My Writing: I'm a pantser...and proud of it!

Now that I've completed (yay!!!) my first novel, I've determined my writing style.  I'm a pantser, or, someone that writes what comes to them and then revises when they are done - see: flying by the seat of their pants.  There are generally two types of writers out there, pantsers like myself and outliners.

I have to say, that since finishing The Phoenix: A Gathering, I've started working on another project.  So far, it's called Untouchable, but sadly, I don't think the title will stay.  Here's a little peak into my writing process:

Step 1 - Begin with a sentence or a vision.  What usually happens for me is I will hear a little voice in my head (not the crazy kind) and I will have an opening line that appears typically out of nowhere and I'll write it down.  The Phoenix began on my iPhone, believe it or not!

Step 2 - Reread sentence.  I'll stew on this opening sentence or paragraph for a day or two and see what comes about.

Step 3 - Write, write, write.

With Untouchable (working title), I got my general thoughts down on the computer and then tried outlining as well as trying to come up with the conflicts and climaxes, etc.  Oh my gosh!  I am just not that kind of girl.  Outlining at this point in my writing is just not happening.  Perhaps it never will.

I did however, come up with some valid questions I felt I needed to answer before continuing.  In case you were wondering, here they are:

1. Why is the main character (MC) important?
2. What is the disease? - which now has since been changed altogether
3. Where does the story take place?
4. Why are the men and women separated? - which spurred one of my major conflicts
5. Why does the populous live like they do?
6. Who is in control?
7. What are the conflicts? - not all are known to me at this time
8. What type of novel will this be?

I also get A LOT of inspiration from the music I can't live without while writing.  So, I have to give a shout out to PANDORA, and the channel I'm tuned to almost all day...every day...GOTYE!

Here is my playlist for writing:

• I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie
• Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford & Sons
• New Slang by The Shins
• White Blank Page by Mumford & Sons
• The Funeral by Band Of Horses
• Welcome Home by Radical Face
• Little Lion Man (LP Version) by Mumford & Sons
• Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine
• Comes And Goes (In Waves) by Greg Laswell
• Flightless Bird by Iron & Wine
• Arms by Christina Perri
• Faster by Within Temptation
• Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
• Hearts A Mess by Gotye
• Set The Fire To The Third Bar Feat. Martha Wainwright by Snow Patrol
• The Lonely by Christina Perri
• Just Breath (Live: On Ten Legs) by Pearl Jam
• Love The Way You Lie, Pt. III (Original Demo) by Skylar Grey
• Thistle & Weeds by Mumford & Sons
• Somebody That I Used To Know (Tiesto Remix) by Gotye

My Reading List: Once

Once by Anna Carey

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past—and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together—but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to Eve, Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.

My Writing: an Update

I'm so excited to tell you that I have just completed the first draft of The Phoenix: A Gathering!  It's complete at 82,000 words.  I'm sure after edits/revisions, etc. it will gain or lose a few of those words, but right now I'm just taking a break from The Phoenix and letting it sit for about a week.  I figure, after staring at the computer screen for the past 40 +/- days, it's best to let it stew a bit.

I have to say that when I was vacationing in June/July, that I never thought the idea that came to mind on the first of July would ever develop into an 82,000 word novel in 40 days.  The characters and story poured out of my fingers so easily, that I'm so inspired to keep writing that I have already started on a second novel, with brand new characters!

You can visit My Writing page to read the unedited Prologue of The Phoenix: A Gathering.  Keep in mind, what you read is the rough, first draft, completely unedited and raw.  I do hope you enjoy it, and if you do, feel free to leave a comment!  Also, the writing samples I leave on this blog belong to ME.  I've spent hours upon hours creating them, so please do not copy anything of mine without permission.  Thanks!

~Kristie
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.  Inside a dog it's too dark to read - Groucho Marx"

My Reading List: Shatter Me

 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

"You can't touch me," I whisper.
I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.
He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.
But things happen when people touch me.
Strange things.
Bad things.
No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.
But Juliette has plans of her own.
After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.