What's a Banshee's writing process like? Lots of screaming and swooping :P #writerslife

I've been tagged by my talented and lovely friend Lola Karns to participate! You can stalk her here ;)



1) What am I working on?

I'm currently taking a break from New Adult (NA) because of a Young Adult (YA) that has been gnawing at me since last year. The title is Hear Me (Tagline: Gotta scream to catch the dead), set in San Francisco. It's about a banshee ghost hunter who is terrified of ghosts. You knew I'd write a banshee story eventually :P That's all you get for now though! I'm pretty hush-hush about my works-in-progress (WIPs) until I've completed the first draft. Yes, I'm a tease.



2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I write NA/YA supernatural (which is a sneaky way of saying NA/YA paranormal romance...bwahaha). And a lot of my stories have LBGT themes. I strive to make my stories unique and diverse while weaving the paranormal elements throughout modern-times. Whether I'm writing about dragons or genies or banshees my characters always seem to want to live in present day. When I write a LBGT character I don't always make it a "coming out" story. My current WIP follows a banshee who is bi-sexual. She knows she is and isn't ashamed. It's totally normal for her to like both guys and girls. She is self-conscious about something though...the fact that she has a huge vertical scar down the center of her eye. Nothing can cover it, not even make-up.

3) Why do I write what I write?

Simple. I write NA/YA supernatural because I just love it. Boom! It's my fave genre to read. Being able to have abilities or turn/shift into fascinating creatures is totally my cup of tea. I write gay and bi-sexual characters because there aren't enough diverse stories out there. All characters need their stories told! Writing from a diverse character's point of view (POV) is so rewarding.

4) How does your writing process work?

Slowly... Like, this slow.

The doggie represents all the heavy thoughts and day-to-day responsibilities I carry with me as I'm plotting, day-dreaming, and writing. And the fact that the gif replays itself over and over is how my mind works. I re-think and over-analyze everything about my story from the very beginning. One of these days I'd like to just write a story without all the analyzing. But! for now that's not how I roll--erm, crawl. ;) My current WIP has been a unique experience for me though. Normally I always have an opening--inciting event--in mind, and the ending is nowhere in sight. However, Hear Me has a definite ending (and it's set-up to be a standalone novel with spin-off potential), but the opening was the hardest thing for me to figure out. I'm super pumped about how the opening turned out though! Sometimes I get upset with myself because I don't write four or five books a year. I'm doing good to write ONE. The thing I've come to learn and appreciate is that my style is my style. I don't have to keep up with anyone or compare myself to anyone. Writing is a continual process and will take as long as it takes. Being a writer means you're never done writing. No matter if you've finished a story there's another one nibbling at your soul awaiting the chance to be told. And frankly... 

But! I love it. 

You writerly types will totally relate...