Writing
This is the equivalent of an old-fashioned chain letter – but in a really good way. You see, we writers get to show you some behind the scenes stuff that happens when we write. And you get to find out about more authors who may be unknown to you. Amazing authors. Funny authors. Young authors and old authors.
I was graciously invited by , one of the amazing authors. Her books are intense thrillers with a spiritual touch. You can find her blog over here: Ramblings of a Mad Southern Woman.
We all answer the same four questions. And then we’re supposed to show you three more authors – sadly, I could only connect to one. But one is better than none, right? So read all the way through, and find a great author who created a wonderful and magical world for her tales.
Oh, and feel free to link to this post and others in The Writer’s Process Blog Tour. Share it on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and where else you meet your friends. Thanks!
Anyway, here’s my behind the scenes stuff:
1) What am I working on?
Right now, my main project is a series of novellas set in a completely new universe I’m creating. It’s about dragons… well, they are special to me. I call this project the Cloud Lands Series.
I have to admit that dragons got me into fantasy. Way back when I was an exchange student in California, the school library offered the Harper Hall trilogy (bonus points if you know who wrote that). And I was hooked. I actually spent a lot of evenings translating Dragonflight into German…
Anyway, I finished the first part of The Cloud Lands Series – “Dorelle’s Journey” – which is a tale of betrayal, loyalty, discovery and redemption. “My” dragons are slightly different than the generic ones – they have soft down on their wings, and they do not teleport. They can also shift the color of their scales and wings. And yes, they are telepathic as usual, because I can’t quite imagine a dragon mouth shaping human speech.
The second part of the series continues with Dorelle and Mashira, her dragon. I’m calling it Kraken War for now, but it features much more than the giant marine denizens that have started to pull down fishing boats and other vessels in the first part. I’m still in plotting stage with that one.
I’m also eagerly awaiting the release of my short story collection “Here be Dragons”. (Can you see a theme there?) My wonderful formatting and graphics people of Blue Harvest Creative are hard at work on that one right now, and I hope to publish it in June.
In addition, I’m collaborating with the Austrian author Lucas Edel on creating a series of books on writing and publishing in German. It’s great fun to work with him, especially as he has already published a guidebook called the KDP Formula.
Fun stuff. Exciting times.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I write gentle stories, even if they are adventures. My focus is on personal growth, on transformation, on characters pushed into difficult times and coming out a better, wiser, stronger person.
In addition, I don’t believe in gore, rape and torture. I know they have turned into staples in fantasy, but I don’t like how pornographic these plot elements have become in the last years. They almost seem to be “must-have”s nowadays, and it offends me on many levels (not alone for the fact that most victims are female). So while my heros might experience injury, hardship and abuse, my focus is not on their physical pain. And yes, they might also have sex, but not on camera. Call me old-fashioned, if you want, but that’s just how I roll.
I use fantasy to transport readers into a world where they can let go of Earth assumptions and try out something different. I hope to help expand experiences, opinions and mindset through my stories, even if they follow the well-known lines of adventure and danger.
So if you pick up one of my stories, expect tension, conflict and the threat of death – but you won’t see gallons of blood being splattered around just for the sake of it. And no, I don’t do horror.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I write stories I would like to read. Admittedly, I would also like to sell my books and create a bit of income from them. Since I self-publish, however, I’m not constrained to comply with genre rules or expectations.
I hope that you – my fans – like what I write.
The focus on personal transformation is easily explained by my main work: I’m a coach and therapist. Transformation is what I help people do, that’s what has fascinated me all my life. I love telling stories of overcoming obstacles, of finding the true self and attaining personal greatness.
Fantasy allows me to tell these stories in worlds where heros can face dire adventure, massive odds and incredible beasts. That makes their personal transformation entertaining – and I can slip in some life-lessons and encouragment into them without writing self-help books.
And hey, it’s fun!
4) How does my writing process work?
Full disclosure: I work in bits and spurts. I would love to change that, but so far, I haven’t found a good way to do so. I get stuck, and then need to get unstuck. And life intervenes, since I work two jobs as it is, even without the writing.
What really helps me is to set aside writing time and use a timer. I generally do 30 minutes, and sometimes repeat that later in the day. I can write about 800 to 1,000 words in 30 minutes, so that’s not too bad.
However, I need to have scene very clearly in my mind in order to write it fast and quickly. That means the creative process has to come before I even sit down at the computer. And honestly, my best ideas come in bed or in the shower. Sometimes, they also arrive when I walk to work, or when I brainstorm with a friend.
And that’s all. Get ideas, sort them into a story, and write them down. And then polish. Voilá, story.
If you have any questions or comments, please put them into the comment box in the botton. I love answering questions!
That’s all about me today.
Here’s the amazing Lexy Wolfe, whose main series continues to please me again and again.
Lexy Wolfe
Lexy Wolfe
Wife, mother, semi-professional cat-herder, and lover of shiny things, Lexy Wolfe is the author of the highly acclaimed epic fantasy novels of The Sundered Lands Saga. After her time in the Army as a Russian linguist was cut short due to injuries, she has continued a tradition of serving as a translator, now between technical and business folks.
Lexy enjoys learning as much about everything, with a special love of all fields of science. Unfortunately, she never could decide on a single field of study to focus on. Having to set aside a childhood dream, inspired by Carl Sagan, of becoming an astronaut and traveling to other worlds, she now weaves vivid worlds and vibrant characters into intricate stories.
Blog Link: http://lexywolfe.wordpress.com/
