Welcome to the veranda, Carol/Annie. How did you end up becoming a writer?
Funny you should ask because it was a bit strange. Before we moved to Hawaii, I’d been an Executive Assistant for a number of years and was burned out due to 50- hour work weeks and stress. I’d mentioned trying to write a book to my husband and had begun doing research on the business and how to go about writing a romance novel. Then one day as we were moving into our condo, I overheard my husband telling the electrician that I was taking 2-3 months off to write. I was? News to me. The next day, I overheard a similar conversation, only now I was taking six months. Well, I began to write and have never gone back to the dreaded day job. Thank you, Hubby!
I love a supportive writing spouse! Mine is equally as supportive. This helps our creativity so much. When you do create your stories, are you a plotter or do you follow the muse?
Some of both. I started out as a total ‘flying into the mist’ writer, but found my way riddled with pitfalls. I’d write myself into a corner, run out of story much too fast, or I’d end up with a great idea, but no real story. It was frustrating. As a result, I have a lot of good premises that need fleshing out and some complete manuscripts that I fear will never be published, no matter how many times I’ve revised them. These days I usually get the premise, write enough to get a feel for the characters, then stop and write the synopsis. That gives me a rough guide. Then I use a method called Pinch Point Plotting that I discovered in a class taught by C.J. Lyons. It works for me because it incorporates the emotional journey.
C.J. Lyons class sounds perfect for me. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. After you finish pinching all the plot points and writing, how do you relax after a long writing day?
Oh, gosh, I’d just about kill for a real all-writing day. We’ve been in moving mode for about six months now, buying/selling houses, packing/unpacking, decorating and putting in a garden. Between that, edits due my Red Sage editor, getting my website up and running and promotional obligations, I’m lucky to get in a couple hours of actual writing. However the day goes, Hubby and I usually unwind with a beer or glass of wine with dinner followed by a couple hours of movie or TV time.
Oh, I know the difficulty of adjusting to a new writing schedule after a big move! I'm surprised you have time to work on the promotions. Do you have any new releases coming up as well?
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| Beautiful Cover! |
You've got a lot of new stories coming out. Fabulous. Now that you're published, what advice would you give aspiring writers?
Get used to thinking of your stories and books as a product. If the product is ‘passed’ on (the current buzzword for ‘no’), it’s a teeny bit easier to swallow than if you look at it as if you’ve been rejected. It’s important to understand that there are a gazillion reasons your work product may not have been what that editor or agent was looking for at that moment. Take a moment, an hour, but don’t wallow. If you received feedback, examine it and make changes to your product. Then, take a deep breath and send it out again.
Carol that is excellent advice to think about our manuscripts and books as products so that we don't take "no" for a personal rejection. I love that concept. Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your story with my friends and followers. And here's the best part--a lucky commentator will win a copy of Carol/Annie's book.
To learn more about Carol/Annie’s books, blog and more, visit http://AnnieRayburn.com.
Yay! I love celebrating. *Nibbling Chocolate!*
