What is your writing process?
Sit down and type! I do something more physical in the morning (walking, shopping, fixing up the house) and most days I sit down to start writing around 2-3pm. This can continue until midnight with interruptions for snacks, dinner, procrastination and the occasional TV program or movie or night out with friends. I am definitely of the Ray Bradbury school of thought, "It would be boring if you knew where it was going," and my novels are not extensively plotted before I commence, Characters can suddenly emerge while I am writing (or walking, I carry a notebook) and I am relieved when I 'discover' the general form of the ending about three quarters of the way in. This might sound haphazard but I truly believe most of it is happening sub-consciously with my conscious mind let in on the plan only when it needs to know. At some point in a novel I generally draw up a timeline to ensure internal consistency and for the Anita Histories I now have a complete geographical sketch of the lands which evolved with the novels. After it is written the editing starts.
You write in two genres, how come, and under the same name?
I first started writing Science Fiction. While I was writing the third Anita book (‘Eagles’, finished in rough) the seed for a contemporary fiction novel popped into my mind. It continued to pop into my mind and flesh itself out, so I took notes and wrote small sections of it while finishing ‘Eagles’. It wanted to be written and out of this ‘Sarah’ was born, but not only ‘Sarah’. I have a rough finished version of an ‘alternative history’ based on ‘Sarah’. I suspect I will continue to write in the two genres.
Hopefully being under the same name is not a problem, the descriptions (and tags) of the novels makes it obvious. Also, I will retain distinctive covers for the two genres.
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