I have answered questions many times about my writing process, but when my great friend and fantastic author Patricia Green (http://www.patriciagreenbooks.com) asked me to participate in this blog tour, I was intrigued. The questions that you are required to answer are not the run-of-the-mill questions about process. And some of them are down right hard. But I like things that make me think and if you really want to know about how I write, this post should tell you that exactly.
1) What am I working on?
Currently, I am finishing a polishing run on my Regency romance To Woo A Wicked Widow and sending it off to an agent. I’m also awaiting edits for my Georgian romance Only Marriage Will Do, the second book in the House of Pleasure series. And I’m hard at work revising the third and final novella, Beleaguered, part of my serial novel, Time Enough to Love. When that’s done…well, we’ll see.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
In my bio I state that I have “always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.” I’m a great fan of Saki, O. Henry, and Stephen King, so I have been influenced by them all and try to incorporate all of these darker elements into my romances. I love nothing better than a surprise ending or a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter. You don’t always get that in romances, so I sort of think of it as my niche.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I am a history buff. Have been since I was a child. History was always been my passion, and I love research, so when the writing bug bit me, it seemed quite natural for me to write historical romances. I’d read romantic suspense and historical fiction, but I was most drawn to the historicals. The year I started writing I must have bought and read 200 historical romances, falling deeper and deeper in love with the genre. I have written several contemporary erotic books, but as I said, history is my passion.
4) How does your writing process work?
Hands down I am a plotter. I get an idea for a story—usually a song will come on while I’m driving in the car and I then take it and run (To Woo A Wicked Widow came about from my listening to the Weather Girls singing “It’s Raining Men!”). Next I plot out all the major points, like a story board using post-it notes. Then when I have all the points down, I write a detailed outline of each chapter. I don’t always stick to the outline exactly. If another connection occurs to me, or another character presents itself, I can go with it. Then I begin to write the first draft, using the outline as a guideline. During this draft I layer in and discover character traits. And in the next draft I go back and add in more description (I hate writing description!) and historical details, fleshing out the book and enriching it. My goal is to have the reader so immersed in the time period they feel like they are there. After this it goes to my wonderful beta readers and then hopefully out to agents and editors.
Now, after hearing all about my process, who is up on deck for next week’s tour stop? Two wonderful writers from my local RWA chapter. Dani Jace had her first novella, White Doe, an erotic paranormal romance published last September. And E.J. Towler who writes military romance and is sending out a request for her current book shortly.
Thank you all for coming by to check out my writing process. I hope you’ll check out Patricia’s, Dani’s, and E.J.’s as well!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I’m trying to become more of a hybrid between a plotter and pantser. I guess we all have to find the right combination that works for us.
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I’m a plotstner–a combination of the two. While I don’t plot chapter by chapter, I do know the beginning, the black moment, the resolution and the end. How I get from A to B is the panster chaps, lol.
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I am taking a class that helps with plotting. I’m so not that way, it is always interesting to learn how authors write. 🙂
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If you had said you were a panster, I’d have fainted. And I never would have guessed for a history buff – 🙂
Tweeted.
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LOL! I suppose those who have read my books might guess that, Daryl. 🙂 Thanks for coming by!
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How did I not know you were a plotter? Tweeted and shared on FB.
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I have no clue! LOL I thought everyone knew I was the Queen of Plotting. 🙂
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Sometimes I wish I was a plotter, but it does sound like a lot of work, lol. Great post!
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It’s putting your work on the front end, Jennifer. After the outline, you just start to write. 🙂 My hat is off to pantsers, because if I don’t have a road map telling me where to go, I’m one lost puppy. 🙂
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Great answers, always fun to find out about other writer’s creative processes!
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Thanks, Harliqueen! I think the variables of the process are fascinating. Thanks for coming by!
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Reblogged this on Being an Author and commented:
Where do you get YOUR ideas from?
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From everywhere, Andrea! LOL A lot come from music on the radio. Some come from people I meet. A lot of times I use the “magic if”: what if the slightly older, overweight, stodgy gentleman at the house party turned out to be the hero? Or what if a woman tried to compromise herself to marry the man she wants and ended up compromising herself with the wrong man? I already have way more outlines for books than I’ll ever have time to write, LOL But I love finding new ideas.
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I’m glad you got the chance to participate in this tour, Jenna. You write so well, all of us could learn from your process. Your love of history shines through it all, and makes it interesting for all your readers. Thanks for playing along!
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Thank you, Patricia, for including me in the tour. It’s always good to examine your process from time to time to see how it’s evolving or if it’s a little outdated perhaps. This was a great experience that I enjoyed very much.
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Where do you get the energy? As you know I’m a panster 😀
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I have no idea, Sue! I just do what comes naturally. 🙂 Pantsing seems like a lot of work to me. LOL
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