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Starstruck

Starstruck
Creative Writing for health, well-being and fun!

Friday 22 August 2014

My Writing Process - A literary blog tour!



My Writing Process

Hope this turns into a blog post. Not too sure what I'm doing but wanted to announce that I've just been tagged in a literary blog tour by Jacqueline Farrell . If you ever thought vampires and crones were not for you, Jackie could change your mind!

As for me, well, consider the following:

1.What am I working on?

I am writing a trilogy entitled The Craig Lowrie Chronicles, and - being me - I have started in the middle with (working title) The Marie Antoinette Factor. In 1793 - the year of Marie Antoinette's execution - a French seamstress and a clan chief meet on the west coast of Scotland. Danger from sources at home and abroad threaten them and the novel explores how they adapt to and - in some cases - master change imposed upon them by huge external forces. With lots of fancy footwork, the use of a dirk and glimpses of exquisite embroidery. Read on  . . .

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? In a word, depth. The novel's characters, good or evil, make mistakes and work through them. There is also humour in the sub-plots. And, although the conventions of historical romance are the starting points - and I am not breaking any moulds - the story moves on from there.

3.Why do I write what I do? Because I am a story-teller but I also like to explore issues and follow my characters where they lead within that context. The whole experience is something of a box of delights: art, craft, following trails of research and so on and so forth.

4. How does my writing process work?

Office hours for research and planning (I even use Excel). But I like to start by telling the story and that process can happen in a notebook in the queue at the supermarket. Once I have the plot draft (story) complete, I go back and polish till it shines. This could go on for ever so I use a peer critique group to give me deadlines! Having been a published journalist for 25 years, I'm a bit pavlovian about the word 'Deadline!'

Many thanks to Jackie Farrell - and do visit her website - for inviting me to contribute to this blog tour. I'll post when 'The Marie Antoinette Factor' is close to publication.

In the meantime, I'd like to nominate a poet to take up the challenge. Nikki Bennett is a well-known poet, appearing in a number of anthologies. Check out her beautiful poetry  at www.nikkibennettpoems.com
 and look out for her blog on this literary blog tour  later in September (I'll post when I know the exact date!)_