Laura Trentham
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Writing Process Blog Tag - I'm it!

6/16/2014

9 Comments

 
I was originally tagged in this months ago by a fellow Greenville, SC writer and my CP, Frances Fowlkes. Her first book THE DUKE'S OBSESSION released in May from Entangled. Go check her out at www.francesfowlkes.com.

Last Monday, I was tagged by my awesome 2014 Golden Heart
® finalist in the Young Adult category, Jessica Ruddick. Jessica is an English teacher who has a class full of beta readers at her disposal! Check her out at www.jessicaruddick.com.

And, now for me...
1.      What am I working on?

The question should what am I not working on! I like to keep multiple projects going at once. So, I’m working on the first book in a new Regency series called TO KISS OR KILL about a lady astronomer and the mercenary hired to kill her. I’m also revising the third book in my Spies and Lovers Regency series called A RECKLESS REDEMPTION. And, lastly, I’m working on a third ER novella, as yet unnamed, loosely connected to my first Regency, AN INDECENT INVITATION. The ER is mainly for fun and since it’s a lot of smexy time, I can pound out the words in no time. (Yes, that’s right, I went there:)

And, sometime this summer I should get edit suggestions from my agent on my Southern contemporary, HONEYSUCKLE SEASON. With the kids out of school, fitting the work in over the summer should be an interesting challenge.

2.      How does my work differ from others in my genre?

For one thing, I write contemporary and historical and ER. My historical voice is modern, and my contemporary voice is Southern. In all of them, I try to insert a certain amount of humor. Not slapstick, but the ironic, dark kind or the teasing, sexy kind.

But, I think (hope) that what makes my work standout are the characters. For me, the characters make a book. I want them to be memorable and compelling. My aspiration is for readers to want to reread passages that resonated with them, just I like reread favorite scenes from books on my keeper shelf. No matter how awesome and interesting a plot might be, I’ll walk away from a book if I don’t love the characters.

3.      Why do I write what I do?

I grew up reading a whole gamut of styles and genres but cut my teeth on the gothic-style romance by Mary Stewart, Catherine Cookson, Phyllis A. Whitney, and Victoria Holt. Then, I graduated to filching my mom’s Harlequins and historicals. The first historical romance that I vividly remember is Judith McNaught’s Once and Always, but one of my very favorites is Julie Garwood’s The Bride. The romanticized Regency England I write about is fun and sexy and little dark at times.

Currently, in between all the romances, I read quite a few young adult (I have a ten-year-old son) and literary works. I’m a member of a kick-ass book club—holla!—and our choices never fail to push me out of my comfort zone. Not a lot of HEA’s in that pile!

(As an aside, some of favorite book club selections have been: The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Round House by Louise Erdrich, The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese)

4.      How does your writing process work?

My process is in flux. For my first book, I had an idea of characters and had a scene in mind that would take place toward the middle of the book. So, I started there. What a nightmare! I do not recommend doing that. That book got rewritten/edited more times than I can count. I swore I would never, ever, ever do that again. (Isn’t that a Taylor Swift song?) Now, I generally have the characters, the first few scenes, and the last scene in mind. I buy spiral bound notebooks after they go on sale in the fall and have a notebook per book where I make notes on plot, dialogue, sometimes longhand entire scenes if I don’t have a computer available.

I would love to be a natural plotter, but damn you, glorious pants! I just can’t quit you! I’m learning to compromise. I’ll start a book (at the beginning) and then write a synopsis after I hit the 25-35k mark. Like reading the end of the book first (totally guilty), I have been known to jump ahead and write the last or climatic scene.

As far as my daily writing routine…when the kids are in school, I write pretty steadily from 8:30 to 1:30. I do have a daily goal of 3k words. I’m usually +/- 500 words from that. But, there’s still the grocery shopping, appointments, school commitments to fulfill that takes time away. In summer, I’m up at the butt-crack of dawn to get around three hours in before the kids stumble down for breakfast.

I’m still learning and improving, and as a result, my process changes as I assimilate new methods and information. I’m hoping one day I’ll love to plot, but there is something about getting lost with your characters and experiencing an a-ha moment right along with them. I’m not sure you can do that unless you’re writing while hanging onto the seat of your pants.

9 Comments
Heather McGovern link
6/16/2014 01:41:57 am

Glorious pants is right!!! I'm with you on the discovery with my characters. It's one of my favorite things about writing.

Enjoyed getting a little more insight into your process and writing. ;-)

Reply
Shelly Alexander
6/18/2014 03:23:42 am

OMG! You ladies that can work on several things at once are amazing. I love that you can change your voice to fit so many different genres and sub genres. Very nice.

Reply
Nan Dixon link
6/18/2014 03:58:10 am

Hey Laura!
So fun to read about your process. You are so right - glorious pants - and they come in every size, shape and color in your world. I'm impressed that you write in so many genres.
Can't wait to read your debut!!
See you in SA!

Reply
Amy DeLuca/Amy Patrick link
6/18/2014 06:08:16 am

Hi Laura! I'm screaming that you and Frances are CP's-- she and I became friends when I attended Moonlight and Magnolias-- she is the sweetest. Really enjoyed reading about your process and what you're working on. I don't know why I've never done the spiral notebook-per-ms thing before. I have lots of spiral notebooks going, scribbling in them notes on anything from characters and plot to my to-do list and recipes. I need to learn to designate. It's been so much fun getting to know you and watching all your successes so far this year. You're really on your way!!

Reply
Suzanne Kalb link
6/18/2014 06:14:34 am

Hi Laura, I agree with Shelly--I admire your ability to work on several projects at once, as well as write in multiple genres. I've written a few YAs and a NA, but I'm pretty sure my voice is the same in all that I write. Oops. And, for me, the process is different for each book, but I like the idea of keeping that notebook for all your ideas.

Reply
Marni Folsom
6/18/2014 07:02:35 am

Laura, I so enjoy your humor. Can't wait to read your debut! I agree that it's all about the characters. Fabulous post -- you seem to have found the process that works best for you, which is awesome. :)

Reply
Jillian Lark link
6/18/2014 08:30:14 am

Wow, Laura! Your writing and multitasking process are amazing, especially with the challenge of kids out of school. Ditto on the writing process in flux. I call my current method "transplotting."

I'm also with you when it comes to humor and having to love the characters in books I read. I belong to a book club, too. We're all writers and read romance and non-romance books.

I'm thrilled for all your successes and can't wait to meet you and our Dreamweaver sisters in July. ~Jillian


Reply
Vanessa Barneveld link
6/18/2014 04:04:00 pm

Hi, Laura! You are really a multi-tasking marvel! I love what you said about making those plot discoveries along with your characters.

It's funny you mention starting a book in the middle. I've been on a craft-book-buying binge and one of them was about starting a book in the middle! It's still in my Kindle's TBR queue -- I have to finish reading another craft book on how to write 10K a day. (Yes!)

Thanks for sharing your process. And super congrats again on your sales!

Reply
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    Laura Trentham

    Author of Historical and Contemporary Romance


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