The ‘My Writing Process: A Blog Tour’

Recently, a writer buddy of mine, Jake Devlin, asked me to participate in ‘My Writing Process: A Blog tour.’ Jake Devlin takes hilarity and interesting story telling to a whole new level with his series of books based on – the Real Jake Devlin. I cannot do justice in describing Jake’s work other than saying you must drop everything immediately and visit his page: HERE

The My Writing Process blog tour aims to direct readers and writers towards new books and friends. When you are invited to participate, you simply answer the four questions below and then pass the torch on to three fellow writers.

Below is my addition to the My Writing Process blog tour.

What am I working on?

I am working on something that I think takes a fresh look at Vampires, introducing some new species and new ways of doing things. Attempting to put a spin on a genre that has had so many stories written about it is an arduous task. Of course, I have to put up with people asking if I am recreating Twilight. I would just like to point out that no writers have asked me this, we all know better but the answer is no. My book is much darker. The first book is rather simplistic in its plot but there are some twists and turns along the way. The second is much more complex. There are many strong characters and each deserves their own moment in the spotlight. The feedback I have had has pointed out who these should be and I have to say, it came as a bit of a surprise. I have yet to publish these as I would like Books 1&2 complete with Book 3 started. I would like to write a whole series.

How does my book differ from others in its genre?

The answer to this is quite simple however actually making it like this was incredibly taxing. I have rewritten some of the popular ‘rules’ associated with vampirism. As well as introducing new species I have called upon some well-known beings too although you will not find a werewolf in my books. I toyed with the addition of demons but it just didn’t fit. I want my book to be gritty and to pull away from fantasy so it borders realism. In one way, I want to emulate the work of Bram Stoker so that people feel that, yes, these beings can exist in secrecy alongside us. I also want to keep vampires completely separate from humans. I have no plans to feature a human in my books.

Why do I write what I write?

My absolute unbreakable love of the supernatural and in particular, vampires. The complexities of their literary existence, the trials that they face. My vampires are my writing passion. The characters that I have created I am completely and irreversibly in love with. I live and breathe them. I write what I write because I want to bring the people in my head to life on a page. It just so happens that these people are vampires.
I got my first taste of vampires when I skipped school, opting to hide out at a friend’s house instead. Interview with a Vampire had just come out on VHS so it must have been 1995 or thereabouts so I was about thirteen or fourteen. I was fascinated by it. Then came Buffy the Vampire Slayer two years later, much to my delight.
I write for young adults in particular because beautiful is the mind of the young adult. Nothing is beyond the reach of their imagination. They not only read the book but they become part of the characters’ lives, they immerse themselves and fall in love. They face the same trials and tribulations – without the bloodlust.

How does my writing process work?

Completely and utterly fractured 😉 The only thing that remains a constant is playing music before I start. Most writers find that there are times when their brain runs faster than their fingers while other times their fingers run faster than their brain. My fingers ignore me, my characters take over and boss my brain around – also a common thread amongst writers.

For my first book, I wrote the whole thing off a scene that came to my mind when I was listening to a song. It was a beautiful scene and the people in it needed their tale to be told. Obviously, I had to sit in the corner with my thinking hat on and coming up with a plot. Names were the worst part. But I found their backstory and everything that led up to and happened as a result of that scene. That book has been read by a few fantastic Beta’s and it has yet to have anything negative said about it. So, that worked. The second book however. Well, it is 8.13 am and I am yet to sleep. I found this one much more challenging. I knew what I wanted but as I wrote, I found that it was becoming far more intricate than it needed to be. It was almost as if I was trying to write two books in one, so last night I made the decision to cut a character from the earlier stage of the book and bring her in later, ready for the next installment.

I used an outline for my second where my first just flowed. I continuously deviate from the outline but it has helped me form some good ideas that I have developed. Outlines are not stringent things, they do not have to be adhered to, so if my creative juices start flowing, I follow them to see where they lead.
My books are based in America, as I live in England I have to pay particularly close attention to the language and the dialogue that I use. I have my documents set up for US English so this really helps. There are so many things that are different, simple words like the trunk of a car in America is called a boot over here. Luckily I have a friend from America who often answer my silly questions like – what is a duvet called in America?

So that’s it. Now to pass the torch on to three fellow writers who I will be contacting very shortly.

Writer One: Meet Sam Mariano, the first to pick up the torch. A true book devotee, from reading to writing, Sam is a talented published author whose books will suck you in from the outset. You can find Sam’s addition the My Writing Process Blog Tour HERE

Sam Mariano has been creating characters and telling their stories since before she could even write. A former bookseller and lifelong book-lover, she is finally able to devote her time to writing books (when her toddler allows it!) with the support of her fiancé.

Sam has written two books of the romantic variety, Beautiful Mistakes and Because of You, and is currently penning the first of her upcoming “Irreparable” books, which will be dark romance.

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Second to wield the torch is Bill Cunningham, a dear friend and an excellent writer. When Bill is not busy flying here there and everywhere for work he has fingers to keys and sometimes pencil to paper, working on his mystery/thriller book. I am impatiently waiting for him to finish, I have read some of Bills work and it is exceptional. So hurry up Bill! In the meantime, have a look at his addition the The ‘My Writing Process: A Blog Tour’ HERE

Bill Cunningham, writing under the name W.C. Cunningham is a husband, father, manufacturing engineer by day, and writer most evenings and weekends. Inspired by years of reading, many liberal art detours in college, and numerous family and friends in law enforcement, he is presently working on his first mystery/thriller.

Originally from the southwest, Bill now lives in the wooded hills of Western New York with his wife, two sons, three dogs, and three cats.

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The 3rd and final writer to wield the torch is Justina Luther. Justina and I began our blogs at roughly the same time and somehow found each other and have been following our blogs since. Justina’s blog is full of examples of her amazing writing as well as her ‘Ten Questions For a Fictional Character. You must check it out HERE!

Justina Luther is a lifetime author with a passion for reading and for people. Be it a story or something she’s learned, sharing with readers is her greatest joy. With a love for trying new things she constantly finds experiences to add depth and realism to her fiction. Her short story titled GED=OMG was published in Beginnings XIV. She is currently working on a suspense titled Would You Have Believed Me?