Update May 26, 2014: Unfortunately, the author I chose to follow me in the blog hop was unable to complete her entry due to life getting in the way. I am sorry to say that the hop stops here.
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I am usually good at following directions, but I am not confident I am going to do this correctly, which, of course, never stopped me before at all. This is something called and “blog hop” and my friend, Becca, has a ton of confused and disjointed emails from me in her inbox about it. So here we go:
The purpose of this blog hop is to introduce Sucker Lierary’s Vol III. If you click on the cover image to the left, you will get there.
I was invited to join this blog hop by Becca Gomez Farrell. She writes a great mini-bio if I do say so myself:
Rebecca Gomez Farrell is proof that a woman can be a television glutton, hold strong opinions on food and drink construction, and write fantastical stories all while possessing a fairly analytical brain. She’s also a wanderluster, an owner of furry creatures, and a formidable pinochle player. Her most recent short story, the Biblical steampunk tale “Blow ‘Em Down,” can be read at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Maya’s Vacation, her romance novella, is available from Astraea Press at Amazon. For details on the rest of her published work, visit her website at RebeccaGomezFarrell.com.
Next, I am to answer some questions about my writing style, so peer tentatively into the crack in the wall of my writing world:
1) What am I working on?
I am usually working on two or three different projects in several levels of development. Some are just banging around in my head. Some are in folders on my PC hard drive. Some are (literally) in folders in a file cabinet. Some are still writing prompts in the many books I own. Currently, I am working on a book with the working title of Tarot For Real People, which I hope to release in approximately 1-2 weeks, depending on how well “real life” accommodates my ambitions. I also have the third (and fourth and fifth) book(s) of the Seven Sisters of Avalon series wandering through my mind, banging on things to get attention. Still another book called The Art of Public Ritual Crafting is trying to make itself known, as well as the sequel to Leaving Kentucky in the Broad Daylight, which is called I Aim to Misbehave.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
It doesn’t. There are literally thousands of people who do what I do. I do not write to be unique or different. I write because I do not know how to not write.
3) Why do I write what I do?
See above. I have lived a very broad spectrum life and have an interest in many different subjects, so I span a number of genres. I have written a cook book, many books on metaphysics – primarily positive manifestation and spirituality, childbirth, getting your book published, the first part of my own biography, and women’s fiction.
4) How does my writing process work?
Interestingly, someone else just asked me this earlier in the week. I sit down. I write. That is the process. I research as I go unless I need foundational information to get started. I take notes in a blue spiral notebook to keep track of essential info. My husband once said, “When you write non-fiction, you only have to tell the truth. When you write fiction, you have to remember the lies you told.” My lies go in the blue spiral notebook so I can find them readily.
I write a first draft straight through, making no structural adjustments for path changes along the way. I burn right through the entire book, then go back for a first rewrite. The first rewrite adjusts the book for inconsistencies and plot changes that developed as the book progressed and also picks up some of the proofreading corrections. The second and usually final rewrite is for formatting and typographical correction.
Now, I would like to introduce you to another wonderful writer, my long-time friend, Karen Albeck, who will post her blog hop on Monday, May 26th.
Karen Albeck is an accomplished glass craftsman and mixed media artist. She attended the Philadelphia College of art, and her items have sold online and at fairs up and down the eastern US. Karen has written and published books, journal articles, essays, reviews and a blog or two, and has participated in programs for writers wishing to develop their skills. While still an undergraduate, she wrote the example research studies so that others could learn the correct style and format. Two of her books are currently selling on Amazon in both print and e-book format. She has worked with both Llewellyn and Centage. She has owned and managed restaurants, taught college seminars, been a traveling festival artist, attended classes at six different universities at one time or another, and is a devout bibliophile. She is also a long-time student of the paranormal and can discuss these issues with confidence. Karen is well-versed in many topics, so it’s worth an email to see if she can be of assistance to you – if she can’t help with your particular interest, there’s a very good change she can point you to someone who can.
Her blog is: Alarums, Diversions, and General Commentary on the Passing Scenery