

Until next time,

Virginia

Lois Greiman’s Views On Novel Writing

Tags

Author Interview, Avon Books, Bantam, Dell, Lois Greiman, Random House

Maybe knowledge is power, but it’s damned hard to think a burglar to death. – Glen McMullen, defence of the Beretta under his pillow.

Glen McMullen is a character created by Lois Greiman and he lives in her (Unzipped, Unplugged, Unscrewed, and Unmanned) series.  Picture Chrissy McMullen, a thirty something, single psychologist, who is treating a famous football player for impotency and ends up having him chase her around her desk…unzipped… and discovers that he definitely was lying about that little problem. She doesn’t have time to worry about it though because he has the bad manners to drop dead at her feet.  Next thing she knows, a sexy police detective with an attitude is determined to prove that Chrissy had a more intimate relationship with her dead client and is out to prove that she killed him.

Lois writes more than just mysteries, if you’re  into steamy romances, do check out her website for the full list of books she’s written.  In the meantime, she was kind enough to allow me to interview her for this blog.

First of all, I’d like to thank Lois again for taking the time for this interview.

Virginia – Where are you from?

Lois – A cattle ranch in North Dakota.

Virginia – How long have you been writing?

Lois – I started seriously writing in about ’87.  Wow.  That’s a long time ago.

Virginia – What do you write?

Lois – Mostly mystery and historical romance.  But I’ve written some contemporary romantic comedy and children’s fiction.

Virginia – Tell us a little about your publisher and agent.

Lois – I write historicals for Avon Books and have since about ’91.  I’m writing my mystery series for Bantam/Dell/Random House.  I also have a new faerie anthology coming out from St. Martins Press.  As for my agent, she’s my fifth… but my first true love.

Virginia – How many books have you published so far?

Lois – About 30. I used to think authors must have to be a little retarded in order to lose track, but well… maybe I’m a little retarded.

Virginia – What is your writing day like?

Lois- Right now it’s nuts cuz I have a book due in three weeks and the book hates me.  but usually I feed my horses, get some exercise, check my blog, then write from 10-4, depending how things are going.  For the first draft I write about ten pages a day.  For the other drafts I edit 20-50 pages a day.

Virginia – Can you tell us about your 5 draft system?

Lois- For the first draft it’s just kind of a mind dump.  I write as quickly as I can so my internal editor doesn’t have time to get too outraged by all the mistakes I make.  I just get down the story and don’t worry about names, typos, or even logic really.  I just write.  Second draft I begin to make it make sense.  I know the characters a little bit now, so I can figure out why they do what they do.  By the third draft it should start showing some promise.  Or at least some hope.  Then I start fleshing out the characters, making changes as needed to sentence structure, character, logic, etc.  Fourth draft is mostly about fixing the flow.  I read that draft out loud to myself and let the characters tell me what I’m doing wrong.  Fifth draft is all mechanics and last minute hysteria.

Virginia – Do you have anything that just came out?

Lois - Seduced By Your Spell, which has been getting really nice reviews (thanks everyone) was just released Feb. 24th and One Hot Mess hit the shelves on March 24th.

Virginia – What are you working on now?

Lois – The third Witches of Mayfair.  Right now it’s called Charming the Devil… but hmmmm… not sure if I like that or not.

Virginia- Do you have some words of wisdom for us unpubs?

Lois- Hang in there unpubs.  It’s a tough course.  At least it was for me.  (and still is sometimes.) But if you want it enough to work really hard for it you can make it happen.

Under Your Spell was nominated for Romantic Time’s best Historical Love and Laughter Award.  Lois Greiman is also a nominee for Career Achievement for Most Innovative Historical.  you can contact Lois at www.loisgreiman.com.

Author Alert- If you would like to be featured in a future blog, please contact me at vagruv@msn.com to let me know.

Follow my own journey as I write a novel with my Write A Novel With Me blog. You can watch over my shoulder as I take it from idea to a completed novel and hopefully on to publication.  I also want you to tell me about your struggles and accomplishments along the way.

Until next time,

Virginia