How I Write: A Round Robin Blog Tour
This annual writer’s invitational blog tour connects and informs about the writer’s process. I was invited by Bernadette McBride who is a delightful poet, and former Bucks County Poet Lauriat AND the first editor for my novel THE HEART CODE. She was a great mentor and source of encouragement as I began my 14 year process of bringing the novel to print. Check out Bernadette’s Round Robin at: http://bernadettemcbrideblog.wordpress.com/how-i-write-a-round-robin-blog-tour/
Below are my answers to the Tour questions about my writing process.
1) What am I working on?
Having just launched The Heart Code novel (Sept 2013), I am steeped in marketing, marketing, marketing: Creating a Website (www.theheartcode.com), figuring out social media (facebook and twitter at the moment, more to come), arranging readings and bookclub participations (Bucks Cnty and surrounding area) and sending copies of the book to key people I believe will connect with the book and will help the book finds it’s world wide connections (Shirley MacLaine, Iyanla, and others). It is overwhelming at times and often feels like Sisyphus pushing the rock up the hill each day. But I persist – and treasure the small “good news” moments when they come up as I meet this challenge, despite the slog it feels like some days.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
THE HEART CODE is Literary Fiction – but it fits a range of genres and appeals to multiple ages:
1. Coming of Age for young and middle aged folks. People ‘come of age” at every significant life milestone, not just once and done.
2. Historic: 1930’s for the main story and back to 2000 BCE in parts.
3. Romance: Young love, or lack there of, drives part of the story.
4. Spirituality & Wisdom: Connecting with your inner truth.
5. How-To: A means for understanding how to access your own Heart’s Code.
3) Why do I write what I do?
Living one life’s true has been a driving theme in my life. When I was in college, and paying for it myself, I decided to study what captured my curiosity rather than for future job security. I remember saying “it may be the last time I can do as I want.” Well, it turns out it wasn’t and I’ve lived an amazing life following my heart. Not an easy one, mind you, but always true to myself – and it has taken me on journeys I could not have dreamed. Living a Heart-Centered Life is uplifting and challenging as there was no manual to help me figure it out. I’ve studied many spiritual books but none gave me the “How” of following one’s heart, so I set my sights on writing one, but in a novel form, as I always learn best through story and what characters do.
4) How does your writing process work?
After walking the dogs and tending the house, I generally plunk down at the computer in my office and enter the world of the story. I let my mind wander – I get a spark – I follow it – sometimes into days of research – I incorporate what I find back into the story. It is a very intuitive writing process. While I may have an outline, I don’t plot point by point. When young, I so wanted to experience what I heard writers talk about: when the characters took over and you become their scribe. That sounded delightful to me and I can now say it is. Gamma and Jack were two characters in the current book who showed up as ‘whole cloth’. The character Ticky (in the upcoming novel in the series) was the first to show up, one early dawn in rural France. I trust my characters but I also brainstorm ideas on my fourth floor balcony or in the garden and work though the logic of the writing in between the magical inspirational moments.
HERE ARE MY TWO INVITEES: Check out their blogs next.
KATE KAISER is the proud single mother of Rhapsody and Bucky. When she is not catering to them, Kate is messing around with words, trying to find the syllables and sounds in poem, prose and song that suit her. When she does, it's like finding a perfectly fitted dress: it's not too big, it's not too small, and the color illuminates. Kate's books include Letters to my Mother (but really for my father), Love Sex Death Betrayal and she is in the process of completing Learning to Drink Coffee in China. Kate enjoys performing her prose, live, in intimate settings. Kate Kaiser has used words to reconstruct her life. “If you can't name it you can't understand it, if you don't understand it part of you dwells in the dark. ” Website: www.KateofHoboken.com
RUTH ANNE WOOD
Author of the book: Get Out Of Hot Water Fast:How I Saved My Clients From Pending Financial, Legal and Relationship Problems In Less Than 30 Days With 90 Minute Conversations A step-by-step guide in helping people create Financial, Legal and Relationship miracles by uncovering blocks around self-worth and uncovering an abundance of mental and emotional resources.Helping people shift from fear to love by quickly using the emotionally focused imagination to create specific, measurable, dream come true results. www.jvattraction.com
