My writing process

Over at Smart Bitches the other day, Sarah asked about first drafts…how many drafts, how you polish, etc.

I’m curious-do writers ever feel they’ve finished polishing? I never do.

I’m doing another pass through Chains right now as I wrap it up and I got to thinking…I think I probably go through a book a good five times before I mail it off.

I almost always start at the beginning and sometimes, for me, the start of an idea is no more than a few words or just a single image. The Missing was like that. The first thing that came to mind with that story was a child sitting in an airport. I woke up with that idea in my head one morning and the rest of the idea evolved from there.

Other than Hunters Heart and Soul and Through the Veil, I don’t generally do outlines, although I make notes and stuff if a good idea comes while I’m writing.

As I write, I tend to go back over what I’ve written, smoothing this, polishing that. This probably happens about three times total before I finish. Then after I finish it up, I send it off to a reader or two who help me with proofing. Getting it back, I go through it another couple of times.

And still, I find errors. I find small things I missed or things I think I could improve upon.

Only thing I’ve got to say is…thank God for spell check

Signing in Anchorage, AK July 24

Anchorage, AK

July 24, 2008

5-7pm

Barnes & Noble

200 E Northern Lights Blvd (corner of Northern Lights & A St)
Anchorage, AK 99503

Live in Anchorage? I’d love to meet you!

Contest for Bloggers…The Missing

this is a repost…

The blog review contest I did for Through the Veil went pretty well. I think it generated some interest and hopefully caught the interest of some new readers. Soooooo I’m going to do it again with The Missing.

From the contest for Through the Veil

I don’t get too many ARCs so I do kind of want your promise to do the review. I know life sometimes happens, and hey, that’s cool. But if you think you’re likely to just add the book to your TBR pile, I’d ask that you not enter. If you don’t like writing reviews on books you didn’t care for, I’d ask that you not enter.

I do want an honest review, whether you love it or not. However there’s a chance you might not like the book and I want a review whether you like it or not… *G* the power of word of mouth. Some people only review books they like, that’s absolutely fine…but again, I want an honest review, love it or hate it.

Since I only get a limited number of these things, I want to make sure they are being put to the best use possible. If this contest goes well, I may continue to do it in the future, with both ebooks and print books.

So did I make that complicated enough? ;-)

Basically, the contest rules are this:

  • You must have an established blog. Established as in being used prior to this post, and on a fairly regular basis.
  • You agree to post an honest review of the book on your blog. Honest=as in your thoughts, whether you like it or not.

So…there’s that.

Blurb for The Missing

Photobucket

From a bestselling author whose stories are “exhilarating [and] action-packed”* comes a sinfully sexy novel of romantic suspense about a woman whose psychic gift drives away the man she loves—and years later draws him back to her

LOVE LOST

As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn’t understand—except for Cullen Morgan, the boy her stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered—and he couldn’t forgive Taige for not preventing her death.

PASSION FOUND

Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED

Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can’t help but wonder whether—if they find his daughter in time—it isn’t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them…

______________________________________

So…. here are the rules for this one. All you have to do to enter the contest is have an established blog (yes, blogs on Myspace are fine) and be willing to post the review, good or bad, either the last two weeks of October or the first week of November. With new releases, getting the buzz out right around release time is very important, from a writer’s standpoint (of course, a buzz is wonderful at any time, but right around release time…good stuff for an author).

As long as you have a blog and are willing to post an honest review, you can enter. However, I get a very limited quantity of ARCs. Because of this, if you aren’t willing to guarantee you can have the review posted during the stated time frame, I do ask that you not enter the contest. I know sometimes things come up, emergencies and such, but since I only have limited number of ARCs, I want to put them into the hands of those who are willingly to help me generate the buzz I’m looking for.

So…

  • You’ll give an honest review
  • You’ll post the review sometime during the last two weeks of October or first week of November
  • You have an established blog

If that’s you…and you’re interested…email me @ shilohwalker(at)gmail.com with Blog/Missing Review Contest in the subject line. Please include your blog address in the body of the email. I do expect to get the ARCs sometime fairly soon and once I get them, I’ll get the winning names drawn and I’ll contact them directly. FYI, yes, you can enter even if you won one of the ARCs from the previous contest, provided the review for Through the Veil was posted during the specified time frame.

Contest will remain open for the next few weeks! Thank you!

Please do not post this contest to sweepstakes sites.

A week

In a week, I’ll be getting ready to leave for Alaska.

:)

Excited? Yep. Ready? Not even close.

I’m mostly packed-naturally, I got all the books on hand I wanna take, many of them on my Sony. I’m also taking things like bookmarks since I plan on hitting some bookstores. I got my camera, cuz I’m taking a lot of pictures.

Clothes…check.

Tickets…e-tickets, gotta love them.

Camcorder…check.

Hiking boots…check.

Kids…check.

Now, the one thing I haven’t figured out? My husband and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary while we’re gone. And the kids will be with us. Trying to figure out the logistics of a nice, romantic evening…his mom will be there for a short while, so hopefully we can swing something. Hmmmm…wonder if I can find a B&B close by…

Community Spirit?

So Karen wants to know if we’re losing our community spirit

I dunno. Do I read as many blogs as I use to? Nope. Do I comment on as many? Nope.

Read more »

Guest bloggers…???

Anybody else interested in guest blogging?  I’m going to be gone for two weeks starting next week and while I do have a few things lined up, not enough to cover the whole two weeks.

Authors/readers both are welcome.  Only thing I ask is that authors not do blatantly promo-geared posts, like GO BUY MY BOOK!  Talking about the book’s inspiration, that sort of thing is fine, but not blatant promo…sorry, it’s kinda boring just reading blatant promo sooooooo….not doing it.

If you’re interested, email me @   shilohwalker(at)gmail.com.
Thank you!

Borrowing from erotica?

Guest blog today… from Throwmearope

Read more »

Bad Ann

Ann Aguirre gave me another way to waste time.

Read more »

Help me out…so what’s your gripe?

I know a lot of people don’t like reading short stories and novellas.

Some just like a book that lasts a little longer, they don’t want to pay money for something they will read and be done with in a couple of hours (or less-depends on how fast you read).

Totally cool, understandable.

And I’m sorry-can’t help with that.  ;)  So if that’s your main issue with short stories, you might get bored here in a few minutes, because I want the other reasons.

Some people don’t think there is enough character development.

Others have issues with plot.

So what’s your issue with short stories/novellas, if you have one?

I’m doing a quickie workshop on this topic for the annual LEFT BEHIND AND LOVING IT bash that PBW always does and I want some outside input as to how I got about doing the workshop.

FYI, if you’re a writer and have questions, toss them out.  Maybe we can work up some big group Q&A thing.

If you’re looking for me…

Today, you can find me over here…

Read more »