Frequently Asked Questions
No! Like most kids, I composed stories, but I never wanted to be a writer. I was (and am) first and foremost a reader.
I majored in English with a focus on the classics and great works. A majority of my writing in college was literary analysis; in law school, it was technical writing and briefs. I avoided creative writing like the plague. I thought I was terrible at it. It was too hard to come up with stuff that wasn’t lame (It still is).
How long have you been writing?
I started writing several years ago by accident. My daughter had just discovered teen literature and had burned through several popular series. She was lamenting the fact that most male heroes in paranormal books were demons, vampires or some type of inherently evil creature fighting their wicked impulses. She asked me why the hero couldn’t be a “normal” guy who has some kind of special/magical power, but wasn’t evil or didn’t believe himself evil.
I told her that for her birthday, I’d write her a book like that. (To this day, I have no idea why I would offer such a crazy thing. I’d never written fiction and had no desire to do so).
True to my word, I gave her a chapter a day for a month. The result was a 700-page young adult time-travel novel.
It had a cool premise, but was awful—truly awful with respect to craft. Reading a book and knowing what works is one thing; writing one is entirely another.
After spending a month writing 8-12 hours a day, I decided I’d found the perfect job. I LOVED it.
Is Shattered Souls your first novel?
No. The time travel novel for my daughter was my first. I knew it wasn’t publishable, and I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, so I read up on writing fiction. I was good at literary analysis, but that skill didn’t translate to writing fiction. Creating/coming up with a good story is not the same as writing a good story. Knowing it was only a learning tool and would never see the light of day, I wrote the sequel to that first book. Once I was more skilled and knew the “rules” for fiction a bit better, I began the project that became Shattered Souls. It was the third novel I’d written.
Do you write to music?
I do most of my writing in absolute silence with the exception of the initial rough-out (I wouldn’t even call it a draft). I envision and create scenes to music; in fact, a particular song might be what inspires events in the story. My songlist for Shattered Souls can be found HERE. After the scene is outlined or roughed out, I turn off the music so I can concentrate and “hear” the scene more clearly. A majority of time writing is spent editing and revising. It takes so much concentration, I can’t do it to music. Line edits? Yeah. Music is a must.
What’s your favorite part of writing?
This sounds a little sick, I know, but I like revising. I particularly like revising with a deadline. Did I say that sounds sick? Yep.
Did you have to revise your manuscript before your agent offered representation?
Yes. Joan took me for a “test drive” before she offered representation. (Did I mention I like to revise?) Lots of agents do this because it lets them know how you work as an author.
Can you read my query letter or manuscript?
I get this question a lot. No. I’m so sorry. There are lots of critique sites for writers that can offer quick and helpful feedback. The forum at QueryTracker.net is a great starting place.
For frequently asked questions specifically regarding Shattered Souls, please click HERE.