It's been a while since I've stopped by my blog. Writing new and revising old have taken up a lot of winter space. But it's spring and, on top of everything (including me) coming back to life, I've been tagged to participate in the 'Writing Process Blog Hop'... so, hello again!
The lovely, talented, kind, and coolest-named YA fantasy author Sabaa Tahir, did said tagging. (Follow Sabaa on Twitter!) Her acclaimed debut, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, releases Spring 2015 from Razorbill/Penguin. The buzz is very exciting--Romeo and Juliet meets Game of Thrones. A must on every Goodreads To Read list!
Here are the Blog Hop questions jumping around the writing universe:
1. What am I Working On? Currently I am doing final revisions on Book 2 of the Guardians of Tarnec series (Book 2 was titled FALLING RAIN, but I've just learned that will change, so now it is simply 'Book 2' following Book 1 debut, LARK RISING). I've just seen and commented on the second pass of LARK (kind of scary to know that this tale will finally be written in stone--I think I would forever tinker). I am revising a YA contemporary (dark paranormal) and trying my hand as well at an adult (also dark) and a Middle Grade story (not as dark) which I am co-writing with an author friend. Oh, yes, am devising Guardians Book 3.
2. How Does My Work Differ From Others of its Genre? Well, as yet there are no dragons.
But, honestly, I'm not looking to be so very different. Rather, I hope the Guardians of Tarnec books follow fantasy in its most classic tradition: a quest, a battle of good versus evil, an unlikely hero/heroine, and, of course, a true love. I can hope that they might hold space in the beautiful company of other series--those whose worlds can be dived into deeply and unforgettably.
3. Why Do I Write What I Do? I think for the same reason I said above--I've cherished the books that I've dived into, where I've lived in worlds built from extraordinary imaginations. Fairy tales and fantasy formed my growing up, they are closest to my heart.
4. How Does Your Writing Process Work? I'm trying to figure out what my process is, exactly. I wrote the first pages of LARK based on a moment with a hawk, with no idea where the story would lead. Book 2's structure was in place--in my mind--when I began it, and this time I am actually writing a synopsis for Book 3 prior to facing the blank page. So: very different, and, hopefully, growth-displaying methods! That said, I do aim for certain beats in any story--things I imagine/want/need to happen (not that they won't, possibly, get axed later). It's sort of like choosing the stepping stones you will use to cross a river. The challenge is in the leap to each one.
On a more practical level, you can find me clearest and most attuned in early morning, sitting in my favorite chair, feet on footstool, laptop on knees and teacup at hand.
And now I shall pass these questions on to two other authors, whose terrific-sounding books are debuting in 2015:
Mike Grosso's, I AM DRUMS, Egmont USA, was pitched as "an anthem for band kids everywhere"! Check out his website follow him on Twitter.
Jackie Lea Sommers' TRUEST, HarperCollins is a story of summer love, small-town secrets, and the darker side of philosophy. Here are links to her Blog and Twitter!
Tag, guys, you're it!
Their insights on the writing process will be posted on May 26th! Until then--happy reading, happy writing, happy dreaming...
Monday, May 19, 2014
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