Well I'm thrilled to be taking part in the Writing Process Blog Tour! I was invited to take part by Marissa de Luna, author of Goa Traffic. You can check out her contribution to the Writing Process Blog Tour on her website The Coffee Stained Manuscript.
1) What am I working on?
Currently, I'm working on a vampire trilogy. Book One is called The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl and it will be published in 2014. All three books are complete, so what I'm doing now is going through and polishing them, making sure everything is as good as I can make it.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Well, I suppose it's probably the first vampire novel set in the Inland Empire. As far as vampire novels go, most authors tend to pay homage to the traditional vampire tropes, while also innovating their own wrinkles. That's how I've approached this project. I love vampire stories, so I've stayed true to classic elements, such as sunlight being a lethal threat. I've also added some wrinkles of my own, but I'll keep those secret until the books are published.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I'm most happy when I'm being creative, whether it's writing a novel or working on my podcast, The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour. But, more than that, I love telling stories and writing is the medium I most enjoy doing it in.
4) How does your writing process work?
When writing a novel, I tend to start with an idea that I find interesting. I might try writing a chapter or two, feeling it out, seeing if there appears to be enough fertile material to turn into a novel. Once I'm convinced the potential is there, I'll start brainstorming the story, which ultimately manifests itself into an outline. I'll outline every chapter, before starting the first draft in earnest. The outline is pliable, of course, so I will change and revise as the story and its characters evolve.
NEXT WEEK:
Will Entrekin
Will is a Pittsburgh-based writer. He's also the founder and creative director of Exciting Press, an independent publisher of digital literature.
You can see his writing process here: