My Writing Process Blog Tour

I want to thank the talented Justina Luther for inviting me on this lovely blog tour. Check out her blog! She loves to write fiction, and she’s prolific. Visit her blog by clicking here.

I also want to thank everyone who has read, commented on, liked, and followed my blog! I love writing and sharing my thoughts with you. I hope you are uplifted and encouraged as you read, and maybe sometimes – challenged and inspired.

Without further ado, let the tour commence!

1) What am I working on?

I just completed my novel, Meghan’s Choice. I entered it into Operation First Novel, a contest from Christian Writer’s Guild. I’m also thinking about entering it into a contest sponsored by Westbow Press. I’m going to wait a bit to see if I make the cut on Op. 1^st Novel before entering the Westbow contest.

Next week, I’ll be attending a large writer’s conference, where I will pitch the novel to editors and agents. We’ll see what happens. If necessary, I would say, towards the beginning of next year, I’ll know whether I have to self-publish it. If I do, I’ll probably do it POD. Remember that from about 3-4 posts ago?

I’m trying to blog more regularly and expand what is called my platform, and in so doing, expand myself to be a better person.

I also contribute once a month to When Readers Write, a group blog of some of us from a Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman class.

2) How does my book differ from others in its genre?

Most of the books I’ve read in my genre, and believe me, I’ve read many – probably 100 or more books in the couple years – are sweet little romances with Christian characters who face challenges. I wanted more in my book. I have great challenges and compelling drama, but I also have experience woven in to the novel.

I was once asked “Have you ever had an experience with God?” I was a teenager raised in the church. What? You can experience God? I had no idea. I struggled to find an answer. The best I could come up with was a gulp, a swallow, and what I felt was answered prayer when I was a child. But that summer, God revealed Himself to me and I felt His presence. And I’ve never looked back. That was 44 years ago.

I put that experience in Meghan’s Choice. In all the books I’ve read in my genre, I’ve not encountered that. The Christian characters hear too easily from God sometimes. Sometimes I hear clearly from God, but sometimes, I don’t. I’m never sure if I’m making it up or not.

3) Why do I write what I write?

I love westerns, and I thought it was a great place to start. I wanted a compelling story that had a decent chance to get published by a royalty publisher. I actually asked the Lord two years ago – what story, what novel I could write.

An obscure history lesson from my hometown in Kansas came to mind almost immediately. If you Google Gunfight at Hyde Park, you’ll see what that was. I incorporate the beginning of it into my story. It’s not the focus, but it is the climax. My poor hero gets in the way of a bullet meant for another. What happens?

You’ll have to wait and read it whenever it comes out!

4) How does my writing process work?

I’m what is called an “organic” writer. For this novel, I used a loose version of Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake method. He boiled an outline down to 3 disasters and an ending. I could do that. So Meghan Gallagher, my heroine, has a disturbance, then three disasters, and an ending.

I also do character studies and backstories. I have plot points, but I’m not obsessive about it. Soon, I’ll put up what is called the “disturbance” scene. The one that sets the whole story in motion.

I love writing and I have in my head point A and point B. Then, I sit and write to get my story from A to B. That’s the organic part, and the most fun, the most creative. Then I move from point B to C, and so on and so on.

Thanks for reading! Now I will pass the ‘torch’ on to five other awesome bloggers. They are: