October Q&A Part 1

OK, part 1!  Thanks for the questions.  And there's still time to ask.  I'll answer more on Thursday.  (So don't panic if your question doesn't end up in here today.)


Susan asked, “Which of all your writing projects do you feel most connected to and why?”


Oracles Promise, without question. I think there are many reasons for this; chief among them, however, is that I’ve lived with it the longest. I began work on this trilogy (which at the start was to be 4 books total) in high school. These characters have lived in my head space through the early years of grief after I lost my dad, through college, grad school, and a lot of life in between. I nearly abandoned my characters and plot lines until I had one of those great little lightning bolts and things came together to salvage the story. It still has a long way to go before it could ever be ready to face the wide open world, but it’s on the journey, and that’s what is important to me.


Julie Dao asked me 3 questions:

“How do you get into your writing zone?”

If I figure it out, I’ll let you know. I’ve been in a bit of a slump these last two weeks and haven’t written a word.  But when I switched over to Lodestar I just couldn't get it out of my mind.  Little snippets kept coming to me so I just had to write.  It was the same when I started on Oracles Promise years ago.  On any given day, I just have to find a time when I feel awake and alert and there aren't any distractions.  (Fairly easy since I lead a less than exciting life.)

“Do you have any favorite places to write or music you listen to/food you eat while working?”

I write down in my room, sitting on my bed. It’s the only space I have that I can work without getting distracted. I don’t have internet down there so there’s no temptation that way. As for music, I put my iPod on shuffle and just let it play. I’ve got a lot of music on it though the thing is nowhere near full. What’s really nice is that much of what’s on there is from musicals or movies so there isn’t really any problem with the lyrics ending up in my writing. I tend not to snack while I write, mainly because I’m as far from the kitchen as I can be in my house.

“Who will you dedicate your first book to and why?”

I don’t know. I’ll have to see what feels write if that time ever comes. There are lots of people that I could say, but it would feel all very pithy at the moment. It just depends on which project gets published first. Different people were influential and instrumental in each.


Tamika asked, “What has writing taught you about yourself? Are you better for sharing your gift, and is sharing your gift enough?”

Wow, digging deep here. Writing has taught me that I have a lot of insecurities that I need to overcome. I think it’s one reason that my projects have all stalled out. I don’t know that I’ve really shared my gift though. I’m just writing this blog for fun and networking and such. It was never really meant as a venue for getting my writing out there. It feels almost egotistical to say about myself that I have a gift for writing. Right now, just putting the words on paper seems to be enough for me though I would absolutely love to be published someday.