1.) Was there a defining moment in your life when you knew you were going to become a writer? If so, what was it?
I’m always a tad hesitant to answer this question, because so many writers have had that kind of a moment. Or, who knew since they could hold a crayon in their chubby little fist they wanted to be a writer.
Not so much for me. Actually, not at all for me.
I always had a knack for writing but never did anything with it; never had any compelling urge to write stories or pursue becoming an author.
There was always this thought that maybe, some day, I’d write a book. Or not.
But once I succumbed to the temptation, all was lost.
Oh, the word layering made me hungry.
My stories unfold in detail as I write, though when I re-read, I often tweak and add other layers.
It helps me to step back for a day or two and then take another look. Kind of like these three pictures which are the same painting.
While in the middle of writing new plot, I’m super focused on the story line, so I always reread my previous day’s work to see if I’ve got any plot holes or if the writing is flat.
I usually write one draft, because I’m editing as I go.
I know, some people claim you never do that on a first draft, and I’ve tried not too, but my process works better by editing the previous day’s work before I jump into fresh stuff.
Hey, that’s what Marie Force does too, so it can’t be all bad! (Yes, I heard her say so herself!)
I also go through the finished manuscript and search for over-used words, phrases, dialogue tag, etc. to make sure it’s as readable as I can get it before submitting.
That’s enough about me. Why don’t we head over to Mikki Cober and take a peek at her thoughts.