Behind The Scenes

Welcome, welcome, welcome. I am so excited to have everyone here. With just a week to go until the release of my book, The Assassin, today seems like the perfect day to share a little peek behind the scenes. I have to admit, I borrowed this idea from Kristen and Nicole, so be sure to check out their posts as well.

Without further ado, here’s a look behind the scenes.

WHERE DO YOU WRITE?

Mostly, I try to write at my desk. Because I’m in school and move a few times a year (to school, home for the summer, back again, etc), I have to be pretty adaptable to writing anywhere. My desk is my favorite spot though.

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

Oooh, this is a tough one. During the summer when I was working from home all day, I wrote in the morning and mid afternoon. Now that I’m back at school and my schedule is more chaotic, there’s no telling when I may write. With NaNoWriMo beginning again, I’m trying to get into the habit of waking up earlier to write and set that schedule.

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

Not particularly. I do always have a drink, though. If it’s not water, it’s Dr Pepper.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WRITE A NEW NOVEL?

Well….I’ve been working on The Assassin off and on for eight years, but I’ve written a few other books in the middle…. I don’t have an answer for that one.

DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE YOU WRITE?

Sometimes. This is going to sound really strange, but I actually listen to news on TV while I write. It’s mindless enough that I can use it as background noise. An actual TV show makes me feel like I need to pay attention, but with news, I don’t have to listen. I can always read the news later.

WHAT DO YOU WRITE ON? LAPTOP OR PAPER?

Back in eighth grade when I started writing The Assassin, I wrote on paper. Now, I write exclusively on my laptop, 95% of that is in Scrivener. I do occasionally use my iPad to write scenes if I’m out without my laptop, and then I’ll use Evernote on my iPad.

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

You mean besides waste half an hour on social media? That would be my big crutch. Social media. I also love to spend time on my blogs before I write. I’m trying to cut out all these distractions before writing and push them off to be an after writing ritual.

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

I don’t think I do anything. Eventually, if I just force myself to write long enough (maybe a couple hundred words an hour), I get it into it and it’ll happen. The problem is having enough time to force myself to get into it. So, I force myself to write. That’s all.

WHAT IS ALWAYS NEAR THE PLACE YOU WRITE?

A drink. My phone (that carries all my notes about writing and plot). My phone also has Pinterest, where I have boards for my books, including The Assassin, and other books I hope to write someday.

DO YOU HAVE A REWARD SYSTEM FOR YOUR WORD COUNT?

Nope. I’m not a big self-rewarder. I know that sounds bad, but it’s true. I’m a person that just keeps going and going. I don’t stop until I’m about to pass out. If anything, it would just be the ability to get a Route 44 Vanilla Dr Pepper from Sonic, but that would be it.

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

I’m thinking way far ahead. Right now, I more or less have a lot of the Cassie Morgan Mysteries planned out, and I’m already thinking about spin-off books. Now, most of that stuff isn’t set in stone, but I still have very loose ideas about what’s going on in those later books. But, of course, right now, I’m focused on the release of The Assassin, and writing Double Played.