My Writing Process 2014 Blog Hop

I’m taking part in a fun blog hop to introduce some fellow authors and talk about writing process. I’d like to thank Beth Barany for inviting me to take part. She mentioned me in her blog post here: http://author.bethbarany.com/2014/01/24/2014-our-writing-process-blog-hop/

We’ll each be answering four questions about our  writing process. Here are my answers:

1) What am I working on?

I’m currently writing Disarming Cowboys, which is book 7 (and the final) of the Lone Wolves of Shay Falls series.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’ve read lots of hot cowboy or werewolf fiction, and occasionally even cowboy-werewolf fiction. This series, however, focuses on cowboys who can no longer be cowboys, thanks to the curse that turned them into predators that ranch animals fear. The Lone Wolves are members of a pack who was disbanded by the werewolf who killed their alpha. They wander the woods of Shay Falls in search of their destined mates and a new purpose for their lives.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I love writing about love that does not come easy, and how that human concept plays out in an inhuman, paranormal world. It’s a rewarding challenge to write a character’s struggle against fate and their own hearts vs. the reality around them.

4) How does my writing process work?

Once I have an idea for a book (sometimes a premise just comes to me, or else a title will hit me first, or a publisher will announce a submission call for a type of story that reaches out and grabs me), I’ll spend some time tossing the concept around in my brain. Break times at work, at night before I go to sleep, or during my officially scheduled “writing time” throughout the week, I’ll ruminate about the characters, what they want, their obstacles, etc.

Sometimes I’ll jump right in and write the story with just the bare bones in mind (the process called “pantsing”), but more often these days I’ll plot things out. I use software like Scrivener and Microsoft One Note to make virtual corkboards. One is for images to inspire me while writing—pictures of setting, characters, and special props. The other contains virtual index cards that become a storyboard for my scenes. Depending on the complexity of the story, sometimes I do individual storyboards for each character’s personal arc.

Once I’m ready to rock, I spend 3-5 days per week writing the book. (I take regular days off to avoid burnout and refill my creative cup.) I let completed manuscripts sit a spell before I start editing, usually while I’m jumping in to write or plot the next book.

Next week, look for the following hop stops talking about writing process and work in progress!

Jillian Chantal is the pen name of a lawyer who lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Florida. She writes romantic fiction as an escape from the sometimes not so happy endings that she encounters in her day job. Other hobbies include photography and scrapbooking. She loves to hear from readers. Her web site is http://www.Jillianchantal.com 






Renee is a military brat turned military wife who is currently stationed in Hawaii with her husband and two cats. Whether writing as D. Renee Bagby or Zenobia Renquist, she is a world-builder. She loves inventing new cultures and shaping their histories and laws because it beats researching the existing ones. Her stories span the fantasy gamut but she dabbles in sci-fi and contemporary from time to time. While her main characters tend to be of different races, she doesn't let skin color rule or limit her stories. For her, it's all about how much she can torture her characters so they earn their happily-ever-after ending. The rules are all new and pre-conceived notions will only slow you down, so when reading Renee's stories, she asks only one thing -- Leave Your Reality Behind. You can find out more about her here: http://dreneebagby.com/about-author