I’ve been tagged by my good friend, Lauren Smith for the Writerly Blog! The questions revolve around why and how one writes.
Lauren touched on writing romance and some of the negative comments she’s received. I have to say, most comments I get are extremely positive. in fact, when I was at the Annapolis boat show two weekends ago, I ended up handing out all my business cards. I’ve only received one sneer. Naturally being a former college instructor and lawyer, she promptly got a lesson in the amount of research it takes to write historical romances. I pay so much attention to detail, that last summer an author friend said I could write historical fiction if I was so inclined. After all, there is more money in it. I also told the doubter about the number of advanced degrees many historical authors had. There are doctors, nurses, lawyers, and PhD’s who teach at such prestigious universities as Duke, Harvard, and Yale (I’m sure there are many more, I just can’t remember right now.)
In my opinion, historical romance had never been smarter and more erudite. Are there some who just don’t care about many historical details? Of course there are. We don’t march in lock step after all. But they too have their audiences. Now to the questions.
1. What are you working on right now?
The sixth book in The Marriage Game. It takes place in Northumberland and Edinburgh. The working title is Lady Mary. I’m also mulling over a Christmas novel my editor asked if I could write, and a Christmas novella I want to write.
2. How does it differ from other works in its genre?
I write traditional Regencies, but with sex. There I said it. Usually I dance around the word by using spicy. One of the things I missed in reading Georgette Heyer was the deep emotional fulfillment. I do think if she’d written in the present, she would have been much warmer, but she died in 1976 at the age of 71.
3. Why do you write what you do?
I’ve always loved Regencies. Though it never occurred to me to write one. Then I read an interview where the author said, write what you read. Every quickly clicked, and within a week I had a video playing in my head of an angry Regency lady. A month later, The Seduction of Lady Phoebe was a complete draft. So I really didn’t pick the Regency era, it picked me.
4. How does your writing process work?
I’m a pantser, but I many times plot a scene out in my head. I like to write linearly, but there are times when the scenes don’t come to me in a nice orderly fashion, and I have to then write to get from one place to the next. When I’m stumped, I just write. After all, it’s easier to fix crap than nothing at all. I’m also a fast writer. If left alone (no social media etc.) I can write 100,000 words in a month.
I’m tagging Collette Cameron, Louisa Cornell, and Barbara Monajem.
Now you tell me what do you write or read what you do?
Ella Quinn ~ Author 
Great post, Ella! Write what you read. I like that. I actually do write what I read which explains why my genres are all mixed and mingled.
LOL, Kary!! I have a feeling you’re not alone.
The proof is in the pudding and the devil is in the details. 🙂 Great post and great advice.
Thanks so much, Kate!
Great interview & advice. Shared. 🙂
Andrea, thank you!
You seem to write quickly. So envious!
I do, Carol, but I do everything quickly. It’s just my nature.
I’m a panster too, Ella. I’ve tried to plot, but just can’t do it. Great post.
Thank you, Sandra!
I really admire you pantsers. I can’t do it. I’ve got to have an outline or I’m lost. One of my current WIP’s is stalled because the characters refuse to do what I want them to and instead want to do their own thing and not stick to the script. LOL Good luck with Lady Mary!
That’s when you have to let them do their thing, Jenna. Thank you.
A Christmas novel?! Yes, please. Hope it’s in the cards, Ella. We’ll be crossing our fingers. 🙂
LOL, I’m thinking, Inion.
Pantser too. I can try and give my characters a plot, but they just ignore me. They ignore when I tell them what I want for blog. A blog! I can’t even get them to behave for a blog! Does that show you how little control I have? The other day I wanted to have a nice interview between Charlotte and Lassier about his past life. But he shows up, sees how pretty Charlotte is and spends the whole time trying to seduce her. I’m telling you, my characters don’t listen to me. I’m just a scribe. They do whatever they want. I have no control over anything. grumble grumble.
LOL, Liza. That’s why your books are so good!!
Right now I’m having trouble getting my heroine to talk to me. All she says is that she wants a Season. So I’m trying to give her one.
I always enjoy learning the process of other authors. So great that you can write that fast. Good post.
Well It’s saving me now. I’m glad you liked the post.
Yea! I’m a pantser too! I have to sometimes jump from story to story when I hit a block but linear is a great way to write. 🙂
I try not to start new stories out of order. I did that twice and ended up with the first two books of the next series.
I am pretty much a pantser, although I usually try to sketch ahead once I reach the halfway point. Sometimes entire scenes come to me out of order. I jot them down on notecards and add them to my sketch putting a little note where I think they will go. They usually fit right where I sketch them and when I come to that part of the novel I can usually slide them right in.
I do read historical romance for the most part, but I also read paranormal, historical fiction, Stephen King, thrillers, mysteries.
I write romance because I just can’t imagine writing anything else. I write historical romance because it is what I love to write. And I write for the same reason I studied music and made it my career for so long. I couldn’t not do it and I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Lovely comment, Louisa!!