The Writing Process Blog Hop

I was tagged in a blog hop by author of all things macabre Rose Blackthorn. The purpose of this particular blog hop is to allow a peek into an individual writer's process. Check out Rose's entry HERE. 

So you want to know a bit about my writing process? Read on, friends! It will be quick and painless, I assure you. 

1. What am I working on?

I recently finished the first draft of a crime/sci-fi thriller tentatively titled Nothing Men and I'm currently shopping a middle grade book entitled The Newton McKnight Mysteries. These projects could not be further apart in terms of genre and content, but I like to keep my horizons open when it comes to writing projects. As for what I'm writing now, aside from the sundry short stories which always seem to crop up of their own accord, my time is divided between three novellas: The Wailing, House Z, and an untitled period piece which involves the arrival of a killer who disrupts the normalcy of a rural town in 1940s northern Illinois. 

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

It doesn't, frankly. I write scary stories - their job is to scare. I suppose if there's a difference, it would be that each author's imagination is wholly unique and thus by definition must differ from all other works in a given genre.

3. Why do I write what I do?

If there's a story to be told, I write it (or try to, at least). Some stories must be chiseled out of the bedrock of imagination while others practically do everything but pick up the pen and paper for me. I write the stories I'd want to read and hope others share my sentiment. 

4. How does my writing process work?

Each project germinates in its own way, but usually it will start with a single idea or image and the rest of the story unfolds from there. I never outline because each time I've tried to, the story meanders from it. I find it best to not try to map the tale ahead of time - let it grow on its own, become its own master rather than try to master it. For example, in my novel Emma Tremendous, I was shocked to discover one of the main characters who'd been a "good guy" throughout the story suddenly turned in the last thirty pages into one of the most cold-hearted villains I've created. Had I worked from an outline ahead of time, this absolutely necessary change may not have happened organically and the story would be lesser for it. 

Aside from that, I write at least 1500 words each day, often far more, in hopes of always improving my craft. That's really the way to go about it: write, write, write. And when I think I'm tapped out, when I think I've got nothing more to give, and my fingers and soul feel numb and dead, I sit down and write more. 

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Well, that’s my entry on this blog hop. I tagged Stacey Turner, owner of Angelic Knight Press (publisher of my debut novel Snow Globe) to participate in next week's Blog Hop. Not only is she an excellent industry professional, but a hell of a writer to boot. Be sure to check out her sure-to-be insightful answers on Monday!