Author Interview: Phyllis Moore

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Phyllis Moore, author of the Pegasus Colony. You will find links and further information about the novel below. But first, let’s find out what Phyllis had to say.

Do you have any strange writing habits (like writing in a lucky pair of socks? Or using a special pen?)

I can write pretty much anywhere. I don’t need everything to be quiet. I can write in my head while I drive, at work when things are slow and people are talking, at the park, or in a coffee shop. And I can write when everything is turned off and silent.

When an idea comes. I write.

If I get stuck somewhere and have to sit with nothing to do or read, give me paper and pen, and I write.

That process sounds familiar. Is there a book you wish you had written?

I’ve thought about it and I don’t think there is a novel I wish I’d written.

There are authors like J.K. Rowling that I wish I was as well read.

It would be nice it my characters were so well known that when some one says, Jessica Hewitt or Nu Venia, people know who they are.

Pegasus Colony is my first novel. I have my future in front of me and I have goals to meet.

That’s certainly an admirable goal. If Pegasus Colony was adapted for the cinema screen, who would play your favorite characters in the movie?

May I tell you a story instead?

I have many friends who bought my book and laughingly asked when the movie was coming out. My first thought was, this is not movie material.

But the Bible says where two agree it will happen. So I agreed with every statement of my book becoming a movie.

I told my friends when the movie came out I’d rent a movie theater and invite all of them and their significant other. I’ll have a buffet at the front of the theater just under the screen for people to eat and visit before the viewing.

And yes, we laughed good-naturedly.

But …

A met a gentlemen who bought a book and whose his son is screenplay writer. He planned to have his son also read the book.

I haven’t heard from him as of yet, but you never know.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed. You mentioned a few names from the series. How important are names in your books? Do you choose based on the sound of the name, its meaning, or some other method?

From other books I’ve read, names are very important from names like Stephanie Plum to Sherlock Holmes to Romeo and Juliet to Albus Dumbledore.

Sometimes my characters change their names several times before I settle on the right one.

Sometimes I hear a name and have to use it. A friend’s middle name is Samard. I’m using his name for a king in one of my fantasy stories.

I have a running list of names that I’ve heard or made up that one day might become a great fictional character.

I like to use friends’ names too. And following on from the earlier theme. If you had an endless budget, describe the trailer for Pegasus Colony.

It would be spectacular.

If I had unlimited money I’d find creative people who know how to catch an audience eye and wanting them asking for more.

One thing I would not do is tell the whole story in the trailer like so many movies do today. It’s annoying. If I know the story and how it will turn out, why bother to go see the movie.

I want my trailer to be intriguing with just enough information to create a mystery that encourages people to buy my book because they want to know what happens.

I get that. Sometimes there are so many spoilers it reflects badly on the movie. But, moving on, can you list five adjectives to describe yourself or your writing habits.

Persistent. Committed. (These two maybe the same. The point is I don’t easily give up. I also don’t start something unless I plan to finish it. I may have to put the story to the side and let it mature for a bit, but I have plans to get back to it.)

Intriguing. (I like to create mystery so the reader wants to keep turning the page to see what happens.)

Misleading. (If you’ve read my short stories, you’ll know I like to lead the reader in one direction only to surprise them with an unexpected ending.)

My last adjective would be “Hone,” as in honing my skills.

I strive it to learn from my mistakes and to improve on what I’ve already written. I want each book to be better than the last.

I think that’s important, because we never stop honing our craft. Tell us about your next project.

I’m presently working on the second book of People of Akiane, Storm’s Coming. I originally wrote People of Akiane as one book, but it was too long, and it kept growing, so I turned it into a trilogy.

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer so far?

Becoming a great writer.

There are so many different elements of writing a novel such as: plot, characters, description, and dialogue.

I’m great at story and dialogue. If I could write a novel with only those two, I’d be happy, but I must also develop strong, interesting characters. I must give details that make the characters and their world seem real.

Yes, the characters are certainly key. Are there any other genres you would love to explore?

My trilogy is science fiction, but I also have a couple of fantasy ideas in the works.

I’d like to write humorous novels that seemingly goes nowhere, but in the end, it all lines up into a good laugh and “Wow that was great!”

My goal is to entertain readers. To take them out of this world and place them in an adventure in another world.

It’s the ultimate goal, isn’t it – taking our readers on a journey. I wish you every success. Thank you so much for agreeing to the interview, Phyllis. I had great fun chatting with you.

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Connect with Phyllis Moore

My Blog: MythRider

https://mythrider.wordpress.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PhyllisMooresMyths

Web page: Moore’s Myths

http://www.mythriderpublishers.com/moores_myths.php

Pegasus Colony is available on Amazon, Barns & Noble, and iBooks.

Lt. Jessica M. Hewitt can’t find peace for her own life, yet her mission is to bring peace between two worlds 28 light-years apart. Her orders are to convince the rough Pegasus Colony that they are still an Earth colony.

Soon after she lands on the alien planet, her nonexistent negotiation skills immediately prove their worth, within seconds she’s failed. Their leader has walked out on her.

The colony wants nothing to do with their home planet. They’ve been on their own for over 300 years. They’re not about to give up their independence.

At last that’s what they say is the problem. But there’s something else going on.

Why has the Earth team has been exiled to the farther reaches of the colony habitat? Why are the colonists so secretive about one particular garden? What are they growing? And why will not one colonist speak to anyone from Earth.

Most importantly what will it take to convince the colonists to just speak to her? The answer to that question may cost Jessica her life.

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Thank you for stopping by.

Mel

Guest Post by Louise Findlay

I have a special treat for you today, a short-story written by Louise Findlay. If you would like to know more about Louise and her work, I featured her on my author blog during the Fantasy Solstice Tour. For further details, click here.

Vicious Vines by Louise Findlay

I so hated this world. The clogging smell of petrol and dust. I could feel the air on my skin, all contaminated like a stain on my soul. I wasn’t wasteful like the humans. Clothes weren’t a necessity for me. I could just weave vines into makeshift garments, to stave off the cold. It was a waste making clothes from cloth and linen. It harmed plants and if they suffered, I suffered.

I always thought my unusual green eyes were a mark of my connection to the environment. The plants thought so. Their piercing shade certainly stood out from my auburn hair.

I was scared that my skin was taking on a greenish hue. I didn’t think I would change, but I didn’t really know what was happening to me; that was the worrying thing. The plants were happy though. As I accessed my powers I was becoming more like them by the day.

Everything hurt more and more, and I could hear the plants’ cries in my head. It was agonising; the constant screaming plaguing my mind. Humans destroyed everything they touched. They were responsible for the death and destruction of all this wildlife. I didn’t count myself among their number.

I made a last ditch attempt to free myself from this burden. Humans didn’t listen to reason, they only cared about what benefited them.  They would pay for laying waste to the forests. They would pay for driving animals out of their homes. They would pay for uprooting plants from their habitat.

It was all the humans fault. Their industrial revolution; building things at the expense of others. It would come back to haunt them. I would make sure of it.

I didn’t have full control over my plant powers, but I knew I could rely on them to do what I wanted. To bring vengeance down upon the human menace.

I might have been content to leave them alone if I didn’t hear the constant screaming inside my head day and night; in my every waking moment and in my dreams as well. It was like having a drill constantly mining away at my brain.

CRACK! It was an agonising shift in my fingers whenever I called the vines to me. Every time I felt the change grow stronger. I didn’t know how to both keep my power, and halt the change. Part of me welcomed it, though the other part just wanted to stay the same.

I would do to the humans what was slowly happening to me. Yes, poetic justice. I’d infect them with plant genes. Then I would watch them trying to survive in their urban metropolis. It would take a lot of strength, but it would be worth it. I forced myself to create balls of swirling energy. The downside was that it was a bit too obvious. Humans ran and fought against anything they didn’t understand. They might escape my curse. Just as my muscles were about to give out, I condensed the energy to vapour. That would do. A swirling mist to encase and infect them.

Hahahaha. I walked for miles to the nearest town and watched the chaos unfold. It worked better than I’d ever imagined. I heard them crying out as they struggled to walk, could hear the conversion in my mind. Their thoughts were being simplified into matters which only concerned plants: food, water, sunlight and procreation. The newly converted plants were weak willed. I knew I could control them if I so desired. Why was I doing this? It was part vengeance; I felt the plants’ pain and wanted the cause of it to pay. But it was also to stop the pain. I couldn’t live with it any longer. It was slowly killing me.

Kathryx

Damn. I was going to kill whoever cursed me to this existence. No one harmed me and got away with it. No one harmed Kathryx without consequences. I had survived unspeakable torments.

As soon as I saw the eerie green mist I knew it was malevolent. I knew my body was changing. I could feel the crippling pain that accompanied it. Arrgh. It was like my body was being torn in two, and only half of me wanted to resist. But the other part, the part which was already damned, did not. I would find whoever did this, and they would pay. On my life they would pay.

The sunlight. It was like a blinding inferno of heavenly day. It nourished the vines that were slowly creeping up my face, but it burned my eyes. I was torn between sacred night and heavenly fire. As a vampire, daylight was my enemy. As a plant, it was quickly becoming my friend.

I suppose my vampiric nature was the reason I wasn’t like the humans. It didn’t matter now anyway. I was dead, whether man or woman or vampire. Plants didn’t bleed. My entire food source had been wiped out in one fell swoop. I had no desire to turn into a piece of shrubbery, but my wishes were of no concern. My body was fighting the battle for me. No sword or spear or arrow could fix this; no weapon could. But rendering the person who did this limb from limb, would make me the happiest creature alive.

I tried to resist the overwhelming urge to claw the vines off my face. They would only grow back again. I had tried that already, which resulted in a mauled face. All I could smell was the infestation of plants. When this was all over, if I was still myself, I was going to set fire to them all. Then I spotted it. Food. Human food. If the person wasn’t greenified yet it meant they had something to do with this.

Everything was slowing down. My feet were dragging. I just couldn’t maintain my speed. Once I was but a blip in the eyes of humans, and now I was struggling to walk. I had to find this person before I became rooted to the spot.

There she was. The red haired menace who started all this. I could see it in her eyes. That spark of violence I saw so often in my own kind. Oh, she was going to the feel the wrath of the last vampire alive.

I had my throwing knives out and began to slice the vines off her body as I charged straight at her with red in my eyes. The vines grew back as soon as I severed them.

“Stop it, please. You’re hurting them,” the menace pleaded.

Hurt plants? Oh, I’d show her hurt. She didn’t even know the meaning of pain. Try being left to starve underground, and trying to claw your way to the surface after having acid thrown on your decaying body.

“You change me back now before I decide your corpse is more useful to me,” I commanded.

She was scared. I could see the tears rolling down her face and hear the palpitations of her heart. This little snip of a girl thought she could destroy everything on the planet and not suffer the consequences? Naïve.

I suppose I should have been worried when I saw that glint in her eyes. But what could a human teenager do to me a vampire? Really?

Ugh. The vines were constricting around my body. I could feel the pressure round my neck. I held my breath, but I knew I didn’t have long before suffocation became a real concern.

“Look who’s in control now,” the human taunted.

No human was going to best me. I was the predator, not the prey. I just had to move my arms. The vines. If I ripped them off I might have enough time to kill her before they regrew. It would hurt though; tear my face. The regrowth would take a decade, even with my healing abilities. Disfigurement was better than death by strangulation, and by a human no less.

I tore my razor sharp nails across my face, screaming even as I took one of my knives from the floor and plunged it into her chest.

Instantly, the vines released me. As I stood panting, the human was breathing her last breath. I could feel the infection slowly retract from my body. The plant life began to wither as I watched her pained struggles.

I was free though. Free at last. Before I collapsed from the strain, I heard the human’s last words.

“Vira. My name is Vira” she said, and then promptly died.

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http://louisefindlaybooks.com

Read my print books http://lulu.com/spotlight/angel7090695001

Read my eBooks http://smashwords.com/profile/view/angel7090695001

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Thanks for stopping by.

Mel

Author Interview: Luther M. Siler

Welcome back to my feature on Luther Siler, author of Skylights, The Benevolence Archives and The Sanctum of the Sphere. Today I would like to share an interview with you. I had a great deal of fun discussing Luther’s reading and writing habits, so much I couldn’t resist a few follow up questions! If you don’t already follow Luther’s blog, you’ll soon discover that he has a great sense of humour and an engaging voice.

An Interview with Luther M. Siler

Author of Skylights, The Benevolence Archives, and The Sanctum of the Sphere

Mel: Do you have any strange writing habits (like writing in your favourite pair of socks? A beer in one hand, your pen in the other!)

Luther: I use it more for heavy-duty blog posts than for fiction, but I have this Jackass wristband that I wear every now and again when I really need to concentrate.  I did the last 10K words or so of SANCTUM in a day, because if I didn’t finish the book I was going to go mad, and I’m pretty sure I had that wristband on the entire time.  I need to be listening to music, but that’s about it.

Mel: Anything is particular? The film score by John Williams perhaps? Or do you just rock it out with your favourite musical accompaniments?

Luther:  Rocking out, and to a wide variety of stuff, although I seem to recall Mac Lethal, Mika and Chuck D getting a fair amount of rotation while I was working on this particular book.

Mel: What book do you wish you had written?

Luther: John Scalzi’s LOCK IN.  Saladin Ahmed’s THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON.  The entire HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE series.  Andy Weir’s THE MARTIAN.  No doubt many others.

Mel: I imagine, like Weir, you had to do a fair bit of research for Skylights. You’ve talked about your interest in statistics on your blog, but how did this translate to the book – did you have to make a conscious effort to pull back, or was it easier because of your teaching background?

Luther:  Keeping Zub in his own voice whenever he was explaining anything was REALLY tough, because the sixth grade curriculum includes astronomy and that unit was easily my favorite part of the year when I was teaching sixth grade.  He tended to sound a lot like me in those moments.  I ended up being pretty happy with the amount of exposition I included in the book– I think it’s all stuff that needs to be there, and enough non-sci-fi people have enjoyed the book by now that I think I did a decent job of not being overwhelming.  Those who complain will be forced to read THE MARTIAN, by Andy Weir, which was one of my favorite books of last year and includes actual equations and chemistry.

Mel: Who would play your favourite characters in a movie?

Luther: Most of the BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES characters would have to be mo-capped CGI– Grond is eight freaking feet tall and Brazel is covered in fur, but Zub from SKYLIGHTS was explicitly based on DJ Qualls.   I could also see Jim Parsons playing him, but Qualls is a little bit more manic and twisted than Parsons is.  You’ll have to go find one of my old archaeology professors to play Tsvika.

This is Asper.  Xe’s real.

Mel: Qualls certainly fits the image in my head, though I can see Parsons fitting the role too. That doesn’t always happen. Is there a particular character that stands out for you – a person you envisioned in your head who doesn’t translate to film?

Luther:  I’d have a hell of a time casting Gabe, actually.  I’m tempted to racebend him and cast Don Cheadle or somebody.

Mel: How important are names in your books? Do you choose based on the sound of the name, its meaning, or some other method?

Luther: Pretty important, actually.  Zub’s nickname is a reference to Robert Zubrin, who is a champion of Mars exploration, and his actual name came later.  Both of Gabe Southern’s names are family names, and Zvi is named after that professor I just mentioned.  Most of the rest of the characters in that book are named after former students.  I wrote a whole article on my blog about naming practices for BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES– long story short, I’m really careful about names in that setting, and there are rules.  Grond is named after an old D&D character.  Note that the name was not originally intended to be a reference to the ram in RETURN OF THE KING, but I’m not bothered that it worked out that way.  🙂

Mel: Maybe that’s the trick, a respectful nod to those who influence us in some way. I’m sure you’ve been asked by a friend or family member to write them into your work – are you ever tempted? Or does that go against one of your rules?

Luther:  The biggest butthead in fourth grade is a tuckerization.  She didn’t ask, and I don’t know if she’s noticed yet.  She made me send her a signed copy of the book, though.

Mel: If you had an endless budget, describe the trailer for Skylights.

Luther: I’m starting to think that you picked up on one of the things I tried to do with that book, which was to have it feel cinematic.  🙂  I’m not sure about the entire trailer, but I know exactly what the last shot should be– a Michael Bay-style swooping camera shot of a monkey in a spacesuit taking a flying leap into a black, bottomless pit.  Then, BOOM: Title card.

Mel: Skylights would certainly translate really well on the big screen. Have you created any of your own trailers? If not, would you consider making one to tease your readers?

Luther:  I haven’t.  I’m not terrible with iMovie, but I’ve never quite figured out what book trailers are for.  I may need to spend a couple of days watching a bunch of them and see if inspiration strikes me.

Mel: List five adjectives to describe yourself or your writing habits.

Luther: Um… “flailing” and “panicked” should probably be two of them.  I’m not good at this.  Is “Batman” an adjective?  It is if he says it is, right?

Mel: Right.

Tell us about your next project.

Luther: My next book is currently planned to be a nonfiction book about teaching called SEARCHING FOR MALUMBA– mostly a collection of reedited blog posts, although I’ll be drawing from previous websites I’ve run and writing some new stuff as well, so people who have been reading infinitefreetime since the beginning won’t be seeing nothing but old stuff.  That said, I’ve tried to write that book three times and walked away, so it may not happen.  I’m planning for it to be out this fall.  After that, the sequel to SKYLIGHTS and then another short story BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES collection.

Or maybe something else.  We’ll see.

Mel: I’m thrilled to hear a Skylights sequel is on the cards. I think we can all relate to those difficult projects, the equivalent of a literary brick wall. Do you have any tried and tested methods (other than letting it sit for a while) when the going gets tough?

Luther:  Blind panic generally works well for me.  That said, sometimes I just have to let a piece sit until I know where it goes next.  Sometimes just skipping to the next chapter will work, but not always; frequently if I’m having trouble getting through a section it’s because the section is wrong and I just don’t know how yet.

Mel: What has been your greatest challenge as a writer so far?

Luther: Time.  Writing nonfiction is terribly easy for me, but I need an hour of staring at a blank screen and “thinking” before I can get even a couple of sentences of fiction out– the fact that I have three books out is a small miracle.  I need to either get more efficient as a writer or get real famous real quick so that I can quit my day job and have the desk time to write.  I will admit that my teacher’s schedule does help, because beginning a project is always the hardest part.  But I’m still working six days a week at two different jobs right now and have a three-year-old in the house, so finding time to write fiction is occasionally really, really difficult.

Mel: I imagine you have to find new and inventive ways to steal time, as it were, to write. Inspiration can strike in unusual places too. Can you give us an example of an occasion when an idea hit and you just had to write it down?

Luther:  I have an app on my phone called “Wunderlist” that I use almost solely to record story ideas as they occur to me.  Some of them are only a word or two long, and occasionally I look back at them and realize I have no idea what the heck I was thinking later.  I really wish I could remember what was going through my head the day “Mars Needs Internet!” got entered into that list.

Mel: Are there any genres you would love to explore?

Luther: Sooner or later I’ll write a straight fantasy book.  I’d love to do a detective story, and historical fiction appeals to me as well, possibly combining the two– but I don’t know that I’m a strong enough plotter for a detective story and the idea of doing all the research that would be necessary for a historical fiction makes my teeth hurt.  One of these days, though…

Mel: Perhaps something like Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency – I could see that!

Thanks so much for agreeing to the interview, Luther. I’ve had an absolute blast, and I’m sure the readers have too!

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Luther Siler was born in 1976 in northern Indiana, where he currently resides along with his wife, three-year-old son, two cats, and a dog. In his spare time he works at a school helping other people be awesome.   he writes about space gnomes and Mars.

“Go rob that train.” Nice, normal. An everyday heist.

But nothing is ever normal for Brazel, Grond and Rhundi.

A simple act of motorized larceny quickly explodes into a galaxy-spanning adventure for the two thieves. Blade-wielding elves, a fast-moving global war, a secret outlaw space city, incomprehensible insectoids and one impossibly lucky human are just the start of their problems. And that’s before they learn that someone from Grond’s past has gotten the Benevolence involved…

What is happening on the ogrespace moon Khkk?

Who are the Noble Opposition?

And what is the secret of THE SANCTUM OF THE SPHERE?

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Thanks for stopping by. If you have any other burning questions for Luther, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

Mel

Guest Post – Gloria Weber: E-book Covers (Historical Fiction)

As a writer, I like trying to write in different genres, because I love to read them and to push my limits.  As a reader, I try to vary my reading, because I like discovering new things to love.  Often, what I read I write.

There’s one exception: Historical Romance.

I love reading knights falling in love with ladies in castles.  I love dashing great coats and tricky bodices.  I love horses and carriages and the sexy times inside of them.  It’s almost like another world.  I’m totally a sucker when it comes to reading Historical Romance.

And I’ve tried to write it.  Since the Geneva Convention has put a ban on inhumane forms of torture I have never let another person read these attempts.  It was that bad.

The skill it takes to have a good romance novel is insane!  Hot scenes are a delicate balance of actions, feelings, and pacing that I fumble over.  Stereo instructions are sexier than what I come up with.  Also, the historical knowledge.  Making sure you aren’t mixing Regency and Edwardian eras with fashions, styles, and etiquette!  I’m horrible with dates and do just the above.  Historical Romance is totally beyond my grasp to write.

But not beyond my grasp is using imaging programs.  I love digital art.  And as of late, I’ve been making some Historical Romance inspired covers.  Can’t write them, so cover them, I guess.  I’ve put them up for sale for $10 each, so those writers on tight budgets looking for a beautiful cover can find one.

Finally, I’m able to contribute a a genre I love, but can’t write.

You can find my Etsy cover shop at:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/QuickEbookCovers

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Have a great day,

Gloria Weber

Writer of Speculative Fiction

 

Visit my Website to find out more about:

GASLIGHT DEMONS a novel published by Morbidgames Publishing.

MAD one of the tales in 20,001: A Steampunk Odyssey.

ETERNAL SERVICE a story in The Ghost IS the Machine.

CRIMSON MAIL (Volume 1) and NO MAIL (Volume 2) in the The Crimson Pact anthology series.

Inside the Interview Room – Round 3

 

WR101

1 August 2014

Interview with Jodie Llewellyn

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Jodie. I’m a 27-year-old Aussie aspiring author. I live in a relatively small country town and am loving being back in my hometown. I work as a sales associate as a real estate agent, but it is my ultimate dream to be a published author. In my free time you’d find me reading, drinking Red Bull and hanging out with friends at the local pub!

 2. What is your first memory of writing?

I remember when I was a kid, about 11 years old, my family and I went for a holiday on the Sunshine Coast. We went because my mum was getting a job transfer and we wanted to see what our new home would be like.

Anyways, while we were up there my mum bought me this little diary. It had this massive spiral to bind the pages and had a cartoon on the front of this girl with yellow hair. I’d had diaries before and had always loved notebooks, but this one was the first that I started to write in everyday. I filled that diary and the next, and the next. I’ve kept a daily journal since I was 11 🙂

So that’s my first memory of writing. I’d write little poems and little stories and talk about my day. I still have that first one scanned into my computer 🙂 The life of an 11-year-old really isn’t all that interesting!

3. When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I don’t consider myself a writer. To me, I’ll be a “writer” when I can write for a living. At the moment I write as a hobby, but I don’t think I’ll give myself actual “writer” status until I have an agent and a publisher.

4. What inspired you to write your first book?

My best friend basically dared me to do it. The Amazon Writer Awards were coming up and I said I wanted to enter, just to see what would happen. My friend said I should. So I wrote a book in 2.5 weeks and entered 🙂 I work very well under pressure! My first novel was a young-adult Sci-Fi and inspired by an image I found on Deviantart.

5. What book are you reading now?

I’m currently reading Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire. Her writing is like a guilty pleasure. The story is so self indulgent.

6. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I find it hard to revise in the way my manuscripts deserve. I’m the sort of person that when I get it down onto the page, it’s done. I write it, I do some line edits and then as far as I’m concerned, it’s done and I want to move onto the next story. I’m sure a lot of people do complete manuscript overhauls, but I find that really difficult. If I write a novel and it isn’t right, then I’d prefer to pen another instead of taking another month to edit the one I have.

7. How long does it take you to write a book?

I wrote my first book, SECTOR 12 in 2.5 weeks. I churned out about 60,000 words in that time. It was crazy.

I wrote my second book, WRAPPED IN DARKNESS in 3 months. I committed to 1,000 words a day and got 80,000 words done in just under the 3 month mark.

I wrote my third book, CHEMICALS COLLIDE in about a month. I wrote most of it in Nanowrimo and a tiny bit afterwards.

So I write pretty fast.

8. What does your family think of your writing?

I live alone at the moment so I don’t have to deal with friends and family when it comes to my writing/reading/blogging and general fandom activity. But as far as they’re concerned, it’s just my thing, it’s what I do. I read a lot, a write a lot, and that’s okay with them. My boyfriend calls me a nerd and then tells me to write a best seller so I can buy him an awesome boat, and that’s about as far as it goes haha.

Writing is almost like an “after thought” to friends and family. They don’t really “get” what it’s like to write a novel and to chase an impossible dream, so they ask ‘how’s the novel going?’ ‘what’s it about’ and that’s really about it.

9. How did you choose the genre you write in?

I’ve written a science fiction novel, I’ve written a fantasy novel, I’ve written a contemporary novel and I’m brainstorming a new fantasy novel. I don’t think there is any rhyme or reason as to why I choose genres. I chose fantasy this time around because I want to write an epic romance. And to me, an epic romance is set in an epic setting with a million and one things that could keep the relationship from working! Hence, fantasy. But maybe next time I’ll write in another genre. I don’t think I could ever stay true to just one.

10. Do you start with character or plot?

My answer… neither. I actually start with a setting. I usually have an idea of the genre and the setting and then I’ll create a female character and her love interest from there. The plot generally comes last because I always start with a setting. I’m not really too sure why, I suppose because a setting can define the type of people you place there. For example, if it’s a modern day country town or a post-apocalyptic society. You’d create very different characters for each.

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To find out more about Jodie’s works in progress, visit her website by clicking here.

 

Journey's End by Mark Morris [30 Days of June] WR101 Prompt Series

Check out Journey’s End. This is another exciting tale by Mark Morris, posted in response to the prompt for the 8 June 2013.

As always here is a reminder of the prompt, and a peek at what’s to come.

8 June 2014

The following sentence starter must be used as the first line of your piece:

Prompt: ‘The plane dropped from the sky; a flaming ball of metal, out of control.’

9 June 2014

Pistyll Waterfall:

Llanrhaeadr, Wales

Prompt: Write a story based on the image.

10 June 2014

You answer the door to a stranger on your doorstep who turns out to be your sister.

Prompt: Write a story based on the above theme.

Thanks

Mel

I'm a clairvoyant – but I can't see any future in it! by Mark Morris

Even the title is clever! Mark’s contribution to today’s prompt (30 Days of June) is a delight. Click here, to read it.

As a reminder, here is the prompt, and a taster for tomorrow, in case you want to join the party!

6 June 2014

You are at a party and, as a joke, you introduce yourself as a clairvoyant. You field questions from other guests, plucking information from your head, which is surprisingly accurate. What starts off as a little fun, turns into a deadly game.

Prompt: Write a story based on the above theme.

7 June 2014

You’ve been waiting all night for an important phone call. The telephone finally rings – who’s at the other end of the line?

Prompt: Write a story based on the above theme.

What kind of writer are you?

Just for fun, I took one of those novelty writing tests. The ones that claim to analyse a section of text in order to compare you to a famous writer. Apparently I write in a similar style to Chuck Palahniuk, the writer who penned Fight Club. It’s an interesting comparison, but one I didn’t take too seriously.

I did, however, do a little research on the work of Mr Palahniuk and stumbled upon the official fan site. There was a rather fun personality test posted by one of its members, under recent discussions. I couldn’t resist answering the questions, and decided to share them with you. You can find the test here.

Does a spider in a hooded fleece sweatshirt make it adorable, or extra spooky?

Depends. Is the spider also wearing a backpack?

You wake up on an island, alone. What’s your initial response?

What the hell happened last night?

Do you laugh at inappropriate times out of nervousness?

ROFLMAO

Nothing exists in the universe except you and a pine cone. What do you name it?

Percy?

Finish this sentence: “Well fuck, if I’d known that I would have…eaten the other one”

Take a cheap shot at your least favorite person.

I don’t do anything cheaply.

Something you know that you’re pretty sure most others don’t is…my trousers are too tight!
Your vehicle mechanic tells you your car is a son-of-a-bitch, are you offended?

I’m more worried than offended. My car can take care of herself.

Cats or dogs?

Cats.

Is existence limited to perception?

More to the point, if a tree falls in a forest when no one is around, does it make a sound?

Your favorite past time.

That really isn’t hard to figure out.

If you give yourself a standing ovation, what does that make you?

A narcissist?

Fight or flight?

Fight.

One of two cartoons on repeat for the remainder of your lifetime: Spongebob Squarepants, or Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers.

It would have to be Chip and Dale. I don’t have anything against Spongebob, but that laugh…bah..bah…bah…bah…can you hear it? SOMEBODY MAKE IT STOP.

A unique personality test, and I’m not sure what it says about me – but it was fun. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever been asked?

Thanks for reading

Mel