What am I working on now?
I'm currently applying my critique partner's suggestions/notes to the fourth draft of my middle grade novel entitled MOTLEY EDUCATION: The Urd Saga. For the most part, the manuscript is ready to send to my agent. But I've decided to revamp the opening to the book and fix one character's purpose in the story. Of course, I still have to check for overly used words and such.
How does my book differ from others within its genre?
Motley Ed is set in a world much like our own, but the middle school is for students who hold psychic abilities as well as those who've adopted New Age beliefs such as being close to nature and the stars. Eventually, the story drifts to places and characters found in Norse Mythology, but written with a steampunk edge. My main character is a mystic/medium and her best friend manipulates matter. Neither are very good at what they do. Yet. ;-)
Why do I write what I do?
My first thought to this question is that I'm still a kid at heart. I have four children, so I've been blessed with see life at all stages through them, again. For me, the tween and teen years pose so many amazing challenges that can be explored from multiple angles. LUV that! I will never tire of spotlighting issues, desires, fears, hopes, and aspirations of this age group. The more I write for them, the more I learn about myself and the world in all its revolving changes.
How does my writing process work?
Usually something inspires me. It could be a character's facial expression during a movie, the setting from a book I'm reading, something that happened in my local town, or an average day with my kids. Then I come up with a starting point, a middle problem, and then an ending. From their, I get to know my characters, and then ask myself questions about how they'd react to this or that in the particular story I'm working on. Some of this gets blotted into an outline, while some snippets end up on note cards. Guess you could say my Xesturgy process is a bit scattered. But eventually, I do make it shine.
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What's your writing process like?
Continue following the process of writing tour and see how others hammer out their stories.
NEXT UP ON TOUR: Crystal Collier, Kristin Smith, & Eliza Tilton.
I have no idea! My writing process seems to be constantly changing.
ReplyDeleteOoh, your middle grade story sounds so good. Fingers crossed for. And loved learning about your writing process.
ReplyDeleteYay for being a kid at heart. It's so much more fun that way. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that you're a kid at heart is definitely why you write MG/YA character voice so well. Of course, it helps to have a gaggle of real teens to eavesdrop on too!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post. I get the story hashed out in my head first then get it down on in words. Voice gets tweaked right to the very end. I change my first page the most. It takes a while to get it just right. Yes, being around the age group you write for is a tremendous help.
ReplyDeleteNorse mythology sounds neat.
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks for tagging me!! I feel honored! :) So, how does this work? Do I post it when I get a chance (once A to Z is over?)
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about your writing process! It's so great that you are able to draw inspiration from seeing your children at various stages in their life.
Sherry, I love your process, and thank you for tagging me--although I have to admit my heart skipped a beat when I saw my name at the end. I started frantically flipping through my calendar trying to figure out if I signed up for something and forgot...before my brain caught up. Whew! This A to Z thing can totally fry your brain, eh?
ReplyDeleteTrue Heroes from A to Z
What a great post. I enjoyed reading it. I always find it interesting to read about the writing process of other writers.
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
Great word! I'm doing the writing process blog hop - and you stole Eliza from me!
ReplyDeleteMarlene at On Writing and Riding
Never lose that child heart!
ReplyDeleteI'm adopting this word. Seems as if we're both blogging about the same thing today! How about that? Enjoyed reading your post and look forward to seeing that MG book. Sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Xesturgy meant polishing. Now I have a new word for when I'm revising my work. ;)
ReplyDeleteBeing a kid at heart is the best way to be!
What a great word! And really, being a kid at heart is the way to go, isn't it? :-)
ReplyDeleteMust say that's a word I've never heard before! Your book sounds cool. And I'm glad to hear you're still a kid inside. :)
ReplyDeleteMy writing process is pretty scattered too. The more I write, the more I realize I need to learn.
My process differs from book to book actually!
ReplyDeleteLoved hearing your process! Motley Education sounds so cool!!
That's cool your process changes from book to book. If I think about it more, I guess my does a little. It definitely differs when I write a picture book. For those, I tend to find a lesson in life and then dream up a story or let an idea I've had take form.
DeleteVery cool process. Mine usually starts with a spark of emotion :)
ReplyDeleteI hope things go well w/Motley Education(fantastic title, btw!).
ReplyDeleteNo wonder you look so young. You're a kid at heart.
ReplyDeleteCool title! My process usually begins with an idea that I let rattle around in my head until it starts to expand into a premise I can't stop thinking about. Then I write.
ReplyDeleteGosh, that was a fantastic sentence you created to explain your method. I'm mentally jotting that down now.
DeleteI agree that the types of things that end up being huge inspirations can come from all kinds of random places like a person's expression or a line of overheard dialog.
ReplyDeleteThat's a new word for me, Sherri. Thanks for inviting us to peek into your process. Maria, Delight Directed Living
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