My Writing Process Blog Hop

Before telling you my writing process, I think it best to explain what #MyWritingProcess is about

“We writers share these things, but informally during workshops and at conferences (and, for a handful of established writers, in printed interviews), but not so much through our open forum blogs. With the hashtag #MyWritingProcess, you can learn how writers all over the world answer the same four questions. How long it takes one to write a novel, why romance is a fitting genre for another, how one’s playlist grows as the draft grows, why one’s poems are often sparked by distress over news headlines or oddball facts learned on Facebook...”

So I was asked to participate by a good friend and talented writer Daniel Kaye, thank you Daniel for the invitation. To read more about Daniel you can do so at http://daniel-kaye.blogspot.ie/

What am I working on?

Well presently I have a number of projects on the go. My second novel which has a working title of Room to Hell, is a story which pitches Fr. John against Satan, a story that takes place within the confines of a room in the old abbey where Fr. John lives. I am also putting the final touches to a play which I hope will be finished shortly and I am also writing a novella in a genre that I have not written in before, so this is a refreshing challenge.

My local library where I write.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

This question is thought provoking to say the least. I suppose my writing is my voice, the style is mine alone so in that sense, my work differs from others. My genre over the years has been general/women’s fiction, family playing a big part. My experiences with family and with friends give me thoughts/ideas and so I form the base for my novel/short stories/plays.

Why do I write what I do?

I honestly don’t know. My stories can differ greatly in content. My 1^st novel, My Husbands Sin, which is due out on July 1^st 2014 with Tirgearr Publishing, is a story revolving around the Taylor family and then my 2^nd novel is about a priest pitched against Satan in a room with no way out until John has rid the room of Satan. I think when I get an idea or a character pops in to my head for a story and having thought about that idea/character, I question how I feel, a plot has to grip me and get me thinking, yeah that would be a good story. Does that answer this question?

How does my writing process work?

Like I mentioned earlier, when an idea or a character for a story comes to me, I think about it for awhile and then once I’m comfortable with it, I make notes. I like to use the spider map or mind map as it is called too. The characters name or the idea is put in to the centre circle in the centre of the page, then coming out from this are other characters, their relationship to the central one, places/locations in another outer circle and so on. This would not be very detailed just the bones of a story. I know the end, I know what i want to happen so then I must figure out how to reach that ending and as I write the story, it is revealed. So although I put down some details, this is only to whet my appetite for the book and those in it, after that, the characters take over and they bring me to the conclusion of the story. There is no right or wrong way to approach writing, it is what works for you is the important thing.

There you have it. Some thoughts about my writing and how I go about it. I want to thank Daniel again for asking me to take part. The good news about a blog hop is that it continues and I want to introduce to you a writer who I know you will want to read more of.

Introducing David O’Brien, a fellow Tirgearr author, I shall let you read Dave’s bio to find out more.

David J O’Brien is an Irish ecologist, poet, fiction writer and teacher. He currently lives in Pamplona, Spain, where he teaches and writes. His poems have been published in several anthologies and journals, such as such as Albatross, Houseboat, and Misty Mountain Review. He has written about deer watching for Ireland’s Wildlife and deer management for the Irish Wildlife Trust. His first novel, Leaving the Pack, will be published in 2014 by Tirgearr Publishing. He is currently seeking homes for his four other novels and working on his next four. More of his writing, including blogs about re-wilding and wildlife management, can be found at http://davidjmobrien.wordpress.com/

My next post is in fact an interview with David, where he will reveal more about his writing to us and links to interact with him.