Behind the Scenes 2018

Behind the Scenes was a linkup I joined in 2015 and did again in 2016, but skipped out last year. Given that I’m planning to ramp back up in 2019, I thought it would be fun to see how things have changed since 2016. I’ll be sharing recaps of my year this week, so I hope you enjoy!

WHERE DO YOU WRITE?

This year, I’ve written in just about every situation – at work during my lunch hour, at coffee shops, the Austin Public Library, and in bed. I’m getting ready to move in January and I look forward to getting back to my writing desk and a dedicated space to tell stories (and I’m hoping to share some pictures of the new space once I move).

WHEN DO YOU NORMALLY WRITE? NIGHT, AFTERNOON, OR MORNING?

When I have my desk, I can go late into the night writing. Many nights it would be midnight and I would still be plugging away at the words, often aided by a nice glass of wine. This year didn’t feature any 10,000 word days, but we might have to make up for that in 2019. I’ve also snuck in some editing in at my lunch hour for my day job, which is at three in the afternoon. I am definitely a late-night writer.

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IS THERE A CERTAIN SNACK YOU LIKE TO EAT WHILE WRITING?

Water or wine. If I’m at a coffee shop, a cold brew is usually called for (but only one or two – any more and I’ll make myself sick). I try not to eat while I write, but I have snuck in some writing while eating lunch or dinner.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WRITE A NEW NOVEL?

At the beginning o the year, I was crushing it with a new draft about every 45 days. Then in June, I started a new job and in August I moved in with family temporarily (for personal reasons) and the writing train slowed down. Once I move in January, I plan to focus on writing and revving back up.

DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE YOU WRITE?

I’ve listened to music, watched Youtube vidoes, binged on podcasts, and chased tornado coverage on the internet – all in the name of something to listen to while writing,

WHAT DO YOU WRITE ON? LAPTOP OR PAPER?

Latptop. Always the laptop.

IS THERE A SPECIAL RITUAL YOU HAVE BEFORE OR AFTER YOU WRITE?

There really isn’t, I just write.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET INTO THE MOOD TO WRITE?

I don’t do anything special to get writing, I just sit down and write. If I’m struggling, I might take a break and go on a walk, but I often keep powering through. I like to break my writing segments up into 15-minute chunks. If I’m really on top of my game, I can get 500 words done in that time. I use the target window in Scrivener to keep myself going, and I love hitting the goal and resetting it to push myself farther.

WHAT IS ALWAYS NEAR THE PLACE YOU WRITE?

A drink, probably my planner, and my phone.

DO YOU HAVE A REWARD SYSTEM FOR YOUR WORD COUNT?

I don’t, I just expect myself to keep going.

IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS THAT OTHERS MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT?

This new series I’m working on, I want to rewrite the first three books before I get the first one out. I’m hoping I can do this to cut down the time between releases. Then after I release the first three short stories, I’ll go back to The Cassie Morgan Series. At this point, it’s been eight months since I’ve worked on those books and I’m really itching to go back to them.

Read past years of Behind the Scenes: 2016 | 2015